✈️ TRAVEL MODE · METRO AREA

New York City Metro Area

Top things to do for visitors, each linked to its official source.

METRO AREA

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128 things to do in Lower New York. Best for visitors first. Want a day-by-day plan? Build a visit itinerary.

family kids

Animal Farm Petting Zoo

📍 Manorville

A zoo on Wading River Rd in Manorville. In its own words: “Discover Animal Farm Petting Zoo in Manorville, NY – Long Island's original family petting zoo since 1981.” (official site)

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arts culture

Avon Theatre Film Center

📍 Stamford

Nonprofit two-screen 1939 cinema in downtown Stamford showing independent films and classics.

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other

Churchill’s

📍 Rockville Centre

An American bar on South Park Avenue in Rockville Centre. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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arts culture

Cinema Arts Centre

📍 Huntington

Long Island's nonprofit art-house cinema with indie premieres, classics and guest talks.

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family kids

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo

📍 Bridgeport

Connecticut's only zoo, with a rainforest building and a carousel.

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arts culture

Danbury Railway Museum

📍 Danbury

Railroad museum in a restored 1903 station with train rides on a working rail yard.

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arts culture

Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center

📍 Glen Cove

A museum on Crescent Beach Road in Glen Cove. In its own words: “Founded over 25 years ago, the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County is the preeminent Holocaust resource on Long Island.” (official sit

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arts culture

Jacob Burns Film Center

📍 Pleasantville

Nonprofit film center in Westchester screening independent, foreign and documentary films.

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family kids

Long Island Aquarium

📍 Riverhead

Aquarium with sharks, seals and a butterfly exhibit.

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arts culture

Paramount Huntington

📍 Huntington

Long Island concert and comedy venue in downtown Huntington.

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arts culture

Stepping Stones Museum for Children

📍 Norwalk

A museum on West Avenue in Norwalk. In its own words: “The joy of discovery is at the heart of Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk, CT.” (official site)

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arts culture

Storm King Art Center

📍 New Windsor

A art center in New Windsor. What sets it apart: large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions shown outdoors across its landscape, under open sky (per its official site).

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arts culture

Tarrytown Music Hall

📍 Tarrytown

Historic 1885 theater hosting concerts, comedy and films.

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arts culture

The Capitol Theatre

📍 Port Chester

Restored 1926 concert hall in Port Chester.

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arts culture

The Palace Theatre Stamford

📍 Stamford

Downtown Stamford theater with concerts, comedy and Broadway tours.

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arts culture

The Ridgefield Playhouse

📍 Ridgefield

Ridgefield performing arts center with concerts, comedy and movies.

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arts culture

Westport Country Playhouse

📍 Westport

Historic summer-stock playhouse with plays, concerts and films.

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arts culture

All In Adventures West Nyack

📍 West Nyack (Palisades Center)

Five 60-minute themed escape rooms, including Treasure Island, Zombie Apocalypse and Sherlock's Library.

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outdoorsFREE

Bear Mountain State Park

📍 Bear Mountain

Hessian Lake loop, the Perkins Drive overlook and Hudson Highlands trails. Walking in is free; the park charges a car fee on some dates. Trailside Museums & Zoo keep shorter daytime hours.

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outdoorsFREE

Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway

📍 Briarcliff Manor to Peekskill

A 12-mile unpaved county hiking trail.

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arts culture

Bruce Museum

📍 Greenwich

Art and natural history museum with free parking, for all ages.

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arts cultureFREE

Bruce Museum: Free Tuesdays

📍 Greenwich

Art and natural history museum in Greenwich, free for everyone on Tuesdays. Free parking on site. 1 Museum Dr.

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outdoorsFREE

Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve

📍 Lloyd Harbor

Hiking and walking trails across a former estate on the North Shore. No pets allowed.

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drinks tastings

Confetti Ristorante (Piermont)

📍 Piermont (Ash St)

Family Italian kitchen in riverside Piermont village, a short walk from the Piermont Pier at sunset.

