Fall foliage, hot cider, Halloween ragers, cozy sweaters and snuggling—there’s nothing quite like fall in New York.
Fact: There is nothing like fall in New York. Granted, New Yorkers already know this, but perhaps you need some convincing? Well, we’ve come up with 50 surefire reasons why autumn in Gotham is clearly superior. From our set of food and drink festivals happening this season to our stunning display of fall foliage, plus all the bars where you can order delicious hot toddies, no one does the coziest season quite like us.
RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in the fall in NYC
50 reasons why fall in New York kicks ass
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Eric Paparatto
Central Park turns into leaf-peeping paradise
Central Park is suddenly a magical, multicolored wonderland of crunchy-underfoot, leaf-throwing shenanigans.
Paul Wagtouicz
Fall beers are the superior beers
It’s finally cool enough to drink proper beer again instead of the generic watery crap we’ve been hosing our insides off with all summer.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Karl Norling
Autumn sunsets are swoonworthy
The color the sky turns right before the sun completely sets would bring a tear to any jaded New Yorker’s eye.
Photograph: CC/Flickr/KarlNorling
Photographs: Joel Barhamand
Fall fashion is more fierce
Badass fall fashion. Even if you have no style, NYC streets look like runways with all those layers. Also, layering clothes is the best!
Photograph: Courtesy Steve Acres/Into the Veil
Dating here in the fall is romantic AF
Just think of all the possibilities! From admiring fall foliage at the best NYC parks, to holding your S.O.’s hand during New York’s spookiest ghost tours, we think these activities are the foundation for a long-lasting relationship. And, hell, these date ideas will get your through cuffing season at the very least.
It’s the season of witchy nail colors
Getting your digits decked out in dark nail polishes and autumnal nail art at your local manicure joint.
Photograph: Allef Vinicius on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy Watermark
All of the delicious food and drink festivals
Don your stretchiest pair of pants and get ready to eat and drink your way through our list of epic food and drink festivals in NYC this fall! As summer comes to a close, New York is rife with larger-than-life gatherings to celebrate the city’s world of culinary offerings.
Photograph: Courtesy The Flatiron Room
Getting cozy in a bar with a fireplace
New Yorkers are a tough breed, but when the fall chill really sets in, you’re bound to see bargoers flocking to the coziest bars in town. Amidst frosty winds, even the most hardened urbanite will appreciate rustic warmth of a roaring fire.
Photograph: Courtesy Steven Acres
Wigging out during a ghost tour
If you’re searching for fun Halloween events and aren’t afraid to get a little spooked, sign up for one of Gotham’s creepy and informative ghost tours. NYC certainly has a shadowy past, so it’s no surprise that there are many spirits (friendly ones, hopefully) walking among us.
Photograph: Russell Kaye, courtesy the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery; © 2014 Robert Gober
Seeing stunning fall art show
Autumn is nearly here, which means rich pickings for museumgoers as the Met, MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, and other institutions and galleries around the city gear up for the best fall art shows.
Photograph: Courtesy Collective Hudson Valley
Taking fall getaways from NYC
Even the most loyal New Yorkers crave a break from the city, and lucky for us, these fall getaways are just a few hours away. Pack your bags—amazing hiking trails, boozy North Fork wineries and all the apple cider your heart desires await at these escapes from NYC.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
Fall fucking foliage, y’all
You can spend all of Friday night partying in the city and still be taking in the fall foliage in the mountains by Saturday lunchtime.
The temperature is perfect for a smoke
The temperature is perfect for smoking outside. It’s not so hot you miss the air-conditioning inside, not so cold your fingers fall off before you can get the thing to your lips.
Photograh: Teddy Kelley on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy Alex Strada
Hot coffee > iced coffee
The sadness of surrendering the iced coffee for a season is automatically combated by the delightful warmth of curling your hands around a hot coffee during your morning walk to the subway.
You get to wear boots again
Boots! For the next six months, our main mode of forward motion will be stomping. Pile of leaves? Stomp. Puddle? Stomp. Foot of annoying person who shoves you on the subway? STOMP.
Photo by Takahiro Sakamoto on Unsplash
Accessorizing has never been more fun!
Fingerless gloves. And tights! Who doesn’t love a good pair of tights? (Gentlemen, stand back.)
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on&Unsplash
Plus, it’s leather jacket season
A leather or denim jacket is basically a New Yorker’s second-skin in the fall, but we love seeing stylish Gothamites give these simplistic outerwear staples some personality by adding cheeky patches, embroidered sayings and, if you would be so bold, glitter and sequins!
Photo by Tristan Colangelo on Unsplash
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Running outside is more tolerable
Because running outside during a sweltering summer is awful. Practicing for the NYC Marathon is much easier thanks to autumn’s cool breeze.
Fall flicks are better than summer blockbusters
Au revoir, lame-o blockbusters, and hello to classy fall movies. We kiss you on both cheeks in the Continental style.
Photograph: Courtesy Dino Perrucci
NYC’s fall concert scene is fucking brilliant
In the same regard, say sayonara to those golden-oldies arena tours. New York’s slate of fall concerts is unmatchable.
You can enjoy a glorious, peaceful sleep
Sleep, glorious sleep! Without the drone of the AC in summer or being wrapped in 237 layers of clothing in winter. Perfect napping weather.
Photo by Sarah Ball onUnsplash
Well-dressed men run rampant
Men dress once more like grown-ups (jeans, sweaters, boots) and less like massive hairy toddlers off to the sandpit (shorts, sandals, baseball cap).
