This is what New Yorkers all do in the fall

They are here: the months of orange leaves and spooky decorations. The sky is bright blue and the stuffiness is gone. It's warm enough to leave your coat at home, while here and there the holiday-season decorations are already being brought out. I get so happy about autumn in New York. A favorite activity during the fall here is ‘leaf peeping’, which basically means going to look at colorful leaves. For the most beautiful pictures, you should head towards Upstate New York or Connecticut, but there are also a few spots in the city that will make your autumn heart race. Read below what you can do both inside and outside the city to have the ultimate fall feeling.

Central Park

I think Central Park in the fall is definitely at the top of my list of favorite things. Goodness, it is beautiful. The park is already a show-off when it comes to good looks, but once the temperatures get cooler and the colors warmer, there is only one word for it: wow. Take your time, go for a stroll, and throw some leaves in the air for a fun and spontaneous Insta-shot.

Pumpkin spice everything

In the Netherlands, from September 1st, all the shelves are filled with pepernoten, in New York you can't escape pumpkin spice from the first official day of fall. Once it was just a latte flavor, but now it's everywhere: muffins, ice cream, pop-tarts, breakfast cereals; you name it. So whatever your plan is, it's not complete without something pumpkin spiced.

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

If autumn had a face, it would be a Jack O’Lantern. You know, a pumpkin with a carved spooky grin. This face symbolizes both autumn and America’s favorite holiday:

Halloween. In Croton-On-Hudson (upstate NY) you can meet hundreds of Jacks during the annual The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze event. Thousands of pumpkins are hand-carved and incorporated into light installations. It's outside the city, but you can get there quickly with a direct train from Grand Central Station.

Pumpkin and apple picking

Villages in Upstate New York and Connecticut look just like they do in Gilmore Girls: picturesque and cozy. During the fall months, you can bring out your inner farmer in apple orchards and pumpkin fields around these snug villages. Every year, New Yorkers flock north to pick apples and pumpkins.

The Met Cloisters with a view

If you don't want to leave Manhattan (and I totally get that) but still want to leaf peep, take a subway to the northernmost point of the island where you will find The Met Cloisters, the less crowded sister of The Metropolitan Museum. It rivals an Italian monastery with several herb-filled courtyards and galleries. Due to its location on a hill by the Hudson River, you have a beautiful view over the river and the surrounding forests that turn lovely yellow and orange in the fall.

Cheer on runners during the New York City Marathon

On November 3rd, it's that time again: perhaps the most famous marathon in the world winds its way through the streets of all five boroughs of New York. Running for hours is not for me, but watching other people run from the sidelines is perfectly fine. People cheer for every runner and eagerly wait with banners for participants they know. The atmosphere is so encouraging that I almost wanted to buy a pair of running shoes (the thought crossed my mind for exactly two seconds). Even if you don't know anyone, it's definitely worth being a cheerleader for a bit.

Tompkins Square Park Dog Parade

A costume parade but with puppies. Can you picture it? I always called myself a cat person, but after experiencing this event, I suddenly started to doubt everything. Because dogs in costumes are just too cute. From French bulldogs dressed as lobsters to doodles dressed as Brazilian carnival-goers; on October 19th, you'll see them all. If you're in the area, grab a bagel at Tompkins Square Bagel or Black Seed Bagel, and you can check that New York must-eat off your list too.

Village Halloween Parade

On Halloween itself (October 31st), you can get spooky with half of New York during the Halloween Parade. If you wear a costume, you can join in, otherwise, you stand on the sidelines admiring costumes. Also fun.

Go to a Haunted House

Do you really want to get scared? Put on your brave shoes and go to one of New York's haunted houses. No way am I taking my scared heart into a Haunted House, but Blood Manor is said to be a scary one. Who dares?

Thanksgiving events

Every fourth Thursday of November, this year it's the 28th, it's time to be thankful for everything you have. It originally started as a harvest festival because people were happy there was food at all, now people empty the mega supermarkets for a big feast. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie; if you have time and a kitchen, those are the things you put on the table. If you have neither, you can always find somewhere for a special menu. I would love to join at Manhatta, a chic restaurant on the 60th floor of a skyscraper, or Freemans, a cozy restaurant in the Lower East Side. The most traditional activity that is not food-related is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, a parade with inflatable figures along Central Park.

Football and tailgate

We have soccer, Americans have football. The passion for the sport is the same in both countries, but here they use their hands while we use our feet, as the name suggests. Because why not? Fall and winter are football season, so if you want to soak up some haute culture, settle yourself on a bar stool and ask an American acquaintance to explain the rules. I'm not a sports fan, but I genuinely enjoyed learning this. If you want to feel really American, organize a tailgate. This is best described as a barbecue in the back of your pickup truck (which you need to have at your disposal) in the parking lot around a sports stadium. The fun starts a few hours before the game begins. Throughout the fall, the Giants and Jets take turns at MetLife Stadium, so depending on the week you're here, you'll be cheering for one or the other.

Written by Anna van der Heijden