5 Free Awesome Activities in New York City

Visiting NYC can be quite expensive so I've collected for you here some of the best free activities you can experience during your visit.

Parades

Whether it's the Macy's Thanksgiving, Halloween, Dance, Pride or the Mermaid Parade, as long as you don't mind the crowd, these parades are an amazing experience for people of all ages.

Christmas lights, decorations, and window displays

You can enjoy most Christmas activities in NYC for free. These include the Saks Fifth Avenue light show, Dyker Heights Christmas Lights, all the decorations at Rockafeller Center and Sixth Avenue, Macy's holiday windows display, and much more. The only two exceptions I can think of are the Christmas Spectacular and ice skating (actually, if you have your own skates you can skate for free at Bryant Park).

Bird Watching

Bird watching at Central Park or Prospect Park. You can find birds of prey, owls, woodpeckers, herons and even some rare visitors like these beautiful Painted Bunting and Mandarin Duck:

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Street Art

Explore the wonders of NYC's street art. Go to Bushwick Collective in Brooklyn or to Astoria, Queens or follow the footsteps of a specific artist such as Eduardo Kobra:

Rooftops

While going to the top of the Empire State Building, Rockafeller Center and WTC can cost a small fortune, you can visit many of the city's gorgeous rooftops for free. Places like 230 Fifth, Mr. Purle, Broadway Lounge & Terrace and Bar 65 are free to enter, although you should consider buying a drink.