20 Fun Things to Do Outdoors in NYC

View of New York City from an outdoor observation deck. — Outdoor observation deck in NYC. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Travelers to NYC usually seek indoor recreation, but with Covid-19, outdoor tourism has seen a big boost. You can spend most of your time touring outdoors in NYC, popping into museums (with their enhanced filtration system sand social distancing rules) to warm up briefly. Here, a lifelong New Yorker and outdoor enthusiast shares her tips and secrets for outdoor fun in New York City.

Broadway shows are closed, filtration systems in historic buildings may be suspect and interactive elements in museums are turned off. Should you visit NYC during the pandemic? Yes. Whether you are a local or live within driving distance, New York has green spaces and more that you can enjoy year round.

Here are 20 fun ways to spend time outdoors in NYC no matter when you visit.

Outdoors Across NYC

Get on the Water

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Get this gorgeous view when you cross the East River on the NYC Ferry, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, for the same price you pay for a ride on the subway. Photo credit: Judy Antell

In warm weather, Hudson River Park in Manhattan has free kayaking; Brooklyn Bridge Park offers free kayaking in the East River. But all year, you can ride the Staten Island Ferry (it’s FREE and one of the best free things to do in NYC) for close up views of the Statue of Liberty.

Or you can take one of the NYC Ferry rides on the East River. It costs the same as a ride on the NYC subway and offers much better views!

Bike Around the City

If you don’t want to drive all over or use public transportation, biking around the city with preteens and teens is easy as long as there is no rain or snow. We just sanitize our hands after.

The Hudson River Greenway has a protected bike lane from lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side, passing through the West Village, Chelsea and Midtown. There are also greenways from Red Hook to Dumbo in Brooklyn, from Astoria to Long Island City in Queens and in the Rockaways.

Think it’s too cold for a bike ride? A gaiter keeps your face warm in cold weather, and does double duty as a mask.

The Bronx Outdoors in NYC

The Bronx Zoo

The New York Botanical Gardens in winter. Credit: Judy Antell

The Bronx Zoo is open year round, with new restrictions in place. Every visitor must have a timed, dated ticket to enter.

One thing I love about going to the zoo in winter: You don’t notice the animal aromas quite so intensely.

Zoo Neighbor, New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden, next to the zoo, deserves a separate visit. Most of the 250 acres are outdoors and open in all weather.

This is the place to find a forest in NYC! Plan to spend some time walking the trails through the largest remaining old growth forest in NYC.

Wave Hill

The public garden Wave Hill, in Riverdale, is a family favorite. There is plenty of space to run, gorgeous Hudson River views, and the garden allows you to take your mask off once you’re past the entrance, as long as you can socially distance.

Advance ticket reservations are required for all visitors. There is free admission all day on Thursdays.

Brooklyn Outdoors in NYC

A flower at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, one of the place to get outdoors in NYC — The flowers might not bloom all year, but the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens still is a great spot to get outdoors in NYC, any time of the year. Photo credit: Pixabay

Flowers and More

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, a 52-acre oasis in the city, now requires timed tickets, and all indoor venues are closed.

But the garden shines year round. See fall foliage and colorful pumpkins and squash in autumn. Cold weather brings winter-blooming witch-hazels and winter-blooming hellebores. By early spring, cherry trees and tulips bloom; in summer, roses and the native flora garden burst into color. Any time of year, see the koi in the Japanese Garden.

Prospect Park Green Space

Prospect Park has a zoo, a year-round farmers market, a children’s history museum with outdoor programming (closed for repairs) and two outdoor ice skating rinks that convert to roller skating in warmer weather.

The carousel is closed due to the pandemic.

New York Aquarium

The aquarium is open 365 days a year, with the animals on exhibit all year round. The penguins at the outdoor Sea Cliffs exhibit are particularly frisky in cold weather. Aquatheater shows are weather-dependent.

Before my kids were in school, we always preferred the cold to warm weather visits to avoid school groups and camp visits. Covid-19 restrictions require an advance, date-specific ticket.

Coney Island

Take the family dog for a walk on the beach, October 1 – May 1. Credit: Judy Antell

After the aquarium, walk on the boardwalk and on the empty beach if it’s not too cold. From October 1 to May 1, leashed dogs can go on NYC beaches.

Also, you can’t ride the Cyclone or other amusement park rides due to the coronavirus. This can be an advantage if you are too scared to ride.

Skyline Drive-In Movie Theater

Drive in movie theater. Credit: Judy Antell

When movie theaters shut down, retro drive-in theaters stepped in to fill the Void. Because so many New Yorkers don’t have cars, Skyline Drive In, in Greenpoint, also has bike-up and walk-in options.

But if you’ve driven to New York, you might want to stay warm in your car and watch a movie with a view. And since the sun sets earlier in winter, you can get the kids to bed at their regular time.

