With the pandemic, I am often asked if the New York has changed. And since I didn’t know what to answer to this question, I decided to go there and find out for myself. And honestly, I was not disappointed.
In this article, I present to you my top 10 of the most unusual activities I could do there!
Good plan: The New York City Pass
If you still want to visit the city’s top attractions, I can recommend The New York City Pass! It brings together a large part of the unmissable sites such as the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock, the MoMA and the Statue of Liberty. The pass includes entry to 5 attractions and offers great savings.
1. Kayaking the East River
And yes, I’m sure you’ve never heard of this but it’s possible to kayak on East River! In addition to being an activity that totally changes classic things, it offers an absolutely incredible view of the city. For this activity I went through Manhattan Kayak Co.
2. Little Island
Little Island is a brand new park that was inaugurated in May 2021. There are more than 130 tulip-shaped structures, some of which are over 18m high.
For the little anecdote, the park was built on the old pier 54 where the survivors of the sinking of the Titanic landed in 1912. Its architecture was designed by Thomas Heatherwick who also designed The Vessel, an observatory located in the same neighborhood and that I also recommend!
The little extra of Little Island is that the activity is totally free! However, it is necessary to reserve to visit the park in the afternoons between May and September.
3. Rockaway Beach
Did you know you can surf about an hour by ferry from New York? I don’t, but it was a great discovery!
Rockaway Beach is an exotic and ideal place to cut yourself off from the frenzy of the city. To get there, I took a ferry which cost me $2.75 and which I was able to pay free of charge with Ma French Bank with whom I collaborated for this trip. But I will talk to you about this subject a little later in the article.
4. The Edge
A trip to New York wouldn’t be a trip to New York without visiting one of its lookouts. This time, I chose The Edge, which was inaugurated in 2020. It is one of the 5 observatories in the city but it is above all the highest outdoors. It really is the perfect place to watch a sunset over the Skyline! Moreover, for the bravest, part of the platform has a glass floor where you can see everything that is 345m below you.
The entrance costs $38 and it is even possible to hang above the city, but for that you will have to pay $185 which I find a bit expensive.
5. Abandoned Subway Station
I had heard of a very unusual activity that I wanted to try: visiting an abandoned metro station. For that, I took line 6 to Downtown and stayed in the subway after the terminus trying not to be noticed.
It may not be the craziest metro station I’ve seen, but the experience is unique and I find that very few people know about it.
6. The Alice Cocktail Experience
As its name suggests, it’s an immersive experience in the Alice in Wonderland universe that mixes escape game, show and cocktail tasting. I really liked this show which lasts about 90 minutes but I think you need to have a sufficient level of English to be able to fully enjoy it.
7. Do graffiti in Bushwick
Thanks to Ma French Bank, I was able to invite a subscriber to come and do an activity with me and together we learned to do graffiti in one of my favorite neighborhoods: Bushwick!
Besides, this district is in Brooklyn and it is known for its street art works! You can discover them thanks to the Bushwick Collective , the collective that made this outdoor gallery possible.
8. Vinnie’s Pizzeria
If you visit Brooklyn, I can only advise you to go to Vinnie’s Pizzeria. Apparently the recipe hasn’t changed since it opened in 1960, but the craziest thing is that you can find really original recipes like a pizza… with pizza!
9. Domino Park
We often think that in New York there is only Central Park, but I was super surprised to discover Domino Park, a public park that opened in 2018 in Williamsburg on the former Domino sugar refinery.
I loved that the park was built in the image of the old factory which closed in 2004. There are play areas for children, a Mexican restaurant and also a footbridge which overlooks the park. In short, it’s really a super nice place to relax and discover another side of the city!
10. Glamping at Governors Island
And finally I present to you perhaps the activity that I found the most unusual: go glamping on Governors Island! It’s like camping but a little more comfortable and stylish. And there, I think waking up in front of the Statue of Liberty and the skyline is quite stylish.
My advice: My French Bank
As I told you a little earlier, I made this trip thanks to Ma French Bank, which made my stay really easy. For anyone who loves to travel abroad but doesn’t feel like paying fees on their expenses, I think this is the perfect solution. In addition to that, you can make transfers directly by sms, ideal for reimbursing your friends!
