My spring bucket list, 2026.

Smorgasburg is the massive open-air food market that runs on weekends in Williamsburg (Saturdays at Marsha P. Johnson State Park) and Prospect Park (Sundays). It usually reopens in April and it is one of my favorite things about warm weather in New York.

There are about 100 food vendors and the variety is staggering. You can get Moroccan lamb over rice, mochi doughnuts, Thai papaya salad, wood-fired pizza, Filipino ice cream sandwiches, and Korean corn dogs all in the same 20-minute walk. I always go hungry and I always leave feeling like I might not need to eat for the next two days.

My strategy is to do a full loop first without buying anything. Scope out what’s there. Then go back for your top three. If you buy the first thing you see, you will inevitably walk past something better five minutes later and feel regret. Learn from my mistakes.

The Williamsburg location is my favorite because you eat right on the waterfront with the Manhattan skyline behind you. The Prospect Park location is great too, especially if you want to turn it into a full park day.

Rooftop bar season in New York is a real thing and it typically kicks off in late April or early May. After months of being cooped up in dark, cozy bars (which have their own charm), suddenly everyone wants to be outside and elevated.

My favorites that I go back to every spring. Westlight in Williamsburg has panoramic views that will make your jaw drop. The drinks are expensive but the views are worth it. Go at golden hour. Harriet’s Rooftop at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge is gorgeous and slightly less crowded than the Manhattan rooftops. Mr. Purple on the Lower East Side is fun and lively and has a great happy hour. And if you want the classic tourist experience, 230 Fifth has an enormous outdoor terrace with direct Empire State Building views.

The trick with rooftop bars is getting there early. By 7 PM on a Friday in May, every rooftop bar in this city has a line. Get there at 4 or 5, grab a spot, order a drink, and watch the sun go down. You will feel like the main character and that is the whole point.

Governors Island reopens for the season in May and I am always on one of the first ferries over. It’s a 172-acre island in the harbor that you can only get to by ferry and it feels like escaping the city without actually leaving.

Rent a bike when you get there (they have rentals right off the ferry) and ride around the whole island. The Hills on the south end have incredible views of the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline. There are hammock groves and food vendors and usually some kind of art installation or festival happening. The ferry from the Battery Maritime Building is free on weekends before noon.

I wrote more about Governors Island in my parks guide but the short version is this. Go. It is one of the best things about living in New York and most tourists don’t even know it exists.

The Brooklyn Flea is an outdoor market with vintage clothing, handmade jewelry, antiques, art, and food. It runs on weekends in DUMBO (at the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge) and it is the kind of place where you go to browse and leave with a vintage leather jacket and three candles you didn’t need.

I love coming here on a spring Saturday and just wandering. The vendors are curated and everything feels like it was selected by someone with good taste. The location under the bridge is photogenic and the surrounding DUMBO neighborhood is great for walking around after.

My tip is to bring cash. Some vendors take cards but many prefer cash and you’ll have better luck negotiating on vintage items if you’re paying in bills.

The High Line is beautiful year-round but it is at its absolute peak in spring. The native plants and wildflowers along the elevated walkway start blooming in April and by May the whole thing is a riot of color. The landscape designers planned it so that something is always blooming from spring through fall, and the spring display is the most dramatic.

I walk the High Line at least twice every spring. Once in early April when things are just starting to green up and once in late May when everything is in full bloom. The energy changes completely. In April it feels hopeful and fresh. In May it feels abundant and lush.

Start from the north end (Hudson Yards) and walk south. It’s less crowded in that direction and you get to end in the Meatpacking District where you can grab dinner or drinks. The sundeck area with the water feature is the perfect resting spot halfway through.

The first warm Saturday where it hits 65 degrees and sunny, Central Park fills up like someone sent out a citywide text message. And I am always there. Always. With a blanket, snacks from Trader Joe’s, a good book, and absolutely no plans to leave for several hours.

My favorite picnic spots. Sheep Meadow is the classic and it is genuinely magical on a spring day. The Great Lawn is bigger and slightly less packed. The North Meadow up around 97th Street is the quiet option where you can actually spread out without being next to strangers.

For the picnic itself, I keep it simple. Good bread, good cheese, some fruit, sparkling water, maybe a bottle of wine (technically not allowed but literally everyone does it, just be discreet and use cups). If I’m feeling fancy I’ll grab a spread from Zabar’s on the Upper West Side. Their smoked salmon and cream cheese situation is unmatched.

There’s something about lying on a blanket in Central Park on a spring day, with the skyline peeking through the trees and people playing guitar nearby and dogs running around, that makes me think “yeah, this is why I live here.” It costs nothing and it feels like everything.

Spring is the perfect weather for walking the bridges. The Brooklyn Bridge gets all the attention but the Manhattan Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge are better walks in my opinion. Less crowded, wider paths, and equal or better views.

My recommendation is to walk the Manhattan Bridge from DUMBO to Chinatown (or the reverse). The south side pedestrian path has unobstructed views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the skyline and you can have the whole path nearly to yourself on a weekday morning. The walk takes about 20 minutes and it’s flat and paved.

The Williamsburg Bridge is my favorite for sunsets. Walk from the Lower East Side to Williamsburg, stop in the middle for photos, and end your walk in Williamsburg for dinner. It’s about a 30-minute walk and the views of the city on both sides are spectacular.