"There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless." Simone Beauvoir

Ever since Eve took her first bite of the forbidden fruit, people have sought ways to take a bite out of the Big Apple! New York City is a town filled with seemingly endless opportunities to indulge your desires for debauchery and decadence. Here's what the best of what the "city of the forbidden fruit" has to offer.

You’ve probably heard of the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), and the Guggenheim; they are all legendary institutions housing some of the greatest art collections the world has ever known. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that those crafty New Yorkers wouldn’t miss an opportunity to showcase one of the most fundamental forms of creative expression: sex!

The Museum of Sex is dedicated to presenting the best of sex and sexuality to the widest possible audience. Past exhibitions include:

  • Comics Stripped, an exhibition that explored the sexual imagination of comic artists from the 1930s through the present.
  • The Nudie Artist, an exhibition based on risqué European performance art, comedic-theatrical vaudeville, and traditional American burlesque.
  • Kink: Geography of the Erotic Imagination, a landmark exhibition that featured over twenty four artists exploring a wide variety subjects including Leather, Bondage, Shoe Fetishes, Ponyplay, Adult Babies, Macrophilia, Sploshing, Medical Play, Mudlarking, Body Expansion, and Furries.
Of course, no visit to a museum would be complete without stopping by the museum gift shop. The MoSex Store is where you’ll find all of your standard coffee table books, gift cards, and ephemera. Unlike MOMA, this museum shop offers sex toys, personal lubes, and edibles, as well as bath and beauty products. You can’t visit this city and not stop by this iconic sex toy boutique. With two locations in Manhattan, one on the Lower East Side and another in ultra trendy Soho, there’s practically nothing you can’t find at Babeland.

Built on a foundation of providing an honest, open, and fun environment where adults are encouraged to empower themselves through education, support, and compassion. Check out the website before your visit and explore the Events page to see what new classes are being offered.

The show that literally put Sex and the City on the map offers a tour based on the hit HBO series. The tour centers on the iconic New York city hotspots that Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte (and the men they loved and played with) made famous. If you loved the show, then many the sites featured on the tour you’ll already be familiar with. For example:
  • The site of Carrie and Big’s wedding rehearsal dinner
  • Steve and Aidan’s fictional bar located in Little Italy named after Steve’s dog - Scout.
  • The Pleasure Chest, where Charlotte discovered the “Rabbit”,
  • Magnolia Bakery, a West Village institution where Carrie and Miranda commiserated over the infamous chocolate cupcake with pink frosting that made cupcakes as popular as the show.
The tour begins near the famed Plaza Hotel located on 5th Ave. and 58th Streets, and features over forty locations throughout city where both the series and movies were either filmed or showcased. The tour, like the show, is campy, a little sappy, and a whole lot of fun. If hotels make you hot, then you’ll feel as though you've landed in nirvana at the Standard Hotel - High Line. Built around an elevated park, this hotel has been featured numerous times in the press as a "voyeur's delight".  It’s not uncommon to look up at the building from the park below and see hotel residents parading around their room naked.

The floor-to-ceiling windows allow for maximum opportunity to express your inner exhibitionist and share it with the world. Or at least to the passers by that happen to look up and see you running around your room with a pornstar escort in your birthday suit. As a matter of fact, when the hotel first opened it was well documented in the media that couples were having sex in front of the windows purposefully wanting to attract a show.

At eighteen stories. this modern glass tower located in the meatpacking district provides the perfect combination of Bohemian chic with access to all the major hotspots the city has to offer. Not that you’ll need to leave the actual hotel, with stunning views of the Hudson River, numerous eateries, a twenty four hour health club, room service, a rooftop bar, and even an ice rink.

Not to be missed: The Top of the Standard rooftop club and restaurant offers some the most dramatic views of the city, live jazz music, speciality cocktails, and small plate offerings. Another "must" experience: Sunday brunch at The Standard Grill. If you love oysters, you’ll appreciate the oyster bar menu here; they serve some the freshest in the city.

