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18 Solo Day Trip Ideas for a New York Weekend

It recently dawned on me that I’m not all that motivated to go out and do things on my own. It was a startling realization and one I’m not ready to accept as indicative of something beyond a temporary bout of laziness that I’m but one green juice away from kicking forever.

It’s almost like I think I deserve credit for having a freewheeling spirit simply because I recognize it as an admirable trait.

Maybe this is because a huge part of my identity — that nebulous set of characteristics I both cling to internally and project externally — is a comfort with and desire for solitude. Introversion is so hot right now! I’m so evolved!

Somehow, though, my independence has translated less to ~SoLo ExpLoRaTiOn~ and more to solo…sitting at home. Or, if I’m feeling particularly adventurous, solo sitting in coffee shops. Or solo walking around the block and being like, “Wow! I totally got out today!”

But now I’m in a new city — one that allegedly never sleeps and is full of strangers I’m an introduction away from calling friends — and the case for solo adventuring is as strong as it has been embarrassingly unrealized. And once I stop spending all of my free time combing Craigslist for a home that’s not my sister’s spare bedroom, I might be completely out of excuses.

So, with the help of the small group of friends and family I do have in New York (one of which is the internet — she’s a real doll), I’ve compiled a list of fun things to do in and around New York City for every mood, whim and budget with nothing but one’s own two feet (and other required body parts).

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1. Go see The Frick Collection

What: Old European paintings and sculpture
Where: 1 E. 70th Street, New York, NY 10021
How much: $20 or free between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sundays!

2. Gallery hop in Chelsea

What: Download the app See Saw to see what shows are on.
Where: Check out this Chelsea gallery map.
How much: Usually free.

3. Take a bus to The Met Cloisters

What: Medieval European art, gardens, architecture
Where: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040
How much: $25 suggested admission

4. Take the Metro North to Dia: Beacon

What: A huge museum in a former factory with modern works from notable artists
Where: 3 Beekman St, Beacon, NY 12508 (two hours via train)
How much: Train fare plus $12 entry

5. Walk around Storm King

What: A massive outdoor sculpture park
Where: 1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553 (two hours via train/bus)
How much: Train/bus fare plus $15 entry

6. Go see the The Glass House

What: A historical site that features a permanent collection of 20th-century paintings and sculptures
Where: 199 Elm St, New Canaan, CT 06840 (90 minutes via train)
How much: Train fare plus $25 entry

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1. Go to dinner and an old movie

What: Curated spaces with movies, events, food and bars
Where and how much:
Metrograph: 13 Ludlow Street, New York NY 10002 / $13
Syndicated, 40 Bogart Street, Brooklyn, NY 11206 / $3

2. Go to Russian baths

What: Spaces designed to relax the body and mind according to ancient traditions of water with temperature contrasts
Where and how much:
Russian & Turkish Baths: 268 E. 10th St., New York NY 10009 / $40
Aire Ancient Baths: 88 Franklin St, New York, NY 10013 / $87

3. Have a spa moment

What: A massage in Chinatown or Greenwich village, budget pending
Where and how much:
Renew Day Spa: 42 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 / $36 for an hour
Shibui Spa in The Greenwich Hotel: 377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013 / $220 for an hour

4. Take a blanket and a book to a nearby island

What, where and how much:
Roosevelt Island: A narrow island in New York City’s East River / Subway fare
Governor’s Island: 172-acre island in the heart of New York Harbor / $2 Ferry

5. Wander around Grace Farms

What: A large indoor/outdoor space to experience nature, arts and community
Where: 365 Lukes Wood Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840 (two hours away via train)
How much: Train fare, free entry

6. Take the train to Rockaway Beach

What: A neighborhood beach and boardwalk in Queens
Where: 8601 Shore Front Pkwy, Rockaway Park, NY 11694 (60-90 minutes via train)
How much: Subway fare.

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1. Shop the Brooklyn Flea in DUMBO

What: Ranked one of the best flea markets in the country by tons of mags
Where: Water Street between Pearl Street and Anchorage Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201
How much: Free

2. Walk the Williamsburg Bridge

What: Get coffee in the Lower East Side and then a snack on the other side in Williamsburg
Where:
Irving Place Coffee: 71 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003
Freehold: 45 S 3rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

3. Explore the botanical gardens in Brooklyn or the Bronx

What, where and how much:
Brooklyn Botanical Garden: 990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 / $12
New York Botanical Garden: 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458 / $25

4. Take the Staten Island Ferry by the Statue of Liberty

What: A 25-minute ferry ride between St. George Terminal and Whitehall Terminal that passes right by the Statue of Liberty
How much: Free

5. Bike to the New Jersey Palisades

What: A line of steep cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River.
Where: Alpine, New Jersey (two hours via bike)
How much: Free

6. Walk around Oheka Castle

What: A huge chateau-style estate with formal gardens
Where: 135 W Gate Dr, Huntington, NY 11743 (two hours via train)
How much: $25

Photographed by Krista Anna Lewis; Elizabeth wearing Front Row Shop topKsenia Schnaider jeans, Beckett Simonon bag and Dannijo choker.

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Haley Nahman

Haley Nahman

Haley Nahman is the Features Director at Man Repeller.

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