New York is one of the most visited places on earth, but what if you want a more authentic experience and stay clear of the tourist traps? Well, this article full of hidden gems in NYC is exactly what you’re looking for!
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There’s a big difference between your first trip to New York City and your second, and even more if you become a frequent tourist. There are a lot of incredible and must-see spots you have to visit on your first trip to NYC, but the city has a lot more to offer.
But before you go to discover the underside and the hidden gems of NYC, you’ll need a way to stay connected and up-to-date for any event you might catch. Try Yoho Mobile’s free eSIM now, and see how easy and simple it is to navigate and install. And, when you decide to buy one, you can use our promo code YOHO12 for a 12% off!
Hidden Gems in NYC
Steering clear of the more touristy spots is a decision that can transform a simple vacation to NYC into a more authentic and memorable experience. Choosing hidden gems in NYC will show you more of the true character of the neighborhoods, and you’ll see how the locals live their day-to-day life and what areas they frequent.
It’s also great to support the local communities and small businesses, as well as to find new local artists and under-the-radar cultural sites. And without the endless lines and high prices of popular attractions! It’s definitely the way to go if you’re a veteran traveler and have already seen the main sights and spots of NYC.
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Neighborhoods With Secrets
The Bronx Documentary Center
If you’re looking for hidden and often overlooked places, this is the perfect one to start. The Bronx Documentary Center is a non-profit gallery and an open space designed to provide the local community with access to high-quality documentary work to further their personal and professional education. The installations are a haven for exploring vital issues through the visual mediums, and they include multiple programs for the public. Young students can learn how to tell a story with images in the Youth Photo League, as well as the elderly, with the Senior Photo League. You can even join in a workshop, especially if you visit during the weekend.
Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn
If you like music and the scenic arts, but the magnitude and fame of Broadway is a bit too much, you can choose instead a small venue like the Jalopy Theater. It might be small, but it’s well-loved by the locals, as it’s dedicated to folk and traditional music around the world, as well as community events like festivals. It also doubles as a school of music, where people of all ages can learn the instrument of their choice. You can check all the upcoming events on their official website, and see if your next trip to NYC coincides with one!
Brooklyn’s hand-pulled noodles
Few things are more satisfying than a hot bowl of noodles after a long day exploring hidden gems in NYC, and, if you’re around Brooklyn at dinner time, you’re lucky! Nargis Cafe is one of the most well-loved Uzbek restaurants in the area, and it’s a locals’ favorite. They serve traditional Uzbek dishes like lagman, hand-pulled noodles with a savory beef and lamb soup, manti, which are steamed dumplings with seasoned meat, and plov, a rice pilaf cooked in a kazan. Even in the ambiance, you’ll feel transported, as the Uzbek textiles and ceramics blend perfectly with Brooklyn’s commercial aesthetics.
The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
It is a mouthful, isn’t it? But the CCCADI, for short, is one of East Harlem’s hidden gems, located in a restored 19th-century firehouse. It’s a cultural landmark that blends activism with history, placing special emphasis on the social justice efforts for the African diaspora. It’s a place you have to visit if you’re looking for something more, for storytelling and art with soul that’s not designed to sell a piece, but to convey a part of the artist’s history and identity. And indeed, once you enter, you’ll get the opportunity to see new artists, with rotating art exhibitions of Black and Afro-Caribbean artists. There are also community workshops you can join, and even film screenings and cultural festivals.
Places from Another Era in NYC
Dorian’s Red Hand
You’ve probably heard of the speakeasies if you’ve ever visited NYC, and as fun as they are, the reality is that most of them aren’t that secret and reclusive anymore, and feel more commercial and artificial nowadays. If you prefer a place that keeps its original atmosphere, visit Dorian’s Red Hand, a place that was established in 1960 and has remained mostly the same. It still has its jukebox, the dark wood paneling, and the booth worn from regular use. It’s a locals’ favorite, where people still go to mingle, pass the time, and enjoy the affordable beer and drinks. It’s perfect for a last stop if you’re having a long night, and you can just sit and relax until the sun goes up again and another day starts in the city that never sleeps.