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arts culture

Cradle of Aviation Museum

📍 Garden City

Real planes and a lunar module in hangar-size galleries, with a planetarium dome.

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painting crafts

Earth Arts Long Beach

📍 Long Beach

Walk-in paint-your-own pottery a block from the beach.

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outdoorsFREE

East Rock Park

📍 New Haven

Red-rock cliffs with a summit view over New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound; trails up from the park.

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outdoorsFREE

East Rumbrook Dog Park

📍 White Plains (Greenburgh)

A one-acre fenced dog run at 600 Dobbs Ferry Rd, with separate small-dog and all-dog areas and a wooded trail for leashed walks.

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arts culture

Hudson River Museum & Planetarium

📍 Yonkers

Art, a restored 1870s mansion and a planetarium on the Hudson in Yonkers. Weekend planetarium shows.

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arts cultureFREE

Hudson River Museum: Free First Fridays

📍 Yonkers

Art, a restored 1870s mansion and Hudson views. Free on first Friday evenings.

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outdoorsFREE

Jones Beach State Park boardwalk

📍 Jones Beach

Two miles of ocean boardwalk and 6.5 miles of beach. Walking in is free; a parking fee applies on some days.

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outdoorsFREE

Kennedy Dells Park dog run & trails

📍 New City

A 179-acre county park at 355 N Main St with an enclosed off-leash dog run (the county says it is for residents) and a creekside hiking trail along Crum Creek.

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arts culture

Long Island Children's Museum

📍 Garden City

Hands-on exhibits for younger kids. A family outing rather than a date.

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family kids

Maritime Aquarium

📍 Norwalk

Long Island Sound aquarium with seals, sharks, jellyfish and a 4D theater. Good for families and all ages.

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outdoorsFREE

Mianus River Park

📍 Stamford

Wooded river trails on the Stamford–Greenwich line, about 10 miles of paths.

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arts culture

Nassau County Museum of Art

📍 Roslyn Harbor

Art museum in a Gold Coast mansion, with free sculpture grounds.

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outdoorsFREE

Nassau County Museum of Art: sculpture garden & trails

📍 Roslyn Harbor

Outdoor sculptures, an arboretum and walking trails around the museum. The grounds are free.

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arts cultureFREE

Neuberger Museum of Art

📍 Purchase (SUNY Purchase)

A big modern and contemporary art museum on the SUNY Purchase campus. Admission is currently free.

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outdoorsFREE

North County Trailway

📍 Eastview to Baldwin Place

A 22-mile paved rail trail for walking and biking through northern Westchester.

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outdoorsFREE

Nyack Beach State Park

📍 Upper Nyack

Flat riverside trail under the Hook Mountain cliffs, good for walking, biking and fishing. Walking in is free. 663 N Broadway.

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outdoorsFREE

Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

📍 Yonkers to Croton

A flat 26-mile trail on top of the 1842 aqueduct, through river towns like Dobbs Ferry and Irvington.

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outdoorsFREE

Piermont Pier

📍 Piermont

A walkway about a mile long that juts into the Hudson, popular for birding, fishing and sunsets. Village parks are free; non-residents need a day permit to park on the pier itself.

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outdoorsFREE

Rockland Lake State Park

📍 Valley Cottage

A 3.2-mile paved loop around a lake on the ridge above the Hudson. 299 Rockland Lake Rd.

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tours walksFREE

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (grounds)

📍 Oyster Bay (Nassau)

Theodore Roosevelt's estate. Walking the grounds and trail to the beach is free; the house tour has a fee.

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drinks tastings

Sidewalk Bistro (Piermont)

📍 Piermont (Piermont Ave)

Classic French bistro in Piermont village with a garden, Wednesday wine nights and Thursday trivia.

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outdoorsFREE

South County Trailway

📍 Southern Westchester

A 14-mile county trailway for walking and biking.

