Unique Things to Do in New York City
New York City's most unique experiences include Apollo Theater, Asser Levy Recreation Center, Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, and Bill's Place Jazz Club.
Half toy store, half theme park. Recent installations: Bluey's House, Slime Bar.
110 5th Ave, New York, NY 10011 · Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm · Ages 0–10
Named Best of New York by NY Mag. Free. Summer only -- get there early.
171 East Dr, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Daily 10:30am-6pm (seasonal, Memorial Day-Sep) · Ages 0–12
Teaching kids music since 1912. 24 classrooms, 266-seat theater, $76/lesson.
126 St Felix St, Brooklyn, NY 11217 · Mon-Sat, varies by class · Ages 2–18
Free kids cooking demos at the farmers market. Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat.
E 17th St & Broadway, New York, NY 10003 · Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat 8am-6pm (year-round) · Ages 0+
Hidden gem. Bluestone slide built into the hill. Splash pad. Sand pit. Free.
Warren St & River Terrace, New York, NY 10007 · Daily dawn-dusk · Ages 0–12
Indoor + outdoor pools, gym, classes. $150/year. $10/year if you're 62+.
392 Asser Levy Place, New York, NY 10010 · Mon-Fri 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Olympic-sized. Free. Summer only. Get there before 11 or forget it.
776 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11222 · Summer only: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Indoor pool AND an indoor hockey rink in Queens. $150/year. Free under 24.
131-04 Meridian Road, Flushing, NY 11368 · Mon-Fri 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Sat 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM, Sun 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Indoor and outdoor pools in the Village. $150/year. Free under 24. Boxing classes.
1 Clarkson St, New York, NY 10014 · Mon-Fri 7:00 AM - 8:30 PM, Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Free admission with your own skates. Skate rental $18-65 depending on demand. The only free-admission rink in NYC. Reserve online a week ahead.
42nd St & 6th Ave, New York, NY 10018 · Daily, sessions vary -- reserve at bryantpark.org
$14-35 admission. NYC's only rooftop ice rink. Brooklyn Bridge views. Kids 5 and under free.
89 South St, New York, NY 10038 · Daily, sessions vary -- check theseaport.nyc
$5 late-night jam sessions Fri/Sat. Students half-price Sun-Thu 10:30pm set.
131 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012 · Doors open 6pm nightly; sets at 8pm & 10:30pm
Jazz since 1935. Tiny wedge-shaped basement. No bad seats. Book early.
178 Seventh Ave S, New York, NY 10014 · Doors 8pm; sets at 9pm & 11pm nightly
Sets until 3:30am. BYOB beer and wine. $25 walk-in if there's room.
183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014 · Mon–Thu 7pm–3:30am, Fri–Sun 2pm–3:30am
Best-sounding room in New York. 575 capacity. No bad sightline in the building.
6 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002 · Doors typically 7–8pm on show nights
Every Wednesday since 1934. The crowd boos people off stage. It's incredible.
253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027 · Amateur Night every Wed at 7:30pm; other events vary
Hidden behind a phone booth in a hot dog shop. Resy opens 7 days out. Book fast.
113 St Marks Pl, New York, NY 10009 · Daily 5pm–2am
BYOB jazz in a Harlem parlor. Former speakeasy. 30 seats. Reserve ahead.
148 W 133rd St, New York, NY 10030 · Fri-Sat, shows at 7pm & 9pm
Magic shop since 1929. Free demos. The staff will blow your mind in 30 seconds.
45 W 34th St, Suite 608, New York, NY 10001 · Mon-Sat 11am-6pm
A 24/7 emergency locksmith service operating since 1984. Licensed, bonded, and insured technicians handle home, apartment, business, and storefront lockouts across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Mobile units dispatched citywide with typical response times of 15-20 minutes.
328 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10023 · 24/7
Full-service locksmith with a Midtown storefront and 24/7 mobile service across all five boroughs. Services include lockouts, lock changes, safe opening, commercial access control, and key duplication. Transparent pricing with no hidden fees.
109 W 39th St, Concourse 1, New York, NY 10018 · 24/7
Same-day dry cleaning with free pickup and delivery across Manhattan. Drop off by 10am for same-day return on weekdays. Same-day service is complimentary most days, with a $2.99 surcharge only when operating at capacity. Also offers wash-and-fold, alterations, and specialty garment care.
231 E 84th St, New York, NY 10028 · Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat 8am-5pm
A family-owned cobbler operating since 1932, now with locations at 60 East 59th Street, 50 Hudson Yards (concourse level), and 1000 Third Avenue (5th floor in Bloomingdale's). Handles everything from heel replacements and sole repairs to designer handbag restoration and leather reconditioning. Trusted by New Yorkers for nearly a century.
60 E 59th St, New York, NY 10022 · Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm
UES dry cleaning and garment restoration for high-end and vintage clothing, bridal gowns, leather, suede, couture. Museums and fashion houses use them. Stain removal from $15, cleaning from $25. Not cheap, but this is where you send the irreplaceable stuff.
39 E 65th St, New York, NY 10065 · Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-4pm