Things to do / Travel Guide
New York City is not normally high on the list of destinations for people seeking an active or outdoors-type vacation. However, there are some elements available that may be of interest to visitors to this legendary metropolis. If the weather is good, spend a few hours exploring Central Park between the museum visit in the morning and the Broadway show at night. And since most of New York City is on islands, it's no surprise that opportunities for aquatic recreation abound.
Land-based Activities in New York City
For those wishing to indulge in a little rock climbing, Central Park has several bouldering areas. Rat Rock is by far the most popular and has hundreds of routes. There will often be more than a dozen climbers here on a nice day. Cat Rock, the Ramble, and a cluster of boulders at the north end of the park have good bouldering as well.
While biking on midtown streets may seem suited mainly for suicidal-paced messengers, there are plenty of relaxing and scenic routes in the city's parks and along the waterways. Central Park is the place to bike, but leave the training wheels at home - like the rest of the city, it is fast paced. Most bridges have dedicated bike and pedestrian paths, as well, and cyclists and pedestrians will enjoy similar benefits in boroughs not named Manhattan.
Uptown, the West Side Promenade in Riverside Park, has an impressive panoramic view of the Hudson River. On the other side of the island, the East River Bikeway runs south from 14th Street to Wall Street. In downtown Manhattan, you can ride on the Hudson River Bike Path leading to the Hudson River Park Promenade. Then, head across the Brooklyn Bridge for the magnificent skyline view and continue on to the peaceful greenery of Prospect Park.
Further out, the Shore Parkway bike path, curving around the Brooklyn coast, offers a splendid view of the Manhattan skyline, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and the New York Harbor. Biking through the more wooded, eastern side of the Bronx, you'll pass through Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, and Kingsbridge. Owing to the hilly nature of the area and the narrow and winding roads, the path is difficult in places, but well worth the challenging ride, as it also overlooks the Hudson River.
A great hiking route starts with a scenic walk across the George Washington Bridge, north atop the Palisades above the Hudson River, then down to the Boat Basin, south to the Edgewater Colony, and back up to the bridge.
Water Activities in New York City
From scuba diving, to kayaking, to fishing, to boating, it's all available in the New York City region. For diving, you can take a diving course and rent the scuba equipment, or hook up with a boat trip to Wreck Valley, which is a stretch containing some 1,000 shipwrecks between Long Island and southern New Jersey. Check out these ghost ships and the artificial reefs they have created as well as other natural reefs. You can also charter a dive boat from many of the towns on the coast of Monmouth County in New Jersey, just south of Staten Island.
Also available is kayaking on the scenic Hudson River. This river offers strong currents, wind, waves, and a very busy waterway with lots of shipping traffic. If you're a beginner, free kayak lessons are offered at the Downtown Boathouse.
Another fun outdoor activity in New York City is fishing. The region offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing. The best places to catch largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, catfish, carp, and others, are Central Park Lake, in Manhattan, Van Cortland Lake and Crotona Lake in the Bronx, Prospect Park Lake, in Brooklyn, Baisley Park Pond, Meadow Lake, Willow Lake, Kissena Lake, and Oakland Lake in Queens, and Clove Lake, Silver Lake, and Wolfe's Pond, in Staten Island. New York City also offers saltwater fishing on chartered boats that venture out into the region's surrounding waters.
Pleasure boating is another often overlooked option when visiting New York City. You can rent rowboats, paddleboats, or even gondolas for a pleasant excursion in four of the five boroughs in NYC. Prices hover around $10 per hour, with a deposit required in some of the places. Here are a few places that you may like:
- Manhattan - at the Loeb Boathouse, on the northeastern tip of Central Park Lake
- Brooklyn - at Prospect Park
- Queens - at Flushing Meadows Lake Boathouse
- Staten Island - at Clove Lakes Park
Swimming beaches can be found in every borough except Manhattan. The famous beaches of Coney Island are a special treat for the amusement park attractions and the boardwalk. Orchard Beach in the Bronx's Pelham Bay Park also has a boardwalk and an excellent beach area. In Queens you can visit Rockaway Beach, the oldest municipal beach in the U.S. And while nobody probably comes to New York City for surfing, guess what? Rockaway Beach is known as the only surfable beach in the region. Hang ten, dude!
New York City from Above
If you get tired of craning your neck to look up at the Manhattan skyline, take to the skies in a helicopter or a hot-air balloon for a loftier perspective. Breeze past the skyscrapers and flit above the buildings, get an up-close look at the Statue of Liberty, and wave hello to the crowds atop the Empire State Building, or just see what the skyscrapers look like from eye-level. While expensive, this is an extraordinary experience for anyone seeking an outdoor adventure.
So, as you can see, there's more than meets the eye when talking about ways to be active and get outdoors during a New York City vacation. Have fun and enjoy!
Outdoor Recreation in Manhattan and New York City
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
|
|
|