So, you’re best buddy is visiting from out of town and they’ve never been to New York City before.
Of course, they roll up with a list of demands for famous NYC landmarks that they want to visit.
And you, in turn, throw up in your mouth a little bit.
We will readily admit to the tourist trappings of Midtown, but this city is rife with overrated fixtures that your out of towner friends don't fight against on a daily basis.
We’re here to help you give their first NYC visit a locals-only feel.
1. Request: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 5th Avenue)
metmuseum Gallery 700 - The Charles Engelhard Court presents the Museum's unsurpassed collection of American monumental sculpture, architectural elements, and stained glass. The north end of the court is anchored by the Neoclassical facade of the Branch Bank of the United States, originally located on Wall Street. #metmuseum #emptymet #CharlesEngelhardCourt
This is a pretty standard visitor request. Well, it's a standard visitor request if your friend is into art and museums and that sort of thing.
This is a pretty famous museum, like one of the most famous in the whole world, but one of the best parts of NYC is that there are a ton of sick museums and just because the Met is the most famous doesn't necessarily mean it's the best.
Solution: Whitney Museum of American Art (99 Gansevoort Street)
whitneymuseum The #NewWhitney is open till 10 pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. 🌅 [📷 by @edledermanphoto]
This museum is awesome because it has a ton of great modern and contemporary art including work from a lot of living artists which I always think is cool. Also, it’s right on the Hudson, so you get to look at awesome art and sick views of the river.
Plus, it’s open until 10 pm Thursday through Saturday. Another museum to bring your friend to is the Brooklyn Museum. You can pair your visit with the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for $23 which is definitely worth it.
2. Request: Central Park
big.toys Fall Central Park, NY 🍂 Penthouse view & helicopter rides! Tag a friend who would want this! Follow @classysavant for more! Follow @classysavant for more! ------- @marzenka_ | @flynyon 🚁📷
Every visitor we've ever encountered wants to visit Central Park. Central Park is definitely an awesome park and it's sweet to chill in, but we feel like Central Park is such an obvious and cliché park to go to that there has to be a more locals only kind of option to show your friend.
Solution: Gramercy Park
Central Park is definitely sweet, but every NYC visitor who wants to see a sweet park should be taken to Gramercy Park. It's far and away one of the more underrated gems of NYC, but it's not like we're really short of great parks anyways (lookin' at you Prospect Park).
3. Request: Empire State Building
The empire state building is pretty much the epitome of NYC. It's huge and iconic and everything that NYC stands for. It's incredibly obvious why any visitor to NYC would want to make the trek to the Empire State Building, but as a local, we all know that the line is going to suck.
Solution: ...the Empire State Building
The view of NYC from the top is pretty astounding regardless of how many times you’ve been there. The only thing we can suggest to make this request better is to take a helicopter ride around the city, but those are a little bit above the average citizen's pay grade.
The cheapest ones are only 15 minutes and still over a hundred bucks per person, and when it comes to helicopters I don’t think cheapest means best. Still, anything you can do to add adventure to a tourist staple like the Empire State Building, helicopters are so choice.
,4. Request: Broadway show
Broadway shows are pretty tight for a date or something like that, but they can be a little bit too serious and fancy for an out of town friend who is trying to get a locals only experience of NYC.
Solution: Go to a comedy club
nicole_lucci His face says it all #duckface #lastnight #eastvillecomedyclub #worldchamp #judahfriedlander #30rock #iftheraindropsunited #teacherslounge #nyc
We know that Broadway plays are very posh, very classy and that comedy clubs are generally not known for their classiness.
But, the goal isn’t to take your friend to the most high society spot in NYC. The goal is to show them a local’s only version of NYC, and when it comes to real NYC, comedy clubs are a must. We’d suggest Eastville Comedy Club.
If you sign up for their mailing list you get offers for free tickets almost every week and the comics are top notch. The only down side is the two drink minimum, but who doesn’t want at least two drinks during a comedy show?
5. Request: Statue of Liberty
statueellisnps How would you celebrate your 129th birthday? Lady Liberty's is right around the corner! #NationalParks #FindYourPark #StatueOfLiberty #NYC
Much like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol of NYC. But, it's also super touristy and the Statue of Liberty is kind of cool to climb, but it's much cooler to look at from the water while drinking. Besides, lines are for the birds.
Solution: happy hour boat ride... past the Statue of Liberty
lazytones Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless. . #island #statueofliberty #nature_sultans #newyork #newyorkcity #newyork_instagram #iger #igShotz #instagram #photowall #photograph #picoftheday #photooftheday #photographie #landscape_lovers #gettyimages #fotografia #foto_naturel #skylovers #apreciadores_natureza #cloudy #beautifulnesia #bestplacestogo #naturaleza #nature2000 #nature_org #cloudchaser #instatravel #travelgram #instaphotography
The one we’d suggest is New York Water Taxi (various locations).
It’s basically a happy hour booze cruise that goes right past the Statue of Liberty, so your out-of-town friend can get their obligatory selfie. Also, their night tours are $31 and you get a free glass of champagne.
Check out 9 Shows You Definitely Need to Cross Off Your 2015 Broadway Bucket List.