
Unusual Things To Do in New York City
An epic list of things you had no idea you could do in New York City.
Click here for a guide on rooftops, date ideas, walkways, and more.
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Get a colorful picture of your aura at Magic Jewelry.
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Participate in an experimental YouTube video with Improv Everywhere.
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Write your story down as part of the collection at The Strangers Project.
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Start your morning off with yoga and a sober dance party at a Daybreaker event.
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Have a drink and smash the glass at Break Bar.
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Rent a sleep pod for a quick nap at Nap York, which is open 24/7.
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Play with cats at Meow Parlour.
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Try halotherapy in a salt cave at Gaia Nomaya for only $30 for 45 min.
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Support local musicians at secret concerts in a variety of venues hosted by SoFar Sounds.
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Grab free café drinks every weekend at Aritzia in Soho.
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Rent a rehearsal space for singing/piano as low as $15/hr at the National Opera Center or $9/hr for a dance space at Gibney Dance!
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Tour private and up-and-coming buildings for free during Open House New York weekend.
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Attend one of many celebrity book signings at Barnes & Nobles in Union Square.
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Be part of a massive pillow fight at Washington Square Park every April.
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Take a rifle lesson at a Westside Rifle & Pistol Range in the Flatiron District.
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Watch Juilliard recitals for free at Lincoln Center. Check out their calendar online under Events & Tickets and choose Free as event type.
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Get a semi-permanent tattoo that lasts between 9-15 months at Ephemeral Tattoo.
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Gamble (legally) at the city's only speakeasy casino, Big Deal. Check on their website under Events for open casino night.
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Meditate at Kadampa Meditation Center.
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Visit The Lotus Garden, a secret garden on the rooftop of an UWS parking garage. It's reopening in April 2023.
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Immerse yourself in a sensorial show hosted by Ambient Church.
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Take a private horse-riding lesson at GallopNYC in Queens. Sign up under Recreational Riding.
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Become a member of Chapel Bar, a cocktail lounge inside a church.
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Have ice cream on the roof deck of Ample Hills Creamery in Gowanus.
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Go on a crazy speed boat ride on The Beast. Tickets go on sale April 2023.
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Book a session at the Gotham Archery Range.
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Be part of exclusive, private movie screenings (and sometimes get paid!) with Preview Free Movies.
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Learn how to tattoo at FIB Bar in Flatbush. Book through Fever.
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Visit NYC's "smallest park," Septuagesimo Uno, in UWS.
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Leave a handwritten wish that is used as confetti for the NYE Ball Drop at the Wishing Wall.
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Stargaze all over the city for free with the Amateur Astronomers Association.
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Go axe throwing at Bury the Hatchet in Brooklyn or Live Axe in Chinatown.
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Experience a sensory deprivation tank at Vessel Floats.
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Write your initials on the wall of a tucked-away room in the basement of The Strand.
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Do yoga on a rooftop with Sputnik Yoga, at the Edge, or Rooftop Grange during warmer seasons.
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Enjoy a boxing session followed by drinks at the bar (sometimes free!) with GRIT BXNG.
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Buy a drink at Rudy's and get free hot dogs!
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Take a trolley tour or have movie night in Greenwood Cemetery in the fall.
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Spend the day at the city's only casino, Resorts World, in Queens.
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Smoke a cigar at Hudson Bar & Books.
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Play a game of chess at Chess Forum or with board games at The Uncommons.
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Rent a rowboat in Central Park, kayak, paddleboard, pedal boat, jet ski, or Revel moped.
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Play a game of hand ball or paddle ball in front of the skyline at the Brooklyn Bridge Park courts.
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Watch planes take off at Planeview Park.
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Play laser tag, paintball, and do an adventure course all at Area 53.
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View beautiful paintings tucked inside a brownstone at Nicholas Roerich Museum.
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Book a flying trapeze session at the Trapeze School on the roof of Pier 40 in Greenwich Village.
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Take sailing lessons with Hudson River Community Sailing. Single sessions are $100.
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Find an open-to-the-public wedding or company reception posted on Eventbrite.
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Snag furniture for free through @stoopingnyc.
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Roller skate at Rollerjam USA, a roller rink kind of like the one in Stranger Things season 4.
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Attend a naked sip and paint with a male model as your muse. Look for various events on Eventbrite!
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Buy something without checking out at one of the Amazon Go locations.
