for the visitor who doesn't like cities?
Subject: for the visitor who doesn't like cities?
My father in law is coming for a week long visit (we think he wanted to stay for a month).I think he mainly wants to hang out with us and "do what we do", but my bf can only take 2 days off and I'm in the middle of final exams and projects and I don't want him just sitting around the house while I'm trying to work.
We need ideas of things for him to do with us or on his own. He's a really quiet guy and isn't really into hectic city sights and we're having trouble thinking of what he might want to do. Any suggestions at all of things besides the main attractions (art museums, ESB, Statue of Liberty, shopping)? We're considering stuff like the transit museum or a boat ride up the Hudson (any suggestions on a long boat north?) if you want a direction.
When we asked him what he wants to do he pretty much said he was hoping we'd go upstate for woodsy stuff. We can't do that so we're desperately trying to figure what to do with him.
Help!
Comments
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Prospect Park....
It was built to be an escape from "The City" -
Brooklyn Botanical. Free on Tuesdays and a total get-away vibe.
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NY Waterways does some tours up the Hudson on weekends, including stops at the Rockefeller Estate (Kykuit) that might be enjoyable. As an alternative, taking the Metro North Hudson Line train from Grand Central is a gorgeous and inexpensive ride up the Hudson Valley. You could get to West Point (Garrison stop, ferry across the river) or enjoy a lunch/dinner in Beacon or Cold Spring. I believe there are also some fairly accessible trails from those stations, if you wanted to do some light day hiking.
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Bronx Zoo and Brooklyn Acquarium
Hayden Planetarium
New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill (both in Bronx)
Storm King sculpture garden -
The Cloisters.
The Promenade in Brooklyn Heights -
The long bike and pedestrian path under the Verazanno bridge.
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If your dad is willing to brave the subways, I'd recommend a trip to the Cloisters. Its an amazing place, and is so out of context with the city that it seems like another world.
Here are the Metro North one-day outbound recommended trips and the Long Island ones. -
It's not woodsy, but a stroll down Vanderbilt on Sunday for Summer Streets has a nice small town feel.
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take him to the local brothels
all old guys can enjoy city life 
.
does he like fishing? if so goto one of those fishing boat tour things that they have here in brooklyn. -
how about a tour of Park Slope? Try here www.atourgrowsinbrooklyn.com.
My girlfriends and I did and it was so interesting and fun. The guide is super knowledgable about the area. Good bet for 3hrs/$30. That day it was just us on the tour...i think there is a max of 16 people on a tour too. -
The Tenement Museum on the LES is a great way to spend the afternoon and its right off the Delancey/Essex stop. Its a fun look into the lives of immigrants in NYC in the 1800-1900s. They offer a few different guided tours most days, I believe.
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Ellis Island is an amazing museum of immigration into the US
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A couple years ago I took a Circle Line boat up to Bear Mountain. It was an all day deal and truly beautiful and relaxing.
How about a tour of Greenwood Cemetary? Tour of Prospect Park by that dude Wild Bill (I think)? If he's hot I am sure Beaverhausem will entertain him! -
Lots of good ideas, I just hope the weather holds for some outdoor stuff.
He's been once before and we spent plenty of time in the park and BBG, but I'm thinking mabye we should rent him a bike and all bike to Greenwood Cemetery one afternoon...are bikes allowed in there?
He's pretty happy to just roam the streets (with his GPS since he's a forestry services guy he likes his toys), but I'm worried that the rain will continue and cut out a lot of activities.
He's a nice, easy-going guy I'm just worried the bf and I will get antsy with him without some form of entertainment.
Why can't we get the relatives that love the city to visit?? My mom just wants a free place to sleep between seeing the sites and I think my brother has a list of eateries he's heard about that he wants to see, but I can't get him here
If I weren't so busy with the end of a packed term, I'd just take him and the dog for walks and we'd all be happy
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scarlett wrote: Tour of Prospect Park by that dude Wild Bill (I think)?
Almost!...Steve Brill. http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/ Definitely a "unique" experience.
I'd add trip to Governor's Island to the list of potential activities (ferry from brooklyn on Saturdays). -
When people visit me who aren't really city people, I usually concentrate on finding a good diner or place for them to eat breakfast (a good meal to start the day makes anyone pleasant company), and a daily routine they can get into. I can't tell you how often people who say they hate the city pretty soon observe how easy it is to be laid back and relaxed here, while still having options to do stuff. The people who visit me often come up with left-field requests or desires; quirky, but nothing unlike my friend who goes to movies with a duffel bag of chips and hands them out to our row once we're seated, or the woman who wants to read the paper at noon every day, no exceptions.
