When it comes to New York City, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, and Central Park are a handful of destinations which are recognized by one and all, the world over.

Yet, there are many attractions in the Big Apple which many Americans too are not really aware of; heck, a lot of New Yorkers don’t know about them too!

That is the aim of this article – to reveal these hidden gems, which have been there hiding in plain sight, simply waiting to be discovered.

Below we unravel some of them.

Woolworth Building

Among off-beat attractions in the United States, we definitely recommend a trip to Woolworth Building, once the world’s tallest building. Previously, its architectural marvel and sheer splendor was privy only to its extremely wealthy residents. But today, it is open to visitors, so you can easily waltz your way in to admire its splendid interiors.

Whispering Gallery

This is both a unique destination as well as experience which you really should not miss, while in New York City. The location really could not have been any easier – inside Grand Central Station. But the charm here actually lies in acoustics, whereby whispers made in certain portions (diagonal arches), they can easily be heard even at a distance. Yes, hence the name ‘Whispering Gallery’!

While in New York City, we certainly recommend this experience, especially since you are quite likely to visit Grand Central Station anyway!

A piece of the Berlin Wall!

Yes, no kidding…New York City actually has a piece of the Berlin Wall, that too in a place which requires no tickets, etc. This piece arrived here in 2004, formally donated by the City of Berlin. The exact location is within a relatively small Midtown Plaza on Madison Avenue.

As memorabilia straight from Germany, this place is definitely unparalleled!

Socrates Sculpture Park

This is a unique outdoor exhibit park in Astoria, Queens. Its charm lies in the fact that you can easily be privy to a wide variety of unique exhibitions, throughout the year. Moreover, besides the exhibits on display, you can enjoy Yoga classes, Tai-Chi lessons, as well as do some shopping, all while you are here in this unique space, which actually used to be a landfill back in the day.

We especially recommend a visit here for a unique yet distinctively NYC experience that is very hard to find anywhere else.

Visiting New York City – as indeed all of the United States, on an ESTA

Now that you have a glimpse of off-beat attractions in New York City, it would only be appropriate to share with you the possibility of traveling to New York City – and indeed all of the United States, from overseas, without having to obtain a visa in advance.

All you need to do is furnish your ESTA application. Criteria for ESTA USA check include:

• Being a citizen or national of a country which is on the VWP (Visa Waiver Program)
• Your intended trip to the United States is not more than 90 days
• You do not hold a tourist or business visa to the United States already

Before boarding your flight to the US, make sure you do an ESTA USA check again to confirm everything is in place.

Greenwood Cemetery

OK, visiting a graveyard may not be everyone’s idea of an outing but if you want a quirky yet exciting experience away from the mundane, right here in New York City, then a trip to Greenwood Cemetery would definitely be recommended.

After all, this is where you will find some of the biggest names of the city buried in glorious splendor, to be immortalized forever.

Further, Greenwood Cemetery does have a charm of its own, beyond simply the graves that lie within it, including Battle Hill that offers unique views all around as well as the huge Gothic arch right at the entrance.

The Met Breuer

While there is certainly no shortage of museums in New York City, this is a recent addition (opened in 2016) which not a lot of people are aware of, fully justifying its inclusion in this listing of off-beat attractions in the Big Apple.

The attraction here is the relatively modern art on display; with the passage of time, this is expected to be one of the foremost centers of modern art in the city.

New York City Panorama

This place in Queens provides an entire panorama of New York City in a scaled down version. Not only that, you can actually purchase miniature destinations or buildings in the city, of your choice.

Again, definitely a unique, off-beat experience that we wholeheartedly recommend!

Conclusion

New York City is filled to the brim with a wide variety of attractions. Yes, there are some which are visited by one and all, often diminishing the overall experience.

Hopefully with the help of this article, you will get to experience some off-beat attractions in the city too!