Seeing in a Different Way

Photos: courtesy

Visiting New York City – the world's premier tourist destination, for the first time felt like a dream come true. After few more visits though, I was no longer enamored by the icons of this city. I wanted to get off the beaten tourist path and my local friends helped me by recommending some surprisingly fun yet alternative activities. Read on!

Yoga to the people: If you're looking for an introduction to Yoga while you are in New York – look no further! This unique yoga studio aims to make yoga available for everyone. For a mere $5, you'll get a solid 90 minutes yoga session along which covers mat/towel rental as well as a bottle of water. Being the first timer, I found it challenging, but also pretty enjoyable!

Comedy Cellar: For the fans of stand-up comedy – this will undoubtedly be a fun night out without breaking the bank. Many talented, up and coming stand-up comedians come here to hone their skills as well as entertain a diverse crowd. If you're lucky, you might get to see people like Chris Rock and Louis CK. While it was a little cramp, the quality of performances and choice of food and beverages made me a loyal fan.

Flea market: For those who are wondering what a flea market is – it's an outdoor market selling old/used articles and antiques. Touted as the "part of the social fabric of NYC" – The Hell's Kitchen flea market has a generous collection of jewelries, paintings, clothes and all kind of random stuff. You'll also be happy to find a number of food trucks that serve a decent variety of delicacies.

Trapeze lessons: "Forget Fear, Worry about the addiction" – that's the motto people live by at the Trepeze School New York. A two hour introductory lesson will set you back $70 and get you all set for that dream circus job you've had. Beside from the obvious thrill of an action sport, you'll get an extra kick from the majestic views. Just like skydiving or hang-gliding, you can choose to get your photos taken by a pro photographer (highly recommended).

Meet up groups: Meetup.com is a platform for likeminded people to get together for a common cause. If you're bored or just looking for something new – join one of the groups for fun-filled activities like pick up soccer, salsa, networking for start-ups and many more. You can also go to a Couch Surfing meetup which take place almost every week in the hip restaurants of the town.

NYC never ceases to amaze me after all these trips. The sheer number of things you can do here is truly mind boggling. So if you're done with the well-known tourist spots, you could have some different plans for the next time and make the most out of your NYC trip!

The writer is the Business Development Manager at Noman Group.