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arts culture

Stamford Museum & Nature Center

📍 Stamford

Farm animals at Heckscher Farm, 80 acres of trails, a nature playground and galleries. Family friendly.

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arts culture

Stone Barns Center

📍 Pocantico Hills

A well-known museum or garden worth a few hours.

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tours walksFREE

Stony Point Battlefield State Historic Site

📍 Stony Point

Revolutionary War battlefield on a rocky Hudson peninsula, plus the 1826 Stony Point Lighthouse, the oldest on the river. Entry to the battlefield is free. No dogs or bikes allowed. 44 Battlefield Rd.

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outdoorsFREE

Tallman Mountain State Park

📍 Sparkill

Wooded Palisades trails with views over Piermont Marsh. Route 9W.

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outdoorsFREE

Teatown Nature Preserve trails

📍 Ossining

Woodland trails around Teatown Lake. The nature center is under construction; trails stay open.

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fitness wellness

The Adventure Park at Long Island

📍 Wheatley Heights (Suffolk)

Climb, balance and zip through 14 treetop trails and 49 zip lines. General admission is three hours of climbing plus about 30 minutes of orientation and harnessing.

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arts culture

The Puzzle Parlour White Plains

📍 White Plains

Private 60-minute escape rooms for 2–8 players in downtown White Plains, a short walk from the Metro-North station.

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outdoorsFREE

Untermyer Gardens

📍 Yonkers

A restored Gilded Age garden above the Hudson, with a walled Persian-style garden, a temple and columns, and river views. No dogs allowed. 945 N Broadway, Yonkers.

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arts culture

Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion & Planetarium

📍 Centerport

A Gold Coast waterfront mansion with natural-history halls and a planetarium. Good for families.

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markets shoppingFREE

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

📍 Central Valley

A huge open-air outlet village about an hour north of the city, near Bear Mountain. Free to walk around; buses run from Port Authority. 498 Red Apple Ct, Central Valley, NY.

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arts cultureFREE

Yale Center for British Art

📍 New Haven

The largest collection of British art outside the UK, in Louis Kahn's last building. Free. 1080 Chapel St.

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arts cultureFREE

Yale Peabody Museum

📍 New Haven

Dinosaur hall with a Brontosaurus and Torosaurus, plus minerals and ancient worlds. Free, no tickets. 170 Whitney Ave.

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arts cultureFREE

Yale University Art Gallery

📍 New Haven

America's oldest university art museum — Van Gogh's Night Café, Trumbull's Declaration of Independence. Free, no tickets. 1111 Chapel St.

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other

2 Spring

📍 Oyster Bay

An American restaurant on Spring Street in Oyster Bay. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: a tasting menu and tiki (per its official site).

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other

3 Westerly Bar and Grill

📍 Westchester

A restaurant on Westerly Road. Open seven days. What sets it apart: a waterfront setting (per its official site).

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other

Bellacosa Wine & Tapas Bar

📍 Westchester

A tapas and Italian restaurant on Main Street. Open 5 days a week. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Black Parakeetz

📍 Nyack

A bar on Main Street in Nyack. Open 5 days a week, until 1 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: karaoke (per its official site).

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other

Brass & Bone

📍 Norwalk

A restaurant on Washington Street in Norwalk. Open every day but Monday, until 1:30 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Brickhouse Pizza & Restaurant

📍 Lower Connecticut

An Italian pizzeria on Danbury Road, open since 1996. Open every day but Tuesday. What sets it apart: in business since 1996 (per its official site).

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other

BRYAC Restaurant & Raw Bar

📍 Lower Connecticut

An American restaurant on Fairfield Avenue. Open 5 days a week, until 2 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company

📍 Elmsford

A brewery on Saw Mill River Road in Elmsford. What sets it apart: brews its own beer on site (per its official site).

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other

Dia & Noche Restaurant

📍 Yonkers

A Spanish restaurant on McLean Avenue in Yonkers. Open seven days, until 2 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Divino Cucina Italiana

📍 Hastings-on-Hudson

An Italian restaurant on Warburton Avenue in Hastings-on-Hudson. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: speakeasy (per its official site).

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other

Donovan's

📍 Norwalk

An American restaurant on Washington Street in Norwalk. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1889 (per its official site).

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other

Dr. Davies Farm

📍 Congers

A farm in Congers. What sets it apart: a family-owned, fifth-generation farm since 1891 with over 5,000 trees and 27 apple varieties for pick-your-own (per its official site).

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other

Francesca's

📍 Long Island

A pizzeria on Ponquogue Avenue. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1988 (per its official site).

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other

Francey Brady's Bar

📍 Yonkers

A pub on Main Street in Yonkers. Open seven days, until 4 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Garvies Point Craft Brewery

📍 Glen Cove

A brewery on Herb Hill Road in Glen Cove. What sets it apart: brews its own beer on site; waterfront (per its official site).

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other

Gates Restaurant & Bar

📍 New Canaan

An American restaurant on Forest Street in New Canaan, open since 1979. Open seven days, until 1 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: in business since 1979, live music and karaoke (per its official site).

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other

Gatsby's Landing

📍 Roslyn

An American restaurant on Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: a waterfront setting (per its official site).

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music nightlife

Governor's Comedy Club

📍 Levittown

Long Island comedy club with stand-up most nights since 1990.

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other

Grasso's

📍 Cold Spring Harbor

An American restaurant on West Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor. Open 5 days a week. What sets it apart: in business since 1994 and live music (per its official site).

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other

Happy Valley Arcade Bar

📍 Beacon

A bar on Main Street in Beacon. Open seven days, until 1:30 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: arcade, pinball and karaoke (per its official site).

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other

Hudson Social

📍 Dobbs Ferry

A restaurant on Station Plaza in Dobbs Ferry. Open seven days. What sets it apart: a waterfront setting and live music (per its official site).

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other

Jazz on Main

📍 Mount Kisco

A Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant on South Moger Avenue in Mount Kisco. Open 5 days a week. What sets it apart: live jazz (per its official site).

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other

La Scala

📍 Commack

An Italian restaurant on Vanderbilt Motor Parkway in Commack, open since 1974. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1974 (per its official site).

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other

Lazy Lobster

📍 East Rockaway

A seafood restaurant on Front Street in East Rockaway. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: live music and a waterfront setting (per its official site).

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music nightlife

Levity Live West Nyack

📍 West Nyack

Comedy club in the Palisades Center with touring headliners.

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other

Lulu Kitchen & Bar

📍 Sag Harbor

A restaurant on Main Street in Sag Harbor. Open seven days. What sets it apart: wood-fired cooking, a waterfront setting and michelin (per its official site).

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other

Mario's Pizza & Restaurant

📍 White Plains

An Italian pizzeria on Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains. Open seven days. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Mint

📍 Garden City

An Indian restaurant on Ring Road West in Garden City. Open seven days. What sets it apart: rooftop (per its official site).

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other

Newburgh Brewing Company

📍 Newburgh

A brewery on Colden Street in Newburgh. What sets it apart: brews its own beer on site; live music (per its official site).

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other

Newtown Pizza Palace

📍 Newtown

A pizzeria on Church Hill Road in Newtown. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1966 (per its official site).

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other

Ocha Thai & Japanese Cuisine

📍 Lower Connecticut

A Japanese and Thai restaurant on Prospect Street. Open 5 days a week. What sets it apart: omakase (per its official site).

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other

Pappa Gallo

📍 Rockville Centre

A Peruvian restaurant on Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre. Open every day but Monday, until 2 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

Paumanok Vineyards

📍 Aquebogue

A winery on Main Road in Aquebogue. What sets it apart: makes its own wine (per its official site).

