Ahh, New York in the fall. You can just FEEL the renewed sense of ~energy~ and ~excitement~ in the city.
We rounded up 29 essential activities — both in the city and just outside of it — to put on your bucket list this season.
1. Attend one of Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm's many rooftop events.
2. Take the ferry to Governor's Island.
3. Throw back a bunch of seasonal beers at Brooklyn Brewery.
Not only do they brew their own beer, they also serve local seasonal brews from other makers — like the annual Post Road Pumpkin Ale. Pro tip: Visit their weekly Tasting Room, where you can sample the beers and even order your own delivery pizza.
4. Do your fair share of fall people-watching on The High Line in Chelsea.
Or you can actually stargaze there every Tuesday night through October 27th. They have super high-powered telescopes set up until 11 pm — and it's free.
5. Go for a bike ride along the Hudson River Greenway, which stretches along the western side of Manhattan.
It's an 11-mile route that stretches from Battery Park downtown all the way up to the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge. If you ride the whole thing, you'll go through four parks: Hudson River Park, Riverside Park South, Riverside Park, and Fort Washington Park.
If you feel like stopping for a bite or a drink along the way, hit up the Boat Basin Café on West 79th Street. They're open until the end of October (weather permitting), and they have beautiful views of the Hudson.
6. And end up at The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park.
The Cloisters is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum that's basically a medieval monastery filled with nearly 5,000 medieval works. It's located within Fort Tryon Park, which has tons of paths perfect for strolls, not to mention a beautiful view of the Hudson River. It's especially gorgeous in fall, because the leaves are everywhere!
Directions here (you can also take the subway instead of biking).
8. Day drink at Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria.
9. Hit up one of the city's many farmer's markets to buy all of the best apple varieties: Empire, Winesap, Northern Spy, Macoun, and more.
Here's a list of all of the farmer's markets in NYC.
10. Speaking of fall food, eat your way through all pumpkin everything in the city.
The pumpkin bread at the Union Square Farmer's Market is delicious. And here are some other only-in-NYC pumpkin desserts and pumpkin dishes you should try, too.
11. Sip a cup of coffee at the Black Cat LES on the Lower East Side.
12. Stock up on cozy fall clothes at No Relation Vintage in the East Village.
They have a sea of $5 flannels!
13. Aimlessly walk around Park Slope and watch the cozy, golden light hit the brownstones in just the right way.
14. Spend an afternoon strolling around Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
The park in the morning is particularly clear and gorgeous, but really, it's insane at any point of the day.
15. And Central Park.
16. Walk from the top of Manhattan all the way to the bottom, and reward yourself with multiple pints or a hot toddy at Fraunces Tavern in the Financial District.
17. Walk around the New York Botanical Garden in The Bronx, followed by craft beers at the Bronx Beer Hall.
A perfect fall day.
18. Get a chocolate chip and walnut cookie from Levain Bakery on the Upper West Side, and then stroll around the neighborhood and window shop.
19. Hit up a fall cultural festival.
The two biggies are the 53rd annual New York Film Festival (September 25th to October 11th), and the New York City Wine and Food Festival (October 15th to October 18th).
20. Curl up at Albertine bookshop with a great read.
21. Do a Ghosts of New York walking tour.
So many to choose from! There's Ghosts of Brooklyn, Ghosts of the Upper West Side, and the all-time crowd pleaser, Edgar Allen Poe and His Ghostly Neighbors of Greenwich Village.
22. Do all of the fall things at Queens County Farm.
This is an urban farm in Queens that has it all: a corn maze, pumpkin picking, duck races, apple picking, apple cider, you name it. Click here for directions.
23. Spend a day at Storm King before it closes for the winter.
Storm King Art Center (i.e. Storm King) is basically an open-air museum / sculpture park that's just one hour north of the city (in Mountainville, New York).
Get directions.
24. Check out awesome modern art at Dia: Beacon in Beacon.
25. Go apple picking in Hudson Valley.
Barton Orchards and Greig Farm are two great options, and here are ten other great ones.
26. Do a local winery tour in Hudson Valley.
There are tons of them, and they're all under an hour and a half away, roughly. Info here.
27. Head to Breakneck Ridge for a day hike.
Breakneck Ridge is in Cold Spring, a cute small town on Metro North. It's really steep, but so worth it: The views from the top are amazing. You can also choose an easier hike in Cold Spring here.
28. Wander through The Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in Croton-on-Hudson.
Nicknamed "The Blaze," it's an October display of more than 7,000 hand-carved jack-o-lantern, and it's about an hour outside the city.
Directions here.
29. See a local sports game.
Excited yet? Let your bucket list-ing begin.
