Live like a new yorker: top 9 things to do

Here are our top 9 locations chosen by locals.

1. Take a walk on the High Line
This reconstruction of a previously elevated railway track links Chelsea, Midtown, and the Meatpacking district. The structure stands as an elevated promenade and public park about 9 metres in the air and offers some incredible views of the city as well as a quiet respite from the city’s chaos (although the High Line can get quite crowded on the weekends). After the promenade, treat yourself to some good ole burger in Hector’s Café, a real American diner.

2. Experience nostalgia on Coney Island
“Nothing was more wonderful to me than Coney Island with its gritty innocence. It was our kind of place: the fading arcades, the peeling signs of bygone days, cotton candy and kewpie dolls on a stick, dressed in feathers and glittering top hats,” is how Patti Smith recalls this iconic amusement district in Just Kids. “The People’s Playground” is located on the southern tip of Brooklyn, at the D,F,Q and N-train terminal. Home to the Wonder Wheel and the original Nathan’s Famous hot dogs it is the NYC’s destination for surf, boardwalk, food and amusements rides.

3. Go shopping in Williamsburg
Currently one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, Williamsburg occupies most of Northeast Brooklyn amid established Polish and Italian populations. Explore artsy coffee shops, boutiques, record stores, bars and restaurants on Bedford Avenue. Not far from it, you can also visit culinary attractions like Brooklyn Brewery and trendy food market Smorgasburg.

4. Cheer for your favorite basketball team in Madison Square Garden
Basketball is one of Americans’ favorite sports along with baseball, American football and ice hockey. In New York, the biggest professional basketball teams are the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knickerbockers, more commonly known as the Knicks. Madison Square Garden is the home stadium of the Knicks. Even though this activity is generally not cheap (a pint beer alone in MSG will cost you $13), it is worth the money. Whether or not you like basketball, the stadium atmosphere with its entertainment program during breaks will guarantee you all the fun you need.

5. Admire street art in Bushwick
One of the original six towns of Brooklyn, Bushwick has undergone many social and drug problems in the past. Though still one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods, it is now booming with vibrant art and hipster scene. The best way to discover Bushwick is simply strolling in random streets and admiring newly painted murals on massive walls of abandoned warehouses.

6. Get active in Riverside Park
Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront park. It offers many recreational facilities: a range of sports courts and fields, a skate park, a bicycle-track, and a public marina. The waterfront is ideal for running, cycling or doing yoga while taking in the view over the River and the neighboring New Jersey.

7. Test a variety of bars
The five boroughs of New York offer thousand possibilities for a night-out. There are interesting bars at every corner: dive bars, cocktail spots, rooftops lounges, dance halls, sports dens, LGBTQ bars, pseudo-speakeasy bars, etc. Here are just a couple recommended by New Yorkers:

- Manhattan Cricket Club, a pseudo-speakeasy bar located in Upper-West Side
- Shrine, a Harlem hip-hop bar
- Le Bain, a roof-top bar with a pool located in Chelsea
- Loosy Rouge, cocktail bar in South Williamsburg with live music
- Flaming Saddles, gay bar with cowboy decor, country music and dancing barkeeps in Hell’s Kitchen

8. See a Broadway show
Broadway theater is not something unknown to NYC tourists, and not for no reason. According to Broadway League, more than 13 million people attended a Broadway show in 2017. Get discount tickets in one of the four TKTS discount booths in Manhattan and Brooklyn or try your luck at the lottery on www.broadwaydirect.com. If none of the above works and if your schedule is flexible enough, you can also go directly to the box office and get a last-minute ticket or a standing ticket for under $30.

9. Enjoy jazzy nightlife in Greenwich Village
With its proximity to New York University, this maze of charming row houses and old-fashioned streets has been a bohemian haven and home to many celebrated writers, artists and jazz musicians, like Bob Dylan and Jack Kerouac. Plenty of bars and restaurants still dot this area and it has a busy night time scene. Go to Fat Cat, a live-music jazz bar which also offers pool, Ping-Pong, board games, art exhibits and classes.