Things to Do in Upper West Side

Five floors, all for kids 0-7. The toddler crowd runs this place.

Five floors built for kids 0-7 -- the whole building is their size. Save $1/ticket buying online. Seniors and visitors with disabilities get discounted admission.

212 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024 · Tue-Sun 10am-5pm · indoor · Ages 0–7

NYS residents pay what you wish. The dinosaur hall alone is worth the trip.

New York State residents pay what they wish. The dinosaur hall, ocean life hall (with the blue whale), and the Discovery Room (hands-on, ages 5-12) are the family highlights. Planetarium shows cost extra. Plan 3-4 hours minimum. The museum is enormous -- pick two or three sections and do them well.

200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024 · Wed-Sun 10am-5:30pm, closed Mon-Tue · indoor · Ages 0+

Dizzy's Club after 11pm: $10-20 cover, Central Park views through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Three performance spaces at the top of the Time Warner Center. The Appel Room has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Central Park -- you'll understand when you see it. Wynton Marsalis leads the resident orchestra. Dizzy's Club is the move for a cheaper, more intimate night -- $10-$20 cover after 11pm.

10 Columbus Circle, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10019 · Box office Mon–Sat 10am–6pm; show times vary · (212) 258-9800 · indoor

Free Shakespeare in Central Park. Tickets at noon. Line starts by 6am.

Free outdoor Shakespeare at the Delacorte Theater, late May through early September. 2026 season: Romeo & Juliet and The Winter's Tale. Free tickets at noon on performance days (line forms at W 81st St entrance by 6am -- bring a book). Also available via TodayTix lottery if you can't do the line.

Delacorte Theater, Central Park, New York, NY 10024 · Performances typically 8pm; ticket distribution at noon. Late May–early Sep. · outdoor

Free summer concerts, movies, dance, yoga along the Hudson River. Just show up.

Free summer programming along the Hudson River in Riverside Park -- concerts, outdoor movies, dance classes, yoga, and nature walks. Events run June through September at multiple Riverside Park locations from 72nd Street to the Cloisters. No tickets, no registration -- just show up.

Riverside Park, various locations, Manhattan · Jun-Sep, event times vary · outdoor

26 clay courts in Central Park. $7/hr single-play permit. April-November.

26 Har-Tru clay courts right in Central Park. Season permit ($100 adults, $20 seniors, $10 juniors) or single-play permit ($7/person/hour). Reservations bookable 30 days out for $15/court/hour. April through November.

1 West 96th Street & Central Park West, New York, NY 10025 · Seasonal, April - November, dawn to dusk · 212-280-0205 · outdoor

$150/year. Indoor pool, pickleball, basketball, water aerobics. Free under 24.

A well-maintained NYC Parks recreation center with a 25-yard indoor pool, gymnasium, fitness rooms, and indoor pickleball courts. $150/year for adults with pool access, free for youth under 24. Offers water aerobics, aqua Zumba, and adult pickleball programming. One of the more complete rec centers in Manhattan.

232 W 60th St, New York, NY 10023 · Mon-Fri 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Sat 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM · 212-397-3159 · indoor

6.1-mile car-free loop. Free. The most famous urban running route in the world.

The full Central Park loop is 6.1 miles with rolling hills and scenic views. Car-free and open to runners, walkers, and cyclists. Shorter loops available (1.7 miles around the Reservoir, 1.2 miles around the Great Lawn). No fee, no registration. The mile markers are built into the road surface. The most iconic urban run in the country.

Central Park, New York, NY 10024 · Open 24 hours · outdoor

Free sand volleyball on the Hudson. Bring your own ball. Summer pickup runs.

Sand volleyball courts along the Hudson River in Riverside Park. Free and open to the public, first-come, first-served. Bring your own ball and net. Pickup games on summer weekday evenings and weekend afternoons. One of the few free sand volleyball spots in Manhattan.

Riverside Park at W 100th St, New York, NY 10025 · Daily dawn to dusk (seasonal) · outdoor

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 · (212) 204-1655 · indoor

The egg bagel with scallion cream cheese is a top-5 food experience in New York. Cash only.

Unassuming storefront on Broadway near Columbia. Cash only. The bagels are enormous, chewy, and come out of the oven constantly. An egg bagel with scallion cream cheese ($4-5) is the order. No fancy sandwiches, no avocado toast, no branding strategy. Just extremely good bagels at a fair price. Closes early (around 3pm) and they do run out, so don't show up at 2:45pm expecting everything to be available.

2788 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 · Daily 6am-3pm · (212) 932-2052 · indoor

The Sturgeon King since 1908. Scrambled eggs with nova and onions on a Sunday morning is church.

The Upper West Side institution. Self-proclaimed 'Sturgeon King' and nobody argues. Scrambled eggs with nova and onions ($22-26) is the signature. Smoked fish platters, bagels, chopped liver -- the full Jewish appetizing experience. Closed Mondays. The dining room looks like it hasn't been renovated since 1950, which is the entire point. Cash only at the counter, cards at tables. Closes early afternoon.

541 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024 · Tue-Fri 8:30am-4pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-5pm, Closed Mon · (212) 724-4707 · indoor

Off-leash before 9am and after 9pm. Bring bags — the regulars will call you out.

Dogs can go off-leash in designated Central Park meadows from 6am to 9am and 9pm to 1am. The East Meadow, North Meadow, and other posted lawns are the main spots. Hundreds of dogs every morning — it's the best free social hour in the city. Must be leashed outside those windows.

Central Park, New York, NY 10024 · Off-leash 6am-9am and 9pm-1am daily · outdoor

Good drainage means no mud. The 87th St run down the path has a fountain for hot days. UWS regulars keep both runs civilized.

Fully fenced run with great drainage (it doesn't turn into a mud pit), shaded benches, and Hudson River views. The 87th St run nearby has a fountain dogs can cool off in. Quieter than downtown runs — mostly neighborhood regulars.

Riverside Park at W 105th St, New York, NY 10025 · 6am-1am daily · outdoor