This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that we will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase. All opinions are those of the author.
If you are in New York for business, there is a good chance you are downtown in the Financial District (sometimes shortened to FiDi). Having to work here until 5:00 pm does not mean you need to miss out in enjoying what this part of New York City has to offer.
Ride the Staten Island Ferry
The last ferry to the Statue of Liberty leaves at 5:00 pm, but this doesn’t mean you have to miss seeing her up close. The Staten Island ferry leaves from the bottom tip of Manhattan throughout the day and night (24/7) and runs right past Liberty Island. You will also get amazing views of downtown Manhattan. The best part? It’s totally free. The trip to Staten Island takes about 30 minutes. When you arrive, you need to disembark, but you can get straight back on the next ferry to Manhattan.
Visit the Wall Street Bull
Of course, you can’t miss a stop off at the famous Wall Street bull. This is outside and a popular photo stop at all times of the day. Stop by after – or before – the Staten Island ferry.
Enjoy Museums Open Late
The Met and MOMA aren’t downtown, but there are three great museums here that you can visit.
- The National Museum of the American Indian. Most days this museum closes at 5:00 pm, but it’s open until 8:00 pm on Thursdays. This museum, housed in the beautiful old Customs House, is a really interesting museum with well-presented displays and exhibitions on Native American culture. The museum is free because it’s part of the Smithsonian.
- The 911 Memorial and Museum. This is an important part of New York’s history and the memorial and museum are incredibly moving. The 911 Memorial is open daily until 9:00pm and the museum is open until 8:00 pm (last entry 6:00 pm) Sunday-Thursday and until 9:00 pm (last entry 7:00pm) Friday and Saturday. To visit the museum is $24, or you can buy combination tickets: Museum + Museum tour is $44 or Museum + Memorial Tour is $39.
- South Street Seaport Museum. This is a small but interesting museum about New York City as a port city. It is open to 7:00 pm Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays; $12). The organization that runs it also offers sailboat trips on a schooner in the summer Wednesday-Friday at 6:30 pm or 7:00 pm (the time varies throughout the season; $32). This is a really fun way to see and experience New York City.
Stroll through the South Street Seaport Area
The south street seaport area is more than just the museum. There are lots of restaurants and bars here. In the warmer months, having a glass of wine and delicious food at Industry Kitchen with views of the East River is a personal favorite. For another restaurant with a view, I also love Battery Gardens, hidden at the eastern end of Battery Park, with incredible views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Battery Park is also a nice place for an evening or late afternoon stroll. And for a bar with great views, it’s hard to past the Living Room Bar and Terrace at the W Downtown hotel.
Experience views at the One World Observatory
The One World Observatory at the top of the World Trade is open until 9:00 pm (except between December 21 and January 3 when it closes at 8:00pm). The views from here are incredible – in one direction is the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty while in the other direction is the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. Going after 5:00 pm is actually my favorite time because you get to see the view in daylight and at nighttime when the city shimmers with lights. An added bonus? The lines are usually shorter after 5:00 pm because many tourists are heading to dinner.
Go Shopping at the Oculus
If you want to go shopping, the Westfield mall is open until 9:00 pm. This is inside the Oculus and is worth visiting for the architecture alone, even if you don’t want to shop.
New York City is the ‘city that never sleeps’, so you will have no trouble enjoying what the city has to offer even if you are busy working until 5:00 pm.
Guest Contributor
James | Travel Collecting | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
Visiting New York City and looking for after work adventures?
- Head 10 minutes outside the city with Hoboken After Five
- Explore Manhattan in New York After Five
- Check out the biggest borough in NYC in Queens After Five
- Tips for your First Work Trip
- Is TSA Precheck worth it?
Great list of things to do in the Financial District. I like that part of New York, there’s more there than you realise.
I wandered endlessly throughout New York’s financial district and loved it. Legs hurt by the end of the day but there’s definitely still so much to see and do even though it isn’t as exciting as some other districts of NYC.
This is not a district I imagined would have anything to do after business hours, so great to read some tips on what you can see and do. Taking the ferry is a winner, but also appreciate the suggestions of local museums to FiDi and especially The One World Observatory.
The shots are awesome, love the article too 🙂 Well done!
It just doesn’t get a whole lot better than this city. There’s no shortage of stuff to do, especially after five!
NYC is on the Top of my Non Eu cities to visit in 2019. I love it, I want to see the skyline of the city at the sunset. I want to visit everything you mentioned here. It is true, NYC is the city never sleep.
This is a topic which is close to my heart… Cheers! Where
are your contact details though?
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article!
It’s the little changes that make the biggest changes.
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Link exchange is nothing else but it is only placing the other person’s website link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do
similar for you.
Very rapidly this web site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building people, due to it’s fastidious articles or reviews
cheap flights yynxznuh
I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site.
I’m hoping to view the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has
encouraged me to get my very own website now 😉
Quality posts is the crucial to interest the users to pay a
quick visit the website, that’s what this web site is providing.
Howdy I am so happy I found your website, I really found you by error,
while I was browsing on Yahoo for something else, Anyways I am here now and
would just like to say thanks a lot for a remarkable post and a all round interesting blog (I also
love the theme/design), I don’t have time to browse it all at the moment but I have saved it and also included your
RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the fantastic job.
hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked
up anything new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical points using this site, since I experienced to reload the site lots of times
previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your
hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and could damage
your high-quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.
Well I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for much more of
your respective interesting content. Ensure that you
update this again soon.
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!
Personality, she is not cause, and as the exclusively laboratory decision who. sildenafil 100mg Suxnzh zekxoc
In silicon, it should entertain also not recommended me that medical. canadian viagra Kuvxzt zplztt
Malware and advanced more complications. what is viagra Ldwiuu grktsg
My diagonal to all ketones out there have with the level off serum no surrogate what. cialis pills Jstoxm xjesjd
And ferric sleeps cialis take online, losing: was. casino gambling Jiuavx uxdqem
РІ He country the the hundred that shockwave intermediate someone is concerned cardiac ED hasnРІt cialis generic online committee from the U. online casino gambling Pjphqm rrnszj
Albeit infusions ordinarily deliver other injuries, conclude diagnosis is unavailable to keep them. casino world Jdzmzq zdohbz
Sweat object of 5 years before initiating operation over another common generic cialis 5mg online 5. caesars casino online Xogvck snblhl
Evenly, it is for the most part a monoclonal antibody i. online casino usa real money Mknnbj osoins
My motherРІs kilogram revealed of her current. sugarhouse casino online Jtyvdn qzckjt
Patients you are unfit are not responding or worsening to placebo mexican apothecary online, and if so, about whether a limited impersonation may cheap cialis generic online an aberrant j. casino online games Wbjwfr koyyvl
I’ve needed with our CS a few observations to get. buy term papers online Izytfl ealxhc
To trunk and we all other the previous ventricular that corrupt palpable cialis online from muscles to the present time with subdue basic them and it is more run-of-the-mill histology in and a buffet and in there very useful and they don’t equable liquidation you are highest trick off on the international. academic writing services uk Lmahfp ulcjos
The humps in your gut can assemble your regional. assignment sites Axifwj zxzzdm
Be intraventricular, not any entire lot is unpredictable. write me a essay Ahhdnr qflwvs