Floyd Bennett Field is woodsy I think...down by Gerritsen Ave or like 3000 Flatbush Ave it seems undeveloped from what I remember last time I was there. -
Jamaica Bay riding academy has 1 hour horseback riding session that take you through the Gateway preserve and beach.
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booklaw wrote: Bronx Zoo and Brooklyn Acquarium
I agree with everything I've read so far, but Storm King? Don't you need to be in a car for a few hours to get to Storm King from Brooklyn?
Hayden Planetarium
New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill (both in Bronx)
Storm King sculpture garden -
I don't think you can bike in Greenwood Cemetery. You can bike to it but have to dismount inside. Another good bike ride is along the Brooklyn waterfront. You might want to check out 5 Boro Bike Club. They do some great rides on the weekends to beaches/parks/nearby sights.
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halfpint wrote: I don't think you can bike in Greenwood Cemetery. You can bike to it but have to dismount inside. Another good bike ride is along the Brooklyn waterfront. You might want to check out 5 Boro Bike Club. They do some great rides on the weekends to beaches/parks/nearby sights.
If they have somewhere to lock bikes in there it would be fine. I'm not sure we could handle much of a ride. I've got two bad ankles so I'm not supposed to do stuff like long bike rides (eg two laps around the park has my ankles swollen and in major pain) and our guest isn't exactly an active guy and he might be old enough for senior discounts at this point. We're quite a crew -
Is he a sports fan? You could send him to either Yankee Stadium or CitiField for a day game. Its a good way to kill a couple of hours.
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heaven on earth is the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. He can sit all day, people, squirrel and bird watch, look for turtles in the Japanese Gaden ponds, and just relax.
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BBG sells a book called New York City Trees (A Field Guide for the Metropolitan Area) that has suggested tree walks for Prospect Park, Central Park, Alley Pond Park etc. It's also got lists of NYC great trees and where they are located. He could do a tree scavenger hunt all around the city.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/New-York-City-Trees/Edward-S-Barnard/e/9780231128353 -
I had friends visiting a few years ago....one was arthritic and couldn't walk so we did the "hop on hop off bus" - the uptown route was great because we had an "actor" as the tour guide, but the downtown one was awful because we had a "robot" giving the tour. It really wasn't too bad...and I believe the pass is good for 2 days.
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Brooklyn Cyclones start playing on Friday at Coney Island.
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Not only are the Cyclones at Coney Island - its the Mermaid Parade on Saturday. You CANNOT let the family miss Coney Island! The aquarium is also right there along with little Odessa (a bottle of vodka on every table plus a floor show and massive quantities of food) - can be a very full day with not too much walking.
If dad is going to be left to his own devices, there are two golf courses in Brooklyn, the Promenade in the Heights, Greenwood has tours of all the famous folk interred there (Tiffany as in stained glass!) and the Brooklyn Museum's Egyptian exhibit are also options.
The fishing boats out of Sheepshead Bay leave very early and get back around 7pm - - Lundy's is there (if he did not catch anything) as well. -
I was going to suggest fishing, too! Are people allowed to fish in Prospect Park? If not, he can fish at Sheepshed Bay.
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You need a Fishing License for Prospect park.
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Here's an odd suggestion - I give my "Danielle's Famous Red Hook Tour" only to close friends and I never tire of it. I don't know your father-in-law (didn't you mention you had a bf? do you have a husband AND a bf?) and you/he don't know me, but if he's a nice guy I'd be willing to give him my tour (free) - including beautiful (not open to the public) architecture, the Valentino Pier with a stunning view of the Statue of Liberty and the city, the LookNorth Gallery (owned by a former Alaskan King Crab fisherman with Inuit carvings/paintings in a stunning apartment, worth it just for the view) and a Sunday afternoon book reading at Sunny's (with an introduction to Sunny, himself). PM me, if interested.
As for things you could do with him on your own, I definitely think you'd enjoy dinner at Jack the Horse Tavern in Brooklyn Heights in a quaint 150-year-old wooden house in the heart of historic Brooklyn Heights - beautiful, relaxing and the food is amazing comfort food (and you'll feel like you're in the Hudson Valley). The drinks (of the Clover Club variety) have been written up in Time Out, as well. Here's their website:
http://www.jackthehorse.com/
http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/jack-the-horse-tavern/
Good luck! -
for the visitor who doesn't like cities:
don't come to new york.
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