8 Reasons to Visit New York City

  • The NYC skyline.

    The NYC skyline.

  • The New York City Marathon draws 47,000 runners.

    The New York City Marathon draws 47,000 runners.

  • Rachael Ray sampling the fare at the 2012 New York City Wine & Food Festival ©  Billy Farrell Agency

    Rachael Ray sampling the fare at the 2012 New York City Wine & Food Festival © Billy Farrell Agency

  • The NYC Wine & Food Festival offering ©  Billy Farrell Agency

    The NYC Wine & Food Festival offering © Billy Farrell Agency

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Eight good reasons to get yourself to Gotham this autumn

By Christi Hang

“Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?” Duke Vernon said it all when he penned these immortal lyrics in 1934, and it’s truer now than it was back then. Yes, the weather is pleasant and mild and Central Park is awash in fall colors. But this is also the season that welcomes some of the Big Apple’s biggest events. Here are the highlights.

TAKE TO THE STREETS
The city’s fall parade season kicks off with the Columbus Day Parade (Oct. 14), when nearly one million spectators will celebrate Italian-American culture along Fifth Avenue. Then comes a host of creative costumes at the 40th-annual Village Halloween Parade (Oct. 31), followed by the mother of all processions, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Nov. 28), which has been thrilling New Yorkers since 1924.

CHEER UP
The New York City Marathon (Nov. 3) was canceled last year due to Hurricane Sandy. This time around, expect double the usual fanfare as crowds cheer on the 47,000 runners as they make their way from Staten Island to Central Park along a 42-kilometer route.

ADMIRE ARCHITECTURE
The highlight of this year’s Open House New York (Oct. 12–13) weekend is a preview of the 72-story 4 World Trade Tower, but there will be plenty of other architecturally intriguing sites to admire throughout New York City’s five boroughs, from private homes to historic landmarks.

FILL YOUR CULTURE QUOTA
The New Yorker Festival (Oct. 4–6)—a sort of live version of the New Yorker magazine featuring talks, tours, and panels, continues its tradition of eclectic speakers with a lineup that includes Marina Abramović, Ethan Hawke, Christoph Waltz, and Zadie Smith.

TAKE A BITE
One of the city’s hallmarks is its incredible culinary scene, and the New York City Wine & Food Festival (Oct. 17-20) puts the very best on display.

LISTEN UP
More than 1,300 independent music acts from a variety of genres take to the stage across 80 venues during the CMJ Music Marathon (Oct. 15-19).

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2013 issue of DestinAsian (“New York Now”)

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