New York is one of the places you can visit countless times and never get tired of, and it can’t be done justice in just one article or 100 even. However, we can do our best to give you the best of things to do and see during the very special Fall season, because visiting New York in the fall is especially charming.
With sweater weather in the works and crisp air dominates the atmosphere, there is a grand pleasure in walking the lively streets of the city that never sleeps and wander the lush pathways of Central Park. This is how we think you should take on the town in that time of year.
By Farah Amin
Vendy Awards
Not that great restaurants fall short in the Big Apple, but New York also has the best food trucks in the country. Even better, Vendy Awards! Sail out to Governor’s Island for the 11th annual iteration of this street-food showdown this year, where five finalists in each of the five categories cover a world of cuisines, from Guandong Cheong Fun’s Cantonese cooking to Greek specialties from the Souvlaki Lady. Snack through the competitors’ offerings before submitting a vote, and be sure to wash it all down with bottomless Brooklyn Brewery suds and Santa Cristina wines.
Atlantic Antic
More than 500 food and craft vendors and ten stages will close down a busy Brooklyn artery for the 40th annual Atlantic Antic. Spanning ten blocks and cutting through four neighborhoods, it’s billed as NYC’s largest street fair, so there’s more to see than stands hawking pashminas and MozzArepas. The eclectic musical lineup brings together diverse local talent and you can graze on grub from a delicious variety of artisanal vendors—washed down some fab locally brewed ale, of course. Check for announcements at atlanticave.org
New York Film Festival
This prestigious cinema event of NYC’s fall season, the New York Film Festival stretches back to 1963, when it established a mission of bringing the best work from around the world to Lincoln Center. The world premiere of Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk will open the 53rd New York Film Festival.
There are many options, however, there is mainly, single tickets for the Alice Tully Hall, where all Main State titles have initial screening there and screenings are $20 for Film Society of Lincoln Center members, $25 for nonmembers. Screenings at other venues are $5 cheaper.
See the Fall Foliage
For many Gothamites, going leaf peeping is what the fall is all about. Experienced New Yorkers will know that the leaves start to change color earlier upstate—and oh, that crisp fall fresh air! But be patient, and you can see some truly stunning fall foliage in many gardens and New York City parks. Some of the top spots, in and out of the city are, of course Central Park; where you’ll find a large tupelo tree at the southern end of an area known as Tupelo Meadow; the leaves appear in various shades—red, yellow and purple—throughout the season. Alley Pond Park is just over a half-mile long, where Tulip Tree Trail is a great place to spot this species. Also the Bloomingdale Park, is a 139-acre park features scores of lush woodlands and a vast diversity of trees. Fort Tyron Park has one of the highest points in Manhattan, where you’ll be able to gaze across the water at the Hudson River Palisades, which has 20 miles of cliffs that will be covered in vivid copper and orange foliage
For the best leaf spotting in the New York Botanical Garden, get lost in the garden’s Thain Family Forest. The 250-acre woodland area is the city’s largest patch of old-growth forest, with some trees dating to the 19th century, and many species including a high concentration of oak, red maple and tulip trees can be found in the garden.
Pumpkin Picking
Picking a pumpkin is a fall tradition where every ones sets out to pick the perfect pumpkin for decorating the indoors and carving for Halloween. All the fun resides at visiting Staten Island’s historic Decker Farm, where it’s an eventful way to get your hands on an orange squash. The early-1800s farm gets in the fall spirit every weekend in October with pumpkin picking, face painting, a corn maze, hayrides and arts and crafts.
Another spot is the not-too-far Queens County Farm Museum. Dating back to 1697, the site is New York City’s largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland. Every weekend in October the farm’s fields are filled with pumpkins to pick and buy, and The Amazing Maize Maze returns for those wishing to get lost. Hayrides are offered on the weekends as well.
Village Halloween Parade
October is the official start of the fall, but that’s not the single exciting element of the month. We are talking about HALOWEEN! Enjoy one of the city’s exciting celebrations of the spooky event in this year’s theme, the Garden of Earthly Delights, where the parade will embrace all of the nature in New York that makes our city so wild. There will be inspiring puppets created by Superior Concept Monsters, the Madagascar Institute, the Puppeteers’ Cooperative and Basil Twist’s studio, among others, as well as the Hungry March Band, the On the Lam Band and 35 more musical troupes. To walk in the parade, just turn up in an amazing costume.
