They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of year and then every April I say no, it’s spring; but then as the end of August nears and the city is heavy with the lingering summer heat, my heart begins to long for fall. Perhaps because it’s fleeting, whereas in summer I could swear time stops for a bit. If you go away for one weekend in late October, you might miss your favorite tree at its peak and come home to its leaves already fallen beneath it; for that reason I feel this urgency to not miss a single moment of the season. When we are observant we are forced to slow down and open our eyes, to take long walks in the crisp air and enjoy the last warmth from the sun as slips lower and lower into the horizon. Fall in New York City is probably the most romantic thing there ever was, so here are my favorite ways to enjoy it:
The Best of Foliage
First of all, when is peak foliage? Fall comes a bit later than you’d probably expect- September has an average temperature of 70 degrees, although its not uncommon to still be in the 80’s, even 90’s on some particularly miserable days. October can feel like summer or fall depending on the day and you’re usually fine with just a sweater. November is when you really need to bring out the jackets (I have a packing essentials list at the bottom of this article). The leaves start to turn in mid October, you get really excited leading up to Halloween, and then they reach their peak during the first & second week of November.
Central Park
It goes without saying that the best place in NYC to experience fall is Central Park. See this blogpost for more details about my favorite spots in the park, but really you can’t go wrong! Here’s an itinerary you can do: enter at west 67th street, walk over to Le Pain Quotidien to grab a warm beverage to sip as you walk. Bonus-if you have kids or want to feel like a kid- don’t skip the Carousel! Head north towards the Mall then walk down the stairs to Bethesda Terrace to see the fountain, walk through the then over to The Lake and the Bow Bridge- this is the money shot! Afterwards, I would just wander around this area. You can head into the Ramble, the wooded area of the park, over to the Boat Pond (Stuart Little & Breakfast at Tiffany’s have scenes shot around here), see the Alice in Wonderland Statue, wander down to the Central Park Zoo, or head up to 79th street and 5th Ave. to visit the Met, or any of the museums on Museum Mile, more info on museums and the surrounding area in this blogpost.
Riverside Park
Also located on, but on the other end of the Upper West Side is Riverside Park. It’s smaller and less touristy than Central Park, and was prominently featured in You’ve Got Mail. As the name suggests, Riverside Park runs parallel to the Hudson River. I suggest entering the park anywhere from 80th street up to 116th street, it’s really lovely all the way up, and the surrounding area has some of the prettiest streets and buildings in the city. If you make it up to 116th street, you’ll be near the Columbia University Campus which is lovely to walk around. While you’re there I suggest walking over to the Cathedral of St John the Divine and taking a tour- it’s U.S.’s grandest cathedral that will make you feel like you’ve been transported to Europe. Afterwards, stroll around their gardens. This is perhaps my #1 favorite hidden gem in the entire city, it’s a very special place and I totally try to gate-keep it, but I want you to experience a lesser known version of NYC (my version), so I’m letting you in! Let’s keep this a secret between us. Right across the street is the Hungarian Pastry Shop, it’s a neighborhood-y, New York-y feeling kind of place, where you can grab a sweet treat and hot cup of coffee, family owned since the 1970’s. Check out a New York Times Article about it here. Alternatively, or perhaps you feel like doubling down on carbs, you can walk a few blocks over and grab THE best bagel in NYC at Absolute Bagel– fyi, it’s cash only!
Cozy Places to Eat, Drink, See & Shop
As winter approaches, it’s time to start thinking about all the moody places we want to hibernate. Here’s a list of some of my favorite spots in the city that feel like a warm hug in a dark library.
- The Morgan Library & Museum (Midtown East)- another one of my top recommendations. Inside the gilded age mansion of JP Morgan himself plus an exhibition of his personal & extensive library. It’s a must see and it’s free on Friday’s! P.S. read the book The Personal Librarian before going- you’ll enjoy it 10x more!
- dinner and a jazz show is my favorite cool weather date night activity. I love Smoke on the Upper West Side, it was recently renovated and is one of the best places to see live music in the city. The Wallace Lounge is a great bar also on the Upper West Side and they sometimes have live jazz shows.
- Vin sur Vingt– a very cozy wine bar on the Upper West Side
- The Lobby Bar at the Bowery Hotel– located in the East Village, this is one of my top favorite hotel bars. Fireplace, vaulted ceilings, cozy seating. All the old money vibes.
- The Campbell Bar in Grand Central. Since Grand Central Station is one of the few “touristy” attractions I actually recommend, getting to have a drink here is a bonus and you’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time to 1940’s NYC.
- because nothing is cozier to me than a hot cup of tea, how about high tea at Tea and Sympathy, a west village restaurant serving British comfort food since 1990. If you have little ones (or are just young at heart, like me) you’ll love Alice’s Tea Cup. They have two locations, one on the Upper West Side and one on the Upper East Side. If you want to shop for some tea leaves and take in some charming scenery while you’re at it, I love Sullivan Street Tea Company and Paquita Tea House (both in the West Village)
- Located inside of the Neue Gallerie (a museum located in a townhouse across the street from the Met that specializes in early 20th century Austrian & German art), Cafe Sabarsky is a Viennese cafe serving a variety of pastries and warm drinks and somehow makes me feel like I’m riding the Orient Express. The perfect place to stop for a light lunch after a long day of strolling around Central Park and up and down Museum Mile. Also nearby is Albertine Books. It’s a french bookstore, but you MUST go see it, just trust me on this, all located on the Upper East Side.
