Where to take out-of-towners when they visit NYC this holiday season

You’ve survived the political debate with your weird uncle. You’ve eaten enough turkey for another year. Now what?

It’s a perennial dilemma for many New Yorkers: What do you do with your out-of-town guests once the holiday’s over?

Sure, they want to see you. But they also want to see the city – particularly what’s fun and seasonal. Where do you take them?

We asked our our newsroom and listeners of WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” to share their recommendations. (Bonus points for anything that’s free.)

Below are 21 of their tips for where to take visitors. Most of these won’t break the bank, and they may even delight longtime locals.

Enjoy live jazz

Catch a show at the Village Vanguard, says WNYC listener Brad in Greenpoint. Tickets start at $40 and you must be at least 15 to enter. If this is your jam, plan ahead, says Brad, because shows sell out.

WNYC listeners also recommend Cellar Dog on Christopher Street, and Saint Peter’s Church in Midtown, which has Jazz Vespers service every Sunday at 5 p.m.

One WNYC colleague says that Jazz at Lincoln Center is a great venue for folks seeking a little glamour with their music. And in Bed-Stuy, there’s Brownstone Jazz for a cozy concert in a brownstone parlor.

Go ice skating

Ice skating in the city can be surprisingly scenic – many rinks are surrounded by skyscrapers or tucked into city parks. Bryant Park is a popular choice, and it’s free if you bring your own skates. In Brooklyn, a new rink called Glide opened earlier this month, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. There’s also a roller skating rink at the Oculus this year, opening the day after Thanksgiving. The parks department operates ice skating rinks in four boroughs – you can learn more about those options here.

“Put them on the Circle Line for as many hours as possible”

“When I have relatives visiting, I normally put them on the Circle Line for as many hours as possible,” texted one WNYC listener. Unclear if the in-laws were OK with this arrangement, but if the idea inspires you, the Circle Line offers daily cruises around New York City’s waterways. Tickets for their most popular cruise, “Best of Manhattan” start at $47 and that includes a loop around the island.

Explore the High Line and Chelsea

Free tours of the High Line in Chelsea are offered throughout the year on a first-come, first-served basis. The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and admission is free. One listener recommends you combine a visit here with a stop at ALF Bakery in nearby Chelsea Market: “Dare I say the chocolate babka is the best.” Another bonus: you’re right near the Whitney Museum of American Art, where “Henry Taylor: B-Side” is on display now through Jan. 28, 2024. Nearby there’s also ARTECHHOUSE NYC, which bills itself as “an artistic expression of scientific discoveries” and was developed in collaboration with NASA.

See The Radio City Rockettes’ ‘Christmas Spectacular’

Picture everything you can imagine in a Christmas show – Santa, Jesus, sparkly costumes, confetti drops, organ players and holiday jingles – then throw in real, live camels, and a mini version of “The Nutcracker” performed by enormous teddy bears – and you’ve got the Rockettes’ annual Christmas show. Yes, it’s pricey and over-the-top, but it’s got something to dazzle just about everyone. Tickets for an upcoming weekday performance start at $42, and you can learn more here.

And while you’re near 30 Rock … Check out the tree

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be ready for prime time Wednesday, Nov. 29. From then on, it will be lit daily until Jan. 15 at 10 p.m. But if you’re visiting before then, the enormous tree is still a fun sight – you can see the several floors of scaffolding built around it to support the decoration team. (Yes, the tree has a team.) Other listeners recommend walking up and down Fifth Avenue to check out the window displays, or heading to Rockefeller Plaza to see the ice skating rink. If you’ve walked a bit and want to unwind, splurge on some cocktails at nearby Madame George or stop for a bite at Urban Hawker, where you’ll find Singaporean food, dim sum and more.

Take a stroll through Green-Wood Cemetery

“One of my favorite things after Thanksgiving is to see everyone walking their parents,” says Neela in Brooklyn. “That’s what adult children do with our parents.” For a great place to stroll, Neela recommends Green-Wood Cemetery, established in 1838. Admission is free but if you’re after a more guided experience, Green-Wood offers walking tours and a trolley tour; tickets for each start at $30.

Visit the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side

WNYC listener Tina recommends the tours at the Tenement Museum in the Lower East Side. In the museum’s own words, it “welcomes you into the homes of immigrants, migrants and refugees – windows into the American story.” Tours are required for entry, and tickets start at $30. And if you’re feeling peckish later, Russ & Daughters, famous for their smoked fish, is a short walk away.

