Rain in New York isn't the day-ruiner people expect. On the Upper East Side it's almost convenient, because most of what you'd want to see is indoors and close, and the blocks up to it are short. Here's how we'd actually spend a wet day starting from East 62nd Street.
Start slow, because you can
You have a full kitchen here, so there's no rush out the door into the weather. Make coffee, take your time, watch the rain from the window. That's half the point of an apartment over a hotel room: you don't have to leave to feel like you've got somewhere to be. When you're ready, grab an umbrella and head north.
Museum Mile is the whole plan
The best rainy-day move is Museum Mile, the stretch of Fifth Avenue running up the east edge of Central Park. From East 62nd Street it's a straight walk north, and you can knock out a full day without ever being outside for more than a few minutes at a time.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street. About a 20-minute walk, or a quick bus up Madison. It's enormous. You could spend a rainy day here and not see half of it. Pick two or three wings and don't try to do it all.
- The Guggenheim, Fifth Avenue at 89th Street. The Frank Lloyd Wright spiral means you walk down one continuous ramp, which is exactly the kind of easy, dry loop a rainy day calls for.
- The Frick Collection, Fifth Avenue at 70th Street, the closest of the big ones. A mansion full of art, on a smaller and quieter scale than the Met. Good if you want depth without the crowds.
- Cooper Hewitt, the Smithsonian design museum, Fifth Avenue at 91st Street. Smaller, hands-on, and rarely packed.
Our separate Museum Mile guide breaks down which of these are a ten-minute walk and which are worth the walk further north.
Shopping without getting wet
Madison Avenue through the East 60s and 70s is lined with shops, and the awnings and short blocks mean you're ducking in and out more than you're standing in the rain. Even if you're just window-shopping, it's a dry way to spend an hour. Bloomingdale's at 59th and Lexington is a ten-minute walk south and is one big indoor building if you want to stay under a roof the whole time.
A long lunch is a legitimate activity
Rain is the right excuse for a two-hour lunch. The neighborhood is full of places where nobody's rushing you out. We keep separate guides to Italian near East 62nd Street and to pizza within walking distance if you want somewhere specific to aim for. Otherwise, pick a place with a window and watch the street.
Cook in, if the rain settles in
If it's really coming down, the kitchen earns its keep. There are grocery stores within a short walk, so it's easy to pick up what you need and make dinner in rather than going back out. A rainy night in your own apartment, with something on the stove, is a better evening than most people give it credit for.
The short version
A rainy day up here is a museum day, a shopping day, or a stay-in day, and often all three. Everything's close, the walks are short, and you're never far from a roof. Bring an umbrella, aim north, and don't treat the weather as a problem to solve.