Where To Get Back To Nature In And Around New York City

New York City may be known for its big buildings and big crowds, but you can get back to nature without having to travel too far.

Scott and I moved to Riverdale in the Bronx after I had spent 40+ years living in Manhattan (I even went to college here!) and Scott had spent most of his years in Brooklyn, then Manhattan with me. One of the things we love about Riverdale is how much nature there is within walking distance and certainly within a short drive.

Now that we both have flexible schedules (a perk of the FIRE lifestyle!), we have found lots of opportunities for nature walks this past year. 

While we have not taken the initiative to write Excursion Friday posts on these places, we have summarized them here as we were struck not only by their beauty, but also by their proximity to the urban jungle of New York City.

Our collection of great places to enjoy the outdoors in and around New York City:

Within the Five Boroughs

Brighton Beach

We drove to Brighton Beach, and while the municipal lot was full (get there early) we were able to find street parking. You can also take the B or Q which stops just a block or so from the beach. Yes, it was crowded, but the calm, very blue water and sailboats in the distance reminded me of our trip to Greece.

Fort Tryon Park

I knew about Fort Tryon Park because of the Cloisters Museum, but I hadn’t been to that museum in decades, and I don’t remember ever going to the park area. We spent just a half hour at Fort Tryon Park, killing time before meeting someone, and I’m definitely going back. There are lovely garden paths, and many activities were posted for in and around the park.

College of Mount Saint Vincent

My youngest daughter and I routinely go to the College of Mount Saint Vincent, just a few blocks from where we live in north Riverdale. Our go-to place is a bench overlooking the pond right at the entrance. Sometimes you can see koi fish, turtles and geese in the pond, and sometimes it looks complete empty (where do they go?). If you walk further into campus, you have a wonderful view of the Hudson. Or if you’re lucky, you get a wonderful view of a squirrel eating a donut.

Wave Hill Garden

Another walkable treat in North Riverdale is Wave Hill Garden. Much smaller than the New York Botanical Garden, Wave Hill has plenty of places to sit (big lawn chairs, gazebos, picnic areas, benches, or simply the grass) and look out at the Hudson. There are several small gardens, and in the summer, there are outdoor concerts and other events. Admission is free on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

A short drive away

Brookdale Park

We stumbled onto Brookdale Park in Bloomfield, NJ when our youngest was assigned Clifton, NJ for her SAT subject tests last August. It was a beautiful accessible park to walk around with paved 1- and 1.5-mile walking paths. Our favorite part was the extensive rose garden, which was still in full bloom!

Van Vleck House and Gardens

Another surprise from our morning in Clifton, NJ was the Van Vleck House and Gardens in Montclair, NJ. There are a lot of beautiful small gardens to discover. My favorites were the butterfly garden, which is a garden in the shape of a butterfly, and the main garden which opens with a pair of columns built into winding Chinese Wisteria plants.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve

When Scott and I need an easy hike (because I need my paved roads and low inclines), we head to Rockefeller State Park Preserve in Pleasantville. There are many trails to choose from, and there is always something easy enough for me.

Walkway on the Hudson

This pedestrian bridge over the Hudson River had been on my wish list, and it didn’t disappoint. It is part of an extensive rail trail system, so you can explore much more than the 1.3 mile bridge itself. You can also explore Poughkeepsie, which is on the east side of the river. It is a bit further than our other excursions, but the 90 minute drive is worth it. 

Teatown Lake

Teatown Lake Reservation Nature Preserve is another beautiful place to visit. The trails mostly work their way around Teatown Lake, are easy to navigate and provide beautiful views. On our trip, we watched the swans for awhile and got the photo at the top of the page, almost a perfect heart! They also have many educational events, some of them at Wildflower Island, which is a restricted preserve for wildflowers, in the middle of the lake. 

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The above doesn’t even represent the full list. There is Lenoir Preserve and the Donald M Kendall Sculpture Garden, which we previously wrote about, as well as places like Van Cortlandt Park, Tibbets Brook Park, Old Croton Aqueduct, Sunny Ridge Preserve, Hart’s Brook and Cranberry Lake Preserve, enough for another full post…

Even given all the places we’ve been, there are more in the area to explore. We look forward to finding and exploring more of them this fall and next spring!