{"id":347070,"date":"2026-09-15T04:24:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/347070\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T04:24:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T04:24:31","slug":"the-best-things-to-do-in-new-york-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/347070\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Things to Do in New York City"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the repeat Elite Traveler, how to fill your days in NYC is less obvious. Ben Vaschetti, co-founder of luxury travel and lifestyle concierge Maison Benjamin,<\/a> suggests a successful and enjoyable trip to the concrete jungle comes down to immersing yourself in the essence of New York<\/a>: \u201cI recommend experiences that provide a genuine connection to the city, its people, and its cultural institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the spirit of embracing New York like a (well-heeled) local, we tapped expert Manhattanites\u00a0\u2013 the city\u2019s top tastemakers \u2013 for the best things to do in New York.<\/p>\n

What to see and do during the day in New York, according to the experts<\/p>\n

Explore the city\u2019s art scene<\/p>\n

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New York City is home to some of the world\u2019s finest art museums and galleries, from the Museum of Modern Art and the Met to the Whitney and the Guggenheim. And though each deserves a visit, we recommend enlisting the help of a luxury concierge.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Experts like Maria Wittorp, chief concierge at Upper East Side hotel The Mark<\/a>, can arrange private, after-hours tours of the Met, and visits to otherwise inaccessible galleries and studios. \u201cWe once had a guest who wanted to see the work of a particular Brooklyn-based artist, who doesn\u2019t typically welcome visitors to her private atelier,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThrough our wonderful relationship, we were able to arrange a private visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thaisa Cavalcante, general manager of hotel and members\u2019 club Fasano Fifth Avenue<\/a>, similarly advises tapping a well-connected expert to book private viewings or early admission to exhibitions and museums. They can also facilitate personal introductions to galleries and artists, as a way to experience the city\u2019s art scene beyond the conventional museum circuit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cOf particular anticipation among our guests is the forthcoming Armory Show,\u201d Cavalcante adds. And if already on the East Side for the galleries, she recommends a stop at Albertine<\/a>, the French bookstore and cultural venue, directly across from the Met.<\/p>\n

Artist Ashley Longshore<\/a>, meanwhile, makes a case for looking beyond the Upper East Side altogether. \u201cI happen to think that walking around Tribeca is the best place to see some of the most incredible art galleries,\u201d she says. \u201cThey are never packed, and you can really spend time with the art. There are so many artists too that are self-representing, as well as great design stores that, again, are never crowded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Ellwood, Elite Traveler\u2019s US editor, suggests heading downtown to Soho for two of Walter de Maria\u2019s<\/a> installations: Broken Kilometer, on Broadway, and The New York Earth Room, on Wooster Street. \u201cThey\u2019re massive, site-specific, and superb,\u201d he says. \u201cI find the Broken Kilometer almost a religious experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vaschetti recommends a trip to Sotheby\u2019s<\/a>, where \u201cexhibitions are constantly evolving,\u201d offering a chance to see exceptional works before they disappear into private collections. A specialist-led preview can be tailored to a guest\u2019s interests, from contemporary art and fine jewelry to watches, wine, and collectible design,\u201d he adds. \u201cThe opportunity to speak directly with a specialist also brings the objects and the international world of collecting to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take in the skyline<\/p>\n

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To really experience New York\u2019s skyline in all its glory, going up the Empire State Building, the Rock or even One World Trade Center is the first step. But to see the city \u2013 and the surrounding countryside \u2013 from a different vantage point, Vaschetti suggests a private helicopter flight, timed for the state\u2019s most photogenic season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAutumn is one of the most spectacular times to experience New York State, when the Hudson Valley is transformed by brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold,\u201d he says. \u201cI recommend a private helicopter flight because it allows guests to leave Manhattan and see the region\u2019s fall foliage, Hudson River, and historic estates from an extraordinary perspective, all without losing an entire day to driving.\u201d<\/p>\n

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To keep your feet closer to the ground, raise a glass of Champagne aboard The Mark\u2019s sailing boat. One of the last Herreshoff sailboats of its kind still in existence, the 70-ft vessel can be chartered by guests during the summer for two-hour voyages around New York Harbor, accompanied by food from Jean-Georges Vongerichten<\/a> or Caviar Kaspia.<\/p>\n

