When your entire apartment becomes a conference room, home can feel the furthest from an abode of which you can unwind. To avoid burnout it’s imperative that we convert the office back into a living room, and furthermore, venture from it.
Vacation time has been reported to decrease stress. But an all-inclusive, palm tree-studded, vacation isn’t always necessary to recharge. New York City is a 302.6 square mile playground upon which an itinerary for a staycation can be abundant, from a layover-length few hours spent in a museum to an entire day off traversing untapped terrain.
Take a few hours in the middle of your workday to enjoy time off outside: close the laptop, step outside, and explore all that the Big Apple has to offer.
Day at the museum
No matter the borough, there’s a museum to trapeze through. Explore ice cream through the lens of a sprinkle filled pool or gaze at a Picasso. The exhibits are endless and the art offers a departure from the daily.
Stroll down the High Line
A mere walk turns into a transporting stroll when done at Manhattan’s High Line. An old railroad turned elevated pedestrian space boasts views of the Hudson River, showcases art, peers into gardens, offers lounge spaces, and stops at the foot of The Whitney Museum.
See outdoor art
Art gets an outdoor gallery at Hudson Yards. An ensemble of 13 artists has their works, some interactive, on display on the West Side.
Take pizza to the park
Pick up a slice slathered in hot honey from Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop. As you’re making your way to Transmitter Park, swing into Ovenly for a post-pizza dessert. And then pick a spot to stare at the city before you. There are no bad views of the Manhattan skyline.
Explore local produce
The promenade of Union Square Park is blanketed with booths of greens and florals multiple times a week. If you can’t get to the fields they produce sprouts from, hop on the subway and ascend into the urban field that is the Union Square Greenmarket.
Go to the garden
Graze through the “largest uncut expanse of New York’s original wooded landscape” and meander through towering trees that rival the skyscrapers downtown. Learn about the environment and perhaps become inspired to start a rooftop oasis.
Venture north of 42nd street
If you’re looking for a staycation that requires more than a subway ride, a Metro North train will hurl you out of the concrete jungle into a bucolic wooded scene of the Hudson Valley. Walking distance from the Beacon platform is DIA: Beacon where you’ll gawk at Serra’s structural masterpieces.
Collect baked goods
Vacation itineraries block out time to explore the cuisine. Dinners last hours and snack breaks are constant. Embody that energy in the city you live in by hopping from one bakery to another. Don’t miss the morning buns at Otway NYC or the rosewater concha at Ursula Brooklyn.
Stock Up on Natural Wine
If you define a staycation by being cocooned in the throes of your duvet and converting the living room into a lounge once the sun sets, make sure you have the right wine. New York is packed with boutique wine shops with a penchant for the natural, biodynamic stuff. Pretend that Ridgewood is France and pick up a bottle of Beaujolais at Foret.
Explore a New Borough
You’re not confined to your borough. Break free of the habitual subway routes and go the extra mile to terrain you’ve yet to grace. Take out from the taquerias dotting Jackson Heights. Ferry across to Staten Island. Ditch the trains and hop a water taxi to Red Hook to see Manhattan from a different perspective.
Try a new deli
Nestled in a nook of Brooklyn is the unassuming Mill Basin Deli. Another deli, you may think to yourself. But Mill Basin is anything but. This Jewish deli doubles as an art gallery so you can have your matzo ball soup and Chagall too.
About Sorbet
Sorbet is a first-of-its-kind employee wellness platform for the new normal that encourages and incentivizes professionals to make the most of their Paid Time Off. Our AI-generated personalized Time Off Optimizer empowers professionals to take meaningful time off to destress, recharge, avoid burnout, and improve performance. For more information about Sorbet, visit https://www.getsorbet.com/.
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