683 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in New York City - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in New York City

New York, New York

City Hall Station

A beautiful and abandoned New York subway station from 1904, complete with chandelier.

New York, New York

The Evolution Store

A terrific purveyor of natural history objects and curios.

New York, New York

Dream House

La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela's "Dream House" will immerse you in an ever changing world of sound and light.

New York, New York

Roosevelt Island Smallpox Hospital Ruins

A crumbling hospital from the 1850s on Roosevelt Island.

New York, New York

Mmuseumm

A tiny museum housed in a New York freight elevator specializes in the "overlooked, dismissed, or ignored."

New York, New York

Explorers Club Headquarters

A treasure trove of artifacts, books, and artwork from the "golden age" of exploration.

New York, New York

The Elevated Acre

Amid the bustle and noise of the Financial District hides a secluded garden oasis above the city streets.

New York, New York

5 Beekman Street

This beautiful building in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District was empty for decades.

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Unique Food & Drink in New York City

Egg Cream

A fizzy, chocolate drink that harkens back to the days of Brooklyn soda fountains.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

A cake as dark as a city hiding from enemy bombers.

Pickle Soft Serve

The briny, refreshing ice cream acts as a cooling chaser to spicy meals.

New York Charlotte Russe

The dainty, cream-filled specialty is on the brink of extinction.

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Escape: Hudson Valley Botany

Forage for wild food, craft cocktails, and create floral arrangements

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Recent New York City Activity

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Stories About New York City

Why Do Tennis Crowds Have to Be So Quiet?

The game's long, weird, elitist history provides some clues.

by Dan Nosowitz

August 11, 2020

A plan for the controversial World War II exhibition known as <em>Exhibition X</em>.

Plumbing the Secrets of the Archives of the Museum of Modern Art

From an Avenue of Fascism, to turtle soup, to a phantom photo of three important women having tea.

by Andrew Russeth

An artist rendering of the Open Orchard on Governor's Island.

A Franken-Forest of Fruit Trees Is Growing on Governors Island

The project will rescue forgotten peaches, plums, and apricots.

New Yorkers are hearing the ubiquitous ice cream truck jingle emanating from police cruisers across several boroughs.

Why Are NYPD Cruisers Playing the Ice Cream Truck Jingle?

The melody occupies a niche space at the intersection of ice cream, entertainment, and Black history.

For his recent series "Reworked," Cass edited some of his urban images—including this shot of Boston's Government Center, taken in 2017 for the series "Selected People"—to reflect our pandemic present.

What a Socially Distant World Would Really Look Like

Photographer Pelle Cass creates six feet of separation everywhere he goes.

by Greta Rainbow

Cities such as San Francisco are full of history—but there's opportunities for discovery everywhere.

How to Dig Into the History of Your City, Town, or Neighborhood

Even a short local walk can hold countless stories.

by Lauren Vespoli

People send Scott Wiener pizza boxes from around the world for preservation.

Meet the Owner of the World's Largest Pizza Box Collection

1,550 and counting.

This portrait of late doctor Ydelfonso Decoo is in the Queens Museum parking lot.

This Mural in Queens Highlights COVID-19's Impact on People of Color

An image of a brave doctor, large enough to be seen from space.

by Matthew Taub

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