From seeing street art during a walking tour to attending a lecture, there are a lot of amazing things to do alone in New York City.
New York City is a great destination for solo travelers. There is a large variety of activities that are great for a solo trip, including doing a guided tour, attending a TV taping, doing a workshop, and going to an event.
If you’re planning a solo trip to the city and you’re wondering what to do, I got you covered. Here are the best things to do alone in NYC to add to your list!
Things To Do Alone in New York City
Do a Graffiti and Street Art Walking Tour of Brooklyn
You can join the “Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art” walking tour when you are on your own in the city.
This is a tour that takes about 2 hours and during which you can see some of the best examples of outdoor art in New York City. A knowledgeable guide takes you on a journey to the murals of Bushwick, which is home to most outdoor art in the city.
You’ll learn about different styles of street art, the techniques that are used to make the art, the artists, and the history of the area.
When doing this tour, I recommend wearing comfortable shoes, as you’ll walk a lot during this activity.
Do a Workshop at Coffee Project NY
Coffee Project NY is a premium coffee training campus where you can take coffee classes. These classes are great for any skill level, whether you are a beginner or a more advanced barista.
From learning about manually brewing pour-over coffee to learning about latte art to learning to taste the differences between coffee from regions around the world, there’s much that you can learn about at Coffee Project NY.
The classes are great if you want to learn a new skill or if you just want to have a fun time, but it is also possible to do a professional course at Coffee Project NY.
In addition to doing any of the classes at this place, you can also go to any of the cafes of Coffee Project NY and enjoy delicious coffee.
Address: 239 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003
Attend a Lecture at The Met
The Met, one of the best museums in NYC, is a great place to go if you want to learn about and see art from all around the world and many periods in time.
The museum’s collection spans a period of more than 5,000 years, and there’s much to see, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, musical instruments, and many other items.
In addition to seeing art, lots of events take place at The Met that you can attend. For example, you can go to an event of “MetSpeaks”, which is a great solo activity in NYC. The “MetSpeaks” program consists of many talks and lectures about the collection of the museum, as well as other topics related to architecture, music, history, and art.
Many of the talks at the museum are free with museum admission.
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Do a Food Tour of Chinatown and Little Italy
When doing a solo trip to the city, you can join a food tour through which you can learn about the city’s food. There are many different food tours to choose from in many parts of the city. One of the best food tours is the “Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour“.
During this tour, you’ll visit two neighborhoods of New York City: Chinatown and Little Italy. Both neighborhoods are known for their restaurants.
The tour takes about 2 hours in total, and during it, you’ll visit a few eateries in the neighborhoods where you can sample delicious food.
For example, in Chinatown, you’ll try Hong Kong-style sponge cakes and dumplings, and in the Little Italy neighborhood, you’ll sample cannolis and pizza.
In addition to tasting food during these tours, you’ll also learn about the history and culture of both neighborhoods.
Participate in a Trivia Night at Other Half Brewing Domino Park
Other Half Brewing Domino Park is a taproom and small brewery that is located at Domino Park in the Williamsburg neighborhood.
This place brews unique styles of beer using a 15-barrel system, and you can try these beers at the taproom while enjoying a view of the East River and skyline of Manhattan at the same time. You can also have delicious food at this place.
When you are alone in the city, I recommend attending an event at Other Half Brewing Domino Park.
Every Wednesday, there are trivia nights at the taproom that are fun to attend.
Address: 34 River St, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Attend a Talk at 92NY
92NY is an organization focused on culture, arts, entertainment, and conversation. It was established more than 150 years ago and can be found at 1395 Lexington Avenue.
Lots of events take place at 92NY that are great to check out if you’re looking for things to do alone in New York City.
For example, there are many talks by experts on a variety of topics that you can attend to learn new things.
Lots of performing arts shows also take place at 92NY. For example, there are jazz concerts, dance performances, and lots of other shows.
There are also workshops and other types of events.
Address: 1395 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128
Go on a Guided Cruise to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
When doing a solo trip to the city, it can be great to see the city’s best landmarks through a guided tour. You can do a guided cruise to the Statue of Liberty, which departs from Downtown Manhattan at Pier 16.
This cruise takes 50 minutes in total, and during it, you can listen to live commentary from a guide.
You’ll sail close to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and you get information about both the statue and the island from your guide.
During the cruise, you’ll also see other landmarks of the city, such as the skyscrapers of the city, Governors Island, and many other places.
Do a Guided Bike Tour of Central Park
A guided bike tour of Central Park is a great way to explore the iconic park when you are on your own in the city.
Central Park has many monuments, gardens, and attractions. During this bike tour, an experienced guide takes you on a leisurely ride through the park during which you’ll see a lot of different places.
