By Dulcie Barnes, Easyvoyage
New York is an epicenter for the arts, a dining and shopping capital and somewhere everyone should visit at least once in their lives. There's enough excitement in this city to keep both locals and visitors busy all day long. But what happens here after the sun sets?
For all you night owls who want to experience New York in a different light, fear not. Check out these after-dark experiences that will have you entertained until sunrise and find out why New York is known as the city that never sleeps.
Tourist attractions
New York is an epicenter for the arts, a dining and shopping capital and somewhere everyone should visit at least once in their lives. There's enough excitement in this city to keep both locals and visitors busy all day long. But what happens here after the sun sets?
For all you night owls who want to experience New York in a different light, fear not. Check out these after-dark experiences that will have you entertained until sunrise and find out why New York is known as the city that never sleeps.
Tourist attractions
Observation decks
The Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Center offers 70th floor views of Manhattan's twinkling skyline until midnight, with the last elevator at 11 p.m.
The Empire State Building's observation deck is open even later, with closing time at 2 a.m. and the last elevator at 1:15 a.m.
Museums
The Rubin Museum showcases its Tibetan art until 10 p.m. on Fridays, where you'll also find delicious tapas and great music.
The Brooklyn Museum has free admission until 11 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, except September.
24/7 sights
If you're still up after midnight, head to Times Square to snap some Instagram-worthy shots. The iconic dense neon lights and billboards are so bright they create their own daylight.
For more panoramic skyline views, take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry, which runs the entire night. Then head to the Brooklyn Bridge to watch the sun rise.
Eating and drinking
The Top of the Rock observation deck at Rockefeller Center offers 70th floor views of Manhattan's twinkling skyline until midnight, with the last elevator at 11 p.m.
The Empire State Building's observation deck is open even later, with closing time at 2 a.m. and the last elevator at 1:15 a.m.
Museums
The Rubin Museum showcases its Tibetan art until 10 p.m. on Fridays, where you'll also find delicious tapas and great music.
The Brooklyn Museum has free admission until 11 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, except September.
24/7 sights
If you're still up after midnight, head to Times Square to snap some Instagram-worthy shots. The iconic dense neon lights and billboards are so bright they create their own daylight.
For more panoramic skyline views, take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry, which runs the entire night. Then head to the Brooklyn Bridge to watch the sun rise.
Eating and drinking
Restaurants
Manhattan's Lower East Side and Brooklyn's Williamsburg are both neighborhoods known for their nightlife, so it isn't difficult to find a place to grab a post-night out bite to eat. Take your pick of pierogis and borscht at Veselka, gooey pizza slices at Artichoke Basille, Latin American staples at Empanada Mama, and toasty tortas at Grand Morelos. You're spoilt for choice and all stay open till 5 a.m. or longer.
Although most late-night eateries happily serve daytime diners as well, some open exclusively for night owls. During the day, Hill and Dale in the Lower East Side serves cocktails and gastropub fare, but after midnight, it's taken over by Benkei Ramen, which serves its savory noodle dishes until 4 am. Tsukushi and Sanshiro in Midtown also don't start serving their Japanese fare until 11 p.m.
Bars
Bars across New York are ready to fill your drink any night of the week until 4 a.m. - the city's official last call. Take your pick from dive bars like The Library in East Village, to acclaimed cocktail lounges like Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in the Flatiron, or Dead Rabbit in the Financial District. Check their schedules ahead of time to catch the live bands and DJs filling their dance floors.
Entertainment
Manhattan's Lower East Side and Brooklyn's Williamsburg are both neighborhoods known for their nightlife, so it isn't difficult to find a place to grab a post-night out bite to eat. Take your pick of pierogis and borscht at Veselka, gooey pizza slices at Artichoke Basille, Latin American staples at Empanada Mama, and toasty tortas at Grand Morelos. You're spoilt for choice and all stay open till 5 a.m. or longer.
Although most late-night eateries happily serve daytime diners as well, some open exclusively for night owls. During the day, Hill and Dale in the Lower East Side serves cocktails and gastropub fare, but after midnight, it's taken over by Benkei Ramen, which serves its savory noodle dishes until 4 am. Tsukushi and Sanshiro in Midtown also don't start serving their Japanese fare until 11 p.m.
Bars
Bars across New York are ready to fill your drink any night of the week until 4 a.m. - the city's official last call. Take your pick from dive bars like The Library in East Village, to acclaimed cocktail lounges like Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in the Flatiron, or Dead Rabbit in the Financial District. Check their schedules ahead of time to catch the live bands and DJs filling their dance floors.
Entertainment
Broadway
Despite the last Broadway show times usually starting at 8 p.m., if you venture to the Great White Way you'll find later options. The fittingly named Sleep No More theatre lets groups in as late as midnight on weekends for its haunting, immersive take on Macbeth spread across five floors of a warehouse-turned-hotel.
Venues
For something more casual, head to Landmark Theaters for weekend midnight showings of classics like "Pulp Fiction," or laugh into the early morning hours at comedy venues such as Gotham Comedy Club and the Comedy Cellar.
Interactive
If you're looking for something a little different, Koreatown has a concentration of karaoke clubs where you can belt out your favorite songs until 4 a.m. There is also a spa open to couples from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
You can even practice your swing until midnight at Chelsea Piers, or hit the lanes at Brooklyn Bowl, which also has concerts and dance parties hosted by DJ Questlove. Whitehouse Lanes in Flushing has bowling and billiards 24 hours a day.
Despite the last Broadway show times usually starting at 8 p.m., if you venture to the Great White Way you'll find later options. The fittingly named Sleep No More theatre lets groups in as late as midnight on weekends for its haunting, immersive take on Macbeth spread across five floors of a warehouse-turned-hotel.
Venues
For something more casual, head to Landmark Theaters for weekend midnight showings of classics like "Pulp Fiction," or laugh into the early morning hours at comedy venues such as Gotham Comedy Club and the Comedy Cellar.
Interactive
If you're looking for something a little different, Koreatown has a concentration of karaoke clubs where you can belt out your favorite songs until 4 a.m. There is also a spa open to couples from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m.
You can even practice your swing until midnight at Chelsea Piers, or hit the lanes at Brooklyn Bowl, which also has concerts and dance parties hosted by DJ Questlove. Whitehouse Lanes in Flushing has bowling and billiards 24 hours a day.