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other

Pizza Shop

📍 Newburgh

A pizzeria on Water Street in Newburgh. Open seven days. What sets it apart: a waterfront setting (per its official site).

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other

PJ Lobsterhouse

📍 Port Jefferson

A seafood restaurant on Main Street in Port Jefferson, open since 1995. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1995 (per its official site).

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other

Restaurant Yamaguchi

📍 Port Washington

A Japanese restaurant on Main Street in Port Washington. Open seven days. What sets it apart: in business since 1988 (per its official site).

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fitness wellness

Rock Climb Fairfield

📍 Fairfield

One of Connecticut's largest indoor climbing gyms, with a four-story lead wall, hundreds of top-rope routes and bouldering. Staff-guided climbs for first-timers.

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other

Roots Kava Bar

📍 Port Jefferson

A bar on East Main Street in Port Jefferson. Open seven days, until 1 AM on its latest nights. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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fitness wellness

Stamford Twin Rinks

📍 Stamford

Two indoor ice rinks with public skating sessions.

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other

Takumi

📍 Commack

A Japanese restaurant on Veterans Memorial Highway in Commack. Open seven days. What sets it apart: omakase (per its official site).

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other

Teddy’s Bully Bar

📍 Long Island

An American restaurant on Audrey Avenue. Open every day but Monday. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

The Audrey

📍 Oyster Bay

An American restaurant on Audrey Avenue in Oyster Bay, with seafood on the menu. Open seven days. What sets it apart: live music (per its official site).

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other

The Comet Club

📍 Westbury

An American restaurant on Corporate Drive in Westbury, with seafood on the menu. Open seven days. What sets it apart: live music and tiki (per its official site).

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other

The Cookery

📍 Dobbs Ferry

An Italian restaurant on Chestnut Street in Dobbs Ferry. Open 5 days a week. What sets it apart: michelin (per its official site).

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other

The Harrison

📍 Village of Floral Park

An American restaurant on South Tyson Avenue in Village of Floral Park. Open seven days. What sets it apart: landmark (per its official site).

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other

The Pandorica

📍 Beacon

A restaurant on Main Street in Beacon. Open 3 days a week. What sets it apart: a waterfront setting and live music (per its official site).

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other

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery

📍 Warwick

A winery and distillery in Warwick. What sets it apart: makers of Doc’s Cider, which it calls New York’s original cider, on 120 acres of orchards and gardens with fall live music (per its official site).

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family kids

Adventureland

📍 Farmingdale

Rides and boardwalk-style fun. Seasonal hours.

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drinks tastings

BAR (New Haven)

📍 New Haven (Crown St)

New Haven brewpub famous for brick-oven mashed-potato pizza, with house beer and a dance floor.

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music nightlife

Barcade New Haven

📍 New Haven (Crown St)

Arcade bar with classic cabinets and pinball. 21+.

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outdoorsFREE

Calf Pasture Beach

📍 Norwalk

Norwalk's Long Island Sound beach and walking path, with views of the Norwalk Islands.

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outdoorsFREE

Colonial Greenway

📍 Southern Westchester

A 15-mile walking loop maintained by Westchester County Parks.

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fitness wellness

Cutting Edge Axe Throwing

📍 Stamford

Axe throwing with coaching, plus knife and big-axe add-ons. Walk-ins welcome when lanes are free.

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music nightlife

Dave & Buster's Westbury

📍 Westbury

A giant arcade with VR, racing and prize games, plus a sports bar.

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drinks tastings

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana (Wooster St)

📍 New Haven

New Haven-style coal-fired apizza from the 1925 original. A classic stop before or after.

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fitness wellness

K1 Speed Mount Kisco

📍 Mount Kisco

Electric indoor go-karts on a multi-level track (the old Grand Prix New York), plus bowling, a ninja course and an arcade. About 40 miles from Midtown.

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outdoorsFREE