Although New York City may not initially seem like the best place to travel solo, there are plenty of things to do alone in NYC. So, I actually argue that New York City is one of the best places to travel solo!
The Big Apple is full of spectacular shows and hidden urban oases. Every neighborhood has a unique charm and flair. If you are bored in this city, it is definitely not New York’s fault.
However, planning solo activities in the massive mecca can be overwhelming. You may ask yourself, should I stick to the normal tourist spots or try to branch out?
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I have made many solo trips to New York City. I lived only an hour away from Manhattan before I moved to Japan. This city is such an exciting setting for a solo trip.
Here are my favorite things to do alone in NYC. New York is notorious for being expensive, but these activities will not break the budget. Some of the best things to do alone in NYC are actually free.
Visiting New York? Read why you should stay at a hostel & book your hostel on hostelworld.com.
Booking.comWhere Should You Stay During Your New York Solo Trip?
During your solo trip to NYC, you should stay in a hostel. This is a great way to save money and make friends. Unfortunately, New York has some of the most expensive hostels in the country, but it is still the most cost-effective way to stay in the city.
If you want to stay at a highly-rated hostel, stay at HI New York City Hostel. HI has hostels across the country, and it is one of the best hostel networks in the entire country.
If you want a cheaper option, stay at The Brooklyn Riviera Hostel. This hostel is not in Manhattan, so it is a great way to have a more local, less touristy stay in NYC. However, this hostel only accepts international guests.
Is a Solo Trip to New York Safe?
New York is one of the safest large cities in America. However, it is considerably less safe than large cities like Tokyo or Seoul. You need to always pay extra attention to your surroundings when walking, especially at night.
If someone hands you something, do not take it. This is a common tactic used to force tourists to pay money for something they did not intend to buy. Although New York has a smaller homeless crisis than other American cities, it is still a significant problem.
I have had unfriendly interactions with certain homeless individuals that are somewhat frightening during a solo trip. In these instances, remain calm and put your safety above everything else. Although these instances are somewhat rare, you should be extra vigilant when traveling solo and try to be constantly surrounded by a few people.
Table of contents:
1. Go to a Broadway Show
My favorite thing to do alone in NYC is to go to a Broadway show. You escape reality for a few hours and leave the theater feeling alive. It is an addictive feeling, which explains why I visited so many shows while I lived close to the Big Apple.
You might be a little confused…isn’t this about budget New York travel. How does Broadway count as a budget activity?
You can actually see Broadway without breaking the bank. I have never paid more than $90 for a seat because there are many ways to get cheap Broadway tickets.
How to Get Cheap Broadway Tickets?
If you want cheap Broadway tickets, you need to enter the ticket lottery. Nearly every Broadway show has an online lottery where they give out discounted tickets to lucky fans. You simply enter your name and then wait for an email indicating if you won.
To increase your chances of winning, enter the lottery for every show! If you only enter the Hamilton Lottery, you will probably not win tickets. A better strategy is to visit lottery.broadwaydirect.com/ and luckyseat.com/dash/shows and enter the lottery for each show. There is no cost to enter; even if you win, you are not obligated to purchase tickets.
Not every Broadway show has its lotteries listed on these websites. Sometimes you must go directly to the show’s website to enter the lottery.
Keep in mind that all shows have different times that the lottery closes. Research ahead of time to determine when your desired show’s lottery will open and close. Usually, the lottery results are released at least 24 hours before the show.
Is It Worth My Time to Enter Broadway Lotteries?
It might seem like too much trouble to enter Broadway lotteries. Although it takes extra planning, it is the best way to score great seats at a bargain price.
If you win a Broadway lottery, you will get a ticket for around $30 to $45. You won’t get a front-row seat, but usually, you score a decent orchestra seat!
I have won the lottery over a dozen times and claimed my tickets five times. Four out of five times, I sat in the orchestra in a seat that would have cost up to $200.
Of course, every show is different, and you risk being given a seat with a partial view if you win the lottery. However, I am usually pleased with the seats I win in the lottery.
How Else Can You Score Cheap Broadway Tickets?
If you are unlucky with the lottery or you are set on seeing a specific show, you can visit the TKTS booth in Times Square. You can buy same-day Broadway tickets up to 50 percent off at this booth.
I have purchased tickets from this booth a handful of times and have been pleased with the experience. The tickets won’t be as cheap as the lottery, but you can still get a nice deal on a fairly good orchestra seat.
The booth opens for matinee shows at 11:00 am on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. For evening shows, the booth opens daily at 3:00 pm.
Unfortunately, the most popular Broadway shows won’t sell tickets at TKTS. You can download the TKTS App to see what shows they are currently selling.
Besides the TKTS booth, you can go directly to your desired show’s box office and try to get a bargain ticket. Some shows offer same-day discounts and student discounts. For example, students can score Wicked tickets for $69.
2. Rent a Citi Bike
New York is known for yellow taxis and the infamous subway system, but my favorite way to explore the city is on a bike.
The easiest way to rent a bike is by using New York’s bike-sharing service, Citi Bike. A single 30-minute ride is less than $5 dollars, or you can purchase a day pass for $19 a day.
Download the app to find bike stations in every corner of the city. Just scan a bike with your phone to unlock it and put on a great playlist.
Read: 50 Songs for Solo Travel: How to Curate the Perfect Playlist for Your Solo Trip
Honestly, riding your bike in NYC is a little intimidating. Do not get too distracted by the sites, and do not ride on the sidewalk.
If you are apprehensive about biking through the busy streets of Midtown, make your way to the Hudson River Greenway. Here, you will find a wide bike lane set away from the street. The path loops around Manhattan and is the best way to bike from uptown to downtown.
