As classes stop meeting and finals are turned in you might be thinking about what to do with your summer vacation. If you’re planning to stay in New York, here are some suggestions about what to do with your well-deserved spare time.
For those staying on Long Island…
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Hit the beach– Long Island offers a wide variety of beaches. If you like rocky beaches, head for the north shore. If you prefer sandy beaches, go for the south shore. Robert Moses, Smith’s Point and Cedar beach are some personal favorites.
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Get Some History- If you’re a history fan or just want to do something out of the ordinary Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Sagamore Hill offer a unique look into the past.
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Go to a museum, mansion, or garden- Long Island has dozens of mansions, castles, and gardens for those who appreciate aesthetic beauty. Oheka Castle and Old Westbury Gardens are great places to spend the day. There’s also plenty of museums on the island, and The Vanderbilt Museum also has a planetarium! A full list can be found here.
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Hit a port town or harbor- If you like the water but don’t like the beach, going to port towns are a great alternative. At Port Jeff you can get a great view of the ocean or get some great seafood.
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Go out into nature- If you’re itching to get outside, Long Island has a lot of great parks. The Long Island Aquarium is a great place to get a view of all types of sea creatures
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Get some culture- Long Island has dozens of theatres and playhouses.The Staller Center gives you one free ticket at your orientation, make use of it! Long Island also has tons of concerts venues like NYCB Theater, the Paramount, and Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. Look at their schedules and see if an act or band you like is touring.
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Try something new- Try to escape a room with a couple of friends in real-life escape game in Mineola and Ronkonkoma. Indulge in some art therapy places like Paint A Piece. Spend a day at Splish Splash!
If you’re heading for the City…
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Go to a museum- Museums are usually super affordable. There are dozens of museums in the city. The MoMa and Cloisters are personal favorites. A full list can be seen here.
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Get some history- Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are great places to learn about heritage, history, and immigration.
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See a landmark- The Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, the Central Park Zoo, The World Trade Center Memorial, the Empire State Building, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the High Line and just some of the amazing places you can spend your day!
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See a show- Hit up the Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, The Barclays Center, or Radio City music hall to see who’s playing there. Of course there’s always Broadway! (Anyone else obsessed with Hamilton?)
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Get weird- Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and Fuerza Bruta are great places to experience the out of the ordinary.
If you’re heading Upstate…
Check out the caverns and caves- Go underground and take a tour. See a full list here.
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Go camping- Campgrounds are a plenty Upstate.
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Check out Niagara Falls- We share this natural wonder with Canada
Image Sources:
https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/9b/2d/f2/new-york-cit…
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http://assets.fodors.com/destinations/1128/skyline-manhattan-new-york-ci…