- It’s a splurge, but maybe you’re celebrating a special occasion…located inside an 18th century carriage house in the West Village, One if By Land, Two if By the Sea is one of the coziest and most romantic restaurants- if not the most romantic- in all of NYC, and the food is incredible as well.
- Shop for the best smelling candles ever at lovely home decor at in a really gorgeous setting at The Maker Shop in Chelsea afterwards walk over to Fabrique, a Swedish bakery. Gotta get the cardamom bun.
- Sogno Toscano Market & Wine Bar in the West Village. I love this place for a little lunch date or wine in the evening.
- Narrow, books filling two-story shelves that are flanked by rolling library ladders, West Sider Books is a used bookstore on the Upper West Side and one of my favorite places to hide out on a rainy day.
- I highly recommend checking out the Met Cloisters. It’s a lesser known branch of the Met Museum, located at the tippy top of Manhattan (Inwood), up a windy road overlooking the river. The museum specializes in European medieval art and architecture, with a focus on the Romanesque and Gothic periods. In the middle of the galleries the medieval garden. It’s such a cool spot! Afterwards stroll around Heather Gardens- you’ll completely forget you’re in the city. For a bite to eat (and a margarita bigger than your face) boyfriend and I love this Mexican restaurant nearby.
Cutest Neighborhoods
One of my favorite fall pastimes is just strolling around and admiring the seasonal decorations. Since we don’t have front yards here, New Yorkers opt for decorating their stoops (if they have one!) The best neighborhoods for a leisurely and aesthetically pleasing stroll are: the West Village, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, Brooklyn Heights, and Park Slope. I’m sure there are many more but I’m just naming a few! A fun weekend activity is to grab a [spiked] hot cider and walk around admiring the pumpkins on cute little side streets.
Take a Sail on a Foliage Cruise
One of the best places to see the city is actually not in it, but from the water! There are many sightseeing cruises available- a skyline cruise, a Statue of Liberty cruise, a jazz cruise, a brunch cruise, the list goes on! In October & November they offer a foliage cruise where you sail up the Hudson to observe the coastline’s foliage from the river. Book here!
Farmer’s Markets
Nothing says fall to me like strolling through a crowded farmer’s market on a crisp yet vibrantly sunny late October morning. Multicolored potted mums, pumpkins, gords, apple cider donuts, a cauldron of steaming apple cider… you get the picture. I usually go to the 77th Street Greenmarket since it’s closest to me, but it also happens to be the most fun. It happens every Sunday morning-afternoon, and just down the street is the Grand Bazaar, a big flea market where you can find all kinds of treasures! There is also the famous Union Square Greenmarket, which takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays. There are many other farmer’s markets in the city, these are just two of my favorites!
Getting Out of the City
The surrounding area of NYC is beautiful in fall as well, so I highly recommend taking a quick trip out of the city! You can easily access the Hudson Valley via the Metro North train Hudson line (be sure to sit on the left side for a great view!), I love the town of Cold Spring, it’s only about a 1.5 hour train ride and it’s an adorable town with lots of shops and restaurants ! One stop further north is Beacon, which is slightly bigger and livelier, plus they have the Dia Beacon (modern art museum) and nice little nature trails along the river. On the other side of the river, I highly suggest making a visit to Storm King Art Center, it’s an spralling ourdoor sculpture museum that goes on for acres and acres. One of my favorite places, ever. An absolute must. You can drive or take the train and then a shuttle. If you drive, be sure to check out Jones Farm. They have the cutest country gift shop upstairs and downstairs are the delicious baked goods AND the best apple cider donuts on the planet, in my opinion. For dinner, drive over to Prima Pizza. Renting a car in NYC is easy- use Kyte– they drop off and pick up the car right to your address. Do NOT rent a car from Avis, Budget etc. in the city (insanely overpriced), if you must use one of these companies, better to pick it up fro Laguardia airport.
What to Pack/Wear
New York fashion, in my opinion, is all about the classics. So be sure to pack timeless pieces that are comfortable enough to walk miles in and still look chic going out to dinner in. In terms of weather, a light jacket should do! Here are a few things I would 100% want to pack:
- A nice wool coat like this one or this one – will keep you warm and never goes out of style
- We walk a lotttt in NYC, so a comfy yet cute pair of sneakers is needed. I LOVE this brand.
- A good pair of jeans. These are pretty much the only ones I wear, I love the fit & have multiple colors.
- A cardigan and a few other sweaters, this brand is great for classic staple pieces.
- Black blazer- throw on for dinner to easily spruce up an outfit
- Tall boots– for day or going out at night!
- My go-to crossbody bag
Please let me know if you have any questions! I always want to show you the best sides of NYC by providing a unique and thoughtful combination of recommendations that you probably won’t see elsewhere. Hopefully by doing this I’m giving you a glimpse of this wonderful city through my eyes, the eyes of someone who knows how lucky she is to have called it home for her entire life. If you’re looking for a place to stay, please check out my hotel recommendations.
Happy Fall!!!