NYC Fall To Do Activity List

Summer is almost over, which means back to New York.  I am so sad to leave behind the outdoors, open air, greenery, family, and lack of schedule in Oregon….And yet, there are many things that I am looking forward to upon my return (besides, obviously, being fully reunited with my husband!)

* Drink champagne on the Roof garden at the Met overlooking Central Park

met rooftop

Hours: Through late fall, weather permitting: Friday and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.; Martini Bar: 5:30–8:00 p.m.; Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Closed Mondays

Location: 83rd and 5th Ave, Fifth floor via the elevator in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries

Details: Self-service, light fare and cocktails in an informal, outdoor setting with panoramic views of Manhattan. Children are welcome.

* Hotdogs and popcorn at a Brooklyn Cyclones Game

cyclones

popcorn

Location:  MCU Park, 1904 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11224 (Coney Island)

* Indulge in Italian food at L&B Spumoni Garden

pizza

Hours: 11 am to Midnight, daily.

Location: 2725 86th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11223 (Bensonhurst)

Details: Italian feast!

* Explore Governors Island

bike

Hours: Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day from 10 AM to 7 PM.

Location:Free ferries run from the Battery Maritime Building in Manhattan on Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day. Sat-Sun & Holiday Mondays: Ferries leave at 10 AM, 11 AM and then every half hour until 5:30 PM. Ferries return to Manhattan at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM and then every half hour until 7 PM.

Details: Visitors are invited to bring their bikes to Governors Island where, you can picnic, kayak, bike, and stroll.  There are also occasional concerts.  For a rundown of activities, click here.

* Visit The Cloisters

cloisters

Hours: Tuesday–Sunday: 9:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m.

Location: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, New York 10040

Details: A branch of the Met devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe, the Cloisters houses over 3,000 relics. The building itself and enclosed medieval gardens are amazing.

* Walk in Central Park

CP

map

Hours: Daylight

Location: Manhattan between 59th and 110th street and between Fifth and Eight Ave.

Details: Lots of things to see and do! Walk, bike, paddle, play, eat, sit!

* Apple picking along the Hudson

apple

Details: One great farm in particular is  Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard in North Salem, NY. They carry a variety of local honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, local dairy products, maple syrup, cider doughnuts, fresh baked pies, homemade fudge and Green Mountain Coffee.

Location: Exit 8 on Highway 684, North Salem, NY (about 1:15 drive from Manhattan)

Hours: Open seven days a week

* Find yummy treats at the farmers’ market in Cold Spring

booth

Hours: Saturdays through November 17th from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

Location: Boscobel House and Gardens, 1601 Route 9D in Garrison, NY

Details: The mission of the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market is to support local, regional and sustainable farms by providing an outlet for direct sales of agricultural products. Buy local!

* Pick a pastoral New Englandy town and go for a gorgeous Fall bike ride

foliage

Location: www.trails.com

Hours: When the leaves start turning!

* Run around Storm King sculpture garden

storm king

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm (grounds remain open until 8:00 pm on Saturdays, May 26–September 1, and on Sunday May 27 and Sunday September 2; until 5:00 pm in November). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, except for the Monday holidays marking Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day. Open only on weekends after November 11 (November 17–18 and 24–25). The 2012 Storm King season closes on November 25.

Location: Old Pleasant Hill Road, Mountainville, NY 12553

Details: Located only one hour north of New York City, in the lower Hudson Valley, where its pristine 500-acre landscape of fields, hills, and woodlands provides the setting for a collection of more than 100 carefully sited sculptures

* Take pictures at Saugerties lighthouse

lighthouse

Hours: The outdoor public areas of the Lighthouse are open from sunrise to sunset throughout the year.

Location: Saugerties is only 100 miles from Manhattan and 42 miles from Albany along the NY State Thruway. Address: 168 Lighthouse Drive, Saugerties, NY 12477

Details: Visitors can walk out to the Lighthouse on the half-mile nature trail, open sunrise to sunset.  The gentle trail travels among stands of willow and maple trees, along tidal pools, and through patches of wildflowers, eventually opening onto the middle of the majestic Hudson River.

* Take a sailboat trip with Shearwater Sailing trips around the NYC harbor (summer or fall)

sailboat

Hours: Various

Location: The Shearwater Classic Schooner is berthed on the South Side of North Cove Marina on the Hudson River, bounded by Vesey Street to the North and Liberty Street to the South at the World Financial Center in Battery Park City.

Details: Sail trips last 2 hours and costs roughly $50 per person.

* Run in many of the dozens of NYRR races in New York City

run

* Pick pumpkins and eat pie in Long Island (Harbes Farm and Orchard)

farm

Hours: Open daily from 9 am to 6 pm

Location: 715 Sound Ave, Mattituck, NY (North Shore of Long Island, two hour drive)

Details:Lots to see and do, family fun activities with barns and mazes, animals and pony rides!

Drink Bloody Mary’s at the Boathouse in Central Park

boathouse

Hours: Daily from 12 to 9 pm

Location: East 72nd Street and Park Drive North in Central Park

Details: A great place to eat a meal/have a drink in the Park.

* Be super cool and hang out at PS1 Warm-Up in Long Island City:

PS 1

Hours: Every Saturday until September 8th from 12 to 6 pm.

Location: 22-25 Jackson Ave. at the intersection of 46th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101

Details: Series conceived by a curatorial committee hand selected by the museum to represent a wide spectrum of expertise and experiences in music, sound, and the performing arts, resulting in a unique summer sound that explores, interprets, and combines genres.

* Walk the Highline and eat popsicles.

highline

Hours: 7 am to 11 pm daily

Location: The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues.

Details: Treats to eat along the walk, water to play with, art to look at, sun to soak up, and time to breathe.

* Sit and watch the US Open

nadal

HOT DOG!!!! MY FAVORITE!!! GO NADAL!

Location: August 27th until September 9th. Flushing, Queens.

Details: BY FAR, my favorite Fall event in the city — and maybe for the whole year. I love every minute of the US Open, whether it is watching live or on TV.

So, there you have it. My current to-do-activity-list-in-NYC. What are your favorite Fall activities in the area? What makes you excited for September to come? Share the love!

Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl

Blog Home Page

Josie Girl

14 Comments

    • I LOVE THE US OPEN AND RAFA! But apparently he is injured? Not sure who I will cheer for now?!?!?!?

  1. Yay Fall!! I love this time of year… can’t wait for the pumpkin flavor latte at Starbucks!

    • oh yummmmmmmmmmm! One positive thing about the weather changing! Thanks for the reminder!

  2. Cloisters is amazing!I’m an art history major and I went there with my class last semester… the art from medieval Europe is fascinating!

  3. Thanks for recommendations! Love Fall! Love NY! Can’t wait to check them out 🙂

    • I am excited to check these out too! So far, none on the list has been completed this 2012….so better get going!

  4. Recommend a visit to The Conservatory Garden, in Central Park at 105th and Fifth Avenue. A magnificent formal garden that is worth visiting in every seeason. You will often see bridal parties having formal pictures taken in this glorious setting.

    • Carolyn, thank you! Will definitely have to check that out. I have never actually been to The Conservatory Garden!

Leave a Reply to Josie Girl Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *