What to Do This Fall If You Are Renting an Apartment on Staten Island
It’s officially autumn, and if you are renting an apartment on Staten Island, harvest celebrations and other seasonal fun such as pumpkin patches, corn mazes and hayrides are in full effect! And with Halloween on the horizon, now is the perfect time to take an adventure to the farms and fields for a little pick-your-own family fun. Spend a day in a pumpkin patch, bring home gourds for painting, carving and cooking, head out for a leaf-crunching hike or enjoy a local festival. Here are a few ideas:
Decker Farm remains New York City’s oldest continuously working family style farm. Located at 435 Richmond Hill Road in New Springville, this farm property was designated as an official New York City landmark in 1967 and is part of the Historic Richmond Town living history museum. In 2003, the Staten Island Historical Society guaranteed the farm’s continued preservation through the sale of a conservation and preservation easement to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. So, pack up the kids and enjoy a day filled with family fun activities such as farmhouse tours, hayrides, cornstalk maze challenges, arts and crafts, face painting, and of course, pumpkin picking.
The famous pumpkin patch at Green Side Up Garden Center is open 7 days a week from Sept. 26th through Oct. 31st. Attractions include jumping inflatables, pumpkin painting, family friendly corn maze…oh, and even the chance to “bedazzle” your pumpkin!
Attention anyone renting an apartment on Staten Island – Mark Your Calendars for the Annual Greenbelt Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, October 11 from noon-4pm. This fall festival takes place around the Carousel for All Children in Willowbrook Park. The environmental educators will have a fall-inspired activity for the family and the Carousel will spin throughout the day (rides are still just $1.50). So, head to Willowbrook Park in Greenbelt for a festive day of face painting, pumpkin picking, rides on the Carousel for All Children, puppet shows, live music and seasonal crafts. Admission is free but there are fees for certain activities.
At 2,800 acres, Staten Island’s Greenbelt is one of the largest public parks in New York City; considered one of NYC’s flagship green spaces. Conveniently located for anyone renting an apartment on Staten Island, Greenbelt is jam-packed with attractions. The park boasts 30 miles of groomed hiking trails, a nature center, a recreation center, a public golf course, a merry-go-round, barbecue grills, a lake for fishing, a living history museum and playgrounds, it is possible to see most of the big attractions on foot in one day. So put on your hiking boots and wind your way through one of the city’s rare undisturbed forests, with tree species ranging from maple, tulip and beech to oak and hickory. Get ready to enjoy a complete palette of fall hues in the next month, too!