Fall in New York City

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After a hot-hot summer, the fall season has finally arrived in New York City. For one thing, I couldn’t wait for those air conditioners to be switched off again, as New Yorkers seemed to love those a little too much… Surprisingly, I spent a lot of time this summer feeling cold, because being inside a subway train or a public building for a mere twenty minutes can already be enough to turn you into a frozen popsicle. Along with the end of summer, the cities’ famous rooftops bars have started to close down for a season of hibernation. Last weekend, the clock has been set back to winter time and soon, Christmas lights will start to give ambience to the early 5 pm darkness we all have to get used to again (however reluctantly…).

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Although the end of summer is often shunned by many, fall has shown itself from its prettiest side these past few days: the air is crispy and the skies are filled with FALL: beautiful, bright blue skies, fresh dots of clouds and golden sunlight. As a child, this used to be my favorite season. I would go out to nearby forests and parks, armed with a magnifying glass, gloves and plastic bags in order to collect some of nature’s fallen treasures: leaves in all possible shades of red, yellow and orange; acorns; beautifully bended branches, twigs, beechnuts, chestnuts and my favorite one – pinecones. I would bring my filled bags back home and set up a themed ‘fall table’  inside the house, where I would display my prettiest findings alongside personally crafted drawings and paintings of trees and mushrooms.

This week I went out again on one of those fall walks to welcome in the new season, and I was happy to see children out with their (grand)parents as they went on their own hunt for fall treasures in the parks of New York City. Of course, Central Park is a great location for this, but my personal favorite is Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I live only a few blocks away and this park is a lot less busy, certainly not touristy and just as gorgeous. Right now is the perfect time to go out with your camera and capture the changing colors!

When you go to explore Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is right around the corner and definitely worth a visit! The neighborhood of Park Slope, which is right next to the park, also offers a great way to enjoy the colorful trees as its cozy streets are leafy and incredibly picturesque this time of the year. Every day when I leave my doorstep, I can’t help but admire Brooklyn’s beautiful brownstones as they match the orange trees and the shadows they cast on the houses. New York City offers plenty of green spaces to enjoy this Fall, so go outside with your camera, take in deep breaths of crispy-clear air, play around with the leaves and have some fun!