What should I do in NYC 10/3?
October 2, 2019 8:06 PM Subscribe
I'm in town with my wife who is speaking at a conference and I have the day to myself. Can't do the art museums or major tourist stuff without her so what should I do?
We're staying in Chelsea. I almost bought tickets to NYCC but I dont really care about autographs and $55 to then spend more money on a poster or what have you felt silly. I'm not opposed to taking transit anywhere especially for food and/or booze that can only be had in New York and not in another world city. Is there a weird happy hour or menu item that only happens on Thursdays somewhere? I need to be back in Chelsea by 6:30
We're staying in Chelsea. I almost bought tickets to NYCC but I dont really care about autographs and $55 to then spend more money on a poster or what have you felt silly. I'm not opposed to taking transit anywhere especially for food and/or booze that can only be had in New York and not in another world city. Is there a weird happy hour or menu item that only happens on Thursdays somewhere? I need to be back in Chelsea by 6:30
Museum of Natural History has spectacular dinosaurs, if that’s your taste. I think it is $20 or so.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 8:28 PM on October 2, 2019
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 8:28 PM on October 2, 2019
Walking tour? Big Onion is good (or at least was the last time I took one of their tours) and has Brooklyn Bridge and Heights at 11:00 and South Street Seaport at 1:00 tomorrow.
The Tenement Museum is really cool. The museum bought and restored an old tenement building, and they recreated apartments of real families from various eras, which they use to tell visitors about the history of immigrants in New York. You can't just wander through: you have to go as part of a tour, and the tour guides are all professionals and are really good. They also do walking tours of the neighborhood. There's a list of apartment and neighborhood tours tomorrow here.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:44 PM on October 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
The Tenement Museum is really cool. The museum bought and restored an old tenement building, and they recreated apartments of real families from various eras, which they use to tell visitors about the history of immigrants in New York. You can't just wander through: you have to go as part of a tour, and the tour guides are all professionals and are really good. They also do walking tours of the neighborhood. There's a list of apartment and neighborhood tours tomorrow here.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 8:44 PM on October 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
the merchant's house museum is AMAZING and provides a nice counterpoint to the tenement museum - and they are fairly close to each other. in fact you'll have to walk past katz's deli, or russ and daughters, to get from one to the other. there's your day sorted :-).
http://merchantshouse.org/
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:25 PM on October 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
http://merchantshouse.org/
posted by fingers_of_fire at 9:25 PM on October 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
The New York Historical Society is one of those museums that people never have time for when they're only here for a few days, and it's always got interesting things to see. So your wife might not mind you going without her. Ditto the Cooper Hewitt. Ditto ditto the tour at Rockefeller Center.
If you really don't want to see art museums solo, then normally I'd send you to the High Line or to Governor's Island, but it looks like the rain will be pretty steady all day, so you might not want to be outdoors (which also probably rules out the Central Park Zoo). But if you're okay with leaving Manhattan, it's not a long subway ride to get to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens (which will easily kill a day and is close to a lot of great food), or to the Cloisters.
posted by Mchelly at 3:39 AM on October 3, 2019
If you really don't want to see art museums solo, then normally I'd send you to the High Line or to Governor's Island, but it looks like the rain will be pretty steady all day, so you might not want to be outdoors (which also probably rules out the Central Park Zoo). But if you're okay with leaving Manhattan, it's not a long subway ride to get to the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens (which will easily kill a day and is close to a lot of great food), or to the Cloisters.
posted by Mchelly at 3:39 AM on October 3, 2019
Take a stroll to Koreatown on West 32nd Street.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:04 AM on October 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:04 AM on October 3, 2019 [1 favorite]
There are so many museums in the city that you can certainly go to one without it influencing your later plans with your wife. I'd suggest one of the lesser known ones, like the Cooper Hewitt design museum, or the Earth Room, which is a room full of dirt. Or the Museum of the Moving Image, which is always a fun experience.
But my favorite rainy NYC activity is to go to a movie at the Metrograph or the Angelika, maybe go to a bookstore like the Strand, and have a coffee and a giant cookie in any of the delis. If you have any specific hobbies there is definitely a store in the city that caters just to your hobby, and those can be very fun even if you don't buy anything.
posted by k8lin at 4:08 AM on October 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
But my favorite rainy NYC activity is to go to a movie at the Metrograph or the Angelika, maybe go to a bookstore like the Strand, and have a coffee and a giant cookie in any of the delis. If you have any specific hobbies there is definitely a store in the city that caters just to your hobby, and those can be very fun even if you don't buy anything.
posted by k8lin at 4:08 AM on October 3, 2019 [3 favorites]
Personally if I had a rainy day off in the city this week, I’d probably go to the Russian Baths for a low key sweat and then go to Cha-An tea house for a fancy tea and chiffon cake. Maybe hit up Printed Matter too.
posted by thirdletter at 4:28 AM on October 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by thirdletter at 4:28 AM on October 3, 2019 [5 favorites]
Oh I missed the enjoinder against museums; was going to suggest that you read this New Yorker article and then go see the exhibit at the Met Breuer (the old Whitney).
posted by yarrow at 5:47 AM on October 3, 2019
posted by yarrow at 5:47 AM on October 3, 2019
If you like tea Cha An, suggested above, is excellent and so is Té Company, which is even closer to where you’ll be.
posted by ferret branca at 6:39 AM on October 3, 2019
posted by ferret branca at 6:39 AM on October 3, 2019
Best answer: Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! I nearly dragged myself into the city on purpose today to see Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak's Designs for Opera and Ballet at the Morgan Library (Lex & 36th St). The exhibit closes on Sunday, so this is a disappearing opportunity. Appetite-whetting discussion on NPR here, show info over here.
posted by apparently at 8:23 AM on October 3, 2019
posted by apparently at 8:23 AM on October 3, 2019
From a previous NY thread:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-york
More quirky off the beaten track type of thing
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 5:59 AM on October 4, 2019
https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-york
More quirky off the beaten track type of thing
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 5:59 AM on October 4, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, or the big one out in the Bronx.
Just walk through the city, find nooks to share later. East village is lively, the garment district has rack of cloths being walked down the street.
posted by sammyo at 8:18 PM on October 2, 2019 [1 favorite]