While the temperatures are only just starting to feel like it, fall is well and truly upon us! It's time for the leaves to change color, the coats to come out, and all that pumpkin spiced merch to get back in session!
If you're spending the season in New York City this year, you're in luck — we've pulled together a list of some of our favorite attractions and spots in the city for the fall, from eats to treats.
An amusement park described as a "forgotten fantasy," simulations of upstate New York experiences in city limits, and the latest in theater, here are our picks for some things you can't miss if you're spending fall in NYC…
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A fall treat
There's something about fall that really calls for a donut, but rather than a donut, I'll raise you a cruller, specifically Daily Provisions' cruller.
The Danny Meyer (Shake Shack, Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe) bakery and coffee shop is known for its signature cruller, and though you can get the taste of fall year-round with either their maple or cinnamon cruller, for this fall season, they are taking things one step further with a peanut butter cruller, which is dipped in peanut glaze and topped with roasted peanuts.
Marsanne
Marsanne opened this May and is intent on bringing a different side of the Adriatic Mediterranean coast to New Yorkers with its eclectic and luxe cuisine.
The restaurant is all about offering a balance of rich and delicate flavors with traditional Middle Eastern fare like Labneh, Za'atar and spices, plus a touch of elegance in its cozy and warm set-up right around the corner of 8th Avenue.
If you can get one of their desserts, they're a must-try (specifically the Tiramisu or the ice creams), and any of the entrees or mains featuring egg are highly recommended!
Commerce Inn
Few restaurants are as cozy, charming, and exemplary of fall vibes than is the Commerce Inn, which sits on one of the most quaint and quiet corners of the West Village.
The far more lowkey third restaurant of famed New York City restaurateurs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, who own the celebrity favorites Via Carota and I Sodi, Commerce Inn stands out from its two flashier — though certainly also just as worthwhile — counterparts because of its unassuming but unique character.
As opposed to the Italian Via Carota and I Sodi, Commerce Inn is Shaker-inspired, and serves rustic dishes reminiscent of a colonial American tavern such as country pork chop, shaker beans and cod cakes inside its cabin-like interiors.
Dinner and a show
Sutton Foster and Michael Urie star in the latest Broadway revival
One of the most buzzworthy new tickets on Broadway actually opened its doors officially this August, a revival of the popular musical comedy Once Upon a Mattress, a comedic adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Princess and the Pea.
Led by theater vets Sutton Foster and Michael Urie, this production embraces all the slapstick that made the Carol Burnett original Broadway run in 1959 so successful.
If you're all about having a good time with a comedy that can be irreverent, all over the place, chaotic, and gut-busting all at the same time, then you're in luck. The production runs until November 30, so it's best to catch it while it's still hot.
Upstate in the city
Wanna experience the beauty of upstate New York but don't have the time to actually go all the way there? Well, fall foliage aside, you should definitely take a look at the Cityside Pumpkin Patch.
Located in Queens (off Queens Plaza between Astoria and Long Island City) at Summer Club, this rooftop experience allows you to swim in pumpkins — quite literally, you can wade through an actual pumpkin pool, smash some of your own, shoot fluorescent ghouls with arrows, get all those Instagram snaps in, and enjoy some festive snacks and drinks.
You can even pay a little extra and take a pumpkin home with you (those things get large, make sure you did your cardio that day), and show up for Halloween and enjoy some of their spookier attractions. Cityside Pumpkin Patch is open daily until November 3.
Find tickets here
This fall only
Andre Heller with one of his creations for the original Luna Luna in Hamburg, Germany
Just in time for the magical fall and Christmas season in New York, the famed Luna Luna amusement park, the world's first art amusement park, is making its grand opening in the city on November 20 at The Shed in Hudson Yards.
It's only the second city to host the carnival's revival after it debuted in Los Angeles last year, almost 40 years after it was initially erected for just seven weeks in Germany before its attractions designed by renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring were put away in storage for decades.
Purchase tickets here
Fresco by Scotto
Fresco by Scotto has been a New York institution since its 1993 opening, a family-run establishment that prides itself on serving up traditional flair with a modern spark.
Owned and operated by the Scotto family, this restaurant is the perfect spot to bring a group of your loved ones for an occasion that can only be described as "hearty," with its menu boasting many highlights of modern Tuscan cuisine and regional Italian flair.
Plus, chances are that you might see some of the patrons (and owners) break out into a dance party if you find yourself there at an opportune time, there's never a dull moment at Fresco. Plus it's a favorite of New York-based TV stars like Kelly Ripa and the hosts of the Today Show.