Meet the Brooklyn Parrots, NYC’s Famous Wild Birds
Say you’re strolling through Brooklyn one morning enjoying your iced latte and artisan doughnut when you notice your shoelace is loose. You place…
takespace
If you happen to be in town for St. Patrick’s Day, get ready for one of the city’s wildest, rowdiest and most fun days of the year. There’s no other city in America that celebrates the holidays like New York and the same can be said for St. Paddy’s Day.
New York is one of the top destinations in the world for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. You can celebrate by wearing green or by grabbing an ale at a pub — but those aren’t the only ways to get in on the fun.
Luckily (see what I did right there?), there are many other festive activities happening around the city that you won’t want to miss. Check out all the different ways you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year!
1. NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade
This famous celebration takes place every year on March 17 in Manhattan. The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the world’s largest parades, with over 200,000 marchers and millions of spectators. It’s also one of the oldest — the first parade was on March 17, 1762. Throughout the years, the parade has been dedicated to honoring Irish history and culture.
In 2002, the parade honored those who assisted in the 9/11 attacks. At one point during that parade, everyone paused for two minutes and faced south where the World Trade Center towers once stood.
Planning to go? The parade kicks off every year at 11 a.m. and ends around 4:30 p.m. It runs along Fifth Avenue. It begins at 44th Street, marching uptown, past St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and ending near the American Irish Historical Society at 79th Street.
You want to get a spot close to the street. tAnywhere along the route is an ideal place to stand, but the earlier you arrive, the closer to Fifth Avenue you will be, and the better your view will be as well.
Rather than floats, onlookers will see bands, dancers, police, firefighters, and military service members. Floats and cars are actually prohibited within the parade.
Something else that’s prohibited: alcohol. Leave your Guinness at home. By law, no one is allowed to bring alcohol to watch the parade, but this also helps with it being a good event for families.
If you want to avoid the crowds, you can view the parade live on NBCNewYork.com and NYCstpatricksparade.org. You can also watch on NBC 4 New York and YouTube.
2. Learn about Irish immigrants at Ellis Island
If a parade sounds a bit too rowdy and crowded, try something more educational — but still exciting — for St. Patrick’s Day. You can visit Ellis Island to learn about the Irish immigrants who came through this famous entry point on their way to a new life in America.
One of these early immigrants was Annie Moore. In fact, she was the first person to be processed through Ellis Island, arriving there from Ireland in 1892. She arrived with her two brothers to meet her parents, who were already living in the United States. You can see a statue of her today inside the Ellis Island Museum.
Join our Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour on St. Patrick’s Day to soak in two of New York’s premier tourist attractions. As a bonus, you’ll get a local tour guide who knows all about Ellis Island and is happy to answer any questions you may have. Tour Ellis Island with your guide to learn more about this immigration site before entering the three-floor museum to explore more.
While in the museum, you can learn more about the history of the island and all the people who once came through this historic place. If you want to be more prepared before your visit or have ancestors you want to look up, you can search for people’s names at Ellis Island ahead of time.
3. Join a pub crawl
For a more traditional approach, spend the day drinking away throughout many of the bars in the city. The Official St. Patrick’s Day Luck of the Irish Pub Crawl features a large number of deals and events that you can get involved in, at a very reasonable price.
Typically, 50 bars participate, meaning you will have a wide selection to choose from once the festivities are in full swing. This year’s participating venues include:
- Bar None
- Village Pourhouse
- Madison Square Tavern
- PS 450
- Local 138
- The Hill
- Blarney Stone
- The Grayson
- Bait and Hook
- Plug Uglies
Registering for a St. Paddy’s Day pub crawl is simple. Purchase tickets online and arrive at your chosen bar to begin. (The earlier you register, the cheaper it’ll be.) Once you arrive you will meet the staff and receive a wristband, a full map of participating venues and the list of drink specials.
You’ll get your map digitally so you won’t have to worry about losing it, and it will live handily on your phone for the rest of your journey. So just make sure your phone is charged!
Your adventure will bring you through multiple NYC neighborhoods, such as East Village, Chelsea, and Murray Hill, meaning you can also take some time to explore these areas as well.
4. Run the St. Paddy’s Day Lucky Run
While not the usual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, if you’re looking for something active to do before you dig into your Irish meal and a pint of Guinness, there are a few green-themed races in the city and surrounding areas you can join.
The St. Paddy’s Day Lucky Run lets you choose from a 5K, 10K or half marathon on Saturday, March 15, on Hudson River Trails. The run is more about fun than competition, and everyone who participates is encouraged to wear green and some shamrocks. Registration starts around $40 for the 5K and it gets you a T-shirt, finisher medal, and more.
Once you register, your race packet will be mailed to you and the race map will be shared with you. The race is all in good fun, and it’ll kick off your St. Patrick’s Day festivities on a high note!
5. Visit the Merchant’s House Museum
Located on Fourth Street in the neighborhood of NoHo, the Merchant’s House Museum is the city’s one and only preserved 19th-century home. The exterior is quaint and simple and you could easily walk right by without knowing what’s right in front of you.
