- Brooklyn Bridge day-tripper: both fun and free with superb views and all the NYC historic-tourist-hoopla a person can handle. On a sunny day, this is a great treat for your visitors and yourself. And, during the summer months, if you walk from the Manhattan side to Brooklyn you can end your day at the free outdoor movies in DUMBO. With the Manhattan Bridge as a backdrop and one of the best movie lists in the city this is a great evening option for you and your guests.
- An evening on the Brooklyn Promenade. This used to be one of my favorite things to do when I visited NY as a kid. Although it has changed (by leaps and bounds) this is actually a good thing. If you start on the southern end (while pointing out the bridges, gawk at the Manhattan skyline, etc) you will arrive at a park (below the Brooklyn Bridge) that serves up yummy finger food with a beer/wine selection and a great view of the bridge lit-up.
- The all time show stopper, the Staten Island Ferry. This round-trip tour of the NY harbor provides great views of downtown Manhattan, the Stature of Liberty, Ellis Island, etc along with the ferry's own real-life charm. Definitely pick a sunny day or dry evening so that you can stand outside and lean against the rail. (DO NOT sit inside; this will crap-out the whole adventure.) Oh, and did I mention the fee for this tour? Free, no charge, no bill fold/wallet necessary, oh and no plastic accepted.
- A pic-nic at The Cloisters. Part of the Metropolitan Museum this beautiful old monastery houses great tapestries and other period appropriate artwork. But, to be honest, I have never spent much time inside. I head straight for the garden and then out to the grounds. With a view of the Hudson River and the quiet (yup, I said and mean quiet) surroundings, the lawns are a great way to spend the afternoon with the Sunday Times and blanket and good company. My advise is to take the bus (at least for the latter part of the trip) which can be a great way to see the sights of upper Manhattan, giving your visitors a better view than the inside of the subway tunnels and will drop you off right in front of the entrance.
- The 72nd Street boathouse. I'm not sure about the food but the view is nice, the marina is cool and the strolls in this area of Riverside Park are pretty deluxe.
- Gallery hop. This is a free way to see great art, but is also an entertaining way to show your guests different neighborhoods. It gives a purpose to the trip while really investigating NYC. Williamsburg has some great galleries and is also a really fun area to walk around, and of course the many other areas, including Chelsea, that are full of galleries waiting to be discovered.
- So they want to go to a show? Well, skip the Broadway shows. Off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway plays are, overall, better options. The performances are actually good, the experience of traipsing to the theater more interesting, the cost is less and the choices for pre or post dinner are definitely better. There are also great dance and live music venues that really shouldn’t be missed (& I don’t mean Madison Square Garden). You may have to look a bit harder for the good stuff, but I guarantee avoiding the crap, the crowds (where everyone else is from out-of-town) and the cost is a lot easier.
- Finally, I’m going to include my one of my personal favorites, entitled, “Walking Tour of NYC's Deluxe Bathrooms.” Museums often have great bathrooms, as do the swankier bars and restaurants but one of the best resources for a bathroom tour is the department-store-lined Fifth Avenue. The key here is to do a little window shopping, step inside an appealing store, try on, ask about, man-handle a few of the pricey items and then (CASUALLY) head for the toilet. One of my all time favorite resting rooms is located on the second floor of Tiffany’s. Ah, to be Queen for A Day.
So, I hope these teaser ideas get your brain going; the list is endless and if you try to conquer New York with your neighborhood and borough in mind I guarantee you’ll come up with a ton of fun, non-traditional, tourist-traps.