Central Park is also another great place to bike in NYC, but it is somewhat hilly, especially when you get closer to the Upper West Side and Harlem.
3. Tour the Met or MoMA (or both)
Visiting a museum is one of the best things to do alone in NYC, especially if you visit New York during winter. The cold is brutal in New York. Getting lost in a museum is a great way to find warmth and enlightenment.
The two most famous museums in Manhattan are the Met and MoMA. Both are exquisite and unforgettable. If you want a quicker, calmer experience, hit the MoMA. If you have extra time and want to see various pieces, visit the Met.
What You Need to Know About Visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
- Cost: $30 for adults, $17 for students (book advance tickets here)
- Hours of operation: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but closed every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday hours are extended to 9 p.m.
- Museum highlights: Vincent van Gogh’s Self Portrait, Washington Crossing the Delaware, Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies, The Temple of Dendur
Until 2018, the Met operated on a suggested admission fee, essentially meaning visitors could enter the Met for free. Now, there is a $30 mandatory admission fee for every non-New York resident who visits the cultural institution.
$30 is a steep fee, but you could literally spend days in this world-famous museum. The Met is home to iconic artwork, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. You can see ancient statues, period-specific reconstructed rooms, and an entire armor department.
My advice for visiting this museum is to give yourself at least half a day to tour it. It is expensive, so do not rush your visit.
What You Need to Know About Visiting the Museum of Modern Art:
- Cost: $28 for adults, $15 for students (book advance tickets here)
- Hours of operation: Open Sunday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Open Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Museum highlights: Van Gogh’s Starry Night, “The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dalí, “Campbell Soup Cans” by Andy Warhol, the third-floor rotating exhibits
MoMA is slightly less busy than the Met, making it somewhat more enjoyable for a solo reflective museum experience. Start your tour by heading to the 5th floor first.
MoMA is in Midtown, making it easy to access from Times Square. You can easily visit the MoMA and then head to a Broadway show after.
4. See Cultures Collide at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
New York is known as a “melting pot” of cultures. Many people seek out the city to start a prosperous life.
Manhattan does not necessarily invoke this sense of diversity. It is uber-expensive and caters to the rich and white. Head to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, and you will see a more authentic side of NYC.
I didn’t really plan to visit this park. I dropped off my sister at the airport and wanted to find a place to run while waiting for traffic to die down. As my feet hit the pavement in Flushing Meadows, I felt transported to another country.
Women of all ages were doing Zumba in front of the park’s most recognizable landmark, Unisphere, created when the park hosted the World Fair in 1964. Across from the dancing, you could hear children running, playing a soccer game with the same intensity as a World Cup match.
It was refreshing to see New Yorkers enjoying recreation and nature. I love Central Park, but it does not offer the same sense of community as Flushing Meadows.
If you want an unforgettable park visit, head to Flushing Meadows Corona Park during your solo trip.
5. Walk the High Line
Walking the streets of New York is a sensational feeling. Simply just taking a walk is one of the best things to do alone in NYC. One of the best places to walk is on the High Line—an old rail track that has been redesigned as an interactive public park.
The High Line used to be an abandoned eyesore and was destined to be demolished. Thankfully, a non-profit came in and saw the potential to turn the elevated rail track into an urban garden.
- You can start your journey on the High Line at Hudson Yards, a futuristic new development in Manhattan. Hudson Yards is known for its eye-catching art installation, the Vessel.
- The High Line concludes at West 14th Street at the new Whitney Museum.
If you are an avid runner, you might be tempted to run the High Line and take in its incredible views. However, when I tried to run the High Line on a spring night, it was nearly impossible. The High Line can get very congested.
6. Explore Little Island
Little Island opened along the Hudson River in 2021. However, this is not your average green space. 132 concrete “tulips” make the park’s structure, giving the park the appearance of floating above the Hudson River.
You will find diverse plant life, an amphitheater, and a great vantage point of the One World Trade Center inside the park.
The park is free to visit and is open daily at 6:00 am. Little Island is a perfect spot for a solo picnic. Get food from the nearby Chelsea Market and enjoy it under the sun at this innovative park.
7. Sunbathe at the Pier 45
Pier 45 is really a hidden gem and deserves to be on this list of the best things to do alone in NYC. Few tourists know about this spot, and it is a shame. At Pier 45, you can take in one of the best views of the One World Trade Center (without paying for an overpriced observatory).
Beyond an iconic photo spot for NYC’s tallest building. You will find a large green space that is known as New York’s green beach, perfect for sunbathing.
At night, the energy at the pier is electrifying. It is a popular local spot for dancing and socializing. You can even attend free concerts in the summer.
8. Get Levain Bakery Cookies
If I am being honest, I am not the biggest fan of solo dining in NYC. There is no culture of solo dining as you would find in a large city like Tokyo. It is also expensive to dine out!
However, I am a proud supporter of solo dessert eating. My favorite treat to enjoy is cookies from the famous Levain Bakery.
Levain Bakery was started in New York and now has locations across many major U.S. cities thanks to its sensational Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie.
This gooey, thick $5 sugar rush is worth all the social media hype. In Manhattan, there are Levain Bakery locations in Harlem, the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, and NoHo.
Go Solo Travel in NYC
New York is my favorite city in the world, and I doubt that will ever change. New York has an energy and pulse, unlike any other city. I will continue to visit this city and update this list of things to do alone in NYC.
Solo traveling in New York is rewarding, but you will be most satisfied if you steer clear of tourist traps and head to popular spots among New Yorkers.
Now that you know where to visit during your solo trip, it is time you make your New York solo trip a reality. Book your hostel on hostelworld.com and visit the world’s most fascinating city.
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