After filling up on meats at Liebman's Deli in the Bronx, Jess and I walked about 25 minutes west to Wave Hill. Wave Hill is a public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River. Wave Hill house was built in 1843 as a country home and over the years Teddy Roosevelt and Mark Twain both spent time at the estate. In 1903, it was purchased by a partner at J.P. Morgan and he added greenhouses and shaped the surrounding grounds. In 1960, Wave Hill was deeded to the city and today it's one of 33 city-owned cultural institutions.

I didn't know much about Wave Hill, but I thought it was harder to get to than it actually is—in fact, we were right by it back in January when we explored Fieldston and Riverdale. It's accessible by Metro North but it's only a 30-minute walk from the 1 train and they have a free shuttle that picks you up/drops you off by the 242nd Street stop. The Bronx sometimes gets a bad rap, but I've always loved the time I've spent there. Now that I live in Harlem again, it's just a few subway stops away and there are still so many places on my list to explore.

There wasn't much to see at Wave Hill besides the gardens, but it was the perfect place to spend a leisurely, warm and sunny Saturday. It wasn't very crowded, but we did see several couples taking wedding information tours, and Wave Hill seems like the kind of place built exclusively for weddings.

The greenhouses were packed full of succulents, cacti and the biggest air plants I've ever seen—every blogger's Instagram dream—and it would be a lovely place to escape to on a snowy winter day (Wave Hill is open year-round). I always feel so restored by city adventures like this—exploring someplace new that feels worlds away but it only takes a few subway stops before I'm home again.

Wave Hill
Tuesday-Sunday, 9am-5:30pm
West 249th Street and Independence Avenue
Bronx, New York