Nature lover’s guide to New York City
Nature. It may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about New York City. Images of this metropolis that come to mind often focus on the skyscrapers, streets with yellow taxis and many, many people. NYC is well-known for its incredible old and new architecture, and with a population of almost 3000 people per square km, you can expect it to be a busy place.
As a nature lover myself, I always tend to look for nature activities when I travel. I did not have many expectations for good natural experiences in New York City, but I was pleasantly surprised. It may sound unexpected, but New York City is unexpectedly green. The paved paradise is home to many parks and a surprising amount of wildlife. Let me share what we did and learned during our trip to ‘the big apple’ in the spring of 2023.
Go birding in Central Park
Did you know that over 200 different bird species can be found in New York’s Central Park? This green oasis smack-dab in the middle of the city is a great spot to do some birding. There are multiple wooded areas each with their own look and feel, and perfect for curious cardinals, joyful jays and even the occasional raptor. Central Park was at the top of our list of places to visit in New York, and we were not disappointed.
We took a stroll in the northwestern corner of the park called The North Woods and were met by many different bird sounds we hadn’t heard before. This part of Central Park is, like its name suggests, a wooded area. A babbling brook runs through its hilly grounds, with lovely bridges that you can go over or under. It is a nice place to wander around, explore and get lost in.
We forgot to bring our binoculars on our walk. Very unfortunate, but also quite on-theme for us. Luckily there were enough birds to look at, and listen to. We would occasionally see a group of birders looking at something in the trees through their binoculars. We’d try to figure out what they were looking at, with varied success. At some point I couldn’t keep myself and asked two gentlemen with impressive telescope lenses “Any interesting birds around?”. As luck would have it, they just spotted Flaco the owl! Apparently, Flaco is a Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo south, and took up residence in Central Park in February 2023, so a few months before we visited. What a sighting!
Travel tip: Bring your binoculars and don’t hesitate to connect with other birders in the park. You never know what you might discover! Nature enthusiasts usually want to share their passion.
Where to go and what to see?
The North Woods, The Bramble and the fairly new Hallett Sanctuary are the three main woodland areas in Central Park and are great spots for birding, or general wildlife watching.
You can find both common species, such as the impressive red cardinals and smart blue jays, or less well-known birds like the beautifully spotted Northern Flickers and the striking Cedar Waxwings. Depending on the time of year, you can find as many as 10 different warbler species, and many raptor species as well like the Red-tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons and several owl species. If you visit in autumn, there’s even a raptor migration directly over the park. For waterbirds, such as ruddy ducks, ring-necked ducks or merganser you can visit The Reservoir or The Pond.
It doesn’t stop with birds either. The first time you see a chipmunk will make you “Aaawh!” right away. Squirrels rule the woods as well, you can find them everywhere. Make sure to look for raccoons, or lovingly called “trash pandas”. You can find them in the trash, bushes or even trees.
Get your plant on in one of the botanical gardens
Do you want to check out some more stationary species? Each borough in New York City has its own botanical garden you can visit. Take your time to unwind from the hectic city streets and go smell the roses. Or the orchids, or some other flowers blooming.
We ended up in the Queens Botanical Gardens, after a delicious lunch at the Temple Canteen (read more about this unique experience here!). These gardens are quite small, but very atmospheric nonetheless. The nice thing about the Queens Botanical Gardens is that they have an activity centre, and there happened to be a Bangladeshi new year celebration on the day we visited. We enjoyed beautiful traditional dances and songs, which made it an afternoon to remember. Fun fact: half of the year the gardens are actually free of charge!
Where to go and what to see?
The most popular is New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. This impressive botanical garden is actually the biggest one in the USA. It houses over 50 different thematic gardens and holds over a million different species. If you have a love for plants, this one should be on your list. In March and April they also have a special exhibition showing all orchid species they have, which are then in bloom.Other options are of course the Queens Botanical Gardens, but you can also take a look at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Snug Harbor Botanical Garden on Staten Island and even a tiny one in Manhattan, called the 6BC Botanical Garden. The 6BC is focussed on stimulating biodiversity and offers education about plants and trees. Well worth a visit, if you’re in the neighborhood.
Check out the exhibitions at the Natural History Museum
How about immersing yourself in historic and international nature, right in the middle of Manhattan? The American Museum of Natural History is one of the most famous museums, and is a central hub for nature focussed education, research, and innovation. A visit to this museum was also high on our list and we spent over 4 hours there, which was a record for us for any time spent in a museum.
The American Museum of Natural History is just very impressive. The number of items they own and have on display is almost unimaginable. They have 33 million pieces in their collection, of which ‘only’ 3 percent is on display. From cultural items such as Latin American ornaments from indigenous communities, to natural pieces, including a lot of taxidermy.
They have many beautiful animal displays, showing our world’s biodiversity. While very beautifully done (there is a lot of bad-looking historical taxidermy in the world), the displays also made me think. One display in particular showed a group of colobus monkeys, adults and young ones, in a natural forest environment. Despite, or because of, its natural appearance I was suddenly struck with the thought that this is an entire family of animals that was killed and taken from their habitat. They are now on display and help educate people about nature, which can be a good thing, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of this undignified end for such wonderful animals. So we moved on to different exhibits in the museum, luckily of which there are many.
Where to go and what to see?
The American Museum of Natural History is great for anyone, but especially biology lovers. The museum is right next to Central Park, so easily combined with a nice walk or any other sites in NYC. Besides the general collection, there are multiple exhibitions at all times, ranging from kid-focussed to more mature topics like an insect photo exhibition informing about the threats to insect diversity. In May 2023, they revealed a new, very instagrammable entrance that is already a sight on its own.Visit the many parks and zoos
Central Park not enough for you? New York City has lots of green spaces, over 100 km2 of it. You can find a park pretty easily, even when you’re in the financial district. Because so few NYC citizens actually have a yard, or even a balcony, you notice people use the parks like their backyard. You can find people practicing sports or instruments, reading a book or doing their homework, or just meeting up with friends and family for coffee or a meal.
During our trip, we visited quite a lot of NYC parks, from the small but well-known Washington Square Park downtown, to the elongated Riverside park along the Hudson river. We enjoyed exploring Corona park in Queens, where we stumbled upon a Mexican cook-out that made our mouths water. Anywhere we looked, people were enjoying themselves and the good weather. Good vibes all around.
Where to go and what to see?
When you look at New York City on Google Maps you can see patches of green everywhere. It’s definitely worth your time visiting them while you explore the different boroughs. Just walk through, or enjoy your iced coffee on a bench and do some people watching. A unique park experience is the High Line. This public park is built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side, and has beautiful garden beds designed by Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf.
Just outside New York City
Do you have time to travel a bit further, and want to explore nature around NYC? There is a great Appalachian Trail hike only 2 hours away by train! You can take the Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, and after a picturesque ride, you arrive right next to the Appalachian Trail. Want to catch a breeze at the beach? Try Long Island and the Hamptons!
0 Comments