Manhasset Valley Park

Manhasset, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

Gallery

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.

 

Central Park

Midtown, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

www.centralparknyc.org

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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!

 

Alley Park

Bayside, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Fall

Gallery

The most scenic part of this park is Oakland Lake (the Northwest point).  If you get here an hour before sunset on a clear sunny day, you will be due for the most exquisite sunset!  The foliage is brighter, the colors reflecting off the pond are more vibrant, and the shots are perfect.  You can use your children as props in photos, go on a romantic date, or just go here alone, sit on a bench and read a book for some tranquility.  I go here without fail every year in early November for photo ops. My favorite of all things fall foliage!  Important Fact:  This is located on Cloverdale Blvd one block south of Northern Blvd.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Drive around the neighborhood of Bayside north of Northern Blvd.  Specifically Bayside Terrace...some streets are private, but that never really has stopped me!!  Also, stop by Martha's Bakery on Bell Blvd on your way there and the Bayside Shopping Center.  Also, depending on whether you go on a Sunday or not, you can find a rope course activity at neighboring Alley Pond Park. 

For a list of other great places to take fall foliage pics, 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!