5 not obvious things to do in New York City

If someone ask me my purpose here on the blog, one answer certainly is: tell you about places that are not obvious. Suggesting places such as Times Square, Central Park and Museum of Natural History is easy. But, as I always say, New York has a lot more than these and other classic programs. And don’t get me wrong: of course you have to walk in Central Park, check out Times Square (and not limit your trip to go there every night, huh?) and many other things. However, you can not say that has nothing to do because you already know everything … This is the kind of town whose attractions are nearly endless! And if you’re looking for not obvious things to do, this is the right post: today I write five tips of cool places to visit in the city (and all of them have already appeared on the blog on individual posts). Oh, and for those who want to see the other post I wrote in this style, just click here.

Bushwick – this Brooklyn neighborhood was selected as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world by Vogue magazine and is a place to keep an eye: it has grown increasingly – it may be the next very trendy place, like Williamsburg (of course it will still take some time). The highlight of Bushwick is The Bushwick Colletive, which includes street arts through some streets in the area. You will find some paintings right out of the station on Jefferson St and they continue through Troutman Street to Saint Nicholas Avenue. You will certainly take great pics. Enjoy eating at Roberta’s, one of the places with the best pizza in New York and approved by Jay-Z (261 Moore St).

Check out  this video about Bushwick and see more pictures here. 

How to get there: use the L subway Line and get off at Jefferson St. 

Little Italy, The Bronx – if you want to know a truly Italian neighborhood – and taste its unique cuisine – you need to visit Little Italy in The Bronx. That’s right, forget Little Italy in Manhattan! The place is one of the best destinations to buy bread, pasta, meat, cakes, Italian sausage and more. The quality and values are excellent – and a recent ranking of the Zagat Survey showed that readers have given status “Best Buy” for more stores from Arthur Avenue (the most famous street) than any other neighborhood in New York City. There are many places to eat, but certainly one of the highlights is Arthur Avenue Retail Market (2344 Arthur Avenue). It’s a public market, with options to eat and to shop. Beside, at Madonia Makery, you find the best cannoli in town.

 Check out more details and pictures about Little Italy here.

To get there, you need to take the subway – B or D lines, stopping at Fordham Rd station – from the station to Arthur Avenue Retail Market you will walk about 17 minutes.

Randall’s Island – this island is located north of Manhattan, between Harlem and Astoria and it is where some music festivals take place. It is a residential island – the population is of 1,500 people – and it is dedicated to sports. Besides the extensive green area and the bridges landscape, it offers wonderful views and beautiful sunsets. The structure includes space for picnics, hiking, bicycles, and football fields, golf and Icahn Stadium.

You can check out a post about the island here.. 

To get there, you must take the 6 line subway and stop at 103rd St. From the station, you walk through East by 102th St to the FDR Drive and you will see the bridge to the island.

Carl Schurz Park – New York City parks are not limited to Central Park and Bryant Park. This stone jungle has many green spaces spread across all the regions of the city. My favorite park is Carl Schurz Park, which is here in the region where I live, Upper East Side. What makes it so special is the view to the East River. FDR passes underneath the park, so, there is an open view not only to the river, but also to Randalls Island, Roosevelt Island and Queensboro Bridge. The structure includes banks, sports courts, area for dogs and plenty of green space.

Check out more abou the park in this video and this post. 

To get there, use 4, 5 or 6 lines, stop at 86th St and walk through East.

Museum of Moving Image –  New York is a city very rich when it comes to museums, there are several and not just in Manhattan (yes, the list of museums goes beyond Museum of Natural History, MoMA and Met). The Museum of Moving Image is a cool and different one. It’s located in Astoria, Queens. It is the only museum in the country dedicated to the art, history, art and motion picture technology in all its forms. It’s a great place for movie lovers and also for those who enjoy games. The site covers a very wide range of subjects, exploring all stages of production, promotion and exposure to the film industry involves. It’s not a big museum and I would say one afternoon is enough time to explore the site well – maybe even less than that.

Check out a video about the museum here and also a post with more information here.

Address: 36-01 35th Avenue. Ticket costs $12.50, but admission is free on Fridays, starting 4 pm.