Things to Do and Ways to Save in New York City New York City

Things to Do in New York City

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Tours

Before you scoff at bus tours, consider that they offer a great overview of the city for a first-timer. Companies like provide a Classic Ticket tour that allows you to hop on and off all day long, and their buses can handle up to two wheelchairs each. uses open-topped double-decker buses and offers a variety of bundled packages for a full day of sightseeing.

New York City Travel Guide

Also check out Viator or Airbnb Experiences, which offer highly rated tours focused on everything from the city’s crime and mafia history to its best doughnut shops. If you need extra assistance, serves those with special mobility, hearing or sight needs, and accommodates wheelchair users. New York is thrilling to see from the water, and are wheelchair accessible. Ways to save: You can take a free tour with a , volunteer guides who show off the city to no more than six guests at a time. Tours are informal and can be customized for travelers with physical disabilities. Request a greeter three to four weeks before your trip.

Walks

This is a walking city, and walking’s free! It’s nothing for a New Yorker to walk 25 or 30 blocks at a pop, the equivalent of a mile and a half. Walk with care, however: Wait for walk signals and use crosswalks, even though quick-footed jaywalking New Yorkers often don’t. Wander through colorful neighborhoods like Greenwich Village, Soho or Chinatown. And follow in the footsteps of New Yorkers, who run, stroll and breathe in the 843-acre green oasis known as — a mélange of woods, fields and gardens boasting free concerts, a zoo and striking views of the Midtown Manhattan skyline. Amble along the renowned , which runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street in the Hudson Yards neighborhood. Once an abandoned elevated railway structure, it’s a groundbreaking 1.45-mile-long park with sustainable plantings, benches (grab a seat while you can) and a bird’s-eye view of New York architecture. Free docent-led tours are available.

Art Museums

Manhattan rightly takes pride in its world-class museums. While admissions now top $25, most museums offer discounted tickets for those 65 and older. For example, the senior admission is discounted about 30 percent.
Ways to save: Many museums have free or pay-what-you-wish entry times on certain days. For example, on Thursdays, (temporarily housed in the former Whitney Museum building) is pay what you wish from 2 to 6 p.m. and the is free from 4 to 8 p.m. On Thursdays, tickets are half-price at the , and you can pay what you wish at the (7 to 9 p.m.) and the (6 to 9 p.m.). On the first Friday of the month, the is free from 4 to 8 p.m., but every Friday is pay what you wish at the from 6 to 8 p.m. and at the from 7 to 10 p.m. The Jewish Museum is free all day Saturday, and admission to the Guggenheim is free on Saturdays after 4 p.m. If New York is the art mecca of the world, Chelsea is its thumping heartbeat. Gallery hopping among its 125 cutting-edge galleries costs nothing (unless you snap up a great buy, that is).

Live entertainment br

Jazz is best served up at the , as it has been since 1935, or , which performs in the Time Warner Center. Consider the acoustically perfect for classical music performances and pop concerts, or for the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet. (When available, for Lincoln Center performances can be bought in the David Rubenstein Atrium.) For theater lovers, New York typically has more than 100 curtains going up each night — musicals, comedies and dramas, and some of the best shows, performers and theaters in the world. Broadway, with 41 theaters in the Times Square area, is the crown jewel. Hot or not, tickets are more available from January through late March than during holidays and the touristy summer season. Midweek shows, particularly those on Tuesdays, are less crowded than those performed Friday through Sunday, and Saturday nights require booking the farthest ahead. Ways to save: For same-day tickets for Broadway shows, you can find bargains of up to 50 percent off at the in Times Square and Lincoln Center, where you’ll need to stand in line to purchase what’s available that day. To check availability first, browse real-time listings . If you don’t want to line up, the online service has discounted tickets for top shows. AARP Travel Center Call: 1.800.675.4318 Search Flights Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: search Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Flight 2 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 3 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 4 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Flight 5 Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Add Another Flight search Search Hotels Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 search Search Packages Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date You didn't specify child's age Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats: Room 1 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 2 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 3 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 4 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age Room 5 There are children in rooms without an adult You didn't specify child's age You didn't specify child's age You have more than 6 people total Please select a trip duration less than 28 days search Search Cars Enter a valid location Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search Search Cruises Select a valid location Select a month search Search Things to Do Enter a valid location Enter a valid date Enter a valid date search × Let's Go Reset Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Car Rentals offers > See more Travel offers > See more Hotels & Resorts offers > See more Gas & Auto Services offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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