See the African Burial Ground National Monument

The African Burial Ground National Monument is located downtown, near City Hall and is the “oldest and largest known excavated burial ground in North America for both free and enslaved Africans,” according to its website. “It’s very important to see that,” says WNYC listener Judith. “Slavery was alive and well in New York, and we fought very hard to preserve that space when bones and chains and African things were discovered when they dug at the base of the building and we stopped the construction.” Both the indoor visitor center and the outdoor memorial site are free year-round; ranger-led tours are offered for a fee of $1 but reservations are required. Note that parts of the outdoor memorial are temporarily closed.

Escape to Governors Island

Governor’s Island is open year-round, so you can go there any time to see the public art. One installation on view now is “Cabin” by Rachel Whiteread. There’s also a day spa on the island. That’s definitely not free, but fans rave about the experience and the setting. Check the ferry schedule before you go.

See movies at the Metrograph

If you love arthouse cinema, you’ll love the Metrograph in the Lower East Side. The programming is delightful and eclectic, with films ranging from Disney animation to French New Wave. No need to fill up on popcorn, you can dine before the film at the theater’s Commissary Restaurant.

Trek from village to village

If you’re hoping to get some steps in, WNYC listener Tina recommends the walk from Washington Square Park (in the Village) to Tompkins Square Park (in the East Village), both of which are fun places to people-watch. Tina says the route is “awesome, historical, so great.”

Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan

Start your day at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade for an expansive view of Manhattan. On a clear morning, you can see the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island, DUMBO, and ferries coasting by. Then walk across the bridge into Downtown Manhattan, where you can visit Trinity Church Wall Street, and the 9/11 Memorial and finish the day with a stop at the historic Fraunces Tavern.

Visit a light show in Brooklyn or the Bronx

So many light shows in botanical gardens, so little time! The Brooklyn Botanic Garden has “Lightscape,” featuring a milelong walking trail with a series of glowing installations set to music. Tickets start at $16 for kids and $29 for adults. Over at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx you can see “Glow,” now in its fourth year, which you can combine with the garden’s Holiday Train Show. A combo Glow-Train show ticket is $54 for adults and $39 for children. You can learn more here.

Take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry

It’s fun, free and a big hit with little kids. Experienced ferry riders recommend you sit on the top floor, on the side facing the Statue of Liberty, for the best views. Once you get to Staten Island, you’ll wait about 15 minutes for the next boat. From the terminal in Manhattan, you can walk around the South Street Seaport. To learn more, visit the ferry’s website.

See the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company

“It is a must-see, one of the greatest dance companies of all time,” says WNYC listener Beth, who adds that after the show, you can stop across the street at Myzel’s Chocolates. Not only does it have great chocolate, she says, but it has “the largest selection of licorice I have ever seen anywhere.” Alvin Ailey’s new season opens Wednesday, Nov. 29 with an opening night gala and runs through Dec. 31. Tickets start at $70. You can learn more here.

Take the kids to Frost Fest in Coney Island

If your crew includes young children – or even if it doesn’t – you may want to check out Frost Fest at Luna Park in Coney Island. For the first time ever, the amusement park is open for the winter season, featuring rides, Santa, ice skating and holiday decor. Tickets start at $25.

Explore Morningside Heights

WNYC listener John in Maplewood, New Jersey, recommends his old neighborhood, Morningside Heights, to anyone looking to explore the city. “It’s really gorgeous up there. It’s quiet. It’s not like the rest of the city,” he says. He recommends that visitors check out The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Riverside Church, Grant’s Tomb (which is officially called “General Grant’s National Memorial”), and Riverside Park.

Take a food tour of Queens

Start at Main Street in Flushing. “If you’re a foodie, that’s the place to be,” says WNYC listener Kitty, noting that it’s famous for Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants. (For inspiration, here’s a Gothamist guide to great Korean food in Queens.) Then head west to Jackson Heights, one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the country. If you’re not sure where to start, the company “Eat Your World” can help. Local Laura Siciliano-Rosen will take you to some of her favorite Nepalese, Tibetan, Bangladeshi, Colombian and North Indian spots in Jackson Heights. Prices start at $75, food included. There’s also NYC’S “Off the Beaten Path Food Tour,” which several “Radiolab” staffers highly recommend.

Visit the Cloisters

WNYC listener Laura in Croton says she loves to take visitors here. “I always tell them that I’m taking them to a castle in Manhattan, and no one believes me until we walk in.” Some of her favorite spots include the illuminated manuscripts, and the unicorn tapestries. “This time of year is really, really special,” she says. Tickets are pay-what-you-wish and suggested general admission is $30.

See the Ed Ruscha exhibition at MoMA

Don’t miss “Ed Ruscha / Now Then” at MoMA, on display through Jan. 13. It features more than 200 of his works, including paintings, drawings and photography. Many of them were inspired by pop culture and advertising and some use materials as unexpected as chocolate and gunpowder. And while you’re at MoMA, you may want to see some of its “greatest hits:” Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” and Edward Hopper’s “Gas.”