10 Hidden Gems in New York

The clue’s in the name of the Elevated Acre, a single acre of park perched atop an otherwise rather nondescript building at 55 Water Street in New York's financial district. This miniature park is a sky-high urban oasis with its head in the clouds. It comes complete with meticulously manicured picnic lawns and colorful perennials, a cool 50-foot light sculpture, a beer garden and, of course, some pretty extraordinary views across Manhattan to the Hudson River and Brooklyn Bridge (pictured). As natural highs go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Grand Central Station is one of New York’s most popular attractions, rightfully revered for its stunning Beaux-Arts architecture, four-faced station clock, and Insta-tastic astrological ceiling mural. The Whispering Gallery is one of its better-kept secrets perhaps because, well, folks only ever seem to whisper about it. Seek out the arch in front of the famous Oyster Bar & Restaurant and grab someone (ideally not a complete stranger) to stand at the opposite end from you. A cool acoustic effect means that your partner (or deeply confused stranger) will then be able to hear what you say when you whisper into the brickwork. Walls have ears though, so keep it clean and don’t go blurting out e.g. your credit card number or Amazon password.

New York isn’t short of a bar or two, from swanky rooftop cocktail joints to down’n’dirty dive bars. But if you’re in the market for something that feels a tad more illicit, it’s the city’s secret speakeasies you need. Popularized during Prohibition in the 1920s, these behind-closed-doors drinking dens have woven themselves into the very fabric of NYC. Check out clandestine 21st-century watering holes like PDT in the East Village, accessed via a hotdog shop and a telephone booth, and Nothing Really Matters, set in a Midtown subway station.

The Big Apple is home to some of the planet’s finest museums, among them the Museum of Modern Art, the Met, the Guggenheim, and the American Museum of Natural History. Tick these off your New York attractions bucket list then get your quirk on at the likes of Mmuseum, a miniature cabinet of curiosities housed inside a Tribeca freight elevator shaft. Brooklyn also has a handful of excellent mini worlds that operate in a similar vein. The City Reliquary is where it’s at for historic NYC ephemera including charming vintage postcards and old subway tickets. Meanwhile, the Morbid Anatomy Library has you covered for macabre artifacts like taxidermy animals and primitive surgical instruments.

Top tip: The New York Pass includes a number of museums, from bucket-listers to under-the-radar gems, and can save you up to 50% on admission to 100+

Set in the East River between Manhattan and Queens, Roosevelt Island is home to the atmospheric ruins of a 19th-century smallpox hospital. Bear with us here, because this ivy-clad Gothic Revival ruin is catnip for Insta addicts, especially at dusk, or during cherry blossom season in spring. Ride there and back in style via the Roosevelt Island Tramway – only the oldest functioning tramway in the US of A, fact fans – with quite exceptional views of the Manhattan skyline on the return leg.

Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met Cloisters in Washington Heights is an art gallery with a difference. The museum specializes in European art and architecture of the Middle Ages, with a focus on the Gothic and Romanesque, and features a large number of ancient artifacts including religious idols, reliquaries, frescoes and panel paintings. The collection is displayed in authentic European monastic settings with genuine medieval cloisters that were shipped to New York from France in the early 20th Century, and the picture is completed by a pretty medieval-style garden that overlooks the Hudson.

Everyone knows about Central Park’s big-ticket attractions, among them Strawberry Fields, the zoo and the fairytale folly that is Belvedere Castle. But not every visitor is as familiar with The Ramble, a sweeping 36-acre woodland wilderness at the heart of the park. Here’s where you can properly escape the bustle of Manhattan, in a sanctuary of shady groves, winding paths, lush meadows, lakes, caves, and rocky outcrops. The Ramble is also a magnet for local birdwatchers: its prime position along the Atlantic Flyway means it attracts migrating birds including swallows, red-tailed hawks and flycatchers across the year.

Check out our guide to things to do in Central Park here.

Take the round-trip by ferry to Governors Island, a former US Army outpost turned playground in New York Harbor that's home to cool old military buildings like Castle Williams and the star-shaped Fort Jay. Rent a bike to explore the island’s many military treasures and art installations, and pack a picnic for lunch on its lush lawns, accompanied by views of Lady Liberty and the gleaming skyscrapers of Manhattan’s financial district. A series of concerts, festivals and other events also takes place on the island during the summer months.

Rounding out our list of New York’s hidden gems, The Morgan is one of those enchanting places that could have leapt straight from the pages of a Harry Potter novel, all frescoed ceilings, ornate fireplaces, stained-glass windows and floor upon floor of antiquarian books. Here’s where to ogle original masterpieces of art and literature, including complete handwritten manuscripts by Dickens and Austen, sketches by Schiele, Picasso, Renoir and Rembrandt, Manet’s personal notebook, and three (count ‘em) rare copies of the Gutenberg Bible. The ever-changing roster of temporary exhibitions here are never anything short of fascinating, and there’s a lovely garden that's open in spring and summer.

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