The Quintessential Guide For A Rainy Day In NYC

When it rains, that's ok! There's still plenty to do in NYC.

1. Museums! Duh.

Via Google Maps

The Guggenheim, the Met, the Frick, the Museum of Natural History, and the New York Historical Society are all uptown. Some combination of those could be done fairly easily on foot.

If you're in midtown, go to the MoMa. If you're downtown, go check out the Whitney in Meatpacking or the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. If you're in Brooklyn, they've got the Brooklyn Museum or the New York Transit Museum. In Queens, there's the Queens Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image. So many options!

2. Go to City Winery.

Via City Winery

Mmm wine. City Winery gives tours every day at 4 pm. They also have a restaurant and live music almost every night.

3. Go to Chelsea Piers.

Via Flickr

There are endless things to do at Chelsea Piers. Hit balls out of one of its 52 (covered) stalls. Go bowling. Climb the rock wall. Go to the batting cages. Take one of its many exercise classes. Heck, it even has a spa.

4. Go shopping.

Via Celebrity Baby Scoop

You got some money to burn? Me neither. But are you going to let that or a little rain stop you from shopping in NYC? I don't think so. Hit up 5th Avenue if you're feeling very unrealistic, or go to SoHo or Meatpacking. There's lots of great shopping close together, so you don't have to walk too far in the rain. If you really want to stay indoors, go to the Shops at Columbus Circle. It's basically just a mall. Yes, there is in fact a mall in Manhattan.

5. Go to a comedy show.

Via Time Out

Guess where most of the funniest comedians in the world live? NYC, duh. And they are performing all over this great city almost all of the time. Check out the schedules for Comedy Cellar (Greenwich Village), Gotham Comedy (Chelsea), The Stand (Gramercy), Eastville (East Village), New York Comedy Club (Kips Bay), and Caroline's (Midtown) for some stand-up. Comedy Cellar actually has three locations right next to each other and has just started doing a brunch show on Sundays at 1:30 pm. There's always a chance someone famous will pop in at any of these clubs, but even if they don't, you'll laugh your butt off!

You can check out some amazing improv comedy at United Citizens Brigade (UCB), the Magnet Theatre, or the People's Improv Theatre (aka the PIT).

6. Play ping pong.

Via SPiN New York

Go to SPiN on E. 23rd St. near Madison Square. It sounds kind of cheesy, but it's actually a pretty nice bar. There's also Fat Cat in the West Village, which hosts additional games and live music every night.

For other games, there's Barcade, which has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and there's also the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Brooklyn if you feel like retiring early.

7. Eat.

Via Maialino

So much yummy world class food all over this city. Nom nom nom. Sure, you can get a dollar slice that will blow your mind, but why not luxuriate over a long and sumptuous meal on this rainy day? Pair it with some wine. You're not driving!

Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Cosme, Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, Momofuku Ko, Per Se, and Estela are all on the list of the 100 best restaurants IN THE WORLD. You may not be able to get into (or afford) these places, but there are literally hundreds of other restaurants in this city with food so delicious you might die. Check out the list on theInfatuation.com. If you can't get a reservation somewhere, you can always go somewhere that only takes walk-ins, or if you're only traveling a couple people deep, try to sit at the bar somewhere.

8. Take a spa day.

Via Groupon

You've earned it, haven't you? Life's so hard. Take a load off. Could there be anything better than putting on a warm robe when you come in from out of the rain?

You should be able to find a top rated spa near you. Just google "best spas nyc," and there are lists on NY Magazine, Thrillist, or Time Out. For a different kind of experience, there are also the Russian and Turkish Baths on 10th Street or the Aire Ancient Baths in TriBeCa. Or if you're not feeling like making such a splurge, just go get a chair massage at basically any nail salon in the city.

9. Go see live music.

Via Goodbye Babylon

There's also amazing live music all over the place. Of course, there's Madison Square Garden, but there's so much more! Besides some of the places I've already mentioned (Fat Cat, City Winery), there are tons of other bars with live music. Check out this list. There's also Bowery Ballroom, Terminal 5, Webster Hall, Irving Plaza, Rockwood Music Hall, or Cafe Wha. For jazz, go to the famous Blue Note. So much jamming to do. So little time.

10. Go to the aquarium.

Via Time Out

Go to the aquarium in Brooklyn. They have penguins, sea otters, turtle, sea lions, and even SHARKS. There's also a 4-D theatre with "built-in sensory effects," so like they probably shake your seat and throw a little water at you. Fun!

11. Drink beer.

Via Business Insider

If all else fails, drink. It's a motto New Yorkers like to abide by. Go check out Brooklyn Brewery, or go to one of the many beers halls sprinkled throughout the city - Houston Hall (SoHo), Flatiron Hall (Flatiron), Clinton Hall (FiDi), Bronx Beer Hall (Bronx), or Reichenbach (Midtown). Cheers!