Lounging in New York City: 7 Ways to Spend the Perfect Day Doing Nothing
Photos by: Adil Dara Kim
In New York City, day trips to the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, MoMA, and Times Square are just foreplay for unpredictably adventurous nights on par with The Hangover. Sometimes, though, you just need a lazy afternoon to piece together the puzzle that was last night. While New Yorkers don’t sleep, they are notorious loungers. OTP’s carved out some space for you to melt into the NYC pavement.
New York is indeed a concrete jungle, but not without green spots to lay your head. We bet you’ve heard of Central Park. Catch an impromptu show at the bandshell, stroll through Strawberry Fields, hang over the lake on Bow Bridge and don’t you dare miss the Belvedere Castle. Nearly 1,000 acres guarantees some serenity, but to truly ditch the picture-taking tourists, try out Brooklyn’s take on the park, Prospect Park. The 90-acre Long Meadow is a great place to lay face down in the grass, only turning for the occasional squirrel sighting. Like a little concrete in your greenery? Take a stroll along the High Line Park, an old elevated train track converted to a scenic-bypass in Manhattan’s Lower West Side. Watch the busy city while you hover above it, and look up to get a whole different kind of view. Rumor is that hotels overlooking the High Line are favorites for pervy exhibitionists.
“America’s Beach” offers a day’s worth of cheap thrills. It’s a hike deep into Brooklyn, but worth it. The antique feel and seaside location of this amusement park helps calm the city chaos. The Wonder Wheel, one of the only ferris wheels with moveable cars, will put you high above the hustle. Coney Island is also home to the Cyclone, a wooden rollercoaster built in 1927—the second-oldest in the world. Nothin’ like curing a hangover by puking off the side of a track! Take our advice and indulge in a good ole’ fashioned Nathan’s hot dog AFTER a ride on the coaster. Even if it’s full of boom boxes and children, the beach itself is a good place to watch little old ladies sell empanandas from tupperware and crusty men hawk beer from coolers. If all this is too much action, veer off the boardwalk and into the New York Aquarium, the oldest (and fishiest) in America.
Visit any Russian banya in nearby Brighton Beach where pickles, vodka and doughy delicacies are paired with steaming spas to properly remove all remnants of city stress.
Photo by: Katrarina Susa
You’ll definitely want to visit some of the kickass mainstream museums in New York—the way-too-cool-for-school American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Guggenheim. But if you’re looking to avoid swarms of snot-nosed kids on field trips, head to more low-key museums. Zone out by the indoor garden fountain at the mansion containing the private Frick Collection. This low-key museum houses one of the best groups of small bronze sculptures in the world, in addition to the coolest Oriental rugs and 18th-century French porcelain. The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum is another mansion filled with amazing décor and a gigantic glass conservatory. The Noguchi Museum displays the various artwork of Isamu Noguchi, and has an outdoor garden among the master’s Japanese-inspired works. Spend an afternoon finding your Zen without meditation or holding a carb.
Photo by: Vivian Chen [陳培雯
Awaken your senses with the aromas of fresh coffee and hot-pressed sandwiches. There are allegedly over 170 Starbucks locations in the City, and Dunkin’ Donuts shops are popping up faster than puberty boners. Avoid the corporate and drink up funky coffee shops instead. The B Cup Cafe ,on 13th and Avenue B, has an array of fair-trade coffees and teas, any kind of crazy sandwich you could imagine, and free WiFi to figure out your next move. Famous for its coffee truck, Mud, on 9th and 2nd Avenue, has one of the best back rooms to spend a sunny stained-glass afternoon. If you just can’t go without high tea, one of uptown mainstay Alice’s Teacup locations has you covered. Check out our home-brewed list for more coffee spots around the city.
OTP Tip: Park Slope is Brooklyn’s incubator for babies, writers and great coffee. If children don’t ruin your chill, try out The Brooklyn Lyceum, a former public bathhouse off the R train (Union St.). Their cafe area overlooks a giant room where anything from film shoots to Zumba dance classes to craft fairs take place throughout the year.
Photo by: Adil Dara Kim
This place invented the brunch phenomenon; a meal that’s made for lounging. If you do it right, this meal starts at breakfast, runs clear through lunch and requires very little movement (minus chewing and swallowing). Alcohol consumption, in unlimited amounts, is perfectly acceptable during the wee morning hours and inducing several food comas in one sitting is highly recommended. Check out famed East Village bruncheries, the Sunburnt Cow or East Village Tavern, as a beginners crash course then follow the wait lines around town every weekend until your gut screams for mercy.
Photo by: ClarissaWAM
If it’s summertime and the air is fine, hop on the ferry at Whitehall (R train) and step off into an odd colonial world, floating in between skyscraper-ridden Manhattan and funky fresh Brooklyn. While this island is packed for concerts and events, most weekends, it just sits there, waiting for you to lounge it to death. Open only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Governor’s has a fake beach (with real sand), bike rentals (free for an hour on Fridays), hammocks in the picnic area (choice real estate, so get yours early) and rocking chairs if you dig deep. Since there are very few stores, lounging is just about the only thing there is to do on the island. Take the hint. Take a nap.
New York City is a rare place where you can lounge lazily while not being a waste of space. Take a break from your busy agenda at any of these destinations before rejoining the insomniac escapades.
A mind and body traveller who thrives on recollection and anticipation, all the while decorating the crossroads.
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For all the travel I’ve done, I can’t believe I’ve yet to conquer NYC. This post makes me want to go even more. It’s not a matter of ‘if’ just ‘when’
New york is happening place in USA.Love cafe day much