Photo by Priscilla Du Preezon Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Vige
Prospect Park is an orange and yellow verdant oasis
Prospect Park, you gorgeous thing, you.
Photograph: CC/Flickr/Vige
Photograph: Courtesy Caroline Voagen Nelson
Drinking whiskey is acceptable
Neat whiskey. There is no way to drink it (warm) in the summer without feeling like a idiot.
Cozier beds
Pulling your comforter back out, spreading it over the bed, and then climbing in for the first time in months.
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
Stunning waterfront views in autumn
We have two gorgeous rivers to stroll along and sniff the sweet autumn air.
Photograph: CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
Photograph: Filip Wolak
All the Oktoberfest festivities
Oktoberfest. Beer halls. Why, yes, we would love a pretzel the size of our face.
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Godsend, no-pressure holidays
Fall contains New York’s two best holidays Halloween and Thanksgiving. All the drinking/feasting/dressing up or not dressing up and no gift-giving required.
Photograph: Courtesy Margaret Zakarian
Drinking hot tea without sweating
Restocking your tea drawer/cabinet/shelf with all the good flavors.
Feeling a bit melancholy and poetic
Time to bust out the Emily Dickinson, yo! Bring on the feels.
Photo by Johannes Plenioon Unsplash
Photograph: Shutterstock
Apple-picking opportunities galore
Empire, Winesap, Northern Spy, Macoun. New York has the most scrumptious apple varieties, and the farmers’ markets (and upstate orchards) are overflowing with them.
Letting crisp, fall air flow through your apartment
You can open your windows and rid your apartment of the air grown vaguely stale from repeated conditioning. Enjoy this for the few months when it’s possible before the sharp winter winds make it impractical.
Photo by Jon Eric Marababol on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy Twin Star Orchards
Taking fall day trips from NYC
Whether you’re interested in traveling upstate to admire New York’s lovely fall foliage or getting spooked at nearby haunted houses, we tracked down the best autumnal attractions that are located less than two hours away from Manhattan.
Smooches. Smooches. Smooches.
‘Tis the season of kissable, rosy cheeks. Go plant a smacker on someone right now!
Photo by Felix Russell-Saw on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy The Richardson
Ordering hot toddies
You can start drinking Irish coffees and hot toddies without sweating out the booze immediately.
Sweaters. Sweaters. Sweaters
We’re living for oversized, sweater weather. Added bonus: Longer/bulkier clothing makes it easier to eat what you want again, timed perfectly to the return of comfort food on menus.
Photo by Mc Jefferson Agloro on Unsplash
Photograph: Lars Klove/New York City Bicycle Share
Citi Bikes are more plentiful
More Citi Bikes in the racks (and fewer Citi Bikes to dodge as a pedestrian) as the fair-weather cyclists abandon their wheels.
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Awesome Halloween festivals in New York
The perfect Halloween festivals include pumpkins, costumes, autumnal treats and spooktacular entertainment. Lucky, the majority of these Halloween events and fêtes taking place in the city and New York state area include all of the above!
Biking in NYC becomes bearable again
Oh, and you can actually ride your bike in the city without turning into a sweaty mess. Riding a bike on one of the bridges on a crisp, autumn day is the best. 41. The streets don’t stink so badly in crisp autumn air. Summer is a nasal vandal.
Photo by Anthony Ginsbrook on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy East Village Hats
Head toppers are in style
More reasons to wear hats. All the hats. All the kinds.
Photograph: Shutterstock
It’s costume party season
First, find your creepy costume of choice at a great Halloween store (or borrow one without breaking the bank at the best Halloween costume rental stores). Then scream your way through some of the spookiest haunted houses in NYC. But before the wicked weekend is over, be sure to buy you and your ghoul squad tickets to an epic Halloween party where you can sip on killer cocktails as you monster mash all night.
Pumpkin. Spice. Motherfuckin’. Lattes.
We repeat: Pumpkin. Spice. Motherfuckin’. Lattes.
Photo by Tim Wright on Unsplash
Those blissful after-dark, fall temps
The nighttime air temperature of New York in the fall plus the gentle glow of an outdoor fire heater is the very definition of blissful.
Photo by Kristian Seedorff on Unsplash
No more pesky bug bites!
Bye, mosquitos! Mwa hahahahah!
Photo by michael podger on Unsplash
Photograph: Filip Wolak
Spooky processions
The Village Halloween Parade, a.k.a. the world’s biggest cosplay festival, gives you a great chance to let loose your creativity or marvel at the creativity/time management of others.
Our leaves are crispier than anywhere else’s
Damn straight. Cruch.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy Michael Sharkey
It’s haunted house season!
It’s the freakiest time of year and we couldn’t be more excited to scream our guts out at one of the scariest haunted houses NYC has to offer. Get all your thrills and chills at these horrifying venues, filled with monsters from your worst nightmares.
Midnight showings of old horror films
Spots like Nitehawk Cinema, Videology and Syndicated will play everything from Nightmare on Elm Streetto the latest horror releases like It.
Snuggling
It is clinically impossible to effectively snuggle in summer. Even if you’re snuggling solo, the first snuggles of autumn are like being reunited with a lover.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
LA doesn’t have fall
Knowing that everybody in the world agrees that nobody does fall like New York City. Like, don’t even try to argue. (They made a Richard Gere/Winona Ryder movie about it, okay?)
Photograph: CC/Flickr/Anthony Quintano
Looking for spooky New York attractions?
Photograph: Timothy Vogel
The spookiest places in NYC
Whether it’s Halloween or just your average Tuesday, the spookiest places in NYC are always frightening
