With beautiful summer days and weekends upon us, we all have to find new ways around the sky-high gas and transportation costs. Many families are re-thinking, altering or canceling long-standing vacation plans. However, for those living or working in Queens, a STAYcation is doable right in their own backyards.
The city and nearby Long Island serve as the setting for many cultural institutions and places of interest - just great for day trips and even weekend adventures.
Long Island is a wonderful source of STAYcation destinations, offering beautiful beaches and exciting events.
Enjoy your borough, and use mass transit to reap the rewards of the rest of the city and nearby Long Island too. Here are just some choices to consider this summer:
Adventureland
For kid-friendly fun in a safe environment, parents can visit nearby Adventureland in Long Island. There are thrill rides of all kinds, including towering roller coasters for daredevils and kiddie rides for small children. Along with that, there is also a shopping area known as the Bavarian Village, and various games of skill reminiscent of those found at a carnival.
Adventureland also has an indoor sit-down air-conditioned restaurant, which boasts a wide variety of food. It is a completely smoke-free environment; no smoking of any kind is allowed by anyone in the park.
The park opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays, and noon on weekends. Pay one price sessions of the park are $20 if the customer is under four feet tall and $25 dollars if the customer is over four feet tall. For additional information, call (631)-694-6868, or visit https://www.adventureland.us.
City Island
Located at the edge of New York City, just beyond Pelham Bay Park is City Island. The small island’s community is reminiscent of a New England fishing village, with almost every point on the island being no more than a short walk to the water.
City Island is known for its acclaimed restaurants, specializing in seafood, lobster being the common specialty of most establishments. City Island is also a popular place among boaters, with four yacht clubs and a kayaking club being just a few attractions for the nautically inclined.
Located on City Island is LeRefuge Inn, which is a seven-room Victorian inn, boasting a beautiful view of the 300-year-old harbor and traditional French cuisine.
For further information about City Island, visit https://www.cityisland.com/. For additional information about LeRefuge Inn, call 718-885-2478, or visit https://www.lerefugeinn.com/.
Arthur Avenue
Arthur Avenue, known as the Belmont Community, in the Fordham section of the Bronx, is the heart of the Bronx’ Little Italy. One can enjoy authentic Italian culture without the long plane ride, as well as sample delicacies that will make each visito want to come back for more.
Nowhere else on Arthur Avenue will one find better and more authentic Italian cuisine than at Mike’s Deli. A landmark of Arthur Avenue, Mike’s Deli offers the freshest and some of the best Italian food in New York.
A recent addition to Arthur Avenue is the Arthur Avenue Caf/, which brings an even more authentic European taste to the community.
For additional information about Arthur Avenue and Mike’s Deli, call 718-295-5033, or visit https://www.arthuravenue.com/.
Bronx Culture Trolley
Surely to be on everyone’s “must-do” list for those visiting the Bronx is the Bronx Culture Trolley. The trolley offers a unique way to not only travel along the lower Grand Concourse, but to witness some of the borough’s cultural hotspots, as it visits various historical sites, attractions that will interest and educate residents of the Bronx and visitors alike, and popular dining areas.
The ride along the trolley is free, and it is available every first Wednesday of the month, except January and September, at 5:30 p.m. For more information on the trolley, call Phil Cardone at 718-931-9500, Ext. 33, or visit https://www.bronxarts.org/culture_trolley.asp.
Staten Island Museum
Staten Island Museum, founded in 1881, is New York’s only general interest museum and has been named the Culture Spot for August by the tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York. Visitors of this museum get to explore the arts, local history and natural sciences through various exhibitions.
Being the oldest cultural institution on Staten Island, the museum has been a part of many other cultural centers in the community, including the New York Botanical Garden, the Staten Island Zoo, the Staten Island Historical Society and the Staten Island Children’s Museum.
The museum is located at 75 Stuyvesant Place Staten Island. It is open Mondays to Fridays, noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. The price of admission is $2 for adults, $1 for students and senior citizens and free admission for children 12 and under. For additional information call 718-727-1135 or visit https://www.statenislandmuseum.org.
New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden is hosting a large artistic exhibition during the summer and through November 2, 2008. The Moore in America: Monumental Sculpture exhibit will celebrate the sculptures of Henry Moore in the largest outdoor display of Moore’s work ever. The 20 works are currently displayed throughout the garden. The sculptures, mixed in with the natural beauty of the gardens provide visitors with an unforgettable aesthetic treat.
The exhibit is open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The price of admission for adults is $20, $18 for seniors and students with valid ID, and $7 for children 2-12. The New York Botanical Garden is located at 200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard. For further information call 718-817-8700 or visit https://www.nybg.org/.
The Floating Pool
For those who want to cool off in a unique way the floating pool would be a good choice. The floating pool is a 7-lane pool located atop a barge and offers beautiful views of New York’s waterfront.
The pool is complete with all the amenities of a standard pool, such as a pool house, locker rooms, bathrooms, as well as a gangplank to take you from land to pool.
Free swimming lessons are offered to children ages 1 and a half to sixteen on weekdays from 8 to 11 a.m.
The pool is docked at Barretto Point Park, at Tiffany Street and Viele Avenue Hunts Point, Bronx. The pool is open Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For further information, call 718-430-4601 or visit floatingpool.org.
