Every list of things to do in New York is the same list, and New Yorkers do none of it. They have a neighbourhood, a park, a diner, a bar, a subway line they defend, and a borough they are loyal to. Here is what a free day looks like for people who live here, and how to borrow one.
What a New Yorker's Saturday looks like#
- Breakfast from a bodega or a bagel place, eaten standing up or in the park. Not brunch; brunch is for the second weekend of a visit.
- The park they live near. Prospect Park, Fort Greene Park, Riverside Park, Astoria Park, Domino Park, the Hudson waterfront. Central Park is for runners and out-of-town family.
- One errand that turns into an afternoon: a flea market, a bookshop, a stoop sale, a ball game on a public court.
- Dinner in their own neighbourhood, at a place with twelve tables, where the owner knows them.
- Something free or nearly free at night: a museum's pay-what-you-wish hours, a comedy show for the price of a drink, a free concert, a bar with a back room and no sign.
The free things locals actually use#
- The Staten Island Ferry. Free, every 15 to 30 minutes from Whitehall, past the Statue of Liberty. Ride it at sunset and come straight back.
- The NYC Ferry along the East River to Brooklyn and Queens, or out to the Rockaways in summer: a subway-fare-sized ticket for the best view of the city.
- Walking the Brooklyn Bridge early, Brooklyn to Manhattan, before 9am.
- The High Line, then Chelsea's galleries, which are free and open to anyone.
- Museums on their free evenings. Several of the big ones have pay-what-you-wish or free hours on a fixed night; New Yorkers plan around them.
- Summer in the parks: free films, free concerts, free dance, almost every night from June to August.
Borough by borough#
Queens, for food. Jackson Heights for South Asian and Colombian in the same block, Flushing for the best Chinese food in the country, Astoria for Greek and Egyptian, the Rockaways for the beach. The 7 train is the city's best cheap tour.
Brooklyn, for a whole day. Fort Greene's park and farmers' market on a Saturday, Bed-Stuy's brownstones, Prospect Park with a picnic, Sunset Park for Mexican and Chinese and the view, Coney Island when it is warm, a bar in Bushwick or Crown Heights after dark.
The Bronx, for the two things it does better than anyone. Arthur Avenue for Italian (the real Little Italy), and a Yankees game from the cheap seats. The Bronx Zoo and the botanical garden if you have the day.
Manhattan, for walking. The West Village's small streets, the Lower East Side's bars and bakeries, Harlem on a Sunday, Washington Heights for Dominican food and the Cloisters, Chinatown for dumplings at a counter. Midtown is for the show, then leave.
Staten Island, for the ferry and the pizza. Most New Yorkers have done only the first.
What to skip, from people who live here#
Times Square unless you have a theatre ticket; the Statue of Liberty boat when the ferry is free; chain restaurants anywhere; rooftop bars with a cover charge when a park has the same view; and anything that calls itself "the real New York".
How to borrow a New Yorker's day#
The honest way to do any of the above is with someone who lives here, because a New Yorker's day is a set of specific doors, not a map. On Roavi, New Yorkers list themselves as Local Friends: a photo, their borough, their languages, and an hourly rate they set. You message them directly, agree a plan, and Roavi takes no commission. Rent a friend in New York explains how it works and what it costs; local tour guide in New York compares it with a licensed guide.
New York has several Local Friends listed; their profiles are above. Message two with your dates and the borough you are curious about.
Want a New Yorker's Saturday?
Browse Local Friends in New YorkOr ask the city#
The classic list, for the first visit: things to do in New York City and first time in New York. Eating: best food in New York City.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do New Yorkers actually do on a weekend?
Eat in their own neighbourhood, go to the park they live near (Prospect Park, Fort Greene, Riverside, Astoria Park, not only Central Park), take a ferry for the view instead of a cruise, see something free or cheap (a museum's pay-what-you-wish night, a free concert, a comedy show for the price of a drink), and end up at a bar with no sign. The sights are for when family visits.Is the Staten Island Ferry really free?
Yes. It leaves from Whitehall at the bottom of Manhattan every 15 to 30 minutes, passes the Statue of Liberty, and costs nothing. Ride it at sunset, get off, and ride it back. The NYC Ferry (East River, Rockaway, Astoria) costs a subway-fare-sized ticket and is the other local view.Which neighbourhoods do locals recommend over Times Square?
Depends on the New Yorker: Jackson Heights and Flushing in Queens for food, Fort Greene and Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn for a day of parks and brownstones, Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for Italian, the West Village and the Lower East Side in Manhattan for walking and bars. Times Square is where they go once a year to see a show, and leave.How do I find a New Yorker to show me around?
On Roavi, New Yorkers list themselves as Local Friends with a photo, their neighbourhood, languages and an hourly rate they set; you message them directly and Roavi takes no commission. New York has several listed; their profiles are on this page.What is free in NYC?
The Staten Island Ferry, the parks, the High Line, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, the Hudson River waterfront, many museums on specific evenings (pay-what-you-wish or free hours), free summer concerts and movies in the parks, the galleries in Chelsea, and the New York Public Library's main building.