NYC: 10 Things to Do This Fall

October 5, 2018

It’s time to whip out the PSL, over-the-knee boots, and all of the sweaters. Fall has arrived in NYC - even if the weather slightly disagrees from time-to-time. Below, is a round up of my favorite autumnal things to do in New York that won’t all revolve around Halloween. Check it out! And if there’s anything I’ve left out let me know in the comments.

1. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
In my honest opinion, there’s no better way to take in the skyline. Beat the crowds with a cup of Joe in tow and get there early, like 10 am early. You’ll thank me later.

2. Take a Day Trip to the Apple Orchards
Grab your friends for the drive up, or take the MetroNorth or a bus service, and get ready to pick a bushel of apples from Apple Dave’s Orchards. There’s a tasting room full of their yummy cider, tons of outdoor space for picnickers, and family friendly.

3. Head to Central Park
The fall foliage is breathtaking - bring your camera. Once you got the shot take a tour of the lake on a row boat.

4. Eat Everything Pumpkin!
I absolutely mean this. Head to the farmer’s market each weekend, buy all things pumpkin, and eat to your little heart’s content. There’s a few farm-to-table restaurants in NYC that include pumpkin in their seasonal menus. Go there and eat that too.

5. Get Yourself a Pumpkin at the Queens County Farm
It’s kid-friendly, has a corn maze, and is reasonably close to the city. I would check their calendar for events too!

6. Take Yourself out to a Ball Game
Do yourself a favor and see The Mets play. Not The Yankees… The Mets. The crowd is friendlier and the air is filled with magic.

7. Celebrate Oktoberfest
There are so many German beer houses in NYC it would be totally unacceptable to not spend one Saturday day drinking in them during Oktoberfest. Remember, have your favorite ale in your left hand and bratwurst in your right. Prost!

8. Cheer on the NYC Marathon Runners!!
Maybe I’m bias, but it’s so inspiring to watch runners of all shapes and sizes chase their dreams to the finish line. This marathon touches all five boroughs so why not make a day out of it. Gather friends, create some funny, wacky signs, and cheer them on!

9. Treat Yourself
No seriously. It’s Spa Week in NYC and most luxuriating services average around $50 which is a steal! (However you should tip on the original price and not the deal price.)

10. Feast of San Gennaro
This is definitely my favorite fall festival in NYC for one reason alone - cannolis. Well, there’s also live music, amazing fresh pasta from the local restaurants, and the class festival rides.

If you loved this post then you might enjoy my other NYC posts!

NYC: Quick and Easy Day Trips to the Countryside!

July 13, 2017

A few weeks ago, EscapeMaker and Dutchess Tourism invited me into my backyard. So, like the curious little cat that I am, I found myself aboard the 7:53 am train headed towards Wassaic, New York. In case you're wondering, Wassaic is nestled inside of Dutchess Country and was established in 1683 as one of the original counties of New York. It's easily accessible by car, train, bus, air and boat - but for today's sake we're taking the train.

A mere three hours and nap later I arrived ready to taste my way through the quaint little town.

First order of business was stopping in the Village of Millerton to browse Harney & Sons Teas followed by Irving Farm Coffee. The tea shop (one of two in NY!) offers tastings on all of their 250 teas. And Irving Farm Coffee has the boldest and flavorful coffee I've tried all summer. On that note, there's something for everyone already!

At noon, we made our way to McEnroe Farm for a tour and lunch which incorporated fresh and local ingredients from Hudson Valley. Fun fact, it's one of New York’s oldest and most diverse certified organic farms and stands at over 1,100 acres of fields, pastures, and greenhouses.

Later we made our way down to the Taconic Distillery - probably my favorite stop - for some homegrown bourbon whiskey! Everything here is made in small batches using only the finest ingredients, including natural spring water from Rolling Hills Farm. It was all very good and the views outside of the Distillery could not be beaten!

The final stop on the tour brought us to Crown Maple Estates. I'm actually a HUGE maple candy and water addict so it was really interesting getting to learn how my favorite sweets are made.

In case you were wondering who exactly EscapeMaker were, they've been NYC's guide to local getaways since 2000. Dutchess Tourism has operated the Farm Fresh Tours program for about 10 years by providing bus shuttle service to train passengers arriving at Metro-North Railroad stations at select towns.

Their goal is to encourage car-less travelers to hop on a train from New York City and spend the day exploring local agriculture and way of life in the Hudson Valley. And by local agriculture, they mean apple picking, visiting breweries, learning about cheese making and more.

If you're interested in taking your own tour with EscapeMaker, they will have tours available and on sale to the public on escapemaker.com/farmfreshtours. I also want to note, the Metro-North has deals & getaways all summer long so click here for more information.

Let me know if you have any questions or plan to take a tour soon!

My Top 12 Instagrammable Murals!

June 28, 2017

Growing up in NYC I was surrounded by art. The thing is, the museum wasn't the only place you could find inspiration. If you took to the streets you'd be able to see art on the sides of abandoned buildings, trains parked in the long island city rail yard, billboards, and even on the sidewalks.

During the summers, and still to this day, I take joy in my private walking tours looking for new murals. And yes, some of them make it onto my Instagram and even become the backdrop to my outfit posts.

I do have my go-to spots so why not share them with y'all! Do it for the 'gram and don't forget to tag the artist. (Keep in mind, some these locations may showcase a different artist than the one shown below).

1. Kenmare & Mulberry Street - consistently changing and always worth the trip!