There is no lack of things to do in the New York area. Whether you're visiting on vacation or live locally, you might find yourself overwhelmed by all the choices of places to go and activities to take part in. The advantage of being in a big city is having many options, including a variety of beautiful places to run, play golf, and swim. If your focus is on living a healthy lifestyle, you can enjoy the wide range of indoor and outdoor fitness opportunities available in New York City's five boroughs.
Kayaking and Canoeing
The New York area is rich with waterways for paddling. Paddlers of all experience levels can take advantages of the many opportunities to kayak and canoe the 160-square-mile New York City Water Trail. You can launch from some of the area's beaches such as Orchard Beach Lagoon, Midland Beach and South Beach, as well as from multiple parks. Be aware that New York requires a permit to operate a canoe or kayak on park waterways. Information on how and where to obtain a permit is available at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation website (see Resources).
Beaches
From Memorial Day through Labor Day you can swim, jog, bike, skate or surf at beaches in the New York area. New York area beaches include Orchard Beach and Promenade in the Bronx, Coney Island Beach in Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach, and Rockaway Beach in Queens. Staten Island's beaches are Midland Beach, South Beach, and Wolfe's Pond Beach. Swimming is permitted at all beaches when lifeguards are on duty. Surfing is allowed only at Rockaway Beach.
Golf
There is no shortage of New York area golf courses and driving ranges. From Brooklyn to Staten Island, there are plenty of public courses on which you can up your game while engaging in a bit of friendly competition. In Manhattan, the golf Center at Randall's Island Park has a driving range and offers golf lessons as well as miniature golf. Queens golf courses include Clearview Park Golf Course, Douglaston Golf Course, Forest Park Golf Course and Kissena Golf Course. Golf in Brooklyn at Dyker Beach Golf Course or Marine Park Golf Course. Staten Island courses include LaTourette Golf Course, Silver Lake Golf Course and South Shore Golf Course.
Yoga Classes
Work out your mind, body and spirit with a yoga class. All types of yoga classes for all fitness levels are offered in the New York area. Choices include New York Yoga's Vinyasa minimum-instruction flow classes, Area Yoga Brooklyn's Yogalates classes that combine yoga and Pilates instruction, and Bikram Yoga NYC's classes that detox the body while strengthening it. Prenatal yoga, kids yoga and family yoga classes are all available in the New York area.
Running Clubs
Whether you're training for a marathon or simply enjoy a good run, you can join a number of running clubs in New York to support your efforts while having fun meeting new people. New York Road Runners attracts 300,000 runners each year to participate in road races and fitness programs. NYRR also has a youth program. Other New York area running clubs include the longstanding Central Park Track Club, Brooklyn Road Runners Club and the Greater Long Island Running Club.
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