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Take home a piece of the festival
Embrace the winter season with these parks and outdoor spaces, whether it's a historical talk, birdwatching tour, or an aimless walk.
With the prospect of spring scarcely in sight, January in New York City can feel dreary and grim; it's tempting to stay bundled up at home or to seek refuge indoors. But, every so often, there is something special about taking a walk with your hands wrapped desperately around a hot beverage, or experiencing a green space in its tranquil haze, without the thrum of tourists and visitors. This month, we challenge you to layer up and embrace the season—take the train to a different borough, explore a public space in the city that you've been meaning to see, or visit a nearby park and notice the ways it's taken on a different persona in the winter. We've gathered some of our favorite nature-filled destinations below to inspire your weekend itinerary. Temperature below 30? Good. Is it snowing? Even better. Are you cold? Let's get colder!
Located in the Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park offers over 1,000 acres of green space, making it New York City's third largest park. With countless sports facilities (including the country's first public golf course), playgrounds, and hiking and walking trails, there is much to take in, not to mention the Van Cortlandt House Museum, the nature center, and numerous events organized by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance. This month, you can get involved by assisting with trail maintenance, planting native species, or even bringing your leftover holiday tree to be recycled into mulch! Perhaps you're an avid historian—curious to learn about the site's roots (built in 1748) and its connection with the Caribbean and Latin America? Join the Van Cortlandt House Museum and its Site Historian Nick Dembowski for a one-hour tour on January 25.
Founded in 1838 and now a National Historic Landmark, Green-Wood is a space memorializing the dead and bringing to life the art, history, and natural beauty of New York City. One of the first rural cemeteries in America, today it attracts 500,000 visitors a year for its 478 acres of hills, glacial ponds, and paths, as well as its vibrant year-round public programming. This month, events include Grieving and Weaving, a knitting and crocheting group sharing stories and grief resources in the comfort of Green-Wood's Modern Chapel, as well as Birding in Peace, an early morning walk led by birding expert Rob Jett. See Green-Wood's calendar to discover more offerings.
Once the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills Park will be the largest park developed in New York City in over a century. Having transformed over the last two decades into a sustainable park, the project is a symbol of renewal and ecological restoration. Landfill infrastructure is essential to the park’s design—created by Field Operations—and it adds to the project’s complexity. The site hosts a variety of social and cultural activities, including hikes, kayaking, and public art. This month, take a one-mile nature walk or participate in a winter photography tour! Register here.
Come summer, be sure to check out the AIANY Freshkills Park tour with Classic Harbor Line to learn about the park's grasslands, wetlands, and waterways while on a luxury yacht!
Located in New Canaan, Connecticut, Grace Farms Foundation is a cultural and humanitarian center dedicated to pursuing peace through five initiatives—nature, arts, justice, community, and faith. Their humanitarian work includes Design for Freedom, a new movement to remove forced labor from the building materials supply chain. The SANAA-designed site is a marvel during all seasons, and winter is no exception. Explore the organization's event calendar to get involved in community programs this season, including the Humanity in Architecture Film Festival at the end of this month.
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Head past Chelsea and the Meatpacking District to explore Hudson River Park's Little Island. Designed by Heatherwick Studio and MNLA, Little Island is a unique artificial island structure that hosts gardens, performances, and art. This winter, enjoy the serene, wintry views over the Hudson alongside the Island's dormant evergreens and icy branches. Little Island’s landscape architect Signe Nielsen, founding principal of MNLA, narrates a 40-minute audio tour of the site here, which delves into every decision behind the process of designing the 2.4 acre oasis.
This list wouldn't be complete without the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is worth an exploration any time of year. Currently on view is their Aquatic House and Orchid Collection, where it is warm, moist, and filled with tropical and subtropical plants. Step into the glass-enclosed space and roam amidst carnivorous plants, mangrove trees, potted water lilies, and colorful orchids! The Garden's Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden is also a must-see this season, boasting artfully pruned evergreen trees and shrubs, as well as the yukimi gata ("snow-viewing") lantern on Turtle Island, named for its wide, flat roof that after snowfall holds a blanket of snow. Read more about the Garden's winter highlights here and take advantage of its pay-what-you-wish weekday admission through January and February!
Archtober is a NYC-based platform that promotes the discovery of architecture and design through experiences and content, culminating in a month-long festival every October.
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