Hiking, climbing, biking, surfing, skiing and exploring the outdoors in and around New York City.
The best indoor activities for outdoorsy people in and around New York City. Climbing gyms, archery, film festivals and more.
Well, it’s finally happened: the temperature in New York has caught up with the season. So now that it’s so cold you can’t even imagine touching your bike handlebars, it’s time to grab a bow and shoot a few arrows at Gotham Archery, an indoor archery range in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Continue reading Bullseye: Archery is the perfect indoor outdoorsy adventure
We find it’s hard to not talk about climbing as much as we’d like to (we don’t want to be just a newsletter about climbing after all) and this video, produced by the activewear company Prana, helped us to understand why. Of all the outdoor inspired activities available in cities, urban climbing seems to have become one of the most popular thanks in part to the explosion of climbing gyms (at least three new gyms have opened in NYC in the last five years). Continue reading This video about urban climbing will inspire you to go to the gym
We didn’t check the weather last night before we went to bed so we were pretty surprised this morning when we woke up to what looked like at least an inch of snow collected on our fire escape. While we were excited to start planning for our spring adventures, we’re psyched about getting at least one more day of winter. We’ve rounded up our favorite ways to enjoy snow in the city (indoors and out) below. Let us know how you’ll be spending one more snow day.
Continue reading Snow day: Another chance to enjoy the best winter activities in the city
Our favorite part of the Ninja Warrior class we wrote about in the newsletter this week was learning how to run up a wall. We definitely recommend signing up for the class at Brooklyn Zoo and being guided by an instructor before trying this on your own but here’s a breakdown of how we learned to do this cool and totally doable trick.
Continue reading Ninja Warrior: Running up a wall is totally doable
If you’re one those reasonable souls opting to forego standing around in single digit temps while you wait for your turn on the chairlift this weekend, may we suggest an outdoor adventure inspired movie? Check out the screenings and movie recommendations we’ve listed below. They’ll sate your wanderlust without having to brave the wind chill.
Continue reading Indoor activities for outdoorsy people: movie recommendations for the cold weekend
A few years ago, we stepped into a climbing gym for the first time as third wheel on a friend’s date. Since then, we’ve become obsessed with the sport, dedicating multiple evenings, weekends and vacations to it. There’s something about the combination of physical strength and mental challenge that makes climbing the perfect workout.
Climbing outdoors can be a little intimidating, even if you already know how to tie a figure eight knot. Luckily, New York is home to multiple climbing gyms where you can learn the ropes. They all offer intro classes that cover basics like how to tie into roped climbs, how to belay (i.e. hold the rope for your climbing partner) and how to safely drop down. Plus, you’ll meet climbing partners who become essential if you get as stoked on the sport as we have.
But even if you’re not into the idea of performing gymnastics 40 feet off the ground, climbing gyms offer fitness classes like yoga, capoeira and core workouts, not to mention weight rooms and cardio equipment. Often built in converted warehouses, the gyms also serve as a hubs for social events like film screenings and breakfast clubs.
Use our guide to find a gym near you and climb on! Continue reading Indoor activities for outdoorsy people: Rock climbing gyms in New York City