The Big Apple is a busy city with everyone rushing in the hustle and bustle. However, the city isn’t all work and no play. New York City has great sights and entertainment spots you can visit- whether you are a tourist or a resident. So if you’re looking for ideas to entertain teenagers, we put together some excellent recommendations from the residents and tour experts of NYC.
The Escape Game
Give teenagers the ability to be the hero in their story by going on an adventure at The Escape Game! These escape rooms play like a Hollywood blockbuster with twists and turns that keep everyone in your party on edge and engaged. Choose from 5 different adventures like an art heist, breaking out of prison, and a search for hidden gold!
Unlike a lot of escape rooms, The Escape Game builds theirs from the ground up with a team of engineers, craftsmen, and game designers. For 60-minutes, you’ll be immersed in a unique world with the clock ticking to solve puzzles and escape.
The Escape Game is located in Midtown, just around the corner from Grand Central, and books fast. Reservations are definitely recommended.
Dylan Ward, Digital Marketing Coordinator. After almost a decade of working for a nonprofit that pairs teenagers with mentors, Dylan now helps families and friends find adventure at The Escape Game.
The Met
My favorite museum, I love their collections and can spend hours wandering here.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
This is a spectacular view and a lot of fun. Cross over during the day and have lunch in Brooklyn, check out the area and relax by the water, and then walk back to the great nighttime view of the city.
The Bronx Zoo
A nice, fun zoo with some big exhibits and more human settings (it’s a tough call since I personally hate seeing monkeys and apes in captivity, but I don’t fail to recognize that some are endangered and if they are going to be in zoos, then at least this one has really huge habitats for them).
The Hayden Planetarium
Seriously, go here. Watch the movies; it is mind-blowingly awesome.
Toys R Us in Times Square
A gigantic multilevel toy store with a Ferris Wheel in the middle, a huge Lego statue of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, and a GIANT ROBOT T-REX that moves and growls. Yes, I said there’s a life-size dinosaur robot in a toy store. Plus, a huge collection of every toy imaginable. I love it here.
Belvedere Castle in Central Park
It’s a castle in Central Park. Go, it’s cool as hell.
Broadway
You got to go see at least one or two shows on Broadway; it’s so big and exciting and great fun.
There are so many museums and theaters in New York City and so many cool neighborhoods to wander on a Saturday afternoon to shop and check out bookstores, just get out there and walk – New York City is a walking city, so enjoy it!
Sally Stevens, an Entrepreneur, Marketing Manager, and Co-Founder of FastPeopleSearch.io
Custom-Made Arcade Games at The Babycastles
One fun thing to do with teens in NYC is to play custom-made arcade games at the Babycastles exhibit. You’re encouraged to interact with the exhibit. Although many of the exhibits feature video games, there are those that showcase visual media. Teens are sure to enjoy this Manhattan-based exhibit.
Heidi Streeter is the Founder of Holiday St.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park
My first suggestion is to visit the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park. These spots have the best view of the city and are very “instagrammable”. On a sunny day, the photos you’ll get from these spots are the best you can get in the city.
Pizza Crawl
My second suggestion would be to go on a “pizza crawl”. Visit some of the best pizza shops in the city and try the legendary slices. I suggest visiting the following spots: Joe’s Pizza, Luigi’s Pizza (686 5th Ave Brooklyn), and Baby Luc’s in Brooklyn.
Prospect Park
My third suggestion is to visit Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Most will suggest visiting Central Park (which is definitely a must), but you shouldn’t overlook visiting the largest park in Brooklyn, Prospect Park! It’s a beautiful park that also includes the Brooklyn Botanic Garden as well as the Brooklyn Museum.
Andrei Kryssov, From ModernGuitarHub.com
The High Line
New York City can be very overwhelming for a family, especially with teenagers. The common stereotypes are that teens will want to spend the whole day shopping or simply want to spend time on their own. However, everyone wants to have a fun family experience together, so try these two fun ideas next time you are in the city.
The High Line in NYC gets you away from the hustle and bustle of Times Square and puts you in an intimate setting above the West Side. This public park is truly a place where nature and art come together. Built on a historic rail line, this walk is the perfect, fun, relaxing activity for the family. When I visited as a teen, I loved the views, the art, the clean design, and seeing the plants everywhere. It’s a refreshing activity to do before tackling the rest of the day.
Max Brenner
On another note, Max Brenner is a fun, unique restaurant to visit with teens. This chocolatier not only has amazing gift sets to check out but the drinks and food in the restaurant are amazing!
The design inside is fun as it looks like chocolate pipes are surrounding your table, and the tastes are to die for. There are many unique entrees and desserts that the family will love together, and teens will be so excited to try.
Sara Peter is a hiking and Travel Blogger working full-time as an engineer. Her blog, Restless Meanderer, seeks to teach others how accessible adventures can be and how to plan the best hiking trips!
New York is a highlight on any tourist’s calendar, but what fun is there in the Big Apple for teenagers who are visiting or live there? It’s hard to keep young people out of trouble, but there are still plenty of options for youth entertainment.
For Sports
Sports fans can go to see the Knicks play basketball, or they can get even more up close to the action with the streetballers at Rucker Park. You may even see an NBA player like Kevin Durant! The pros do dip into the park every once in a while.
Educational/Historical
For a more educational angle, you could tour the 9/11 memorial or boat around the Statue of Liberty. These are landmarks that every young person would love to see rather than just hear about from a history textbook.
For Christmas
For Christmas, you can see the famous Radio City Rockets or visit Times Square during New Year’s Eve to see all of the famous festivities that are usually on TV!
Shawn Laib is a Travel Expert with AutoInsurance.org.