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Borrow a vinyl record at the Vinyl Lending Library in Brooklyn.
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Tour Kings County Distillery, the oldest whiskey distillery in New York City.
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Participate in a chocolate class at Raaka Chocolate.
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Try a horizontal tea flight at Jin Yun Fu Tea Shop.
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Watch a magic show at Monday Night Magic, the longest-running Off-Broadway magic show in New York.
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Try Sculpture Without Sight at Unarthodox.
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Eat and drink blindfolded at Dinners in the Dark at Abigail's Kitchen.
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Build your own cookie or a cake at the Milk Bar flagship.
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Watch an actor take 5 shots of whiskey and perform drunk at Drunk Shakespeare.
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Enter the Rolodex at the Modern Love Club, a matchmaking service in East Village.
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Take the Stage Tour Door of Radio City Music Hall and visit its secret apartment, The Roxy Suite.
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Ride a go-kart or a large surrey with a group of friends on the streets of Governor's Island.
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Become a Brewtender for a day at the Starbucks Reserve in the Empire State Building.
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Learn the art of Japanese floral arrangement at Ikebana Christine.
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Have a drink in the middle of a shoe department at Shoe Bar in the Nordstrom Flagship.
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Visit Regarding Oysters, a speakeasy oyster shucking and cocktail bar in Murray Hill.
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Attend a concert in a crypt beneath a Harlem church at Death of Classical.
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Check out the lobby at 505 5th Avenue for a permanent light installation that changes throughout the day.
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Unwind for a few hours at a hotel through Dayuse.
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Go bar hopping for non-alcoholic drinks at places like Hekate and Getaway.
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Take a beginner ballet class at the New York Theatre Ballet for only $14/session.
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Take a workout pole dancing class at Body and Pole for only $25/session.
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Pick from a wide collection of pottery and paint it at Color Me Mine in Tribeca.
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Tour the world's oldest gallery of holography and their subterranean laser laboratory at Holographic Studios.
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Visit the tiny but enchanting 4th Street Photo Gallery in the Ukrainian Village.
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Right next door to #78 is Pageant Print Shop, which sells antique prints and maps from 1600-1900.
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Visit The Book Cellar, a used bookstore hidden inside the Webster branch of the NYPL.
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Walk around the Art Students League building, which houses an open to the public gallery, art supply store, and library.
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Book a self-portrait studio at FotoLab Studio for $80/30 minutes!
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Work out in a sauna with a virtual instructor at HOTWORX for major benefits in less time.
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Go claw machine hopping from TESO-X to Anime Claw in downtown Flushing.
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Join Cooldown Running, a free and relaxed walking/running club followed by casual drinks.
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Do a free silent disco hosted by NYC Parks or a ticketed silent disco hosted by Quiet Events.
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Visit the Pier i Cafe’s espresso bar (open at 8 am) for an early morning drink at their outdoor dining tables with scenic views of the Hudson River.
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Take a pasta making class with a three-course meal for only $55 per person at Aunt Jake’s in the Upper East Side.
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Descend down a mock subway station and into an underground ping pong lounge, Spin New York, in Flatiron.
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Play indoor beach volleyball at QBK Sports in Long Island City.
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Take a private glassblowing class with a scenic view of the New York Bay at Scanlan Glass.
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Make music as loud as you want in Pirate, an affordable 24/7 recording studio.
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Visit a true speakeasy (and dirt cheap) thrift store called Trinity Thrift Shop at the back of a Catholic church. Enter at 153 Johnson Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206 under the awning and go down the stairs and take a left.
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Dine at Habibi the Restaurant where you enter through a warehouse with service elevators opened by two greeters who pour you a glass of champagne before taking you to a beautifully landscaped rooftop restaurant and hookah lounge. It’s located at 154 Scott Ave in Brooklyn.
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Browse a large selection of vintage film cameras in Photodom, a two-level shop with new and used cameras. Some cameras cost as low as $10.
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Use the CoStar Astrology machine inside Iconic Magazines (188 Mulberry St) to print out your fortune with your picture on it.
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Visit Arora, an elegant cocktail bar that also doubles as a tea parlor, serves British & French cuisine, and features live piano performances. Their menu has a section just for caviar dishes and is priced between only $19-$29!
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Stop by Perfect Picnic in the Upper East Side and grab all your picnic needs (baguette sandwiches, charcuterie boards, etc) for a picnic in Central Park.