Exceptional NYC Outings

Jogging up and down the West Side, from SoHo to the Meatpacking district, and looking out at the water at sunset.

For me its walking along the East River and wishing I was one of those wealthy New Yorkers who had a yacht to sail down the river on a glorious Indian summer day. In fact I absolutely love gazing at the fancy yachts, sail boats and even tankers and tug boats which sail up and down the East River.

freeinnyc.net posts a list of free classes available in the city: http://www.freeinnyc.net/category/lessons

The site includes everything from free yoga and self-defense classes to Etsy craft nights and writing workshops.

What I love the most about NYC, especially at night, is the Time Square area. I love all the colorful lights. What an amazing scene to see when walking down an avenue or street. This is particularly true around Christmas time.

Upper West Side around Columbus Circle is beautiful at night, especially with all the trees lit up.

Hmmm. For the dirtiness you see in the city, having to see great sites gives you such a warm feeling inside. It shows that NYC is not all dirt and grime.

I'm not in love with south street seaport, but walking on that boardwalk in the evening, with those majestic bridges lit up in front of you can be pretty great.

I'd like to find a way to explore the Bronx, some way that's a bit more structured than my just taking a train up there and wandering aimlessly. Anyone have suggestions?

Here's one outing for lower Manhattan:

Dinner at the Peking Duck House (28 Mott Street) where you can get Peking duck without ordering it in advance.

Then walk down toward Battery Park, passing City Hall (City Hall Park between Broadway & Park Row), Trinity Church (Broadway at Wall street), the George Washington Statue (26 Wall street), and the Wall Street Bull (Broadway at Bowling Green).

Then take the Staten Island Ferry for a poetic view of the city and the Statue of Liberty.

A kind of perfect evening.

@Uraniumfish Great suggestion - though I think I'll wait till it gets a bit warmer before I make it all the way down to Battery Park. Or any attraction near an extensive body of water, for that matter.

McCarren Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Brooklyn. During the warmer months it's a great place to picnic or to get a game of touch football started, and there are paths throughout the park for biking, jogging and dog walking. It's a great place for people watching or to just sit and read - there are a lot of benches where both of these activities often take place. (Seemingly) heated discussions can often be heard in Polish, as many of Greenpoint's older Polish residents often come here to enjoy the scenery. The park is surrounded by cafes and shops, as it is located in the commodity-laden neighborhoods of Greenpoint and Williamsburg.

One of my favorite childhood "long walks" was heading from the UES, down 5th Avenue, all the way to Union Square, having dinner in the East Village, and then, weather permitting, heading back up again along Park Avenue South. (Restaurant recommendations: Banjara on 6th St and 1st Avenue, Holy Basil on 2nd Ave and 9th St, )

Also, biking from Riverside Drive to Battery Park via the West Side Highway bike path (best in the summer, when the trees block off the traffic from the highway proper and provide you with some much-needed oxygen to balance out all that CO2).

And a day trip up to the Cloisters!

@ ajadeidealist What are the food options for a day trip to the Cloisters?

Uraniumfish - there's a nonprofit restaurant up there - light fare, but very scenic . It has quite a good reputation - here is the link! http://www.nyrp.org/About/New_Leaf_Restaurant_Bar

Actually that looks like a really great food option, ajadeidealist, if only for the leafy ambiance. Cloisters in on my springtime list of things to do.

@Uraniumfish: Well, I'm not too sure if it is a good idea to go into the Bronx. There are some good areas just as there are some bad ones. I think the botanical gardens area is best. But that is just my preception.

There are better places to go like downtown Manhattan or the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.