NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City, is encouraging local and regional visitors to take an “NYC-cation” this weekend, September 25-27, to enjoy green spaces and eco-friendly activities throughout the five boroughs in honor of this week’s Climate Week NYC, an international climate summit occurring virtually for the first time due to the pandemic.

Tribeca

Visitors exploring the City are encouraged to wear masks, practice social distancing and frequently wash/sanitize hands, as indicated in NYC & Company’s Stay Well NYC Pledge.

Below is a brief selection of green staycation ideas: 

New York Botanical Garden, Fordham, Bronx, NYC

Arts & Culture 

• The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx is open and ready to welcome you to experience the early fall gardens across its 250 acres. Additionally, the newly-restored Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and Palm Dome, replete with aquatic plants and vines as well as tropical rainforests and cactus-filled deserts, reopened earlier this week. Another green gem is Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden on Staten Island, which is home to nine botanical gardens across an 83-acre campus. 

• This Saturday, September 26, Staten Island’s Historic Richmond Town will reopen for weekend-only guided walking tours. The 100-acre historic village is also home to New York City’s oldest working family farm, Decker Farm, which is set to reopen next week.
  

  Queens County Farm Museum

• Queens County Farm Museum, which occupies the City’s largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland, will make you forget you are still in New York City when you take a hayride, check out the farmer’s market, quaff a pint at the beer garden, or stroll around the farm and see the livestock. 

Attractions

• Looking for an attraction that leads the way in the green space? The Empire State Building Observatory has reopened to the public with breathtaking views of the City. The building itself recently underwent a 10-year renovation including a transformative energy and efficiency retrofit from window upgrades to the elevator system, and more.

  Head over to Hudson Yards, Manhattan’s first LEED Gold neighborhood development and spend some time exploring. From shopping to outdoor art exhibits to Vessel, there is plenty to see at this first-of-its-kind microgrid. Many of the neighborhood’s tenants are also supporting eco-friendly waste and energy efforts, eliminating single-use food and drink containers and using eco-conscious office supplies.

Union Square Cafe

Dining 

• Eating farm fresh food is easy in NYC, with many restaurants sourcing ingredients from local farms, such as abcV, a plant-based restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. You can also enjoy green eats at nearby Union Square Café, Rosemary’s in Greenwich Village, and Lighthouse in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, all of which are currently offering outdoor dining.
  
  

  Roberta’s

  
  

• Additional restaurants that are currently open for take-out include plant-based soul food spot Seasoned Vegan in Harlem, Spicy Moon vegetarian Szechuan restaurant in both the East Village and West Village, Williamsburg’s Modern Love, and by Chloe., which serves vegan burgers and more at locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

1 Hotel Central Park

Hotels

• You can luxuriate and adhere to green values while staying in 1 Hotels, which are built with reclaimed materials and designed by local artists. Choose from two locations – one in Brooklyn with waterfront views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline, or be steps from Central Park at its Manhattan location. 
• Located just steps from Bryant Park and the iconic New York Public Library, Andaz 5th Avenue is home to 184 luxurious, loft-like rooms and suites. The hotel recently introduced biodegradable, single-use paper room keys and proudly sources local food and beverage purveyors.

• You can also feel good about staying at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel, on Central Park, which not only receives raves for its luxurious environs but also won the annual gold award from EarthCheck for the hotel’s sustainable development policy, water and energy utilization, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and more. 
  

  George Washington Bridge

Other Outdoor Activities 

• Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens is one of the City’s best-kept secrets with 9,000 acres of open bay, field and woods that are ideal for birders, with more than 300 bird species spotted there in the past 25 years. 
• Meet designers, entrepreneurs and chefs who work to make their businesses and lifestyles sustainable by taking a private Sustainable Brooklyn Food and Fashion Tour by Like a Local, a tour company that connects visitors to local, independent businesses. You might even enjoy some delicious natural and organic wines.

• Bike or walk through one of 1,700 NYC parks throughout the five boroughs, where you can enjoy art exhibits, outdoor fitness events and plenty of family-friendly activities. Check for upcoming events here.
  

  Javits Center, Hells Kitchen, Manhattan

Rooftops 

• Looking for some green space with a view? Head to a rooftop garden such as Brooklyn Grange’s Sunset Park Farm, which hosts open houses and a farmers market on Sundays from 10am-4pm. Or, enjoy a tasting and tour at Rooftop Reds, an urban rooftop vineyard and winery in the heart of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
• Did you know? The Javits Center’s nearly seven-acre green roof is a wildlife sanctuary that is home to birds, bats and thousands of honeybees. While tours are not currently available, you can check out this rooftop live cam. 

Union Square Green Market, Union Square, NYC

Shopping

• While shopping in New York City, there are lots of sustainable options to find that special gift for you or a loved one. For those trying to decrease their waste while shopping, check out Package Free Shop, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea Market and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where you can find eco-friendly everyday items including coffee cups, cosmetics, and much more.

• New York City offers plenty of greenmarkets and farm stands that are a must to get fresh, locally-sourced products. In 2012, GrowNYC launched Greenmarket Co., which is dedicated to connecting consumers with local food producers in places like Union Square in Manhattan, Boro Park in Brooklyn, Elmhurst in Queens, Eastchester in the Bronx and St. George in Staten Island. 

Climate Museum

Coinciding with Climate Week NYC, The Climate Museum is offering virtual programming including workshops, interactive talks, and more. Additionally, this week, the Brooklyn Public Library launched a new, yearlong series, Climate Reads, which is designed to engage writers and readers in discussions about books on the climate crisis.

For more sustainability initiatives and ways to explore New York City’s five boroughs responsibly, visit nycgo.com/green. 

Last week, NYC & Company launched All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways, its most diverse, flexible and expansive lineup of offers in nearly 20 years, with more than 150 ways to save around the five boroughs. Through a partnership with Mastercard, registered cardholders will be offered a statement credit for qualifying purchases at hotels, attractions, local businesses and more, up to $100. Both All In NYC: Neighborhood Getaways and All In NYC: Staycation Guides are part of NYC & Company’s All In NYC local revitalization effort.