New York City, being one of the most diverse, fun, and overall popular cities in the world, is a host to an endless amount of activities to do this spring. Considering Cresskill’s close proximity to NYC, it makes commuting there fairly easy. Throughout this article all of the most fun and worthwhile activities will be covered with all the details you need on fun things to do in Manhattan and Brooklyn, those being the most popular boroughs.
Manhattan:
Starting off strong with Manhattan, the most popular borough for many tourists and visitors. Manhattan hosts many events in the Spring. Such as:
Flea Markets:
Chelsea:
The Chelsea Flea, on the weekend of 3/22
The Chelsea Flea Market is a year round flea market, open every weekend from 8am to 5pm in the Flatiron District. At this flea market you’ll find vintage antiques, various jewelry, clothing, and more! Coming from someone who visits this flea market every time I’m in NYC, it is most definitely worth stopping by! The prices are fair and the people are extremely kind and knowledgeable. You won’t be getting ripped off here.
Address: 29 W 25th St, New York, NY 10010
Ludlow:
Pictures of a leather jacket found at the Ludlow Flea
The Ludlow Flea a is a smaller market in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They rotate vendors weekly to keep the selections fresh, meaning you’ll get very different offerings everytime you go. Being a more curated selection of items, it may be on the slightly pricier side. Besides that, they do have some affordable pieces coming directly from the market’s founders who have a stand every week.
Address: 159 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002
Grand Bazaar:
The Grand Bazaar Flea is a market hosted every Sunday in the Upper West Side with a huge selection of vendors and choices to pick from. It is an indoor and outdoor market with the majority of the vendors being outside. After going to this flea twice I can attest to how good it is! Many kind vendors with amazing selections of anything you can think of: jewelry, clothing, vintage antiques, and even food! However be aware that it does have considerably higher prices than other flea markets in NYC due to its location. For example, most tee shirts were between 20-30$ and rings were around the same price.
Address: 100 W 77th St, New York, NY 10024
Pop Ups:
My most recent pop up, at Rein Studios in Brooklyn
In Manhattan, there are many pop up markets that may only stay for a weekend. These are typically found on any social media sites. Usually, there are many during the spring and summer. I can only speak for the ones I attended, such as the “Get Lucky” and “The Vintage Market” popups, both of which were not in Manhattan. Overall, these markets can be great!.
Jazz “Clubs”:
Smalls:
The Smalls stage during a recent performance by local jazz artists
Smalls is a Jazz “Club” that is friendly to those under 18. Located in the West Village of Manhattan, they play live Jazz music. Offering modest prices, being 35$ dollars for a ticket Sunday-Thursday and 40$ on Friday and Saturday. Cresskill Junior Alicia Sathananthan, a regular at Smalls, states “I enjoy it very much, I love Jazz Music, and it was so fun being there with people that also enjoy jazz music. They weren’t even bands, just people who hop in and play together, without even knowing each other, I definitely recommend.” Overall, Smalls Jazz Club is a great experience for anyone interested in listening to live music.
Address: 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Parks:
Washington Square Park:
Poster from the Timothee Chalamet lookalike competition
At Washington Square Park there’s always something going on. Either some skaters will be doing tricks in the “pit” in the middle of the park or maybe even Timothee Chalamet will show up, (which he did) it’s a total toss up. With that being said, it’s always a good time at Washington Square Park with a plethora of events being held here. Events such as the Timothee Chalamet lookalike competition (which I went to), pop up markets, and a lot of skating events. Fellow Junior Ema Rraci attended the Timothee Chalamet lookalike competition with me, and has some statements to add. She states “It was so chaotic. We got there a little late, and there were about a thousand people there. We saw Timothee run away from the crowd after he made an appearance there. Even with the chaos, I don’t regret going at all.” To sum it up, being in close proximity to the NYU main campus, Washington Square Park is in a very convenient and central location right in the heart of SoHo, making it a popular location for many events.
Bryant Park:
Photo of Bryant Park in the spring
At Bryant Park, you’ll never get a moment of silence. There’s always people running around, dogs being walked, and many events to make note of. Speaking of the events, they are mostly funded by The City of New York, so you know they’ll be good. All the information on these events are seen on the website: bryantpark.org for easy access. Many of these events are youth oriented, being made for younger kids, making it an unpopular spot for students in High School. But, the holiday events seem to be popular for all ages. With the hot chocolate stands, ice skating, and more fun holiday spirit, it is most definitely worth stopping by around Christmas time. Considering it being Spring, none of those events are happening, but it is still definitely worth stopping by and checking out!
