How to Escape to Nature Without Leaving New York

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New York is a hectic and stressful place. Sometimes you just want to get away and retreat into the simpler pleasures of mother nature. If you can't leave the city, there are still ways to satisfy your green craving. Whether you're just visiting or have lived here for decades, these are some places to check out and pretend you're hundreds of miles away.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Central Park. I will start with the most obvious one. It is the largest park in the city and also the most crowded. However, if you know where to go there are still places to bring out the inner explorer in you. A great way to discover your own place is to rent a rowboat and explore the lake for yourself. Bring friends as you can fit up to four in a boat.

Step2

Fort Tryon Park. The Cloisters are the stars of this park, and nothing says relaxation like a monastery run by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is best accessed with a car off the west side highway, but you can also get there by bus. If you're hungry afterwards, check out the New Leaf Cafe. A very nice restaurant in the middle of the park, the New Leaf is like Tavern on the Green with better food and less people. It's pricey, but think of all the money you saved by staying in the city for your nature retreat.

Step3

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. If flowers are your thing, check this place out. It's huge, cheap, and you can spend hours roaming around. You can even bring a book or journal and relax in your thoughts.

Step4

Prospect Park. After you see the gardens, check out Prospect Park next door. With pedal boats on a huge lake, a zoo, wide open fields with no buildings in sight, and the only Audubon center in new york; you can really feel like you've left the city. And when you're ready to return, midtown is only a short subway ride away.