Manhattan nap spot (free or museum admission)

February 6, 2024 7:30 AM

I’m looking to get a quick catnap in sometime this afternoon in Manhattan, like 3-4pm. What would you suggest? Something that combines with something else (musuem, cool interior) that’s not the obvious tourist spots like the NYPL. Comfy, and not hassled by folks and can keep my bag and laptop secure.
posted by sandmanwv to Travel & Transportation around Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (9 answers total)

Honestly, this is really challenging. My only luck has been Grindr with a verrrrry clear profile tagline.
posted by sixswitch at 9:24 AM on February 6 [4 favorites]

Museums and the like are going to frown on people sleeping in the corners. A suggestion would be: hire a cab, ask them to park somewhere and wait for an hour. With a decent tip it should cost you around 60 bucks.
posted by beagle at 9:25 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]

go to a cheap massage place was a go-to for an office mate of mine. costs money, $60/hour with tip would be a reasonable price expectation.
posted by wowenthusiast at 9:32 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]

I did it in big hotel lobbies...put on earphones, but not listening to anything...An hour max, but enough to refresh me. Was never bothered by anyone.
posted by Czjewel at 9:46 AM on February 6 [7 favorites]

Best answer: Here you go Nap York. Pod hotels!
posted by dancinglamb at 9:59 AM on February 6 [6 favorites]

The various publicly - accessable privately-owned atriums (atria?) would be on my list. Maybe the Rubenstein atrium near Lincoln Center. Or the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center. Seconding hotel lobbies. Barnes and Noble in Union Square. Some of the smaller neighborhood branches of the NYPL. Wandering into an unused meeting room in the midtown Hilton and napping on the ugly ballroom carpet under a table (ask me how I know)

Your laptop bag will not be secure in any case if napping in public.

There are some WeWork clones around, I'd look into renting a private office from one of them for an hour.
posted by hovey at 11:31 AM on February 6 [1 favorite]

Oof that’s a tough one. If you can sleep on a city bus, which I tend to find lulling, I would consider getting on the 104 up on like 129th St (?) and getting a seat in the back row, leaning on the window and just taking a bus nap all the way down.
posted by rainy day girl at 12:30 PM on February 6 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: To follow up, I ended up in Queens and took a nap (after asking the bartender- some of the patrons thought it was hilarious- and giving a 50% tip) to a dive Irish bar in Jackson Heights. I had to wear a face mask and put white noise on headphones but super refreshing.
posted by sandmanwv at 12:34 PM on February 6 [8 favorites]

Late to this but MOMA literally had a nap room exhibit where people were free to take rest as needed (during museum hours). Sounds like you found a solution, but not totally unreasonable to find something like this in NYC - https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5551.
posted by icy_latte at 3:00 PM on February 6