Whether you’re traveling solo or having a girl’s weekend, New York has everything a lady could want. Here are five options to consider for your girl-focused itinerary.
The Museum of Sex in Flatiron should be at the top of your list. Entry’s a bit expensive at $17.50 (get a $3 coupon at mosex.com ). They have well-curated (and of course highly explicit) exhibits of photography, video, and multimedia works. Their permanent collection is definitely worth a look; don’t expect anything as scientific as The Kinsey Institute, but it’s educational and fun. Browse their sleek gift shop on the way out, or better yet, have an aphrodisiac cocktail at their bar and café.
The Merchant’s House Museum in the East Village offers a rare view of domestic life in 19th-century Manhattan. This row house was owned by the wealthy Tredwell family, and the property was ultimately inherited by one of six daughters. She allegedly never married because her Protestant parents forbade her from marrying the Catholic man she loved, and she refused to be with anyone else. Take a guided (or self-guided) tour and you’ll see many original furnishings, and learn about what these well-heeled ladies and their Irish serving women did all day. Entry is $10.
The Mermaid Parade has been a summertime tradition on Coney Island since 1983. Participating ladies craft their sexiest, most ornate mermaid costumes, accompanied by all sorts of male and female sea creatures, Poseidons, pirates, and more. The parade goes down Surf Avenue and the boardwalk, and it gets very crowded, so be prepared for tons of spectators, few bathrooms, and bright sun overhead. This year it’s on Saturday, June 21st, rain or shine, free admission.
YeloSpa is one of the finest ways a girl can treat herself. Their über-plush facility in midtown offers excellent reflexology and massage ($144 per hour), and there’s one service you won’t easily find elsewhere: a luxury power nap. For $1 per minute (20 minute minimum), you can reserve a private sleep pod. Select your aromatherapy and soundscape, climb into the zero-gravity chair, snuggle up with a cashmere blanket, and have the best nap of your life. They’ll wake you gently with a simulated sunrise.
There are women-only hours at the Russian & Turkish Baths in the East Village, so you can have your sauna time without hairy, elderly men. This institution has been around since 1892, so it’s a bit old and dingy, but the Russian sauna can’t be beat for intensity. Try the Redwood sauna for a dry heat, the Aromatherapy sauna for soothing eucalyptus (or whatever they’ve got that day), and don’t forget the cold pool. For those new to saunas, the cold pool may be unpleasant at first, but it’s that rush of iciness that slows down your heart and lowers your body temperature after visiting each sauna, and that’s what ultimately invigorates you. Entry is $35 for an entire day, women-only on Wednesdays from 10am to 2pm, co-ed hours daily.
Which of these would you choose to visit on a girls trip to NYC?
