Best-Kept Secrets in NY?

[xxKewlGuyxx]

couldn't agree more. i went there a few weeks ago for the first time and it was fucking awesome. absolutely packed full of people hanging out, drinking really good beer and eating pretty good czech food. on a wednesday night no less! definitely a nice place to bring friends from out of town.

The beer garden in Astoria.

 

[HairballofDoom]

I hear the Empire State Building is pretty nifty.

 

[MichelleD]

I hear the Empire State Building is pretty nifty.

The Empire State building late at night is almost a secret. It's open way late and hardly crowded. The views are spectacular.

 

[rixtyseven]

Spiderman

 

[Ute Giddeon]

I used to think Urban Stages was a best-kept secret with their excellent and cheap blackbox theater and scene shop. But DCM 10 proved me wrong.

 

[Dave Serchuk]

Here are a few of mine:

1. Druid's bar on 10th Ave. is just a groovy, groovy pub, never all that packed. (It might also be haunted.)

2. 80 St. Marks is a wonderful, but rarely talked about in my circles, place to see a live show, for not much coin.

3. Yes, everyone goes to the Met, but have you been to the Japanese wing? (I know many of you have, but it's pretty out of the way and the avg. tourist will have missed it.)

4. The Noguchi Museum is a fitting tribute to the late artist, and FREE.

5. The best Thai food I've had in NYC is on 5th Ave. in Park Slope: Song.

6. The City's best arcade is in Chinatown.

7. One well-known hot dog vendor has a secret pub attached. (I've never gone, and I'm ruining it for everyone else, but screw it.)

 

[HairballofDoom]

Burp Castle great Belgium bar where periodically the place gets "Shushed." Great place for an intimate conversation or read a book with a drink. Also great, GREAT Belgian stout! So silky smooth, makes up for the ridiculous price.

 

[ScottF]

Rogers Garden Deli on 1st ave btw 1st and second makes imo a great bacon egg and cheese on a bagel sandwich. It's never too messy. Also for decaf lovers their decaf is not watery.

 

[simian_sam]

Central Park's Conservatory Garden - 5th & 105th.

 

[alden]

I love lists like this. Really nothing in NYC is a secret, because if it were it would shut down because the rent is so high. That said, I make it my mission to collect lists of awesome places (unfortunately mostly restaurants and bars) that make me feel like a good NYer for knowing about.

I like the dumpling house on Eldridge between Broome and Delancey. Best dumplings in the city, $1 for 4 of them. AMAZING.

Sugar Sweet Sunshine is way way better than Magnolia.

Milk and Honey isn't a secret, but it's awesome and it feels like a secret.

Monkeytown was a great place that was always empty, but it's closed for renovations for the rest of the month.

Mara's Homemade as a great mom and pop (literally, the husband is the bartender and the wife is the waitress) cajun place. They love to get you wasted and full to the brim. Glorious.

Maracuja in Williamsburg is one of my favorite bars in Brooklyn. Beautiful backyard, never full.

 

[Justin Noble]

one time in milk and honey, a certain snake-fighting movie star was seen drinking something with ginger and strawberries.