Midtown

Times Square

Times Square is the iconic New York after-dark scene—its glaring neon signs and giant advertising screens are illuminated 24 hours a day, after all—drawing a constant deluge of tourists, showgoers and assorted oddballs. It’s also the official symbol of midnight revelry: More than 300,000 still gather here to watch a glittery mirrorball descend every December 31. Times Square isn’t as gritty as it had been for decades, but the spectacle is still exhilarating. The TKTS ticket booth’s red glass structural steps in Duffy Square (Broadway at 47th St) are the perfect spot to hang out and soak up the street theater and the dazzling sweep of the Great White Way. Ten blocks south of the Theater District, Koreatown (32nd St between Fifth Ave and Broadway) is a late-night mecca jammed with eateries, spas and karaoke joints.

Eat

Don’t blame the chef if your meat isn’t cooked to perfection at New York Kom Tang Kalbi House (32 W 32nd St between Fifth Ave and Broadway, 212-947-8482). At the city’s oldest Korean barbecue joint, and others on the strip, such as Shilla (37 W 32nd St between Fifth Ave and Broadway, 212-967-1880), you have the option of grilling your own bulgogi (thinly sliced, marinated boneless rib eye), kalbi (short ribs) or jumbo shrimp at your table. Don’t worry, though: Your server will help, or even do it for you, if you can’t stand the heat. The meat is eaten wrapped in lettuce leaves with various accompaniments. Both are open 24 hours, but there’s one snag: These prime cuts are on the pricey side—an average main course costs $20–$25. If it’s a classic deli sandwich you crave, it’s hard to beat an obscenely stuffed pastrami on rye at schmaltzy Theater District stalwart Carnegie Deli (854 Seventh Ave at 55th St, 212-757-2245), which is open from 6:30am to 4am every day. Near Penn Station are two more nonstop spots. The ersatz Art Deco Skylight Diner (402 W 34th St at Ninth Ave, 212-244-0395) serves better-than-standard diner fare (it scooped a Time Out New York Eat Out Award a couple of years back), while Gray’s Papaya (539 Eighth Ave at 37th St, 212-904-1588) has long ruled the area’s tropical-drink–and–hot-dog market, with crispy-skinned all-beef Sabretts for a student-loan-friendly $1.50.

See

Midnight movies are nothing new, but Times Square’s massive multiplex Regal E-Walk Stadium (247 W 42nd St at Eighth Ave (212-840-7761) screens films as late as 12:45am or 1am—especially if it’s a hot new release. Theater isn’t in short supply in these parts, but if you’re looking for something to watch after the show (or want to get up and try your hand at a Broadway number), the Laurie Beechman Theater (407 W 42nd St at Ninth Ave, 212-695-6909) hosts Brandon Cutrell’s racy After Party, a free open mike between 10:30pm and 2am on Fridays; unlike at piano bars there’s no age restriction.

Do

You can catch more impromptu vocal talents (or lack thereof) at Pulse Karaoke (135 W 41st St between Sixth Ave and Broadway, 212-278-0988, pulsekaraoke.com), open to those 18 and up. Let your rock-star fantasies soar on the 20-foot stage outfitted with LED lighting effects. Private suites ($5 per person per hour plus $20 food/drink minimum) are equipped with Guitar Hero and Rock Band (mike, guitar, drums and bass). Or gawk at medieval torture devices and shrunken heads at modern freak show Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium (234 W 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, 212-398-3133, ripleysnewyork.com). The attraction is open daily until 1am (last entry midnight), and students get the discounted rate of $21.95.

It’s 3am, you’ve been working on a term paper for hours, and all you want to do is sleep—but your brain is whirring and your shoulders are tense. Unwind in a 24-hour Koreatown spa. Juvenex (25 W 32nd St between Fifth Ave and Broadway, 646-733-1330, juvenexspa.com) may be slightly rough around the edges (frayed towels, dingy sandals), but we embrace it for its bathhouse-meets-Epcot feel. For $65, you can indulge in a 90-minute Jade Journey, which includes lounging in an igloo sauna and a soaking tub filled with restorative ingredients like sake, ginseng and seaweed. Massages and insanely thorough salt scrubs cost extra. Although it’s women only before 5pm, couples are welcome until the girls’ shift starts again at 7am. All that steam make your hair frizzy? Get a blowout at Hair Party (76 Madison Ave at 28th St, 212-213-0056, hair24hours.com). This salon never closes. Ever. Not even on Christmas! Stop in anytime for a cut and styling (starting at $50), color treatment, makeup application and more. But remember, just because they’re open in the wee hours doesn’t mean you should skip your beauty rest.