Metro NY Balloon and Music Festival
Those in search of a family friendly event can visit the Metro NY Balloon and Music Festival, hosted by Brookhaven’s Calabro Airport. The three-day event will take place August 8, 9, 10, with hot air balloon ascensions each day from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Along with the balloons, the sky will also be the home of a large array of mega-kites, including the world’s largest kite in the shape of the American Flag. Apart from the aerial festivities, there will also be thrilling attractions on the ground. Monster truck rallies, extreme sports displays, and motorcycle stunts are only a few of many performances sure to draw a crowd at the festival. Tickets for the Festival can be purchased online in advance. Advance ticket prices are adult $20, children ages 5 to 11 $12 and kids 4 and under are free. For tickets, information and schedule of performances visit www.metronyballoonfest.com or call 516-794-4444.
Wave Hill Cultural Center
Providing great views of the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill is a 28-acre Cultural Center in the Bronx. Wave Hill is dedicated to the education of plant life, and offers various programs, which teach basic horticulture. The cultural center is also committed to the preservation of its natural beauty and the same beauty of places like it. People from around the area as well as tourists come to Wave Hill to witness one of the few places left that still contains undisturbed nature at its finest.
Wave Hill is located at West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The price of admission is $6 for adults, $3 for students and seniors and $2 for children 6 and over. For additional information call 718-549-3200 or visit wavehill.org.
Orchard Beach
On the western end of Long Island Sound lies a crescent shaped beach that is part of the larger Pelham Bay Park. This is Orchard Beach, one New York’s favorite summertime getaways. The beach is the only public beach in the Bronx. The beach, a manmade feat of engineering rather than a natural beauty, was created by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses in the 1930s. One can usually find tens of thousands of sunbathers using this beach on hot summer days.
Admission to the beach is free, although there is a fee for parking. For additional information, call 718-430-1890, or visit https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/pelhambaypark.
Robert Moses State Park
Those looking to enjoy activities on both land and sea should plan a trip to Robert Moses State Park. The park, which recently had its 100th anniversary, has five miles of beach, which is available for surfing as well as fishing. Anglers are also welcome to fish from the park’s piers. A day-use boat basin is also accessible and is large enough to accommodate 40 boats. Along with these aquatic activities are picnic areas and an 18-hole pitch-and-putt golf course.
The park has recently seen numerous renovations, including the reopening of a bathhouse and many other renovations to keep the oldest state park on Long Island a popular location to out-of-town visitors and Long Island residents alike.
“Long Islanders are deeply connected to the state parks, where generations have lasting memories of spending their days at the beach with friends and families,” said Carol Ash, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner. “Revitalizing Robert Moses State Park and so many other fabulous parks and beaches in the region will ensure they continue to be so integral to Long Islanders’ quality of life.”
Robert Moses State Park is open year-round, from sunrise to sunset. To get there, one must drive 48 miles from Manhattan, via the Southern State Parkway to Robert Moses Causeway (Exit 40), south to the park at the western end of Fire Island. For additional information, call 631-669-0470 or visit https://www.nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=45.
The New York City Transit Museum
The New York City Transit Museum is an institution which teaches people of all ages about urban public transportation history, and is the largest museum of its kind. The museum is set to open its newest exhibit: What’s New? Collecting at the New York Transit Museum’s Gallery Annex. The exhibit will explore some of the best and most unusual of the museum’s recent acquisitions, and the various stories behind them. The free exhibit opens July 26 and runs through November 2.
The Annex Gallery is located at the Annex at Grand Central Station. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For additional information call 212-878-0106 or visit https://www.mta.info/mta/museum/#general.
Midtown International Theatre Festival
The ninth annual Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF) is taking place from July 14 to August 10, and presenting approximately 50 shows in seven different venues, each within walking distance from one another. “This looks to be a banner year for the MITF,” noted John Chatterton, founder and executive producer of the Festival. “We have a wide selection of plays for our audience to sample, from comedies to revivals, from one-person shows to full-scale musicals, definitely something for everybody’s taste. It’s our fondest hope people stopping in to check out one show will come back for at least one or two more.” The ninth annual Midtown International Theatre Festival will take place at the WorkShop Theater’s Mainstage Space, The June Havoc and Dorothy Strelsin Theatres and the TBG Theatre (all located at 312 West 36th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues, on the 4th, 1st and 3rd floors, respectively); The Where Eagles Dare Theatre and Where Eagles Dare Studio Theatre, located at 347 West 36th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues) on the ground and 13th floors of that building; and Stage Left Studio, located at 438 West 37th Street, 5th Floor, between 9th & 10th Avenues. Tickets to all MITF shows are $18 and $15 for students and seniors. For additional information call 212-279-2504, or visit https://www.midtownfestival.org.
Splish Splash Water Park
Those looking to cool down during summer and still enjoy the thrills of an amusement park can visit Splish Splash Water Park. Splish Splash is the largest water park on Long Island and boasts a fully functional wave pool, as well as various rides and attractions for kids and adults alike.
Splish Splash is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. General admission is $35 and $25 for senior citizens and children under 4-feet-tall. For further information, call 631-727-3600, or visit https://www.splishsplashlongisland.com/.
The Bronx Zoo
An old attraction, which should be on everyone’s STAYcation list, the Bronx Zoo, has recently opened a new exhibit. The new exhibit, called “Madagascar,” highlights the island’s unique wildlife, natural resources, history and culture. The exhibit has been put in place in order to aid in conservation efforts of the island.
Apart from the new exhibits, the Bronx Zoo remains a timeless attraction for both adults and kids, offering various programs and activities that will interest people of all ages and get them enthralled and educated about the environment.
The Bronx Zoo is located at 2300 Southern Boulevard. For additional information, call 718-367-1010, or visit bronxzoo.com.
