Venturing to New York City without sampling the culinary options would be unfortunate, considering how much the city has to offer. Each neighborhood within the five boroughs features a local favorite or two that may not always be in a tourist guide. Exploring areas and getting locals' opinions works out well in finding great food gems off the beaten path. You can also find great food trucks that travel round selling their goods. Feed Your Hole, for instance, specializes in traditional New York style burgers and hot dogs. The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck sells frozen treats with names like the Bea Arthur and the Salty Pimp during spring and summer months.
The lights and excitement of Broadway mark just one of the claims to fame of the city. Broadway shows and their off-Broadway cousins bring ample amounts of tourism into the city. Tickets for shows can often be purchased just before the showing at a discount if you find regular ticket prices too steep, making taking in a Broadway show a fun spur-of-the-moment activity. For music shows, many turn to Madison Square Garden shows, the Bowery Ballroom or smaller club venues.
New York City has no shortage of culture, and museums are no exception. The city has museums covering a multitude of subjects. An entire section of the city is dedicated to museums; the stretch of 5th Avenue from 82nd Street to 105th Street is known as Museum Mile. Within this space, the city offers eight different museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum and the Guggenheim. On the west side of Central Park, be sure to spend a day at the Museum of Natural History, or visit the New-York Historical Society. For families with children, the city has multiple museums geared to young kids, including the Children's Museum of the Arts and the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Zoos and aquariums in the city include the Bronx Zoo, the Queens Wildlife Center and the Brooklyn Aquarium. The museums of NYC often have designated days that allow free entry to save some cash on your trip.
The history of the city is rich, and often times you can experience it without paying a dime. For a taste of black history, walk around Harlem and look for specific landmarks. The Hotel Theresa, an important hotel during the Harlem Renaissance, still stands, albeit with a different look than during its heyday. Manhattan's Dakota Hotel is where John Lennon was shot by a fan; his wife, Yoko Ono, still has an apartment there, and across the street in Central Park is Strawberry Fields, a two-and-a-half-acre memorial to Lennon. Some of the architecture throughout the city has been registered with the National Register of Historical Places, including the Bank of New York Building on Wall Street and several subway stations.
