New York City doesn’t offer quite the fall experience like other states in the Northeast, such as Massachusetts or Vermont, but if you know where to look, you will find a plethora of things to do. Junior Ella Veith said,  “My favorite fall activity is to get a pumpkin from Whole Foods, and sit on the terrace in my apartment and carve it.”  Freshmen Zelia Zika, Alexis Chan, and Selbia Brodbeck said some of their favorite fall activities were trick or treating on Roosevelt Island, apple picking, and taking walks in various parks in the city.  

This is a list of the very best, whether you’re looking for a cozy reading nook, a trail to hike, or a pumpkin patch. 

Outdoor Activities:

• The Queens County farm is about an hour from NYCMS in Glen Oaks, Queens. It is a historic farm, producing food for New Yorkers since 1697. They offer hayrides, pumpkin picking, and tours of the farm where you can meet the animals they keep and learn about their fall produce.
• Demarest Farms located in Hillsdale, NJ is perfect for an apple picking day trip. This orchard is a 50 minute drive from the Museum School. There are a wide variety of apples to pick from including Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Mutsu, Red Delicious, Snap Dragon and Zestar.
• To get more inspiration and recommendations I chatted with 10th grade AP Environmental Science and Earth Science teacher, Mr. Wassmuth, about what his favorite fall activities were. “I like to go hiking and see the leaves…get out there and just see what’s new, I’ll look online or in the paper and say ‘What’s happening, let me check it out,’ even if it might not be something for me.” If you’re feeling as adventurous as Mr. Wassmuth, the Parks Department has a list of great fall hiking in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. If you’re interested, check the following link: https://www.nycgovparks.org/places-to-go/hiking 

Indoor Activities:

• Expand your mind at a library or used bookstore near you. There are so many unique bookstores in NYC and they are a wonderful place to relax during the colder months. There are also many used bookstores which are a great cheap option for loved books. In addition, there are 91 New York public libraries throughout the five boroughs.  Not only are they great school resources, but they can be a cozy fall and winter hideaway to read or do work. Some of my favorite used bookstores are:
  1. The Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby St in Manhattan
  2. Human Relations, 1067 Flushing Ave in Brooklyn
  3. Turn the Page Again, 39-15 Bell Blvd in Queens
  4. Westsider Rare and Used Books, 2246 Broadway in Manhattan
  5. Codex, 1 Bleecker St in Manhattan

Or you could visit a museum/exhibit exclusive to NYC. Our city has so many museums and amazing exhibitions to check out, here are some that are open this fall/winter of 2022:

• Fotografiska (The Museum of Photography) now has a New York location. The museum is still quite engaging even if you’re not the most artistic person. Their exhibitions are quite unique, and there’s always something new. I got to go to an Andy Worhol one just last year and I loved it. It’s located at 281 Park Ave South in Manhattan.
• The Brooklyn Museum is another great visit. For any fashion lovers they currently have a Virgil Abloh exhibit titled “Figures of Speech” on display until January, showcasing his work for houses Louis Vuitton and Off-White. There is also the “Death to the Living, Long Live Trash” exhibit, a reflection on pollution, destruction of marine life, and climate change from artist Duke Riley. The museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.
• The Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum is another interesting visit for this fall. They currently have two major exhibitions open, Design and Healing: Creative Responses to Epidemics, and Designing Peace. The Cooper-Hewitt is on the Upper East Side at 2 East 91st St.

Go make the best of this fall!