Central Park:
Picture of Central Park in the spring
Central Park, being the most popular and well known parks in NYC, especially Manhattan, has a of events going on all the time. All of the events are seen on centralpark.com. In addition to these events, there are many places to set up and chill out, or maybe even enjoy a picnic. Overall, Central Park offers many things to do over the spring season, especially with the weather getting warmer.
Vintage / Thrift Stores:
Pictures of different thrift and vintage stores in Manhattan
In New York City, there are an endless amount of amazing vintage and thrift stores. But, fairly priced stores are hard to find. To make this job easier, I put together a list of the best stores in the entirety of NYC, with most of the stores on the list being in Manhattan or Brooklyn.
Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ui8joce2cq916EBF7?g_st=ihttps://maps.app.goo.gl/Ui8joce2cq916EBF7?g_st=ic
Shopping:
In NYC, there are an infinite amount of stores to choose from. Ranging from Brandy Mellville all the way to Diesel, every store you’d ever want to shop in is here. Most of the major retail stores are located in SoHo, right in the heart of Manhattan. Overall, I think it is without saying that when you go to NYC, shopping will be done.
Food:
In NYC, the sheer amount of good food could put someone in a coma. Considering how diverse the city is, the food reflects that. Any type of food you could want is here, ranging from Japanese to Italian. But, let me give you some of my recommendations. First being 7th Street Burger. This chain of restaurants around NYC (with one location in Hoboken) is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Being a smashburger with onions, pickles, a soft bun, cheese, and their signature sauce, it is such a good burger. Next up is quite literally any chinese restaurant in Chinatown. Most of these restaurants offer extremely delicious deals on food. My favorite spot being King Dumplings in Chinatown, offering 10 chives and pork dumplings for $3.60. I’ve had these at least 100 times and I still can’t get enough.
College Open Houses, Events, and Programs:
All of these pictures are from FIT’s recent Discovery Day open house event
In the Spring, many NYC colleges host open houses and events. Examples include Fashion Institute of Technology, The New School, Pratt Institute, NYU, Fordham, and LIM College. All of these schools are hosting open houses, tours, or even some events this spring. I attended Fit’s Discovery Day, and I loved it! They hosted free workshops, with opportunities to meet professors, and get hands-on experience with your chosen profession. I chose to do the Menswear and Textile Development courses, and I had such a great time! I attended the event with fellow Junior Ema Rraci, who states “It was so cool! Even though I am not planning on applying to FIT, it was still very cool to do all the workshops. Definitely a worthwhile visit.” Overall, if you’re interested in any colleges in NYC, attending their events or open houses is such a great idea to get ahead.
Sightseeing:
In Manhattan, there are many areas to sightsee. Examples include Battery Park, Pier 57’s free rooftop park, Statue of Liberty visits, ferry rides, and Governor’s Island. All of these activities are either free or under 5 dollars to attend, and provide a worthwhile experience every time. A little fun tip, Pier 57 has an elevator up to the free rooftop park, with stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Another helpful tip, the New York Public Library has a free outdoor balcony that also has very stunning views. The elevator is at the right side of the building in the main room.
Brooklyn:
Flea Markets:
Dumbo Flea Market:
(Photos from the Brooklyn Dumbo Flea Market)
The Dumbo Flea Market is a Spring and Summer only market, which just opened the weekend of 3/15! It is located under the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo, Brooklyn. With a numerous selection of vendors, all offering a great selection of items. These items range from jewelry, clothes, cameras, glasses, and so much more. In my opinion, it is the most worthwhile flea market in all of NYC, and it is a must visit for all interested in good deals.
Sightseeing:
Brooklyn Heights Manhattan View / Park:
(Various views from Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn)
Right at the edge of Brooklyn Heights are beautiful views of the Financial District of Manhattan. With this view is a park that jets out into the east river that provides communal basketball courts and a nice area to see the views.
Thrift:
Goodwill Bins / Salvation Army / Buffalo Exchange:
In Brooklyn, there are an abundance of Goodwill / Salvation Army / Buffalo Exchange stores. All of these stores are the cheapest thrift stores in NYC, offering extremely low prices, as they are chain stores. These stores provide some of the best clothes for the cheapest prices, but you do have to look harder to find anything worthwhile.
Parades:
This year, the Pride 2025 parade is taking place in Brooklyn. Starting June 29th at 11am, on the corner of 25th Street and 5th Avenue, it is the biggest pride event of the year. It is not taking place during the spring, but the signup sheet is out now! If you are interested in showing your support for LGBTQIA+ pride, definitely consider walking this year!
In conclusion, there are many things to do in NYC during the Spring. So much that it couldn’t be included in one article! I hope that this article helped guide your future NYC trips this spring,as I enjoyed every single activity listed here. Happy spring!
