If you are like me, your schedule is so filled with meetings, classes, work, and responsibilities that the word "bored" sounds like a foreign word or gibberish... However, we all have those random freed-up afternoons in which we don't know what we could possibly do with ourselves. Here's an list of ideas to fill those random 5 hours on a Thursday afternoon:
Bryant Park
Located around the west forties, Bryant Park is a lovely place to have lunch or chillax. It's especially beautiful when the leaves start to change. This time of year, Bank of America sets up its Christmas village surrounding a glorious (and free if you bring your own ice skates) rink. I specifically asked for ice skates for the Christmas of my freshman year for this very reason.
Staten Island Ferry
I know, it's not the Statue of Liberty ferry, but this one is almost as good, and some say it affords a better view of Lady Liberty. If you ever have an hour where you literally don't want to be found by anyone... the SI ferry is the way to go. It's relaxing, free, and you get to see the Manhattan skyline and smell the fresh (ok it's the Hudson, so not really fresh) ocean air.
Roosevelt Island
Beautiful, serene, and merely 5 minutes away from Manhattan by the Roosevelt Island Tram (or subway if you want to wait around for the F...). It is said that the Island used to house the city's mental asylum (creepy), but now it's just a bunch of hospitals, and a bunch of families and retired people (imagine if the Upper West Side was an island unto itself). If you want a mini vacation that's doesn't require leaving the city at all, this is the place to go.
The Cloisters
This is one of those gems of a discovery that I made my freshman year (when I had so much more time on my hands to actually explore). Yes, you do have to pay an admission fee, but since it is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, your "donation" can be as little as 50 cents, not that I personally have been that much of a cheapskate ever (*cough*). Like Roosevelt, it feels like you aren't even anywhere close to the city. I could get lost in the stone walls and stain glass for hours... I highly recommend it!
Central Park
Who could write a summary of the best things to do in NYC without including this baby? I enjoy walking through the little mountainy paths, or walking to Bethesda and pretending I'm Blair Waldorf... whatever you like to do in your spare time, Central has it!
XOXO
-H