The Roger Morris Park
Once upon a time, when the U.S. was a young country, this was a sprawling 130-acre estate owned by British Colonel Roger Morris. The mansion in itself, called the Morris-Jumel Mansion, was built in 1765, making it the oldest surviving residence in all of Manhattan. But today, only the mansion and 1.5 acres of the landscaped grounds remain.
It’s still a great place to explore, with a harmonious blend of the original Georgian aesthetics and the 20th-century landscaping efforts. Just take the brick pathways that meander through the park, and discover hidden areas from the past. From the later years, there is the Sunken Octagonal Garden, which mirrors the mansion’s annex, and the Sylvan Terrace, which was once the mansion’s carriage driveway.
The Trinity Churchyard
Maybe for European and Asian visitors, the Trinity Churchyard is not that old, after all, it was established in 1697. But for Americans, it is a different story. Their nation wasn’t even a whole country then, but a group of colonies, and this place reminds them of that. In fact, there are a lot of prominent early Americans who found their last rest in that place. Like Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father and the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and his wife, Eliza Hamilton, a key early American philanthropist.
Visiting it gives a good glance at what the life and death of the first inhabitants of New York were like, but now, it also offers more contrast between the past and present of the city. The cemetery is located at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street, so it’s practically englobed by the modern side of the city, with its many, many skyscrapers.
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Old Manhattan
At first sight, Manhattan might seem like a completely modern city, with hardly a building or a place with over 100 years old. But that’s just not the truth. It might be harder to look for, but the city still has many old and charming spots where you can get a glimpse of how it was in the past.
You can start in the South Street Seaport, where there are plenty of buildings from the 1800s converted into shops and eateries, restored cobblestone streets, and even vintage gas lamps. Yes, the original tall and black gas lamps, and if you pass by them at night, you can see them lighting the streets in a mysterious and melancholic yellow. Afterwards, you can move to Stone Street, where the 1600s cobblestones are still visible, and stop at a historic pub to take a bite or a drink.
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Nature Breaks in NYC That Aren’t Central Park
Inwood Hill Park
Moving to the far north of Manhattan, along the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, you’ll find an incredible sight. In an area so full of buildings and new sights like NYC, there’s a natural hidden gem in the form of a forest. And it’s not any forest, but the largest remaining stretch of natural forest in Manhattan, in all its beauty and rawness. It’s definitely different from Central Park, with many fewer tourists, quieter spots to reflect, and much more ecologically diverse, making it the perfect escape from the urban rush.
Ridgewood Reservoir Overview
Another fascinating landmark, but this time on the border of Brooklyn and Queens. It’s one of the few places in NYC where nature has reclaimed a man-made complex. It was originally built as a water storage facility in the 19th century and used until the system became obsolete in 1989. Since then, it was just left there, and unexpectedly, the wildlife started making it its home. Now it’s open to the public as a nature preserve, and you can take a long walk around the basins and admire the old water towers. It’s pretty quiet, and many locals go there to relax, jog, or just enjoy nature.
FAQs about New York City
Are there neighborhoods in NYC that even locals don’t visit?
Yes, but only because they’re mostly industrial, very residential, or have fewer attractions, like parts of the East of Brooklyn or Brownsville for safety concerns, and the waterfront industrial zones in Red Hook or Port Morris. But there are community efforts underway to change that situation, and make all the neighborhood safer and more inviting.
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Can you avoid all tourist spots in a second trip to NYC?
You can minimize them, but completely avoiding them is pretty difficult in a city as iconic as NYC. If you’re trying to dodge the tourist spots, you can stay in neighborhoods farther from Midtown and Lower Manhattan, and visit community parks, local markets, mom-and-pop shops, and lesser-known museums instead of Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Met, or the MoMA.
How to get my hidden gems from NYC locals?
You can just ask them! If you’re sitting in a neighborhood cafe or a small bookstore, either the owner or the clients will probably be happy to tell you about their favorite hidden places. It’s as simple as wondering where they like to eat, hang out, or relax away from the tourists. But you can also use platforms like Meetup.com to find people who share the same interests as you and ask for their opinion.