What to Do if You’re Staying in NYC for Thanksgiving

So you’ve already broken your mother’s heart and decided that it’s not worth the $500 flight to eat turkey with Aunt Geraldine. Now what? 

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9 Things to Do in Chicago Before You Kick the Bucket

In honor of our upcoming Chicago launch later this month and a few Friends and Family experiences happening this week, we caught up with a few people who can’t get enough of The Windy City. Here’s a list of 9 things they say you need to do in Chi-town.

1. Chase the Story

Spend an afternoon in the editorial offices at the Chicago Tribune after having traveled around the city with a reporter/cameraman.

Thanks to Author Michele Howe for the tip.

2. Get Your Heart Rate Up

• Run in the Chicago Marathon.
• Walk the 94 floors of the John Hancock Building. There are 1,632 steps!

Thanks to Robert Smith and Kimberly Eberl for the tips. 

3. Respect Your Elders

Go to Hemingway Museum in Oak Park. He’s a fascinating figure and one of America’s finest authors and journalists. 

Thanks to Daniel Lobring for the tip.

4. See Green

Attend the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Thanks to Sophia Mitchell for the tip.

5. Blow Some Bubbles

Visit the Shedd Aquarium. 

Thanks to Artist Pablo Solomon for the tip.

6. Look Up

Go on the River Architecture Cruise hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

Thanks to Kat Podmolik for the tip.

7. Look Everywhere

Participate in Chicago Scavenger Hunt. It pairs interests in history/architecture with geeky game show personas. A race to the end! 



Thanks to Kelly Daugherty for the tip.

8. Grab a Bite

Over eat at the Purple Pig and Moto.

Thanks to Analisa Shah for the tip. 

9. Save Room for Dessert

Head to Mindy’s Hot Chocolate, which is in a really nice neighborhood restaurant with GREAT desserts and maybe the best hot chocolate I have ever had, anywhere! Don’t forget to try the homemade marshmallows.

Thanks to Joe Harberg for the tip. 

20 Things To Do Before Summer (Really) Ends

By our super fancy estimations (ok fine, we used weather.com averages), we have until September 24 before the temperature steadily begins to drop below 70 degrees. That leaves us 20 more days to do all the summery things that we didn’t get in before Labor Day.

Here, we give you a list of twenty awesome things you need to do before the weather turns: 

1. Throw a football or frisbee around in Central Park.
2. Eat brunch outside.
3. Use the phrase, “I’M ON A BOAT.” And mean it.
4. Watch a movie on a roof or in the park. 
5. Wear white pants.
6. Escape to the farm.
7. Move beyond the mimosa.
8. Take a road trip.
9. Go for a bike ride. Wear a helmet!
10. Pretend a vacation to New England with a trip to City Island.
11. Go to a concert of a band you’ve never heard of. 
12. Run along the water on the West Side.
13. Drink on the roof. In Harlem.
14. People watch in Union Square. 
15. Wear out your flip-flops.
16. Learn how to unwind.
17. Take a dog on a walk.
18. Go to the beach.
19. Grill out in someone’s backyard. (Ask them first if it’s okay.)
20. Take time to smell the flowers.

7 Things Tourists Should NEVER Do in NYC

We’ve seen a million lists out there for things that out-of-towners NEED to do when they come to NYC. Personally, we’re of the mindset that you should do whatever you want…with the exception of a few key things. But before we go there, make sure you visit SideTour.com to find unique and memorable things to do in NYC.

Here’s our list of 7 things you should definitely, absolutely, under no circumstances do while you’re in New York:

1. Don’t Eat Anywhere You Recognize From Home

Sure, we understand that The Red Lobster in Times Square is comforting and familiar, but it’s marked up significantly and the food quality is drastically subpar to anything you’ll find in the ‘burbs.

Alternative: Skip the hotel concierge and ask your cab driver where to go for dinner. A few good recommendations include The Mermaid Inn for seafood, Taqueria LES for Mexican, and Supper for Italian. 

2. Don’t Try to Hail a Cab Between 4PM and 5PM

That’s shift change time and unless you’re headed to Queens, you probably won’t have much luck. 

Alternative: Take the train. It’s fast, easy, and cheap. And post-Giuliani, you don’t have to worry about getting stabbed. Win-win!

3. Don’t Ride the Double Decker Tour Bus

You’re labeling yourself as an immediate tourist and New Yorkers are rolling their eyes at you. 

Alternative: Go on a SideTour. You’ll meet some locals, get a one-of-a-kind experience, and walk away with a great story versus a bunch of useless knowledge about the Empire State Building. 

4. Don’t Get in the F@**ing Way

Example: Pulling out a map in the middle of the sidewalk. You’re blocking the street and being incredibly annoying. 

Alternative: Ask someone for directions. We don’t (normally) bite. If you absolutely MUST look at a map, step into a bathroom or at least out of the path of oncoming pedestrian traffic.

5. Don’t Be an Ignorant Shopper

Getting a manicure, buying food at the farmer’s market, or going shopping in SoHo on the weekend is a bad idea. Prices get marked up and you’ll be paying more for the same services and products.

Alternative: Go on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. If that’s not an option, go to Brooklyn and explore. The Brooklyn Flea and Williamsburg Smorgasburg are great Manhattan weekend alternatives with far fewer tourists.

6. Don’t Get Scalped

The guys that are offering cute carriage horse rides and rental bikes in Central Park are laughing at you all the way to the bank. These things are crazy expensive and you’ll spend the whole time calculating how much money you’re wasting instead of enjoying the park.

Alternative: Grab a blanket, a frisbee, a bottle of wine, and a few plastic glasses. Go lay in Sheep Meadow and people watch. Pretend to look-out for cops who will confiscate your wine.

7. Have Some Respect For Yourself

Don’t wear your “I Love NY” shirt in New York. It’s like wearing the t-shirt of a band at one of their shows. 

Alternative: There’s no alternative. If this needs further explanation, we’re afraid we can’t help you. 

New Yorkers: have more suggestions? Tweet them to us with the #NotinNYC.