15 Hidden Gems In New York City Even Locals Don’t Know About

The fall foliage in New York City is so lush and vibrant that it’s definitely worth dedicating a whole afternoon to viewing from above. Recommended by TikToker @weissbro, the Roosevelt Island Tramway will pick you up in Midtown Manhattan (between 59th Street and 60th Street) and whisk you up and above the Queensboro Bridge for a smooth ride of stunning city views. The best part is it only costs $2.75 on a MetroCard to ride. Afterwards, you can explore Roosevelt Island and check out the famous panoramic view at the top of the Roosevelt Hotel.

The Arcadia Earth immersive art exhibit will take you through a fantasy world inspired by natural settings like the deep sea and enchanted forests. @arcadiaearth on TikTok showed the multisensory adventure that’s designed to celebrate planet Earth and reimagine how we experience environmental issues through augmented and virtual reality, massive projections, and interactive activities. Everyone will enjoy this spot and marvel at the all the dreamy visuals, and you’ll likely leave super inspired and with tons of ‘Gram worthy photos.

Fans of contemporary art and graphic design will love perusing Poster House in Chelsea, which was recommended by @pao_newyorkcity. It’s the first museum in the US that is fully dedicated to posters depicting cultural history and historic print media, including movie posters, magazine covers, adverts, and war propaganda.

What if you could transport to the City Of Love during your visit to the Big Apple? Thanks to @secretnyc_ you can take your croissant craving down to Centre Street (located between Broome and Grand Street) that’s been dubbed “Little Paris” for its variety of French businesses. Stop by a petite boulangerie (little bakery) for a buttery treat, take French language classes at Coucou, sip in style at a French wine bar, shop for French art and home decor, and see the building at 240 Centre street that’s inspired by Paris’s City Hall.

Sorry to break the rules, but “Please Don’t Tell” is definitely worth sharing. @newyorkbucketlist on TikTok revealed a super cool speakeasy and cocktail bar tucked behind a mundane looking eatery. There’s a telephone booth inside where you dial the number one for access to the fun experience, where you can order sophisticated drinks and mouthwatering burgers.

You and your four-person travel crew can go head-to-head with other groups in a live game show experience at 1000 Boxes. It’s finally your chance to live out your Family Feud fantasies as you play to win brainteasers and teamwork challenges in immersive game rooms you can view in @saint_travels’s TikTok.

There’s nothing like a cozy library on a chilly autumn day. Bibliophiles, like TiKToker @hattiekolp, should stop by The Morgan Library, which is the personal library of legendary New Yorker and American financier Pierpont Morgan who collected cultural treasures like historical literature and early prints. Its grand interiors will make your jaw drop, as its three large rooms transport you back in time with an Italian Renaissance-style pallazo, complete with mural ceilings and ornate towering bookcases.

This hidden gem shared by @pao_newyorkcity smells like heaven. Olfactory is a perfume shop you can visit with your friends to create custom perfumes to bottle and take home. This is also a great place to create a personalized fragrance to gift to a loved one this holiday season.

You’ve never seen a museum this tiny. Mmuseumm in Tribeca is a 26-square foot museum built into an elevator shaft, created by Alex Kalman and famous filmakers the Safdie brothers, and it was recommended by @norbertobriceno on TikTok. The exhibits on display feature historical “object journalism,” meaning cool, cultural artifacts and souvenirs from modern events.

At Slate, you can literally enter the bar through a giant playground slide, which @matthew_nyc demonstrates in his TikTok. At the bottom lounge, you’ll find tons of pool games, comfort food, and good vibes .

Get lost with your besties in this indoor Williamsburg park @pao_newyorkcity posted, because you can play like a kid for hours in obstacle courses, arcade games, rock climbing, rollerskating, ziplining, and more. Area 53 even has a second location in Dumbo dedicated to serious laser tag in an old factory.

If pink’s your favorite color, you have to watch @savannahwhitten1’s TikTok for a full view of Sweet Cats Cafe’s sugary interiors. This bubble tea cafe is covered in floor-to-ceiling bubblegum pink and plushies, with a claw game arcade and magnificent cakes.

A cold autumn day in NYC definitely calls for a tea break, and @pao_newyorkcity shared a sweet deal on Tiktok. At The Chai Spot, you can cozy up with with yummy, traditional chai in a colorful lounge designed to transport guests to Pakistan. You can shop embroidered goods that are handmade by artisans in villages of the Sindh and Balochistan provinces, and 50% of their profits go to support education and the socioeconomic empowerment of rural women and children of Pakistan.

There’s nothing wrong with a little self-care on vacay. Hidden bathhouses are hot in NYC right now, and the S10 luxury spa is definitely one to check out. You pretty much get a private spa to yourself, complete with a steam room, infrared sauna, and lavish bath tub — @motiankari documented his whole experience.

@2222ash posted Summit One Vanderbilt’s three-floor multisensory experience on TikTok and it’s a pretty epic date or girls night spot in the middle of the city. Not only does it have an incredible view of the Empire State building at night, but there’s also a glass elevator, 360-mirrored rooms, and immersive wonderlands.