15 Fun Things to Do by Yourself in NYC

If you booked a ticket to visit The Big Apple by yourself or you just want to get out and explore the city on your own, we have created a list of 15 fun things to do by yourself in NYC that is perfect for you.

New York City is a place that offers a lot of things to do and extraordinary places. Here, you can visit many different places and do all kinds of adventurous things based on your tastes and interests. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, in a relationship or single, there is a place for you in this city. If you are adventurous enough to book a ticket for one, prepare to have the time of your life. This city is thriving with restaurants, bars, clubs and pubs that are suitable for a good night out, and parks for long and relaxed walks — there are many other activities that won’t allow you to feel bored not even for a second.

Now, when we are talking about clubs and pubs, as we mentioned, New York City has many different places for every type of patron. If you happen to be single, over 40 years old, and want to get out of your comfort zone and spend a memorable night out, or maybe finally find your significant other, you can check our list of 10 best dance clubs in NYC for singles over 40. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t find your soulmate on one of these outings, but one thing is for sure, you will remember this night for a long time.

Many people, sooner or later in their life want to do something alone and to enjoy their own company. While some people enjoy traveling alone to enjoy their own company, others are often doing so to find their place in their world and finally understand who they really are. Although you have friends, or maybe you are in a relationship, sometimes you need to focus on yourself and just take a moment to relax in a park or just have a glass of good old wine while listening to some smooth jazz in a cozy bar. Because of this, we decided to create a list of interesting and fun things you can do alone in NYC, regardless of whether you are living in New York City or you are just a tourist.

While creating our list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC, we used Class Curious’ database to find some of the most interesting and fun things to do in New York City. However, since there isn’t a particular way to sort our list because it all depends on your budget, taste, and interest, the list is not ranked in any order. It is up to you to see what you will find interesting and fun.

Now let’s jump on our list of 15 fun things to do by yourself in NYC and see what you can do alone in The Big Apple while still having the time of your life.

15. Dine at Ichiran

There are many places in NYC where you can enjoy a delicious dish, but many of the best restaurants are labeled by people as couple’s restaurants and romantic, so you probably want to avoid them if you want to enjoy your own company. Ichiran is one of the best restaurants for people who want to get out of their home but still want to be alone. Here, you can order what you want to eat by pushing a call button in the partitioned solo booth and the server will lift the bamboo shade before leaving your order in your booth. This is one of the most interesting things you can do by yourself because you can enjoy a delicious meal while enjoying your own company.

14. Watch a Movie

Even though you aren’t considering this as a ‘fun’ thing to do, if you decide to watch a movie by yourself in New York City, you will have a lot of quiet time. There are many cinemas that offer different things besides movies to make your experience even more interesting. For instance, you can visit the Nitehawk Cinema where you can enjoy a movie while you are eating a delicious meal off their menu and drinking alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage. 

13. Jazz it Up

Every jazz music lover knows that New York City is home to many jazz places where you can go and enjoy a drink or two while enjoying your favorite songs. Among the best and most popular jazz clubs in New York City are Birdland, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and Blue Note. The Blue Note club is the jazz capital of the world, but if you are a jazz lover, you probably already knew this and marked it on your to-do list. The best bargain in this club is their Sunday brunches and the Late Night Groove series. If you want to enjoy a relaxed evening or night by yourself, we recommend you to visit one of the mentioned jazz clubs, the fun thing number 13 on our list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC.

12. See a Broadway Show

Every New Yorker knows that getting tickets for a Broadway Show often requires planning in advance. However, it isn’t hard to find last-minute tickets for a Broadway Show, but it all depends on how much you are willing to pay for the ticket. Getting more than one ticket is pretty hard because everything is sold out, and it is pretty expensive to buy them at the last minute. However, if you are going alone and you know you will definitely enjoy the show, spending a few bucks more on the ticket won’t present a problem for you.

11. Explore Central Park

One of the must-see places in New York City is Central Park. This park is famous worldwide and it is one of the most beautiful parks in the world. For those who are traveling alone or just want to clear their head by enjoying the company of themselves only, this park is a great place to go. Here, you can go on a picnic alone, take a walk among nature or just relax by a tree while reading a good book. Also, there are many artists performing all about that are interesting to watch.

10. Visit Times Square

As many of you already know, Times Square is one of the most energetic and chaotic parts of NYC. Thousands of flashing lights, crowded streets and noise are what makes this part of the city unique in its own way. For those who want to experience the fast life surrounded by huge flashing digital displays, billboards, Elmo clones, naked cowboys and on-location television broadcasts, visiting this part of the city that is a fun thing number 10 on our list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC, could be the best thing to do. When you see how energetic this part of the city is, you will feel the energy of the New York City and you will want to come back as soon as possible.

