New York City is big (obviously) and has lots of neighborhoods to explore. It can be quite daunting to figure out where to start. I have been making a point to explore more of New York City. New areas, new (to me) restaurants and different attractions.
Battery Park and the downtown area of New York City are often overlooked. Times Square, Chinatown, the Village all have huge draws to them, but the downtown area has a lot to offer. Important history, hidden gem restaurants and loads of museums.
Downtown NYC Museums
South Street Seaport Museum
Located in the historic seaport area this is much more than a museum. Bringing to life the maritime history and the importance of the area as a major port there are rotating exhibitions on view. Check the website for what is on display while you are here.
The museum also offers walking tours. I joined the “Sinister Secrets of the Seaport” tour. It is 90 minutes packed with sites and history of the area. If you like organized crime and history this tour is for you. Filling you in on how everything got done from the 1790’s to the 1990’s.
They also are a part of the Waterfront Alliance which focuses on climate-conscious initiatives, and they participate in the City of Water Day. For this special initiative, the Museum joins dozens of communities across all five boroughs, Westchester and Rockland counties, and northern New Jersey who will host events on and near the water that celebrate the importance of a resilient and equitably shared waterfront. It happens every July and the admission is free on that day.
Museum admission is $18
Sinister Secrets walking tour is $40
They also offer sailing tours that teach you how to sail.
9/11 Memorial & museum
This is a tough museum but an important one. As a native New Yorker, it feels very personal but the museum does a great job of honoring the victims and telling the story. Some rooms are rough. They have one that does all the calls from the people in the plans. It isn’t easy to sit thru. You can skip this room if its too much.
I recommend giving yourself about 2 hours in the museum. It is really big and since the topic is emotional it might take a while to finish, or you might need to stop before the end.
Ticket prices are $36 dollars for adults and $24 for children 7-12, $30 for 13-17.
On Mondays they offer free admission in the evenings, but you still need to book a ticket for this.
The museum is non-profit, and the admission fee goes to keep the memorial and museum running.
For tickets check here
Museum of the American Indian
The building that houses the museum is a historic one. Originally the New York Custom House. Construction was between 1902-1907 and it served as, you guessed it, a customs house until 1974.The building was left vacant until the 90’s. Now it is part of the Smithsonian collection
The museum is free, so it is worth visiting for the architecture alone. The exhibits are lovely and cover many tribes and the diverse history between each.
Museum of Jewish Heritage
Located in the Northwest Corner of Batter Park. From the top floor you get a lovely view of the Statue of Liberty.
Your Admission ticket includes all the current exhibitions as well as the main floor which is all about Jewish history and customs. The second floor covers World War II and the Holocaust.
Familiarizing yourself with Jewish history and the Holocaust is of the upmost importance right now as we are seeing a rise in Anti Semitism.
The museum fee is $18 and children under 12 are free.
Check out the museum here
Downtown NYC Must Do’s
One of the biggest draws of the area is the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Battery Park is where all the ferry’s leave from.
Liberty island & Ellis Island
Lady Liberty the countries symbol of freedom and justice. She must be having a hell of a time right now. The idea that you can come here and be whoever you want to be. The idea that no matter who you were before, you can be more then that now. America was the place to go to flee from oppression, racism, classism and poverty. What an amazing ideal to be part of.
Of course, along the way and even in the beginning this idea has been corrupted. Equality for all has an asterisk or two attached to it. But that doesn’t destroy the ideals behind it and the dreams it was built on. Millions of people came to America to build a better life for themselves and for their families and still do to this day. It is why I find harsh immigration laws so dumbfounding. I’m certain Lady Liberty herself says “give me your tired, your poor, your wretched…” The current administration has started a Gestapo like campaign against the very ideals that built this country.
Important Information
Statue City Cruises is the ONLY vendor authorized to provide tickets and transportation to Liberty and Ellis Islands. No other ferry company can give you access to the Islands, monuments, and museums. Additional tickets are not needed to enter the Statue of Liberty Museum or Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration.
GA tickets are about $25 and it gets you the ferry to both islands and museums. Additional costs incur if you would like to go up the Statue of Liberty.
I did not purchase a ticket that let me go up the statue and it didn’t make a difference to me but if this is important to you then book in advance. I bought day of at the pier and had time to explore both islands.
Clipper City Afternoon Golden Hour Cocktail Sail
Another option to see the Statue of Liberty up close and if you aren’t interested in visiting the islands themselves is this sailing tour. They offer a few different versions but the Golden Hour one was a perfect afternoon sail.
You get a cocktail included in the price while you sail around New York harbor taking in the views of the statue of liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan Skyline. They also offer Sunset Jazz Sail’s if you’d like a little more ambience with your sail.
For a 90 minute sale with a cocktail prices start at $84.
Click here for tickets
Eataly
Eataly has been in New York for awhile now and funnily enough I sort of overlooked it thinking it was a touristy version of Italian food. With all the great restaurants in NYC I figured why would I need this? Eataly is owned and operated by Italians. It started in Milan. Not only is the food very authentic but its filled with hard to get products from Italy as well.
I did their pasta making class and had such a blast. The secret ingredient? Simplicity. You don’t have to make complicated sauces to make excellent sauces. They offer an array of cooking classes from pizza and pasta making to desserts. They also have kid friendly classes.
Classes range in price and time check here for current classes.
If a cooking class isn’t your thing they have 3 restaurants on site as well as an array of quick service options in their food hall.
Downtown NYC Eats
Tin Building by Jean-Georges is a high end food hall. Inspired by the renowed chef Jean-Georges world travels and located in the historic Seaport. They offer everything from fine dining experiences to quick service options to a market. Depending on what your budget looks like you can find something to fit your needs. All restaurants do Happy Hour Monday to Friday from 3-6p which is always something I am on the hunt for. Especially in a city as audaciously expensive as my beloved NYC.
The Dead Rabbit
Located on Water Street this Irish Pub started in 2013 and has morphed into a serious cocktail bar. Taking all of their teachings from Irish brewers, distillers, artists and more to keep up with what they are doing in the homeland. The cocktails can be up to 24 dollars, but they are some of the best that I have ever had.
Stone Street options
It is considered one of the oldest streets in New York City, incorporating sections of two 17th-century roads from the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam
One of your best options is to just head to Stone Street which is filled with bars and restaurants for every taste. They have loads of happy hour options and places like Harry’s and Daisy Dukes are great late-night spots. The street has about a dozen different restaurants that range from Italian to Mexican and everything in between.
Parts of this article were hosted but as usual all opinions and thoughts are mine.
I am planning my sister trip to NYC later this summer and this Downtown NYC travel guide has helped so much. If you had 10 days in NYC where would you go? I think 5 days is enough for the city and would love to organize some day trips or trips to other cities.
5 days is a good amount of time, its impossible to see everything. I could recommend some day trips upstate or even out to Long Island (wineries and beaches). Let me know if you want some pointers!
It has been far too long since we last spent any time in NYC. Your post provided some good new spots to explore the next time we visit. We certainly would want to check out the 9/11 memorial. And try a cruise with that view of the Statue of Liberty.
I have heard a lot of good things about Eataly from my husband and others. I would love to take the pasta making class.
The pasta making class was so fun and they offer so many different ones!
I’ve recently started to make more of an effort to explore NYC. At the end of last year I went to Roosevelt Island for the first time and I loved it. I haven’t been to Ellis Island since I was a kid, but I’d love to go back. We went with my grandmother who came to the country through Ellis Island.
The Sinister Secrets tour sounds right up my street!
it was really interesting! I love a good dark history tour