Yes. The Statue of Liberty and Central Park are great but what happens when you visit the Big Apple and you feel reckless to experience this metropolis on a whole different level?
Luckily for those hungry for adventure, there is an abundance of weird things to do in NYC, especially after the sun goes down. The city that never sleeps is actually full of unusual surprises and some of them may even be under the radar for the majority of locals who live there. After all, New York is expected to set the bar high every time and so far, it has never failed to do so. Read on to discover New York as you’ve never seen it before.
Indoor Extreme Sports
Read more: 40 Fun Ideas for a Visit to New York
One of the most unique ways to spend an evening in New York is to go full-throttle on extreme sports. Indoor Extreme Sports have two available venues, one on the Staten Island and one in Long Island City. Axe throwing, Escape rooms, Laser tag, and Paintball are some of the highlights of this entertainment complex which is also the one to have been featured in NY Times and NY Daily News. Another way to spend a unique night in NYC is to pay a visit to iFLY Westchester center and get the thrills from indoor skydiving. iFLY Westchester has an indoor wind tunnel where visitors can enjoy skydiving in safe and controlled conditions without any danger.
Website: Indoor Extreme Sports
Addresses: 47-11 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, NY 11101 or 501 Industry Rd, Staten Island, NY 10314
Website: iFLY Westchester
Address: 849 Ridge Hill Boulevard, Yonkers, NY 10710, USA
Get Spooked on Macabre NYC Tours
If you prefer a quirky night out in New York spiced up with a touch of shivers running up and down your spine, look no further than the macabre NYC tours. Believe it or not, there are people who have studied the dark NYC past to the minute details and they will be more than willing to show you around the eerie alleyways and underground localities which hide an ominous past. Boroughs of the Dead and Madame Morbid’s Trolley will take you around BOO-klyn’s locations infamous for gruesome events from the past all the while your guide narrates the chilling stories behind some of the most ghostly affairs that took place decades or centuries ago. Rest assured you will be in safe hands as your guides comprise historians, writers, and museum educators who just happen to have a knack for mystery.
Website: Boroughs of the Dead
Address: 9 E 8th Street #285, 10003 New York, New York
Website: Madame Morbid’s Trolley Tours
Address: Driggs Avenue and North 9th Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Then She Fell
You might be wondering what is hiding behind this mysterious title, right? If you have a soft spot for puzzles and Alice in Wonderland was one of your favorite childhood books, this place is a must-visit for you. What on earth could that be, you wonder? Well, a team of artists, performers, and producers have come up with a brilliant idea to create a fully-immersive dreamscape by redesigning an abandoned mental hospital into an Alice in Wonderland labyrinth. Visitors can explore the complex (only a party of 15 allowed per seance) as they solve multiple puzzles, discover secret passages, and encounter performers one-on-one. Each visitor is given a key upon entering which help them open cupboards, drawers, wardrobes, and other items that help them solve the riddles.
Website: Then She Fell
Address: 195 Maujer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA
Trinity Place Bar & Restaurant
You will hardly find a bar that is more original and unique than Trinity Place. Hidden inside an old bank vault from 1904, right under New York financial district, this spectacular bar & restaurant has actually retained almost every single aspect of the once dilapidated vault which is now a cozy and elegant location to enjoy your late-night cocktail. Steel walls and the old meeting room now restored into a stylish lounge guarantee a night well spent, with a dose of the bygone times and a hint of opulence. There are two 35-ton doors at the far ends of this strange bar making it one of the most secure bars in NYC. The vault wasn’t touched until 2006 when it was refurbished and turned into its current state.
Website: Trinity Place Bar & Restaurant
Address: 115 Broadway New York, NY 10006 (Enter on Cedar Street)
Late Night Art
Life can be unfair toward night owls who simply want to appreciate some art after the sun goes down. Luckily for them, museums throughout NYC decided to start opening their doors well after the usual closing time, albeit on certain days. It’s common knowledge that New York is home to some of the best museums in the world, most notable being MoMA, the Met, and the Guggenheim – all of which allow night tours. A series of programs called The Met After Hours let night owls enjoy the collections and galleries of one of the biggest contemporary art museums. However, unlike the Met, after hour tours in MoMA are pretty crowded but still worth the visit to experience New York and the art it treasures in a unique way. MoMA is currently closed and awaits grand reopening which is due on October 20, 2019.
Read more: Weekend Getaways near NYC
The McKittrick Hotel
Forget Broadway because McKittrick brings entertainment and theater to another level. This mysterious venue is anything but a hotel. Among the most unusual activities to experience in the Big Apple, McKittrick’s is undoubtedly one of the best, if not THE best. There are no exact words to describe this venue and still do it justice. Basically, it’s Shakespeare’s Macbeth recreated through a performance called Sleep No More, in such way that all the actors move around the premises playing their part while you can follow them around. They are not allowed to speak to the visitors, you will be given a mask before you enter, and you can also participate in the interactive puzzles and figure it out by putting together pieces of a riddle lying around the complex. At the top floor of the building, there is the Gallow Green bar which is just as perfectly mysterious and enthralling.
Website: The McKittrick Hotel
Address: 530 West 27th Street New York, NY 10001
Get to the Top
Experiencing New York from up above as you watch it glitter away into the night is one of the most unique ways to get a grasp of how huge and busy this city is. One World Trade Center Observatory, the Empire State Building, and the Top of the Rock offer night tours from their observation decks. You will be surprised to discover that you can watch New York all lit up from the top of the Empire State until 2 AM From Thursday through Saturday, there is a saxophonist playing from 9 PM to 1 AM. These buildings are not the only places with a stunning view though. Bars such as SixtyFive, Ophelia, and Mr.Purple are only some of the best bars offering spectacular panoramas of the city and the Manhattan skyline.
Movies beneath the Stars
New Yorkers love free open-air screenings and this summertime tradition has existed in the Big Apple ever since HBO started treating movie buffs with their films back in 1992. Today, there are dozens of locations to enjoy open-air screenings in NYC, such as Brooklyn Bridge Park Movies with a View, Coney Island Flicks on the Beach, Bryant Park Movie Nights, and many more. Projections encompass all kinds of movies – from Hollywood classics and modern blockbusters to some underground indie selections. All you need is a blanket and some food and refreshments to enjoy a great cinematic night in New York. However, you will have to keep in mind that you should probably arrive earlier before the scheduled projection starts as other movie enthusiasts tend to stake out spots well in advance.
An unusual night out in New York is obviously around the corner. No matter if you’re a local or it’s your first time visiting this city, one thing is certain – its odd underground scene is enough to keep you coming back for more.
