Things to do in New York City

Performance art, when well conceived and executed, can engage its audience unlike any other medium. As a result reviews of performance art tend to employ a range of adjectives as varied as: "captivating", "challenging", "voyeuristic", "enlightening", "erotic", or "harrowing". However it is that one feels about a given piece, the point is always that you do actually feel something. Whatever else can be said of it, performance art does not lend itself to ambivalence. And there are few places on earth better than New York City to experience it.

New York is full of strange and wonderful bits of randomness scattered among the 5 burroughs. Nestled in the northern tip of Manhattan just north of 190th Street stands the Cloisters, a fusion of medieval European architectural elements (A chapel, chapter house, and several monastic cloisters) that were literally dismantled shipped across the ocean and reassembled in New York City for your enjoyment. There's something wonderfully American about that, right? And there are few things to do in New York City that will allow you to lose your sense of place and time like spending a long Sunday afternoon wandering through them.

Islands tend to breed strange culture. Ideas like genes take strange and exaggerated diversions when left to inbreed. In the same way that the Galapago's isolated ecology breed the marine iguana and the flightless cormorant, Japan’s isolation has breed tentacle porn and love motels. Naturally, Fire Island is no exception to this phenomenon.

Hotel bars, such wonderful things - top notch service, undiluted spirits, pristine bathrooms, classic decor, lonely girls and guys on business trips to pick up, and a convenient place to take them nearby. Since the W came to New York City hotel bars are scene, and like any scene we recommend moderation, certainly no more than 10 or so in a night. To that end we've assembled a plan, a plan with a map with little hotels on it.

The term dive bar is thrown around pretty loosely in New York City. It’s frequently misapplied to everything from the Neighborhood Pool Joint to the Jerkoff Sports Bar. However, the editors at New York On Tap are true aficionados of The Dive, and are not about to feature any bar in our New York Dive Bar crawl which doesn’t meet our strict and discerning criteria.

Sitting in the office, feeling like you've got better things to do? New York City has dozens of ski resorts within day trip distance, and we’ve put together everything you need to know to get you out of the NYC and on the mountain this winter. Whether you’re just beginning or a seasoned pro we’ve got your hook up – what to ride, where to go, and how to get there.

You did what this weekend? - "Oh, you know, I took a Kayak out from 63rd St, paddled my way down the Hudson, took a little spin around Ellis Island, and shot a few pictures of the Statue of Liberty." Not only is Kayaking great exercise, easy to pick up, and a lot of fun, it's also one of the best answers that New York City has to offer to the question "Do anything interesting this weekend?"

The process of learning to fly can be an immensely satisfying experience. It’s hard to put a price on the sense of wonder and achievement that a private pilot course can endow. And when you consider the fact that a discovery flight can be had for as cheap as $50 and that you can get to the flight school from NYC via public transport the math all of a sudden starts to make sense.

Work. Sleep. Eat. Drink. Rinse repeat. Sometimes, even when you're living in the greatest city on the planet, you can end up in a rut. You lose track of yourself. You lose track of what it is to be alive. Enter the Trapeze School of New York City. Swinging on flying trapeze with a view of the Statue of Liberty is a surprising tonic for the soul.

You've seen Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon a dozen or more times, you've practiced the drunken man fighting style in the mirror after a night out, while the other kids were watching Speed Racer on Sunday mornings you were watching David Carradine in Kung Fu, you are ready, you were meant for this. The only thing to do now is find New York City's most bad ass martial arts center. Luckily we've do all the hard work for you, the only thing for you to do is shave your head, buy some loose fitting robes, fix some fences and put some wax on your car and take some wax off your car in preparation.

You've go a million things to do and a million more things that should have been done. The only thing more exhausting than your weekdays are your weekends. There's no way you have time for Yoga, and even if you did you're way to beat to do it. If you had some free time you'd spend it catching up on your mile long Tivo list, the whole last season of Six Feet Under is just waiting for you. Ok, we're going to tell you this, and its the God's Honest Truth - forget all that and make some time for Yoga. Trust us. It's the right idea. And anyway Nate's dead and they've buried him, and watching it will just make you cry, so delete them, and spend that time in productive relaxation instead, but first check out our Yoga studio reviews.

