Finding Fall

I read in the New York Times that the fall foliage in the city would be a its peak last weekend, so I planned to take one last leaf-peeping adventure. By then I sort of felt as if I had already petted fall to death with all of my October activities, but I couldn't resist one last autumnal hurrah. Turns out the leaves are still pretty breathtaking, even if they're past peak, so I might as well continue to enjoy the delights as they present themselves.

I thought I'd recap some of my favorite leaf showings this year and if you haven't made it out to the parks yet this year, you still have time. Although I wouldn't recommend Forrest Hills Park in Queens — I heard they had beautiful leaves there, but when I Googled the park to plan a trip there the first two results that came up were "Sicko in the Park Still on the Loose" and "Stun Gun Rape in Forrest Hills Park." I'm sure it's a beautiful place but I'm not in the mood to get stun-gun raped by a sicko so I stuck to these less exotic locales:

Inwood Hills Park

We didn't stay to long or venture too far into the actual park, but the view across the Hudson River was sublime last weekend. I seem to be having a bit of a love affair with the Hudson this fall, and if you've ever been around it this time of year you won't blame me. While this post focuses on parks within New York City limits, some of the best foliage I've seen was near the Hudson in Sleepy Hollow and on my trip farther north into New England. I think pretty much any town within the Hudson Valley is a sure bet for spectacular leaf delights.

Central Park

I've gone leaf spotting in Central Park many times over the past few weeks, and each time the leaves have gotten prettier and prettier. I found what I thought had to have been the best tree in the park, only to happen upon an even better one further down the path.

Most recently I stuck to the northern part of the park, which I can't recommend enough. Near the pond is especially picturesque, and don't be afraid to venture into the heart of the North Woods — you'll be rewarded with spectacular views and hardly anyone around to ruin your pristine photos.

Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island probably isn't the first place you'd think of when looking for beautiful foliage, but I was pleasantly surprised by my trip there last Sunday. The small trees lining the walking paths by the river are amazingly colorful right now. The landscaping near the Four Freedoms FDR monument is incredibly vibrant and the fallen leaves are just as pretty as the ones still on the trees. If you haven't been to Roosevelt Island yet, fall is a perfect time to explore. There's even a super cozy Starbucks right near the tram exit because every fall adventure is made even better with coffee — but finish your drink before you enter the FDR memorial — drinks are not allowed, something I learned the hard way.