Your Guide to NYC’s Fall Foliage and Activities

Intro

In the last post I described how to go to Bear Mountain in Public Transportation from New York City. In this post I want to also share some advice on what to do (or what I did) this last Fall in the Big Apple, for some ideas for the remainder of the season and maybe future years. Enjoy!

Explore Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Station is always a good visit. Getting inside the main hall feels like stepping into a living postcard — the soft glow of the celestial ceiling, the buzz of commuters, and the echo of footsteps all merging into that unmistakable New York energy. Built in 1913, you immediately appreciate how its Beaux-Arts design still commands attention more than a century later.

Starting earlier in the Fall Season, the 2025 Holiday Fair in Grand Central Terminal, brings “6,000-square-foot indoor artisan market filled with unique handcrafted jewelry, delightful pottery, breathtaking artwork, and so much more.”

The Grand Brasserie restaurant located just in front is a fancy way to wait for your train while in the station.

Another thing to visit during Christmas is the New York Transit Museum Gallery & Store with beautiful exhibitions and things to do.

Take a train Upstate

Since you are in the Grand Central Terminal, maybe take a train Upstate? I know it’s getting freezing but there are a few towns not too far from New York City that can be reach via MetroNorth:

1) Cold Spring (Hudson Line): Why go: classic Main Street shopping + Hudson River views, easy hikes (Breakneck/Bull Hill) and historic sites (Boscobel, Bannerman views). Perfect for crisp-air strolls and cider stops.
Metro-North: Hudson Line (train from GCT to Cold Spring).
2) Beacon (Hudson Line): Why go: Beacon and a lively Main Street full of boutiques, cafés, breweries — great for gallery hopping and leaf-peeping nearby. Beacon also makes a cozy weekend escape with easy walking.

Metro-North: Hudson Line (station = Beacon).
3) Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow (Hudson Line): Why go: Halloween → Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and lots of Hudson Valley holiday programming; in winter the village lights, Washington Irving sites, and boutique shopping make for a storybook holiday outing.

Metro-North: Hudson Line (Tarrytown station; Sleepy Hollow is adjacent/walkable).
4) Katonah (Harlem Line): Why go: small-town charm with art and seasonal family events — Katonah Museum of Art, nearby conservatory/train-shows and holiday markets make it a great low-key festive stop. (Caramoor/Lasdon area events nearby in season.)
Metro-North: Harlem Line (Katonah station).
5) Westport, CT (New Haven Line): Why go: postcard Main Street shopping and dining, a lively Holiday Stroll/market tradition, and seasonal performances at the Westport Country Playhouse — ideal for cozy evenings and gift hunting.

In my case, I decided to go to Tarrytown, and see around Sleepy Hollow, the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and the mountains of Blauvelt State Park in Orangeburg, NY.

Ended up in a Colombian restaurant in this side of New York lol. And enjoying all the Fall colors in this area of the state.

See a Solar Halo

A solar halo is a bright, circular ring of light that appears around the Sun when sunlight passes through ice crystals in high, thin cirrus clouds. These crystals bend and reflect the light, creating a glowing circle—often with a soft rainbow-like tint—high in the sky.

It’s not too rare so see them in New York City, and I had the chance to see it around noon in The Bronx of all places.

Check your Alma Mater

I like when I randomly end up in Downtown Brooklyn by Jay St/Metrotech, and I get to see my old Alma Mater. The NYU Tandon School of Engineering. This whole area is especially beautiful in the winter, with snow, Christmas trees and a lot of Christmas lights.

Enjoy a Malta Coffee

One country I have not been to yet is Malta. It’s on the list, but still no plans to go there. For now, I guess I could go to Malta Coffee in the Upper East Side in Manhattan, to get a little taste of this country.

I like how cute and unassuming it is.

The menu was a little bit broader than I expected.

Got the Nutella Donut, Mocha and Pastizzi. The coffee and donut were ok, but the pastizzi was old and hard. I definitely need to go to the real country to get revenge on those typical pastries of Malta.

Get on the Wicked: For Good Season

I was lucky to see Wicked: For Good in IMAX in AMC Lincoln Square 13, Upper West Side, and it was definitely a great experience.

One of the biggest screens in this country. I always try getting here first using my AMC A List subscription.

The Wicked: For Good collaboration with Dunkin was For Good. I got the Glinda’s Elixir, which was a little sweet for me. I usually only get coffee at Dunkin, never tea or refreshers.

On the other hand, the Wicked Munchkins were delicious lol. I liked them quite a lot.

Even the Empire State was lit green to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Broadway’s hit musical Wicked.

See Stranger Things: The First Shadow

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a stage-play prequel set in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959, exploring the origins of the town’s supernatural mysteries and key characters long before the events of the TV series. Centered on the troubled arrival of Henry Creel—who will eventually become Vecna—the story follows young versions of Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado, and Bob Newby as strange phenomena begin to unravel their small-town lives. Blending drama, sci-fi, and live theatrical effects, the play expands the Stranger Things mythology while standing on its own as a dark, suspenseful look at how the shadow of the Upside Down first fell over Hawkins.

Before the final Season 5 of the show, I decided to finally go see the play and it was quite the experience, located in Marquis Theatre, Broadway.

The effects used in this play were mid blowing. I am more than excited to see this show’s end.

Hang around Times Square

And yes, the last but not least spot is the never bad Times Square. There is so much to do in this area, and if you get tired of the multitudes you can go West towards Hell’s Kitchen for nice restaurants and shops.