Viewing entries tagged
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Hudson River Park Pier 25

Tribeca, NY

street parking and parking lots

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

www.hudsonriverpark.org

Nothing is more charming than this place!  Located at Pier 25 on the West Side Highway, this park offers breathtaking views of downtown Manhattan and Jersey City across the Hudson.  For children, sprinklers, rock climbing, a playground, mini golf and sand boxes make it heaven on earth.  There is also beach volleyball, and a soccer field here (I don't know if any random person can use or you have to be a member).  They have concession stands as well. Try going later in the afternoon to catch the sunset (but then it might be too cold for sprinklers if you have young children!)

After you're done here, just walk the streets of downtown Manhattan.  There are some historic landmark buildings here adjacent to modern skyscrapers. Walk down Chambers street to the east side (remember, Manhattan is very narrow down here, it'll be a 20 minute walk) and you'll be by the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian path and City Hall.  You'll pass Oculus on the way there too.  

Also, there are constant events at the different piers here.  I went when there was free painting for children.  Click on this link to see all the events lined up for the summer.  Free fishing is a must!  And so are Salsa Tuesdays on Pier 45. 

Nearby:

Battery Park

Staten Island Ferry

South Street Seaport

Oculus

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Manhasset Valley Park

Manhasset, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

Bring a high quality camera, bring your children, and go the second week of November.  Enough said.  Just view the gallery!

Kill a few birds with one stone:  This whole stretch of Northern Blvd is high end shopping at its finest.  You can start at Macy's across the street, but if you want to do some serious damage, hit up the Americana strip mall a few miles east!  Also, any neighborhood off of Northern Blvd in this area is worth driving around in.  Some of North Shore's finest homes!

For a list of other great parks during fall foliage, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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Kings Point Park

Kings Point, NY

 

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

Located in Great Neck's most affluent town, King's Point Park is mostly a forest with hiking trails.  It also has a baseball field and picnic areas and a playground on its south side.  But the main draw, I think, is the hiking mid November during the peak of foliage.  It took an hour on the trail we took, but it was lovely at every turn.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Visit neighboring Stepping Stone if you have a park pass and are a Great Neck resident!

For a list of other parks great for hiking, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Central Park

Midtown, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

www.centralparknyc.org

There are not enough days in one's life to visit every corner of this oasis located smack in the middle of the concrete jungle.  I myself with and without the children, have visited the Shakespeare Garden, the Central Park Zoo, the Carousel, the Mall, the Reservoir, the Great Lawn, Loebs Boathouse, Strawberry Fields, Conservatory Water, and my very favorite (with an album all of its own)....The Central Park Conservatory.  Of all the famed gardens in NYC and its outer boroughs, THIS IS THE ONE TO SEE!  It is completely free, and walking the grounds you can't help but feel like royalty.  It is no where as big as NY Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Garden, but it is far more exquisite. I went here on Mother's Day with the entire family and we enjoyed every minute.  Tip:  Go the week Magnolia or Crabapple trees are in blossom.  Pay attention to those specific trees in your neighborhood so you have an idea of their bloom period before you go.  Also, there is a Maoz felafel stand right outside the garden in actual Central Park, perfect to feast on during a picnic!  And go to the park early (before 11am) if you are driving in or if you want to avoid long lines to rent a row boat by Loeb's Boathouse.  It costs $15 per hour and $5 per each additional hour per boat (not per person). Make sure you know how to row before you go!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Or kill a billion birds with one stone.  There is prime real estate all over Central Park.  There is no going wrong with dining, shopping, or just walking around every block and enjoying the architecture! 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue run parallel along the East Side and Columbus and Amsterdam run parallel along the West Side and showcase some of the most expensive residential building in the world as long as high end shopping.  Also, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Jewish Museum line up the Museum Mile on 5th Avenue.  Central Park South has hotels such as The Plaza and Ritz Carlton.  The West Side has the Museum of Natural History, Time Warner Building, Columbus Circle, The Dakota Building, Lincoln Center a block over.  The North has Harlem and Columbia's campus.  There's no losing anywhere you turn!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Allenwood Park

Great Neck, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot and free street parking

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

One of the many parks in this lovely neighborhood, Allenwood is at its peak of beauty in the fall!  It has two wonderful playgrounds, one for older and one for younger children.  It has a pond where we were once able to feed the ducks.  It has sprinklers for children during the summer.  And just beautiful landscaping!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

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Riverside Park

Upper West Side, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park

Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is one of Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront parks.  We decided to go on a Mother's Day with my own mother as well and started our journey south from the 91st Street Garden.  There is a playground at the very bottom of the hill here (from what I recall from my memory) and then you can begin walking down a pedestrian walkway along the Hudson River.  There are a lot of bikers here as well.  It was just such an extraordinary experience and it happened to be a beautiful 80 degree day!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue are just a few blocks over and full of boutique shops.  Just walking around the neighborhood is enough of an activity with your children.  Trust me, for those who say their children don't enjoy these activities, it's only because they haven't been exposed to them!  

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

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