Manhattan Outdoors in NYC

Outdoor art at The High Line. Photo credit: Judy Antell

Ice skating

While Central Park has canceled its outdoor ice skating season, the outdoor rink at Brookfield Place offers a way to generate your own heat, with views of the water and the Winter Garden. The Rink at Bryant Park still has FREE ice skating, but online reservations are required. The rinks is open October 30 through Sunday, March 7, 2021.

Green Space with a View

The High Line, which requires timed tickets due to Covid-19, has lush wildflower plantings and sculptures throughout its 1.45-mile-long length.

The elevated greenway, a former railroad spur, runs from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. Currently, you can only walk it one way, from downtown to uptown.

SheBuysTravel Tip: People watching is one of the best outdoor things to do in Times Square!

Lincoln Center Music and Dancing

Lincoln Center always has a summer series, with swing dancing in the plaza between its theaters.

In 2020, with indoor music performances closed, the venue added outdoor concerts with ticketed pod seating and picnic baskets.

Hudson Yards

Climbing The Vessel is an interactive way to see NYC from up high. And climbing almost 2,500 steps, spread over 154 interconnecting flights of stairs generates heat when you climb in cold weather.

The Public Square & Gardens has a Backyard Big Screen where outdoor movies and live sports are shown. There are sanitized seating pods for up to two or four people; you listen through wireless, sanitized headphones.

Get that View

First time visitors who want to get iconic city views should note that the Empire State Building has an outdoor observation deck, as does the new Hudson Yards attraction, The Edge.

The Top of the Rock also has an open-air roof deck. The vantage point is not as high but the views are still cool.

SheBuysTravel Tip: If you visit NYC in November, read these tips for watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Queens Outdoors in NYC

Socrates Sculpture Park

Who says you need to visit a museum to see art? This park features sculptures and plenty of grass to run around and warm up. The current exhibit, Monuments Now, focuses on marginalized populations. Socrates is open 365 days a year from 9am – sundown, and dogs are allowed on leash.

Queens County Farm Museum

This working farm, in Floral Park, is open year round and FREE to visit. The Children’s Garden lets kids touch and smell herbs and vegetables grown on site.

Wildlife in Jamaica

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, part of Gateway National Recreation Area, has great birding spots. You can see many migratory species. There are walking trails (no biking) and dogs are not allowed.

Staten Island Outdoors in NYC

National Recreation Area

Fort Wadsworth, also part of Gateway National Recreation Area, has great views of the city and New York harbor. If you are here in summer, it’s an excellent spot to see the July 4th fireworks.

Walking and biking trails are open year round. In winter, try the sledding hills.

Animals at Staten Island Zoo

The Staten Island Zoo is open year round (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). Unique outdoor exhibits include an outdoor aviary and dinosaur sculptures.

Outdoor Dining, Year Round

When restaurants in New York City shut down for Covid-19, the first thing to return was outdoor dining. It was such a hit that the program, which allows many restaurants to build structures on the sidewalks and streets, is now year round.

For colder months, heat lamps and plastic wind barriers help keep the chill at bay, but definitely dress in layers that you take off and put back on as needed. And, if you like to walk around with a short winter jacket, carry an extra scarf with you to sit on. If your coat isn’t long enough for you to sit on it, you will get cold fast while eating outdoors.

Even before Covid-19 restrictions, the 230 Fifth Rooftop had an Igloo Bar, open November – May. The transparent, heated igloos are for 21 and older, except during brunch.

Many farmers markets stay open year round in NYC. The Union Square greenmarket has food to go; fruit, pastries, cheese. You can also get locally made jams and honey for those at home.

Tips for Staying Warm Outdoors in NYC

Hand warmers: those little packets that you slip into gloves or mittens, are great for keeping your hands warm. They last for about six hours, so if you deploy them strategically, you can make it from afternoon through dinner with just one set.

Your mask keeps you warm! After I recovered from pneumonia, I had to wear a running buff for outdoor activities during winter. These keep my face and neck warm. But even a cotton mask keeps your face warm, so follow the Covid-19 rules and wear your mask.

Make a change: if your socks, gloves or mask get wet, you might never get rid of the chill. Take a short break each day – return to your hotel in the afternoon – and reassess your outerwear. Have a spare pair of gloves, socks, and hat (and mask!) to switch off.

Driving Around NYC

Auto folding mirrors keep the Toyota C-HR safe on streets or in crowded garages. Credit: Judy Antell

If you drive around the city, you can quickly warm up in the car. I had the opportunity to drive a Toyota C-HR, a compact SUV that is ideal for city driving. The side view mirrors fold in automatically so if you park on the street or in a garage, the mirrors won’t get dinged. And the car is small enough to easily find parking, or maneuver around those outdoor dining structures and ubiquitous double parked trucks.

The Toyota C-HR also has pedestrian detection, critical when New Yorkers dart in front of the car, along with safety features for your drive to and from the city: blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert. You don’t need those in NYC because you have to assume there is ALWAYS another vehicle right near you.

And there’s a luxury touch I didn’t expect in a car that tops out at $28,000: heated seats. Just what you need when you jump into the car after spending time outdoors.

20 Fun Ways to Spend Time Outdoors in NYC All Year Long