The moment you step inside you’ll feel as though you entered a chic Parisian salon. Specializing in hand-crafted lingerie, bridal intimates, ready-to-wear, jewelry, bath and body products, as well as “instruments of pleasure,”  you’ll certainly find something to make either a planned intimate evening or chance encounter with a new “special friend” even more special.

The boutique feels more like a chic gallery than a lingerie store by achieving the perfect blend of fantasy, luxury and desire. To quote the company's founder, “We believe intimacy should be honored, and that discriminating consumers should be able to explore and express their passion with grace, sophistication and abandon.” If you love fine intimate apparel blended with a touch of elegant kink, then no trip to the big apple would be complete without a visit to Kiki De Montparnasse.

Imagine New York City during prohibition...the underground bars filled with finely dressed chaps courting beautiful buxom women all enjoying (at the time) illegal spirits. The interior? Exposed red brick walls, plush velvet chaise lounge chairs, lace-covered red lamps, and dimly lit interiors. If you can visualize that, then you’ll have the perfect vision of Madame X.

A Bordello-style lounge located in Greenwich Village, Madame X is a sexy lounge where you can drop by to enjoy one of their occasional erotic art exhibits over artisanal cocktails, martinis, or just a simple glass of wine. But that’s not all! Practically any night of the week Madame X features great musical entertainment, including 90's hip hop, the 00's, throwbacks, jazz and Ritmo Latino.

After a full day of shopping and sightseeing you’ll be probably be ready for an evening of pillaging and debauchery, and NYC will not disappoint. Looking for a little paddle and tease? The city offers several dungeons to satisfy your voracious appetite for kink, whether you’re flying solo or coupled. Though not as accessible as in years past, you can still find many options around town (if you know where to look).

One of the first places I’d recommend you explore is The Eulenspiegel Society, otherwise known as TES.  It's a social interaction club where you’ll find all things BDSM / Leather / Fetish related in NYC.

They opened in 1984, and have developed a reputation for being one of the city’s “friendliest” clubs for spanking, cross-dressing, and other Dom/sub shenanigans. Paddles is the creation of spanking enthusiast Master Michael, and is one of the oldest clubs in the city. Whether you’re single, coupled, submissive, a professional mistress, dominant non-pro, or a cross dresser, if you enjoy spanking you’ve found a home. Vist the website for current event schedule.

If you’re a guy seeking a homoerotic experience SM experience I recommend the NY Bondage Club’s Sunday sessions at Paddles. A private event for self-identified queer and bi males, this weekly club observes a lifestyle dress code meaning guests are usually outfitted in leather, rubber, fetish gear, underwear, jeans and a tshirt, or nothing at all.

In regards to play, just about anything goes including bondage, spanking, flogging, cbt, breath control, tit play, foot worship, sensory deprivation, and more. While membership is not required for visiting guests, it is suggested that you sign up for the mailing list on their website prior to your arrival to receive the latest event dates by email.

This option is considered one of the best private clubs for OTK (Over the Knee) spanking fetishists and enthusiasts in the city. Started by Ms. Margaret Davis in 1997, SCONY (as it’s known by its members) places high emphasis on member privacy, making sure that everyone is treated with respect, and providing a safe environment to express healthy play.

Whether you’re a curious novice looking to experiment, a newbie to the spanking scene, or a seasoned lifestyler, this is the club for you. The group holds events and biannual retreats throughout the year and pre-screening is required. Entry is by membership only - to complete an application visit the website.

Run by Master R and Mistress Collette, La Domaine is considered one of the world’s oldest BDSM training facilities. They have designed a 1250-square foot fully equipped dungeon dedicated to providing guests with a customized experience of sensory pleasures. You must pass an initial screening prior to entry, but once cleared you can share your ideal fantasy experience and leave it the Master and Mistress to flesh out the details.

While not an exhaustive list, you now have a good sampling of what New York has to offer. Whether you are looking for something romantic, something kinky, or something simply fun and sexy, you'll be all set. Just don’t take too big a bite of that apple and get a tummy ache; remember to leave some room for future visits. Enjoy!