Fun Things to do in NYC If You Have $50,000 To Spend in One Day

New Year's Eve 2011 With Carson Daly

There aren’t too many people who just have $50,000 to blow on any given night. In fact, there are very few people who could afford to blow such money on an entire year, let alone a few nights with friends to enjoy the good life. But just because you can’t actually have it happen right now, doesn’t mean it’s not fun to think about some of the endless possibilities that you could do if you were given the opportunity. That’s why I was hit with the daunting task of do just that, asked to choose 10 fun things that someone would do if they had that kind of money to blow in one of the most expensive and luxurious cities in the world—New York City. After thinking about a few things and narrowing my search down, there were a few solid things that I thought would be good. So what falls in my top-10? If you keep reading, you’ll find out—and maybe, one day, we’ll all be able to live out such a fantasy.

8. Stay at the Trump, New York – $2,300/night

With $50,000 to blow, the first thing I would want to do? Get some unbelievable digs to set myself up in for at least a week. So, naturally, I go to the the one name that screams luxury in the Big Apple—Trump. Checking the rates of the highest standard of guest room—the Central Park View, Two-Bedroom Suite—it looks like it comes out to being about $2,500/night, which, for this particular vacation, is chump change.

7. Charter a Yacht – $4,000 an hour

With so much water surrounding it, who wouldn’t want to get out and enjoy it when in New York City? Of course, this would be dependent on the time of year, but assuming I go when it’s nice and warm out, I’d be all for a private yacht with some of my friends.  Give me one night on a a yacht and one at a high-end hotel and I would be on top of the world.

6. Bottle Service Everywhere – $1,000 minimum

As someone who, somehow, someway enjoyed bottle service while visiting London a few years ago, I can tell you that it is quite expensive. However, I’d be lying if I told you that it wasn’t worth it. Sure, those who do it are flaunting that they have big-time bucks and are, typically, attracting people to their booth to get noticed—but isn’t that what makes it fun in the first place? Rather than wait in lines for overpriced drinks, I would go ahead and spend at least $1,000 on overpriced drinks that are all mine and my friends’, not worrying about dealing with paying a bartender and hoping not to spill on the walk back to the dance floor. Yes, bottle service would be happening.

5. Rent a Private Driver and SUV – $200-$800/four hours

At rates anywhere between $200-$800 for four hours, taking the headache our of driving around the City would be a perfect way to go. Doing so with a high-end, luxury vehicle like a SUV would make anyone who sees it pass by do a double-take just to make sure it wasn’t someone famous. For those who like that kind of attention, you might as well enjoy it, because it will no doubt happen—while you also get a nice tour of the city, too.

4. Dinner Reservations at DANIEL – $220

With $50,000 in your wallet, why not dine at one of the most expensive restaurants in the entire city? That would by my plan, as I would get a group of my best friends to hit up the Upper East Side’s DANIEL, which serves a wide variety of market-inspired French cuisine with a creative use of seasonal vegetables and ingredients. What does that mean? It’s basically a fancy way of saying that they use the best and freshest products to fill guests stomachs. For that reason, saying you and your friends were able to, not only get a table, but get a private room (if available) means that you are pretty important—or just really wealthy.

3. Shopping Spree at Bergdorf’s – Unlimited

Now that Barney’s has become a mini-chain, the premier, luxury store these days is Bergdorf’s, which features high-end couture at prices that will blow your mind. Whether you’re just browsing or planning on trying on and buying as much as you can, you have a bevy of options and styles to choose from. And for those looking for a more personal and private experience, there’s always the personal shopper route, which can be had for a hefty chunk of money. That stylist will take what your interested are and put together several options to try on to help alleviate some of the pressure of shopping all day which, let’s face it, you’ll probably do anyway.

2. Courtside Tickets to New York Knicks Game – $8,100/ticket

As a sports junky, I couldn’t help myself when it came to getting as close to the action as possible, no doubt dropping about $8,100 per ticket to take in a New York Knicks game from the courtside seats. Sitting next to celebs like Spike Lee is one expensive ticket, but hearing the trash-talk and feeling the sweat fly off of the players would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I would have to drop the big bucks to do it. And if they were playing my Cleveland Cavaliers? I wouldn’t even think twice about dropping whatever it took to see LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving play the Knicks from the front row.

1. Bottles of Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Charles & Diana (1961) – $4,300/bottle

I don’t know about you, but one of the finest things in life to celebrate and display class is a bottle of champagne. And while it might all taste the same to some, I have a feeling that the bubbly in the special edition Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon Charles & Diana, 1961 would be one that would have a defined taste. After all, it was chosen for the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles during their ceremony back in 1961, served with a special insignia designed for the wedding. And seeing how it’s fit for royalty, it’s quite pricey, too—coming in at $4,300 per bottle.

Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images

Written by Nick Dimengo

Graduate of the University of Kentucky. Cleveland sports fan. Frustrated respecter of LeBron James. Influencer of bad ideas. In addition to Worthly/Housely, I'm a regular contributor to Bleacher Report, Scout, Esquire and Maxim, and run or bike way too much for my own good when not writing. The day a Cleveland sports team wins a title is the day I can officially say my life is complete.