Some of the places in the garden that you’ll see are Bethesda Terrace, the Shakespeare Garden, the Strawberry Fields, and many other places. You’ll stop at many places to take photos and to listen to interesting information about the park and the sights that you can see at the park.
Go to an Event at The Drama Book Shop
The Drama Book Shop is a bookstore that was founded in 1917 by the Drama League. It has been an independent bookstore since the year 1923. You can find the book store at 266 West 39th Street in Manhattan’s West Village.
The Drama Book Shop is known for its selection of theatrical works. The bookstore’s selection includes more than 8,000 plays, as well as many other items.
You can browse the books in the store, but when you go here by yourself, I recommend attending an event that takes place when you visit. There are often talks and other events.
When you go to The Drama Book Shop, you can also go to the cafe of the book store, where you can have delicious coffee and baked goods.
Address: 266 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
Do a Before-Hours Tour With an Art Historian at the MoMA
The MoMA is one of the most well-known museums in the city. It has a large collection of modern art and it’s also one of the best places for contemporary art in NYC.
Going to an event that takes place at the museum is a fun thing to do alone in New York City. A recurring activity at MoMA is the “Before-Hours Tours with an Art Historian”.
During such a tour, you can explore the art of the museum with an art historian guide before the museum opens to the regular public. You’ll be able to get interesting information about the works, the artists, and the techniques that were used to create the works. You’ll also be able to see the most popular works without crowds.
After the tour, you can explore the collection of the museum on your own.
Address: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Relax at the Central Park Zoo
The Central Park Zoo is one of the best zoos in New York City. The zoo dates back to the year 1864 and was the city’s first public zoo.
You can find a large variety of animals at the zoo, and these are situated at different exhibits in the zoo.
One of the exhibits at the zoo is the “Polar Circle” exhibit, which is the home of several species of penguins. Another exhibit is the “Temperate Territory” exhibit, where you can see red pandas and snow monkeys.
The zoo is great to visit by yourself if you want to have a relaxing time while you check out the animals.
You can also attend the penguin or sea lion feedings when going here.
Address: East 64th Street, New York, NY 10021
Do a Guided Tour of the City Hall
The New York City Hall is the home of the government of New York City. You can find the building in City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan.
The City Hall is the oldest city hall in America that is still used for its original purposes and the building was constructed at the start of the 19th century. The building is a designated New York City Landmark.
During a solo visit, you can do a guided tour of the City Hall. These tours are offered twice every week and you need to make an advanced reservation.
The tours are free, and during them, you’ll see some of the historic spaces of the City Hall.
Do a Tour of the NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza
You can do a tour of the NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza when you are in the city by yourself.
30 Rockefeller Plaza is one of the most famous buildings in New York City. It is the headquarters of NBC, and several popular television shows are made at the studios of NBC in this building.
During a tour, you can see where TV shows are filmed. For example, you can see where “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” show are filmed.
You’ll also learn about the production process during a tour of the NBC Studios, and there are interactive elements to the tour. For example, you can “produce your own show” during a tour.
Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
Do a Workshop at Book Club
Book Club is an independent bookstore that you can find in the East Village. The bookstore is situated at 197 E 3rd Street.
You can go here to browse the books and buy a book if you see one that you like.
In addition to that, lots of events take place at Book Club that you can attend.
For example, there are concerts, game nights, author events, and workshops.
Doing a workshop here is one of the best solo activities in New York City. During these, you can learn a new creative skill. For example, you can learn to paint.
Address: 197 E 3rd St, New York, NY 10009
Do a Guided Tour of Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is one of the best music venues in New York City that you can find at 881 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It opened in 1891. Some of the best musicians in the world perform at the concert venue.
During a trip to NYC, you can attend a concert here.
When you are going to the city on your own, I recommend doing a guided tour of Carnegie Hall. You can do an in-person public walk-in tour from Monday through Saturday.
During such a guided tour, you can see the interior of the building and learn about Carnegie Hall’s history.
Keep in mind that tours are available when Carnegie Hall’s schedule permits it.
Address: 881 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019
Attend a Taping of a TV Show
Many TV shows are taped in New York City, and many of these TV shows have a live audience.
When you are in the city by yourself, it can be a lot of fun to be in the audience of a show that you like.
Some examples of shows that are filmed in the city include Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Daily Show.
You can be in the audience for free, but for many shows, it is hard to get these free tickets. If you want to be at a taping, you have to register in advance. Also, some of the shows have a lottery to allocate tickets to potential audience members.
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NYC Things To Do Alone Tips
If you’re in the city on your own, the things to do alone in NYC that I mentioned are fun, but it can also be great to meet other solo travelers. There are several Meetup groups through which you can connect with others. These groups organize a variety of events that you can attend, such as meet-ups during which you can explore the city’s nightlife.
Things To Do Alone in NYC Map
This was my list of things to do alone in New York City. I hope I helped you plan your solo trip!