Autumn In New York, According to Locals

This is my first autumn in New York, and I hear there's nothing like fall in the city. Why is this season so inviting? I decided to ask New Yorkers what their favorite thing about fall is.

I was walking down the steps of The Met when I ran into this woman walking her dog. I don't usually ask to pet someone’s dog, but her puppy was too adorable to resist. That’s when I asked her what she loves most about fall. She told me that it’s when the brownstones in her neighborhood start getting decorated.

Every year, people go all out, and there’s always something new and exciting to see. She loves taking her dog for walks and watching the decorations pop up day by day. After we said goodbye, I decided to check it out myself. She was definitely right.

Almost every brownstone was decked out in beautiful, unique decorations, each with its own personality.

The next person I asked was a man I met in the kitchen of my building. He grew up in Brooklyn, and his favorite fall memory was going over to his friend’s house in elementary school to go trick-or-treating.

It was beyond the candy in Clinton Hill; it was a full celebration with families coming together. The brownstones were lined with decorations, and kids from school would go door to door, making it feel like a community event. He told me they don't do things the same way anymore, but he still considers it one of his favorite fall memories.

While hauling my groceries back to my dorm, I sat next to this lovely lady on the train, and I asked her what she loves about the fall. She immediately mentioned the weekend farmers’ markets, especially the one at Prospect Park. She told me it runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and that her family has been going for years. It’s a seasonal highlight she looks forward to every year.

I asked everyone I met what their favorite thing about fall was, and they all had one thing in common— Central Park. While walking through Central Park, I spotted a girl my age reading a huge book and knew she’d be the perfect person to ask.

She moved to New York when she was 3, and she said her favorite part of fall was being able to throw on a sweater and take a walk through Central Park. She likes to watch the colors start to change, watching the leaves shift from yellow to orange across the park.

As for me, listening to these people reminisce about their favorite things about autumn filled me with hope for my own fall in New York. I found myself falling in love with these things, too, as I explored the city with my friends as college students.

What is your favorite thing to do in the fall? Leave a comment below.