Photo by Yumi Matsuo
should check out? Let me get my clip board out! The summer is full of adventure potential-the kind of adventures where you literally are grinning ear to ear the entire time. I actually find myself smiling so much sometimes that my cheeks hurt. For example, when we visited Governor’s Island on opening day, I was smiling so hard the whole time when we were riding the quad bike that the wind dried out my mouth! SO, a trip to Governor’s Island is a must-do this summer for all. I need to go back and try their new go-karts! I highly recommend taking advantage of the NYC ferries. You can find a post about 5 Reasons to Ride the NYC Ferry on curiousgandme.com but to sum things up, the actual ride is scenic and fun and you get to go to some of the most fun spots in the city! Some of our favorite ferry trips are to Astoria for the Sculpture Park and Noguchi Museum, Long Island City for Gantry Plaza State Park, Williamsburg for Domino Park and Brooklyn Bowl, and Brooklyn Bridge Park for extreme playgrounding spread across five different piers. We LOVE taking the ferry to and from Brooklyn Bridge Park (You can find TWO posts about Brooklyn Bridge Park on curiousgandme.com). In fact, if you are looking to maximize your fun you can spend a few hours in Brooklyn Bridge Park, then take the ferry to Governor’s Island! From Governor’s Island you can take the ferry to southern Manhattan, or back to Brooklyn! The possibilities are endless! We also enjoy taking the tram to Roosevelt Island where we walk along the length of the entire island and where, coincidentally, you can also catch the ferry! Coney Island is the quintessential NYC summer spot, and the amusement parks and aquarium are now open! We usually always go to nearby L and B’s pizza nearby to grab upside down Sicilian slices and the Spumoni frozen treats after hanging out on the boardwalk. We also love exploring gardens since we are flower lovers (and G can spend hours digging in the dirt and building shelters for ants and worms). There is a treasure trove of community gardens in the East Village that you can relax in during the weekends and some select weekdays. I recommend exploring one on a day that you take the kids to the awesome selection of playgrounds in Tompkins Square Park. Now I could write a book about Central Park after spending decades going there- we call it our urban backyard, but some of our fave spots are the Hallet Nature Reserve, Billy Johnson Playground, Sheep Meadow, the Conservatory Water, and the Conservatory Garden (you must visit if you haven’t yet-Trust!). The roller disco by Sheep Meadow on the weekends and the drum circles by the bandshell are basically outdoor dance parties. They are FUN. On the weekends, we also like to visit Wave Hill, The Cloisters/ Fort Tryon, New York Botanical Garden, Randall’s Island Urban Farm, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. Gallery hopping in West Chelsea, along with a June 2021 | New York Family
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