Ok, so maybe it seems to you that there are a million better things to do in New York City, than to go scuba diving in the East River - The East River! But, think about it for a second. Scuba diving off Manhattan will afford you a view of NYC that very few people have ever seen, moreover, the area just south of Long Island and East of New Jersey is known as "Wreck Valley" the area boasts dozens of wrecks, some as long as 100 ft.

You would think we New Yorker's could expect more from a collaborative effort of a Republican White House, Republican Governor, and a Republican Mayor – perhaps a golf course or two, some condos along the harbor with docks for yachts, maybe a film studio or even a Disney theme park. But no, Governor’s Island is to be left alone, a beautiful, uncorrupted waste of prime real estate.

You would think we New Yorker's could expect more from a collaborative effort of a Republican White House, Republican Governor, and a Republican Mayor – perhaps a golf course or two, some condos along the harbor with docks for yachts, maybe a film studio or even a Disney theme park. But no, Governor’s Island is to be left alone, a beautiful, uncorrupted waste of prime real estate.

New York City is always under constant change - neighborhoods are transformed, demographics change, buildings are torn down and rebuilt. But in Coney Island time moves like molasses. The things to do there now are the same as they were 30 years ago - carnival games, burlesque reviews, freak shows, amusement rides. As a result, a trip to Coney Island is almost like a trip back in time.

Every time new friends come to New York City they want to do the same things: see the Statue of Liberty, shop at Macy's, go to the top of the Empire State, look at the big hole where the WTC used to be. It's new to them, but frankly you're sick of it. There's got to be better things to do in New York than same old that touristy crap, right? Absolutely.

Of all the myriad views of New York City that are to be had, none can beat the view out a helicopter window. It's not cheap. A 5 minute jot out to the Statue of Liberty will cost you $60, but the trip is so exhilarating you'll feel like it was a bargain by the time you touch down again.

There's only one shooting range operating in New York City and business has never been better. Virtually anyone can walk in off the street no permit necessary and shoot a .22 caliber rifle at the West Side Pistol and Rifle Range. Sure, it'll cost you $50 dollars for 50 rounds and you'll first have to attend a safety course on the spot, but if you've never tried it before this can be one utterly surreal way to spend an afternoon in Chelsea.

Ok. We know it's a giant tourist trap. Forget that. We're talking a 2600 HP speed boat capable of doing 45mph. It's a fantastic time. It's a great way to see the Statue of Liberty, and best yet tickets are under $20 (even cheaper for kids) and you get a half hour ride for your money.

You don't have to be a serious gambler to have fun at Belmont Park. If you've never been to a track before it can be a pretty amazing experience - the huge stadium, the thunder of the horses, the exhilaration of the photo finish. And the trip Belmont is a snap from New York City.

If you've never seen a boxing match you may be surprised to see how much you enjoy it. Make no mistake a ringside seat reveals boxing's unabashed brutality, but a great fight gives fans a closeup of human spirit and once you've had a taste of what that looks like, you'll want to see more.

Sure you can play video games with your friends online, but there's nothing like actually being in the same room, sitting on the same couch, and sharing a pizza with your friends as you blast the crap out of them. The problem is trying to fit a half dozen big screen TVs and XBox's in your living room. Fear not, there's a solution to your dillema a most wonderous invention, a New York City gaming lounge.

If you want serious edge of your seat, fear for your life, competive go karting NYC isn't the place to find it. The biggest track is at Coney Island, and while fun for the kids, it's not going to satisfy the serious competive urge. Fear not, Long Island and New Jersey have some fanstastic tracks. We're talking full suit, race helmet, laser timed, white knuckled racing. And you can be there in less than an hour.

New York City has a few decent amusement parks, but if you're looking for jaw dropping, heart in your throat rollercoasters than you'll have to make the trek to New Jersey and Six Flags Great Adventure. But what a time is to be had! The fastest and the tallest roller coaster in the world, the Kingada Ka, is just 75 miles from NYC. It's 45 stories tall and goes from 0 to 128mph in 3.5 seconds.

Believe it or not there's some great fishing to be had around New York City. The Central Park resevoir, the 72nd St Boat Basin Lake, and all throughout Prospect Park are great places. You can also rent a small boat or hop on a charter and head out off Long Island. Best yet, if you're just trying it out, you can rent all the equipment you need.

Bowling and drinking go together like hand and glove. The best place to do both in New York City is Bowlmor lanes near Union Square. But those lanes ain't cheap. If you're not careful you can lose your shirt.