Our NYC Parks Want You to Take a Staycation this Summer

NYC Parks Department

 

 

Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Image courtesy NYC Parks

No time to get away? New York City Parks has you covered. Here are a few ways to get away for a day, without a reservation.

Let’s start in Queens at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.Enjoy all there is to see and do at this local park with worldwide celebrity status and adventures for the whole family on and offshore. Mix it up with the kids and rent a bike or boat, or take a visit to the Fantasy Forest Amusement Park. Visit one of the Park’s cultural institutions like the Queens Zoo, the New York Hall of Science, or the Queens Botanical Garden. Take in some contemporary visual art by visiting the Queens Museum.

Fort Tryon Park. Image courtesy NYC Parks

Visit the beautiful Fort Tryon Park. Embark on a nature excursion to the Heather Garden or the Cloisters Lawn Overlook. Bask in the history of the Cloysters at The Met Cloisters, Linden Terrace, and the stone arches leading to the Billings Estate. Save the date for the 5th Annual Medieval Festival on Sunday, September bar 29th.

Manhattan Beach. Image courtesy NYC Parks

Pack your swimsuit and beach towel and head to Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn. Skip the late-summer crowd for this tranquil beach with neighborhood charm and barbecue vibes. Spend the day at the beach, play some tennis or volleyball, or simply sit back, relax, and have a barbecue in one of the designated areas. After the beach, visit the nearby Sheepshead Bay Piers and Brighton Beach or Coney Island.

Blue Herron Park, Staten Island. Image courtesy NYC Parks

Spend the day at Staten Island’s idyllic wild side where nature and history meet! The shores and the perfect summer sunset await you at NYC’s “south pole.” Enjoy a day in nature at Blue Heron Park, or spend the day at the beach at Wolf’s Pond Beach. Learn about Staten Island’s rich history at the Seguine Mansion or at the Conference House Museum.

Orchard Beach ~ Pelham Bay. Image courtesy NYC Parks

Explore NYC’s largest park ~ Pelham Bay Park ~ with miles of shoreline, trails, and more. This is an adventurer’s paradise! Follow the nature trail through the nature sanctuary at Hunter Island, look for shorebirds at the Twin Islands, or tour the Bartow-Pell Mansion. For a more leisurely escape, visit Orchard Beach, or play golf and mini-golf at Pelham Bay Park.

Visit the New York City Park Guide for more suggestions to round-out your Summer.