9. Participate In a Class

New York City offers countless things to do for people with different tastes and interests. If you are living here alone, or you finally get the courage to visit this energetic city alone, you should definitely visit one of the classes New York City is offering. There are countless art, drawing, painting, photography, cooking, technology, life skills classes, and many more. Some of them are free but some of them are pretty expensive. You can choose on what class you want to participate and you can sign up to participate in it. After this class, you will leave with a knowledge of a chosen skill and you will remember the city every time you draw, paint or cook.

8. Stroll The High Line

Strolling the High Line is one of the fun things to do by yourself in NYC. If you ever find yourself alone in the city, you definitely need to take a pause and get to this linear park. Some people know that this park is known as a couple’s spot, but, that doesn’t mean those who want to enjoy their own company cannot enjoy the beauty of the park as well. Here, you will see many people alone that came to clear their head, enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine or just admire the beauty of nature. Take a long walk in this park and you will have a beautiful memory in your brain forever.

7. Visit The Brooklyn Botanic Garden

When we are talking about the nature and its beauty in New York City, there isn’t a better place to enjoy a wonderful view of thousands of flowers, plants, and trees than the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has incredible architecture, and beautiful and rare plants and flowers. On Tuesdays as well as Saturdays before noon, the entrance is free so everyone can enjoy this kind of mesmerizing experience. If you think this one on the other fun things to do by yourself in NYC isn’t fun, just wait until you enter in the garden, you will change your mind instantly.

6. Visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art

For every artistic soul, the Metropolitan Museum of Art will be a little piece of heaven on Earth. The best way to visit this museum if you are into art is by yourself because you can take as much time as you need to see every little corner and piece of art in the museum. There are more than 2 million works from 5,000 years of history. However, looking at everything in the Metropolitan Museum of Art could take you a week, so planning ahead is a pretty good idea and it will allow you to see the things you are interested in the most, first.

5. Take a Walk on The Brooklyn Bridge

One of the most beautiful places in the big apple is definitely the Brooklyn Bridge. This is New York’s most recognized and noblest landmark and it stretches over the beautiful East River. The Brooklyn Bridge connects Brooklyn with Manhattan and if you decide to take a walk on it, that is the idea number 5 on our list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC, you will get the chance to enjoy a true experience of admiration of this city. At the end of the bridge, you can dine or enjoy a glass of wine in one of the best restaurants in New York City, the River Cafe that has a beautiful view of the Manhattan’s reflection in the East River.

4. Visit The Empire State Building

Even though it may sound cliche, if you ever find yourself in New York City, you know you cannot go home without climbing on top of it. It isn’t about bragging to your friends that you have been on the Empire State Building, but what this experience, that is next on the list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC, will make you feel. When you step out on top of the Empire State Building and see the whole city under your feet, you can feel the adrenaline going through your veins and you will get a true experience of this city. 

3. Visit Grand Central Terminal

Some people find Grand Central Terminal a bit boring, but that is up to you to decide whether it will be a fun or boring experience for you. This is the nation’s busiest railway station. More than 700,000 commuters and subway riders use it on a daily basis. The waiting room is exceptional, as it is 200 ft long, 120 ft wide and 120 ft high. The moment you step inside of it, it will take your breath away. If you want to enjoy the whole experience, you should avoid visiting during rush hour. Now, let’s see the top two entries on our list of fun things to do by yourself in NYC.

2. Visit Top Of The Rock Observation Deck

For some people, this place is extremely romantic if they are visiting with their significant other, however, for some people, this place is perfect to visit it by yourself and enjoy the magnificent beauty of it as long as they want. If you climb on top of the Observation Deck, you will get an astonishing view of both Central Park and Manhattan’s downtown and midtown skyscrapers and of course the Empire State Building. The view of the Top of the Rock is breathtaking and it will take you a while to stand and stare at it to believe your eyes. For even a better view, visit it during the night so you can see the whole city come alive.

1. Take The Staten Island Ferry By The Statue of Liberty

What could be more fun than taking a 25-minute ferry ride? If you decide to enjoy a ferry ride in New York City by yourself, you will be riding between St. George Terminal and Whitehall Terminal and you will pass by the State of Liberty. Believe it or not, the cost is free and you can get a truly breathtaking view of Lady Liberty. For even better and more memorable experience, you can take a Staten Island ferry during sunset and enjoy seeing the whole city come alive in the background. This will be one of the best memories from your visit in New York City.

This is our list of 15 fun things to do by yourself in NYC. We hope we managed to show you some exciting things to try out, on your own, in the city that never sleeps.