29 Hidden Gems in NYC that you can’t miss

New York’s Secret Romantic side

Outdoor Movie Nights
Various Locations
The stars might be upstaged by the city lights, and there’ll always be the mild soundtrack of traffic, but in summertime an outdoor movie makes for a relaxed romantic date night in New York, perfect for unwinding after a day of busy sightseeing. Pull together a little picnic and chill out with an old classic or something new. In Manhattan, you can see outdoor movies at Bryant Park, the Lincoln Center, Chelsea Piers, Hudson Yards, the Seaport Cinema and various rooftops and city parks. In Brooklyn they’re regularly held at Prospect Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Fort Greene Park & McCarran Park. Best of all, most of New York’s outdoor movie screenings are free!

Glamping on Governors Island
Nearest Big Bus stop: Statue of Liberty / Battery Park
Located just a short distance from the Battery in Manhattan and only accessible by ferry, Governors Island is a National Monument and public park with two former military fortifications. It’s one of New York’s best-kept secrets, and now you can glamp there, enjoying peaceful activities like morning yoga, leisurely bike rides, sunset cocktails and s’mores around the evening bonfire, all with the epic backdrop of uninterrupted Manhattan skyline views. Viewing the twinkling city across the water while ensconced in your elegant villa or tent really does make for a luxuriously cosy contrast – Claudia recommends this as one of her top romantic activities in NYC.

Visit a Speakeasy
Various Locations
Impress your companion with a visit to one of New York’s best speakeasies. These unique bars are inspired by the heyday of 1920s prohibition, when drinking establishments had to be concealed from the authorities with hidden entrances, decoys and special passwords. Hidden behind a telephone booth within a hot-dog shop in the East Village, PDT (Please Don’t Tell) is a genre classic of the mid-2000s Speakeasy revival. The Back Room on Norfolk street, hidden by a decrepit sign that says ‘LOWER EAST SIDE TOY COMPANY’, hams up the vibe with cocktails served in teacups and beer bottles handed over in paper bags. Above a Five Guys on Bleecker St you’ll find The Garret with whimsical tin ceilings and chandeliers. And the clandestine quality is especially captured by the luxe dark interiors at La Noxe, tucked underground inside the 28th street subway station.

Ice Skating
Various Locations
For romantic wintertime fun, head for a spin on the ice at one of the city’s iconic outdoor ice rinks. The Rockerfeller Centre’s rink, with its sparkling Christmas Tree, is the famous backdrop for romantic moments from films Elf (2003) and Autumn in New York (2000). The Wollman rink, in the southern end of Central Park, notably features in Serendipity (2001), Love Story (1971) and King Kong (2005). If you’re after something to make your own, there are a wide variety of other rinks operating in the winter months. Visit the rink at Bryant Park’s Winter Village, head to Sky Skate for the city’s highest skating rink, twirl under the bridge at Glide in Brooklyn, and enjoy picturesque views at Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center, which transforms from roller rink to ice rink in winter.

Visit the Tin Building
96 South Street (closed Big Bus Stop: Wall Street / Charging Bull)
If you and your date share a love of food and interesting historical architecture, don’t miss a visit to the Tin Building, a new marketplace that has taken over the heritage site of the old Fulton Fish Market at the Seaport. Sprawling over 53,000 square feet, this culinary destination features multiple restaurants, bars, specialty gourmet shops and a central market with locally sourced seafood, meats, cheeses, seasonal produce, chef-grade pantry staples, and rare ingredients. Don’t miss the focaccia bread at T. Café – it’s our Business Administration Manager Miryam’s absolute favourite.

Pottery Class at Pottery Studio 1
1026 6th Ave (nearest Big Bus stop: Times Square East)
For an intimate creative moment, take your date to make a plate (or vase or bowl or mug) at Pottery Studio 1, conveniently located right near Times Square. A romantic evening behind the potter’s wheel will bring you together, teach you something new and leave you with a personalised memento of a romantic New York experience.

Unusual Museums in New York

The Cloisters
99 Margaret Corbin Drive (nearest Big Bus stop: the Met Museum)
Located in Fort Tryon Park overlooking the Hudson River, The Cloisters is a medieval art museum that feels like a European castle. Although it looks like it’s been there since the Middle Ages, it was built less than 100 years ago. The collection includes the famous 500-year-old Unicorn Tapestries, and the peaceful gardens outside have featured in many on-screen moments - recently in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of West Side Story.

El Museo del Barrio
1230 5th Ave (nearest Big Bus stop: The Met Museum)
El Museo del Barrio is an East Harlem museum that specialises in Latin American and Caribbean Art. The 6,500-piece permanent collection ranges from pre-Colombian artifacts to contemporary installations. It was founded in 1969 during the during the Nuyorican and Civil Rights movements, when African American and Puerto Rican parents, educators, and community activists sought to improve the cultural diversity of the barrio's educational programs and opportunities.

The Tenement Museum
97 Orchard Street (nearest Big Bus stop: Chinatown / Little Italy)
The Tenement Museum, a series of two restored tenement apartment buildings in the Lower East Side, is one of New York’s best hidden gems. Between 1863–2011, these apartments were home to at least 15,000 people from over 20 different countries. Today, the historically recreated apartments illustrate 19th and 20th century living conditions, giving particular insight into how a century of the New York immigrant experience created one of the most diverse cities in the world.

New York Transit Museum
99 Schermerhorn St (nearest Big Bus stop: Wall Street / Charging Bull)
A Brooklyn hidden gem, the New York Transit Museum is located within the decommissioned Court Street subway station. The museum takes a deep dive into an essential element of New York life: the public transit system. You’ll see historical artifacts from the subway, bus and commuter rail systems, including a collection of vintage train cars, historic subway turnstiles, way-finding and etiquette signage and even a working subway signal tower from 1936.

