5 Unique Things To Do In NYC

New York City–one of the most wonderful places to shop, eat, explore and travel. While it’s easy to get caught up in the city and the shopping to be done there, there’s much more of New York to see. I’m a huge fan of unique experiences when I travel and I can promise that there’s much more to the city than staring at lights and skyscrapers.

So, for those who are totally sick of hearing about staring at The Statue of Liberty or simply visiting Times Square, here are some unique things to do in NYC from a lifelong New Yorker to you!

1. Grab the train to the beautiful Hudson Valley.

Okay, maybe I’m biased because my college is in the area, but the Hudson Valley has some gorgeous views. You can see the famous Grand Central Station where many movies and shows have been filmed while purchasing your ticket to Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park or another stop along the line. In autumn you won’t find any trees more beautiful than the ones in the Hudson Valley. Enjoy the river, walk the “Walkway Over The Hudson” bridge and take some amazing photos.

BTW, the train ride is gorgeous. You can look out of the window and see the river for almost the entire ride!

2. Make your own lipstick.

I’ve been dying to visit Bite Beauty’s NYC Lip Lab. Seriously–you get to make your own lipstick! You can book a  group lipstick making event, book an appointment or walk into the lab and make a custom color of your choice with all different options of finishes. While this is pretty expensive, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re obsessed with all things beauty. You can get the details, see pics and read about my experience if you want, too!

3. Visit Escape the Room.

I visited something similar when I was in Tennessee and it was so fun! With Escape the Room you and a group of your friends or family are placed into what’s almost like a real life mystery video game and you have about an hour to escape using the interactive clues and props given to you. It’s seriously awesome and there are a bunch of different themes to choose from.

4. Go on a cupcake crawl.

The amount of walking you’ll do in the city totally cancels out the calories, right? New York City has so many cupcake shops. Take advantage of this amazing thing by mapping out a bunch of cupcake shops to hit while in the city. It’s simple–type in the area you’ll be heading to and search “cupcakes.” Isn’t the internet amazing?

Eat your cupcakes in the shop and review them or take some to go–but definitely be sure you have an appetite. I definitely recommend hitting Sprinkles Cupcakes (they have a cupcake vending machine!) and Georgetown Cupcakes! Plus, A block away from Georgetown Cupcakes is where Rihanna grabbed my arm–you could definitely potentially see a celebrity while in that area–it’s a popular one for the rich and famous.

5. Go on an On Location TV & Movie Tour.

Note: I received this tour for free from On Location Tours. 

Okay,  you’re totally thinking those obnoxious double-decker tourist buses, aren’t you? This is totally not that. If you’re a huge fan of shows and movies like Gossip Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or if you’re a movie buff in general you are seriously going to love this.

My friend and I went on an On Location TV & Movie Tour and had the most amazing time. You’re on a cozy bus that points out iconic movie and television landmarks and locations while also showing you clips from the show or movie so you can see exactly where it was shown (and so you know they’re not making it up).

There are a few points where you can get off of the bus and see the landmarks up close–my personal favorite was the apartment building from Friends (my favorite show of all time!). Even though I’ve grown up in New York City my entire life, I learned and saw so much from this tour and it’s especially perfect if you want to get out of the cold (or the heat) but still want to see a lot of the city.

Personally, I loved the minimal walking and maximum sight-seeing. This tour is definitely much more unique and entertaining than the double decker bus ones designed for the incredibly tourist-y tourists! I must admit, this tour has definitely changed my outlook on tour buses.

If you’re looking for more NYC trip planning advice or places to definitely visit (and definitely avoid) check out my Millennial’s Guide to NYC: 6 Places to Visit & 6 to Avoid!