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Looking for something different to do this fall in New York? Below you’ll find some out-of-the-box experiences we experienced and think you should try in the heart of the city and beyond.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

Not only is it beautiful, it’s absolutely free. It sat on Danielle’s bucket list for quite some time, and I jumped at the opportunity to use it to bring her on a surprise date. We live in South Jersey, so it took us about two hours to drive to Brooklyn. We’d recommend walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan instead of the other way around, especially if you have to drive in as well. It’ll save you time because you won’t have to deal with traffic from tunnels, plus parking is so much easier. We found street parking for free not far away from the bridge’s entrance within 10 minutes. Once parked, we grabbed some bagels and caffeine from a local coffee shop.

We’d also recommend getting there as early as possible, especially for those perfect photo ops, as it gets packed.

Note: Stay out of the bike lane. The city’s residents use the Brooklyn Bridge as a direct commute and often get from side-to-side on bike. As with being a tourist in any city around the world, always be respectful.

All in all, it took us between 30-40 minutes to walk from one side to the other. We took our time and enjoyed the incredible architecture of the bridge and views of the city. Before heading home, we grabbed a couple slices of pizza from the infamous Juliana’s.

Ride in a Helicopter

It’s pretty impossible to see all five boroughs of New York City in one day – unless you do it from way up high. After walking from Brooklyn to Manhattan, we met up with a friend who happened to work for a local helicopter company . Even though it came with a hefty price tag of around $200 per person, it was well worth it. In less than one hour, we got to take in views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Washington Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and more in less than one hour. Doing this in the fall also let’s you take in the beautiful eye candy of the changing leaves in Central Park.

Groupon often offers deals and discounts on helicopter rides from various companies, so check it out before you go.

Eat at BlackTap

We know there are a million and one places in the city to grab a delicious bite to eat. But if you’re looking to indulge, get to BlackTap. Now with locations in Les, Soho, Downtown, Midtown, and in the Meatpacking District, this craft burger and beer joint is gaining popularity fast. Not a meat eater? They offer plenty of delicious vegan and vegetarian menu options as well.

I ordered a classic burger with an egg on top, and Danielle got the Californian. And then came dessert. BlackTap also offers a crazy menu of over-the-top milkshakes that you have to try. We each ordered our own, but we’d recommend splitting one because they are massive.

Check out the full menu at each location here.

Go to a Broadway Show

This should happen at least once in your life, whether or not you enjoy theater. Danielle bought me tickets to Kinky Boots for my birthday. It was her first ever Broadway show, and she loved it.

Seats generally fill up fast, especially if a great show is in town. We like to use broadway.com to see what’s available. If you can swing it, splurge on extra nice seats. You’ll be glad you did when the tallest person in the crowd takes up residence in the seat directly in front of you.

If the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple isn’t your thing, we’d recommend venturing outside for these one-of-a-kind experiences. Trust us, they’re worth the road trip.

Get in the Halloween Spirit at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

This was so insanely cool! Get your pumpkin on at the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in at Van Cortlandt Manor in Hudson, New York. It’s an elaborate walk-through experience in Sleepy Hollow Country where you can see more than 7,000 individually hand-carved, illuminated jack o’ lanterns. The intricate designs will blow your mind.

The event sells out and has limited capacity, so definitely buy your tickets in advance. They cost anywhere from $16-25 per person. This year’s event dates are:

  • September 29-30
  • October 1
  • October 5-9
  • October 12-31
  • November 2-5
  • November 9-12
  • November 24-25.

We were lucky to book our tickets during Restaurant Week in Hudson, so we ventured up early to eat delicious Italian food before our admission time. Take a ride up during daylight to take in all the fall foliage.

Historic Hudson Valley also offers other Halloween Events like Horseman’s Hollow, Irving’s ‘Legend,’ and more. Check out the full list of attractions here.

Walk to Canada

We had some extra PTO days and wanted to get away, so we decided to check out Groupon. We found a great deal for the Sheraton At The Falls Hotel in New York. We booked it and prepared for a seven-hour road trip. The hotel was only a 15-minute walk away from access to Canada and Niagara Falls.

Staying state-side saved us a lot of money, and the view walking across the bridge was astounding. We even got to be in two countries at once by straddling the border on the bridge. Once in Canada, we went through an extremely short line at Canadian Border Patrol. Then, observed one of the world’s most astounding, breathtaking sites right before sunset.

Some tips:

  • You really only need two or three days max to experience Niagara Falls and the surrounding area in all its glory.
  • Go during a time of year you can experience Maid of the Mist – it isn’t open all year round.
  • Grab a flight at Niagara Brewing Company.
  • Make the half-hour drive to eat some infamous Buffalo wings at Anchor Bar.
  • If you plan to stay in New York and walk to Canada like we did, don’t forget your passport!

Next on our NYC bucket list is a Central Park visit as the leaves are changing. Let us know some of your favorite New York adventures in the comments!

Shea

Author Shea

Call me @sheaskis, even though I've never been skiing. Photographer extraordinaire. Dog mom. Pizza enthusiast. Lover of all things creative.

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Hello!

We’re Danielle and Shea, an LBGT couple from New Jersey. We’ve been traveling together since 2015.