The City Reliquary Museum
370 Metropolitan Avenue (nearest Big Bus stop: SoHo)
This treasured not-for-profit community museum in Williamsburg showcases New York City's history through an eclectic collection of artifacts, from vintage subway tokens to pieces of old buildings. The City Reliquary Museum started in 2002, when Williamsburg resident Dave Herman began creatively displaying objects in the windows of his ground-floor apartment. Donations and loans of relics grew the collection, which moved to its current location in 2006.

The Hip Hop Museum
575 Exterior Street (nearest Big Bus stop: The Met Museum)
In 2024, the much-anticipated Hip Hop Museum is set to open on the Bronx Waterfront, with thousands of artifacts, images and testimonies dedicated to telling the story of hip hop culture and how it changed the world. With a close look at DJing, emceeing and rapping, breakdance, graffiti and Hip Hop knowledge, the museum also seeks to celebrate the Bronx as the birthplace of Hip Hop.

Unique Things to See in New York

Shakespeare in the Park
Delacorte Theater, Central Park (nearest Big Bus stop: The Met Museum)
For a month every summer, the Public Theater stages free performances of one of Shakespeare’s plays at the open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Performances usually run Monday through Saturday, with free tickets available on the day in person or via digital lottery. Stars including Meryl Streep, Al Pacino and Denzel Washington have previously performed at Shakespeare in the Park, making this activity one of the best free hidden gems in NYC!

The Little Red Lighthouse
Fort Washington Park (nearest Big Bus stop: The Met Museum)
This tiny lighthouse is Manhattan’s last remaining lighthouse. Built in 1880, it was the inspiration for Hildegard H. Swift's 1942 children's book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. Well off the beaten path, the Little Red Lighthouse is one of the best hidden spots in New York, with interesting views across the Hudson River, under the George Washington Bridge, and through the surrounding parkland.

African Burial Ground
290 Broadway (nearest Big Bus stop: Brooklyn Bridge)
Situated atop the oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans, this peaceful monument represents the role slavery played in building New York City. It’s estimated that over 15,000 African Americans were buried here in the 18th century, with remains discovered when the site was excavated in 1991. The monument was dedicated in 2007, and has features and symbolism designed to reflect the circle of diaspora, the ancestral chamber, the middle passage and the meeting of two worlds. The Interpretation Center is located nearby within the lobby of 290 Broadway.

Time Out Market Rooftop
55 Water Street (nearest Big Bus stop: Brooklyn Bridge)
If you’re feeling hungry, the Time Out Market is the perfect place to head to after a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. You’ll be delighted with the huge variety of eateries to choose from, and captivated by the incredible views of Manhattan back across the East River. There’s lots of outdoor seating at the market, and plenty of space outside on the boardwalk to sit or walk and soak up the views. Our whole team recommend this as one of the best places to take photos in New York!

Roosevelt Island Tram
254 E 60th St (nearest Big Bus stop: Central Park Zoo)
Crossing the East River between Roosevelt Island and Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Roosevelt Island Tram is a unique aerial tramway that’s one of New York’s more unusual transport icons. You might remember it from the films Nighthawks (1981) or Spider-Man (2002). The 110-person-capacity trams travel 3,140 feet (960 m) across the river in less than three minutes, suspended at a height of 230 feet. A ride on the tramway is perfect for getting unique photos of New York, and gives you the opportunity to explore off-the-beaten-track Roosevelt Island.

Doyer’s Street
Chinatown (nearest Big Bus stop: Chinatown / Little Italy)
Once known as one of the deadliest streets in New York City, this tiny 200-foot curved street follows the route of an old stream. In the early 20th century it became known as the “Bloody Angle” after numerous hatchet murders by the Tong Gangs of Chinatown. Today it’s a pedestrian-only street lined with colorful shops and pretty lanterns. Stop for some pictures and possibly lunch at a noodle house, and feel grateful that you’re a century late for the street’s notoriety!

Experience New York like a local

There’s so much to see in New York City, so you’d be forgiven for creating a manic itinerary to follow. It is indeed the city that never sleeps, but keep in mind that local living probably won’t center around the city’s busiest landmarks or must-see attractions. Instead, you’ll need to take the time to head to one of our recommended destinations and simply stop and observe. It’s even better with a snack, so go have a picnic in Central Park, do brunch anywhere in the city (Claudia recommends The Standard, Jack’s Wife Freda, or Bubby’s) or pick up a ‘hero’ (sandwich) from the nearest bodega (convenience store) and try to coincide with the local lunch-break crowd at a small inner-city park like the Elevated Acre or Greenacre Park. Even just walking around New York City will keep you entertained! Walking will help you to discover your own hidden gems in NYC (and you might just get the opportunity to shout “Hey! I’m walkin’ here!”)

Ten Insider Tips for NYC

• Don’t eat your pizza with a knife and fork. A ‘slice’ is triangular, a ‘grandma slice’ is square, and a full pizza is a ‘whole pie’
• Take an e-bike around Central Park. It’s an easy way to see a big place if you don’t have a lot of time
• The subway is usually faster than a taxi
• Smaller shops and independent vendors often only accept cash, so keep some on you
• Don’t suddenly stop on the sidewalk or let your group block it. Just ‘pull over’ to the right
• Wear some comfortable shoes – your step count is going stratospheric
• Stick with the A-ratings when eating out. These should be displayed prominently at all restaurants
• Ask someone for directions if you’re lost, but don’t bog them down with small talk
• Take every bathroom break you can get
• Don’t bend your Metrocard!

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