50 things to do now in New York City

Have a cocktail at Campbell Apartment
The sumptuous interior of the converted salon of '20s railroad tycoon John W. Campbell is authentically old-timey to your eyes, if not your wallet. Commuters in smart suits, sipping single malt Scotch and fancy champagne, are transported to an era when outsized opulence meant 25-foot ceilings, walls painted with ornate Renaissance-inspired designs, and dark wood detailing in every corner. Step outside for a breath of fresh air on the terrace under the port-cochere on Vanderbilt Avenue, and you're surrounded by potted plants and signs of more recent times—placards exhorting "No Smoking." Grand Central Terminal, off the West Balcony, 15 Vanderbilt Ave at 43rd St (212-953-0409, hospitalityholdings.com)

Take a Circle Tour
This year, New York's most popular sightseeing cruise company introduces its new borough boats, Circle Line Brooklyn and Circle Line Queens, with a 1940s-style carnival at the pier on June 20, featuring stilt walkers, jugglers and other circus acts. Patrons receive free rides to the Statue of Liberty. Pier 83 at W 42nd St (212-563-3200, circleline42.com)

Go to a Yankees, Mets or Giants game

Yankees
The House that Ruth Built has gotten a first-class upgrade: wider seats, more legroom, cup holders for everyone and more concessions. The concession stands sell sushi, along with more standard fare like Brother Jimmy's BBQ and Tommy Bahama's tropical eats. For cheap tix, visit yankees.com; it's currently offering obstructed-view seats for $5 and bleacher seats for $14. River Ave at 161st St (718-293-4300, yankees.com) Yankees Stadium neighborhood guide

Mets
Whether you're at the concession stands or in your seats, the new stadium's wide-open design offers a good view of the field from any angle. You can even scope the pitchers warming up in their respective bullpens, and the center-field region is adorned with a mini Hell Gate Bridge. Wee ones will like the 2K Sports FanFest, also located behind center field; it includes a mini baseball diamond, a dunk tank and a video-game kiosk. For grub, hit up the Shake Shack, barbecue joint Blue Smoke, Belgian Frites, a taqueria or—bring on the sigh of relief—the Budweiser beer garden. Roosevelt Ave at 126th St (718-507-8499, mets.mlb.com) Citi Field neighborhood guide

Giants
At Giants Stadium, you can catch biggies like U2 while airplanes zoom overhead on their way to Newark Airport. Band members look like ants, and you'll wait a long, long time for refreshments, but the hot dogs aren't bad. And because it's outdoors, it's the only remaining venue in the Meadowlands complex where you can smoke. Rte 3, East Rutherford, (201-935-8111, giants.com)

Go to the reading series at KGB bar
Bespectacled lit chicks outnumber apparatchiks in this former Ukrainian social club. The dim parlor-style bar nestled in the second floor of a walk-up has Cold War decor, cheap Baltika beer, whiskey on the rocks and free readings—all of which lure New York's literary underground, including stars like A.M. Homes and Kathryn Harrison. 85 E 4th St btw Bowery and Second Ave (212-505-3360, kgbbar.com) More rooftop bars

Eat pizza at Di Fara's and Totonno's on Coney Island
A slice of Coney Island history that's not to be missed. Totonno's (1524 Neptune Ave between W 15th and 16th Sts, Coney Island, Brooklyn; 718-372-8606, totonnos.com) was established in 1924 by Anthony "Totonno" Pero, who worked at reputedly the first pizza parlor in America, Lombardi's. Naples-born Domenico DeMarco of Di Fara's (1424 Ave J at 15th St, Midwood, Brooklyn; 718-258-1367) also makes deliciously authentic pizza. The waits are long, the service gruff, but the pizzas are impeccable. The best pizza in NYC

Take the ferry from Wall Street to Sandy Hook beach
One of the best staycations going, this Seastreak ferry (with onboard bar) departs from Pier 11 on Wall St for a one-hour cruise past the Statue of Liberty to the pristine and peaceful Sandy Hook beach. No swimsuit? No problem: Gunnison Beach in Sandy Hook is the Garden State's only sand-laden destination for nudists. Seastreak Ferry ($40 for a roundtrip from Manhattan, seastreak.com) More about Sandy Hook

Go to the Studio Museum in Harlem
The original black fine-arts museum more than holds its own in the NYC art scene, thanks to director Lowery Stokes Sims (formerly of the Met) and chief curator Thelma Golden (formerly of the Whitney). Catch the current exhibitions, including a survey of the prolific and highly entertaining performance artist Kalup Linzey, through June 28, and return for an exhibition of British painter Hurvin Anderson and the works of this year's artists in residence Khalif Kelly, Adam Pendleton and Dawit Petros from July 16. 144 W 125th St between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Malcolm X Blvds, Harlem (212-864-4500, studiomuseum.org)

Ride the Cyclone
It's still here, and it's as rickety as ever. The Cyclone is possibly the least confidence-inspiring rollercoaster in the world. (The stripped wooden slats could double as siding in a Manila shantytown.) Riding tip: Posture pays. Sit straight as an arrow and don't close your eyes; the Cyclone punishes those who hang their heads in sickness. Risk your life on this antique—the bragging rights definitely trump Six Flags. 834 Surf Ave at 8th St, Coney Island, (718-265-2100, coneyislandcyclone.com) Top four summer thrills

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INDEX New Places
Get up to speed on the scenes, spots and events you need to be hitting up this summer.