Picture of Kayla sitting at a table at the corner of Greenwich Ave, smiling and ready for the weekend

TOP 10 ACTIVITIES
NEW YORK CITY

concerts, museums, sports, theaters, parks, & parades

❖ U.S. Open Tennis Championship

Yes, it’s become overly packed and super scene-y, especially since the TikTok/social media world has blown up and now everyone wants an Instagram post with their Honey Deuce drink. Zero judgement though. My boyfriend is one of them! And this remains one of the best ways to spend a late summer afternoon. The U.S. Open is an annual event that starts the last Monday of August and lasts for two weeks.

visit the Open

❖ Rangers Game at Madison Square Garden

New Yorkers LOVE their sports, but my favorite Manhattan sporting event to attend is a Rangers ice hockey game. I sat in the nosebleeds for a game and that was quite the experience being with some diehard fans. But the time where Ryan Reynolds was 2 rows in front of us with Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist was definitely a highlight.

see the Rangers

❖ Liberty Game at Barclays

Let’s hear it for the #1 WNBA team and for the girlies please?! Liberty games are a blast and have become so much bigger thanks to Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu (my fellow Oregon alumni 🦆). The games are family-friendly too — there was just a night where a bunch of dads took their daughters (see article).

watch the WNBA

❖ Biking on the West Side Highway

There are so many parks and piers off the West Side Highway now! It’s great to hop on a bike or even take a long walk and see the different sights and viewpoints. I personally enjoy spending time at Hudson Park and the Drift In restaurant by West Village.

bike the Hudson River Greenway

❖ Opera or Ballet at Lincoln Center

If you’re looking for a reason to dress up and enjoy a beautiful show in a stunning venue, head to Lincoln Square to catch the latest opera or ballet! I recently saw Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Met Opera House, and not only were the sets incredible, but the acoustics in the opera house were also unbelievable.

see a show at Lincoln Center Theater

❖ Annual Pride Parade

OMG I’ve gone with my gay and lesbian friends and it’s SO MUCH FUN! Granted if you’re a New Yorker and you have things to do that day, I would avoid the West Village entirely since there are hundreds of thousands of people in the streets, subway stations, etc. But if you love LOVE and want to be around a bunch of happy people, make sure to celebrate Pride in June!

get ready for Pride

❖ The Frick Collection

I’ve only visited the temporary museum off Madison Ave (which is now closed), but I’m excited for the 5th Avenue location to reopen in early 2025! Viewing Henry Clay Frick’s collection, which has masterworks from the Renaissance through the 19th century, is the perfect rainy-day activity – especially since the majority will go to The Met on a rainy-day and/or weekend, making the Frick a generally far less crowded option.

visit the Frick

❖ Guggenheim Museum

This museum includes many types of art, but I have a KK pro tip: Take the elevator to the top floor and then walk your way down to view the art. A lot of people will walk up to the top and then take the elevator down, but who REALLY wants to walk uphill for an hour plus AND then wait in line for an elevator to go back down? NOT ME FOLKS!

visit the Guggenheim

❖ Bronx Zoo and Little Italy (also in the Bronx)

The Bronx Zoo looks like an Ivy league campus and has so many different species to view – also it’s like 1000x bigger than the Central Park Zoo LMAO. Once you’re done, you can have lunch in Little Italy – in the BRONX, not Manhattan with all the tourists! I LOVE Zero Otto Nove. If you watched the OG Real Housewives of New York, this is the restaurant where Dorinda Medley did the infamous “CLIP” scene.

visit the Zoo ; explore Little Italy

❖ Central Park

There’s so many activities to do in the iconic Central Park! I’ve always enjoyed a long stroll, specifically walking by the Bethesda Fountain. It’s also home to the Global Citizen Music Festival, which has had huge artists like Metallica, Mariah Carey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anitta, and Alicia Keys. But a picnic on a summer day in Sheep’s Meadow is always a good time!