It was built in 1832 by Joseph Brewster and was purchased three years later by Seabury Tredwell. The Tredwell family and their servants lived in the house for nearly 100 years, and it was turned into a museum open to the public in 1936.
Traditionally, the museum focuses on the wealthy merchant Tredwell family, but St. Patrick’s Day is reserved for honoring the servants. A Tribute to the Tredwells’ Irish Servants: In-Person House Tour, planned for March 16 this year, gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what life was like for these servants during the 19th century.
By exploring the servants quarters, you will learn about the daily struggles and triumphs of these Irish immigrants who served as staff, as the seaport city of New York was expanding day by day. The tour takes place at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and costs $20.
6. Check out Loreley Beer Garden
Tucked away in the Lower East Side is one of New York’s most unique and pleasant beer gardens. Loreley Beer Garden celebrates St. Patrick’s Day for more than just one day. There’s a whole lead-up to the big day. This year, it’ll be from March 12 through March 17.
During this time, customers can enjoy $9 green beer and $9 Guinness pints, as well as frozen green margaritas and Irish coffee. It’s still brisk here in March, but Loreley Beer Garden also has a spring floral installation and heated outdoor seating area.
We recommend grabbing dinner while you’re there — their food is great. The restaurant’s soft-baked German pretzels are the perfect starter to any meal and pair perfectly with a pint of Guinness.
From there, you have plenty of options, whether you want sausages or schnitzel or just a good old burger. The fish and chips are a great choice too while you sip on your green beer.
The party goes all day and night long while they’re open, and there’s no cover charge. Loreley Beer Garden celebrates like no other bar in the city. Why not add a visit to your NYC St. Patrick’s Day tradition?
7. Take a whiskey tasting class
Searching for a more sophisticated way to celebrate? Here’s a fun one. You can book a whiskey tasting class at Kings County Distillery — the oldest whiskey distillery in New York City since Prohibition — for Friday, March 14, ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. The 60-minute class costs $35 per person and starts at 7 p.m.
During the class, you’ll learn of the history of whiskey and get a flight of five of the distillery’s whiskeys to try (with the opportunity to purchase more if you choose). You also get to learn from the pros how whiskey is made. The class promises you’ll learn to “nose” whiskey — that is, smell it — an important part of the distilling process.
If you want to take part in this class ahead of St. Patrick’s Day as part of your celebration in New York, I recommend buying your tickets soon, as this is the only class near the holiday, and tickets could sell out. The distillery typically offers classes every Friday and Saturday, though, so if you’re in town another weekend, you can always catch it another time.
You can also take a 45-minute tour of the distillery on March 16 (or many other days, just not on St. Patrick’s Day proper!) for $20. Learn the ins and outs of how whiskey is made while you check out the inner workings of the distillery. The tour ends with a tasting.
8. Irish food in New York City
Maybe you want to get a good meal or even a drink but aren’t interested in the pandemonium that is a pub crawl. Don’t worry — this is NYC! There are plenty of other options.
All throughout New York, bars and restaurants will be celebrating in their own way as well. Some of the best places to check out include:
- McSorley’s Old Ale House: This famed Irish Pub has been a New York legend for over 160 years. One of the Monday specials is corned beef hash, so you can’t go wrong with grabbing that on St. Paddy’s Day.
- Dead Rabbit: Named after one of the city’s most notorious Irish street gangs, this restaurant will be serving its renowned Irish coffee in its comfortable, laid-back atmosphere.
- Le Chéile: Travel uptown for traditional Irish food and drinks on St. Paddy’s Day, including shepherd’s pie and Irish stew. You can also come by any Sunday at 4 p.m. for live Irish music.
Molly’s Pub & Restaurant Shebeen: This is one of the most authentic Irish bars in the city. First opened in 1895, Molly’s serves up some of the best corned beef and cabbage in New York!
Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day in NYC
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the Irish holiday in New York City if you’re in town this year, even before March 17. Just make sure you pack something green to wear before you leave home — and come hungry (or thirsty, as the case may be).
Whether you want something family-friendly like the parade or a rousing party like the pub crawl, there’s a little something for everyone in the Big Apple this year and every year.
If you have extra time in New York beyond St. Patrick’s Day — and we hope you do — check out some of the city’s other landmarks. The observatory on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building is a great one. And here’s a fun fact: Former governor Al Smith, who headed the construction committee to build the skyscraper, was actually the first Irish Catholic to run for president.
Meet the Brooklyn Parrots, NYC’s Famous Wild Birds
10 Iconic NYC Foods: Where To Go and What To Order
When it comes to good food, New York City has a lot on its plate. Culinary trends ranging from the cronut — a…
9 Hidden Gems in Brooklyn You Must See (As Told by a Local)
From Coney Island and Bushwick to Park Slope, Flatbush, and Crown Heights, there’s so much more to Brooklyn than a bridge. “Breukelen” was…