Related article: This Season\u2019s Sharpest Outerwear to Buy Now<\/a><\/p>\n

Relax at a city spa<\/p>\n

Though renowned as the city that never sleeps, New York does chill \u2013 sometimes. The city is home to some of the best spas in the world<\/a>, many tucked beneath or atop its most popular five-star hotels. <\/p>\n

Carlos Quirarte, owner of Ray\u2019s and Jac\u2019s on Bond, points to Russian and Turkish Baths in the East Village. Leaning into old-school New York rather than five-star polish, the bathhouse has been serving the city since 1892. Inside, you\u2019ll find five sauna and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool, and a roof deck. Spend a morning cycling between the various rooms, or let the professionals take over and book a massage. <\/p>\n

Or kick things up a notch at Shibui Spa<\/a> at The Greenwich Hotel<\/a>, an ultra-luxury antidote to the city\u2019s fast pace.<\/p>\n

Browse Cooper Classic Cars<\/p>\n

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Visiting a car showroom isn\u2019t usually top of the vacation itinerary, but Vaschetti makes a convincing case for a detour to the West Village, where Cooper Classic Cars<\/a> is based. For automotive enthusiasts, he says, it\u2019s a chance to get up close with a \u201cremarkable selection of rare, vintage, and collectible automobiles,\u201d bound to inspire any collector.<\/p>\n

More private garage than conventional showroom, the downtown Manhattan space invites visitors to explore the history, design, and provenance of its cars, with an automotive specialist on hand to bring each one to life.<\/p>\n

Go to Governor\u2019s Island<\/p>\n

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Once a military outpost in New York Harbor and long off-limits to the public, Governor\u2019s Island has been transformed over the past decade into one of the city\u2019s most appealing green spaces. Ellwood credits it with retaining a \u201creal, locals-only flavor,\u201d as well as being remarkably easy to reach: \u201cIt\u2019s only a five-minute ferry ride from the tip of Manhattan, but it\u2019s a world away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though compact, there\u2019s plenty to do once you arrive. Ellwood recommends renting a bike or grabbing a drink with a view of the Wall Street skyline, adding that \u201cthe view of the Statue of Liberty is the best you\u2019ll score from land anywhere.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Related article: Who Are the \u2018Betweeners\u2019 \u2013 and Am I Becoming One?<\/a><\/p>\n

Grab a cocktail at a well-loved New York City bar<\/p>\n

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New York has no shortage of excellent restaurants<\/a>, but its bar scene is just as deserving of attention, with award-winning cocktail spots scattered across Manhattan. For Ellwood, nowhere compares to Dante<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s earned endless accolades from so many cocktail competitions, and you\u2019ll understand why when you pull up a chair at the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ever expanding, with its latest outpost in Nolita, Ellwood recommends ordering a Dante Martini, which \u201csomehow manages to combine vodka and gin with a deftness that would persuade even the sniffiest snob that the best version of a martini needs both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Quirarte, who knows a thing or two about running some of the city\u2019s best spots, the bar at Wild Cherry<\/a> is the place to sit. His order? A Coffee Fizz and a burger. Artist Ashley Longshore also recommends the \u201cpoetically West Village\u201d spot, pointing to its adjoining theater, recently purchased by A24. \u201cIt\u2019s a great segue for walking to all the little, one-of-a-kind boutiques in the West Village.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Strawberry\u00a9Dante<\/p>\n

For a Paloma and a pastry, Longshore directs visitors to Champers<\/a> in Soho. \u201cThey also have the best little store attached, full of unique entertaining items.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while a train station wouldn\u2019t normally be our first port of call for a drink, we\u2019ll make an exception for Grand Central. Writer Heidi Mitchell sings the praises of The Campbell<\/a>, a \u201cwonderful watering hole\u201d tucked inside the station. The former private office of financier John W. Campbell was left largely untouched until the 1990s, when it was transformed into a bar. Today, its Gilded Age interiors, complete with a $300,000 Persian rug, make an atmospheric setting for a very good Manhattan.<\/p>\n