There's no doubt about it, one of the best parts about living in New York City is the nice weather.
Our warmer seasons are amazing here because it doesn’t get dark until around 8 p.m., which means there's so much more daytime. Which means there's so many more activities to do after work, like rooftop drinking and eating al fresco.
But hold up a second: NYC is supposed to be the best city ever for night owls, am I right? That's when this city is supposed to come alive the most, right? Right.
Well, worry not, late-night lovers of NYC: there are plenty of activities to do once the sun sets, and the fun you'll have doing those things will only be enhanced by the arrival of this wonderful weather.
So the question remains: are you're looking for a lil' late-night action or not? If so, you've come to the right place.
Here are 6 must-do, late-night activities for all of the night owls out there; 6 must-do's that'll definitely make some memories for you and your NYC crew.
Are you in?
1. Comedy shows
On any given evening, there are plenty of late-night comedy shows happening in New York City.
At the Comedy Cellar, the last set of comics go on at 11:15 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, 11:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 12:15 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Greenwich Village Comedy Club stages their last group of comedians at 9:45pm on weekdays, 11:45pm on Friday nights, and 12:30 a.m. on Saturday nights.
And at the Eastville Comedy Club, the latest weeknight show starts at 9 p.m. and latest weekend shows start at 11 p.m.
So, the point is this: if you like laughing, but you didn’t get your stuff together to make any solid plans until late in the "game" (read: night), you still got time to go see a comedy show.
And you’ll have an awesome time.
2. Long walks
When people refer to New York City as “The City That Never Sleeps,” they do so for a reason.
There’s nothing wrong with that proverbial nighttime walk, especially because if you’re strolling through most of Manhattan you'll feel relatively safe, no matter what time it is.
Really, it could be three in the morning and there will still be rushing cabs, strolling pedestrians, and people piled into bars.
Everyone is out and about, and if you’re looking for something to do, why not scale thirty or so blocks of this glorious city and see what's happening?
Staying on the main streets and avenues is key here, though. You don’t want to be in a park or on a riverside path at night, you know?
But the streets, the main streets of this city, are great for late-night walks.
3. Bar-hopping
Apparently it’s special that New York City bars are open until 4 a.m.
I was recently watching Lil Dicky’s hilarious new music video, Classic Male Pregame. and I was astounded by one jarring fact: in L.A., all of the bars close at 2 a.m.
How does anyone ever hang out? Like, really, if you’re pregaming at midnight, and the bars close at 2 a.m., there really isn’t even any time to spit game if you even make it to the bar.
How does anyone in L.A. get it in?
But anyway, it’s gorgeous out. No more huddling indoors until you can get into the next bar or into the next cab. It’s lovely to walk from bar to bar, and to even hang out outside or on a roof if you can.
,4. The Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Pkwy - Brooklyn)
If it’s the first Saturday of the month, the Brooklyn Museum is open until 11 p.m. I know that’s not super late, but it’s still way later than any of the other museums in this city.
Also, on any given Thursday, it's also open until 10 p.m. This is excellent news because the Brooklyn Museum is gorgeous, especially in the summer.
Shrouded with cherry blossom trees, this museum boasts an impressive list of exhibitions (currently four and nineteen long-term), which are really all too much for me to discuss right now.
It’s also close to other Brooklyn landmarks, like the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, which is not open late, but hear me out on this one...
Just make a day of it. Spend your Saturday afternoon at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and your Saturday evening at the Brooklyn Museum. Boom, done.
5. 24-hour restaurants
There is nothing quite like a late-night trip to your favorite 24-hour diner.
Diners are reputable and infamous for their propensity to feed late-night diners. But some of NYC’s more eclectic restaurants boast 24-hour schedules, like Cafeteria, Katz’s, Veselka, French Roast, B.A.D. Burger, Coppelia, and more.
So, you want to get together with some pals, or maybe even a date, but it’s late-night? Never fear, compadre!
There are plenty of NYC restaurants happy to oblige your late-night hunger, and dining at one of these restaurants is the perfect late-night must-do!
6. Touristy stuff
So, you live in New York City, you’ve never been to the top of the Empire State Building, and you're also looking for a late-night activity, you say?
The Empire State Building’s observation deck doesn’t close until 2 a.m. And yes, you'll be amazed at how much more enjoyable this experience is without all of the tourists around.
In other must-do's, The Top of the Rock's Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center doesn’t close until midnight either.
The Rubin Museum exhibits its Tibetan art until 10 p.m. on Fridays, along with tapas and music, and who doesn’t love tapas and music?
And because we need to show the forgotten borough a lil' love every once and a while, you could also take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry at sunrise. Because that's about the only reason you'd want to to go there.
If you enjoyed this article, check out 7 Things New Yorkers Automatically Do When It Gets Warmer Out!