Return of the NYC Staycation! Creative (and safe) ways to enjoy and explore NYC.
ENJOY LOCAL!
Even though we’re in the middle of a global pandemic, that doesn’t mean you can’t get out and enjoy some of the best that NYC has to offer. Some businesses are already set up to allow you to patronize them safely and others have come up with creative ways. Here are some of our favorites:
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK:
This glorious park is hosting a variety of FREE activities! Kayaking, Yoga, Pilates and Adult and Kid Scavenger Hunts. Take a look! If you’ve never, been, it’s worth it just for the views and the amazing landscaping and seating that they’ve done.
UNIQUE OUTDOOR DINING:
Dine and Drink on Baylander Steel Beach which is located on the deck of Baylander IX-514, which served in the Vietnam War and is now docked at West Harlem Piers, on 125th Street on the Hudson River.
OUTDOOR MOVIES:
Parklife in Gowanus is hosting Outdoor Cinema on Wednesday nights. Enjoy cocktails, tacos, and movies in the great outdoors (weather permitting). Free to attend and if you get there early, you can participate in movie trivia before the show starts.
Upcoming movies in September, Beverly Hills Cop, When Harry Met Sally, and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Pier 17 in the Southstreet Seaport came up with a fun concept called The Greens. You can enjoy outdoor cinema or just come for food and drinks for up to 8 people in your own private boxed mini lawn area which includes:
- 14 ft. x 14 ft. of green space
- Food & beverage for on-site purchase
- Cabana-style lounge chairs
- Sun umbrella
- USB charging port
- Built-In Yeti cooler
Be aware you’ll need to make a reservation well in advance (many dates are sold out).
For more outdoor cinema in NYC and the boroughs, NYMetroParents.com provides a comprehensive list.
OUTDOOR ART:
The Met is open! And we can’t wait to see their rooftop art installation, Lattice Detour. From the NY Times, “What’s That on the Met’s Roof Garden? A Big, Beautiful Wall. The artist Héctor Zamora’s ‘Lattice Detour’ is a monument to openness over enclosure, lightness over heaviness, transience over permanence. It’s also fraught with political meanings. And while the rest of the museum has been as dark and still as a tomb since the start of the pandemic lockdown, the Roof Garden has percolated with life. Seeds, carried by wind, sprouted in its pavement. Wild ducks nested and raised a family in a planting box. In July, work on a sculptural installation by the Mexico City-based artist Héctor Zamora, left half-finished in March, went back into high gear in time for the Met’s reopening to the general public on Aug. 29.”
OUTDOOR WORKOUTS:
Gyms are opening back up on September 2, however, no indoor group fitness classes are allowed. An indoor group fitness class is an activity with two or more participants led by an instructor. And New York State limits capacity in gyms and fitness centers to 33% of the facility’s maximum allowable occupancy.
We still love the opportunity to take a cycling class outdoors! Our pick is BYKLYN, which touts that they are NYC’s first outdoor cycling studio. From the street art “in” the studio to the diverse instructors, we are fans.
Another option is SoulCycle. They have several locations doing outdoor classes on Long Island as well as Hoboken and Hudson Yards.
LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY:
Unfortunately, there are no updates on when event venues can open back up. However, there are smaller venues with outdoor space such as The Tiny Cupboard, a DIY comedy club on a rooftop space in Bushwick. They are hosting a barrage of comedy shows, some free and others at very affordable prices of $10 or less. To add to this very Bushwick experience, the space is on the roof of a building that houses art studios.
Popular concert hall Littlefield—which happens to be Parklife’s sister venue—was booking music and comedy acts but according to their website, those shows are currently paused due to a new state mandate. Check their website for updates.
And be on the lookout for the NY Philharmonic Bandwagon! “The New York Philharmonic is bringing live music to New York City in a new way. With New York City’s performance venues still closed, NY Phil Bandwagon pull-up concerts visit all five boroughs, presenting outdoor performances by members of the Orchestra and guest artists featuring an assortment of music including new commissions.”
PRIVATE TOURS:
And don’t forget about our private tours! It’s a great time to enjoy NYC while the crowds are away. Our most popular has been our Private Chelsea Market, High Line & Hudson Yards Food & History Tour as well as our Private Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour.
Be sure to check out our recent article, SUMMER IN NYC IS STILL ON, for information on what other attractions and museums as open as well as our picks for beaches and parks.