Book Cheap Last-Minute Hotels in New York

Every time someone says “there’s just so much to do in fill-in-the-blank city” that isn’t NYC, a New Yorker somewhere cackles. Because the Queen(s) of Things to Do is undisputedly New York—no bones about it. And when you snap up a last-minute hotel in New York, you can find out for yourself why it’s “The City So Nice, They Named it Twice.”

After you book New York hotel deals and check in, don’t freak out. Yes, there are a million things to do in New York City. No, you won’t be able to do all of them, but that’s what second, and third trips are for. If it’s your first time, hit up the big basics: Central Park, the Met and the MoMA, see the Statue of Liberty (at least from afar), take a gander at the tags being popped on 5th Avenue. The usual. Then get into the nitty-gritty all over the city and see what NYC really has to offer.

Nibblin’ on the Big Apple

Walk the Talk: Yeah, subways and cabs are a way of life in the city, but there’s so much to take in using your own two feet. When you leave your Manhattan hotel in the a.m., hit the West Side and discover the High Line—an incredible park/walkway built on a historic freight line. This former elevated railway is now a lush greenspace dotted with food vendors and incredible Hudson River views. Afterward, take a stroll in Greenwich Village and see the beautiful townhouses on tree-lined streets, cute cafes to pop into, and experience the street performers at Washington Square Park. After you’ve done Manhattan, hoof it across the East River on the Brooklyn Bridge over to Brooklyn to extend your playground.

A Spree Grows in Brooklyn: This borough is kind of like Manhattan’s cooler hipster cousin—Brooklyn is where you’ll find live music, Bushwick street art, the best thrift stores and flea markets, and a ton of greenery. Start at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and vibe with the blooming Cherry Blossoms (or 14,000 other plants). Then sketch out at the Brooklyn Art Library, a repository with the most sketchbooks in the world. And you must pose at Brooklyn’s most instagrammable spot, at the corner of Washington and Water Streets in Dumbo. You can think of the perfect New York punny caption on your way back to your family-friendly NYC hotel that you got for a steal.

Raise the Different Bar: Sure, grabbing a happy hour marg at a chain restaurant in Times Square is fun, but why not try something more authentic while you’re in NYC? If you find yourself getting monied in the Financial District, Trinity Place allows you to drink in a bank vault from 1904. You can keep the glitz moments going at Goldbar in Little Italy, where you’ll find a lavish wall of golden skulls to hang by. At Beauty Bar—housed in a former beauty shop—you can still partake in a mani at this now-dive bar, and it comes with a free drink. Or sing your face off in the West Village at Marie’s Crisis, where musical theater performers accompany a live piano for nightly singalongs.

Take in a Five-Borough Meal: Forget five courses—that’s amateur hour. Get your “I’ll have what she’s having” in every single borough of the city with these culinary delights. In Manhattan, you must visit Sylvia’s, the iconic Harlem restaurant dishing out southern comfort food for decades. When in Brooklyn, dim-sum at Pacificana is where it’s at, while Queens is all about the Greek cuisine at Agnanti. The Bronx has must-try Italian food from Dominick’s or Mario’s, while pizza from Pizzeria Giove in Staten Island is mandatory. After you’ve had your literal fill of the city, cab it back to your hotel and get hungry to take it all on again tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions About New York