Lounging in the City That Never Sleeps
June 29, 2011 3:40 PM Subscribe
NYC for July 4th. Help me find places to kick back and relax. Comfortable chairs a must!
Traveling to New York City for Independence Day. Having visited most everything in NYC that's touristy, this trip I'm trying to avoid crowds, and find relaxing places to lounge. Ideally very comfortable chairs (with ottomans or other options for putting feet up), wifi/power hookups would be great, alcoholic drinks a plus, excellent people watching a huge plus. TV's for sports, also a huge plus. Since it might be raining, indoor options would be good. Would love to be able to spend hours here, reading, napping, etc.
Traveling to New York City for Independence Day. Having visited most everything in NYC that's touristy, this trip I'm trying to avoid crowds, and find relaxing places to lounge. Ideally very comfortable chairs (with ottomans or other options for putting feet up), wifi/power hookups would be great, alcoholic drinks a plus, excellent people watching a huge plus. TV's for sports, also a huge plus. Since it might be raining, indoor options would be good. Would love to be able to spend hours here, reading, napping, etc.
Best answer: Disclaimer: I am associated with the place.
Wave Hill has chairs on lawns under shady trees. It has views of the Hudson river and nice gardens. It does not have televisions, wifi, extensive alcoholic drinks (the cafe sells beer, wine and these little bottles of champagne), or ottomans.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:23 PM on June 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
Wave Hill has chairs on lawns under shady trees. It has views of the Hudson river and nice gardens. It does not have televisions, wifi, extensive alcoholic drinks (the cafe sells beer, wine and these little bottles of champagne), or ottomans.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:23 PM on June 29, 2011 [1 favorite]
John St. Bar and Grill is a personal favorite of mine when I'm looking for somewhere to really chill out. It's literally underground, so it's always somewhat cool and a bit dim and quiet. It's huge, with plenty of space including booths, where you can kick back. There's enough traffic to people watch so it's interesting, but it's rarely ever crowded enough that you can't chill comfortably. Very cheap booze, and good, relatively cheap bar food as well. They have a couple of TV's for watching games. The guys who own and run it are damn friendly, and if you buy a beer every now and then you can chill out there all day without being bothered. They have wi-fi as well.
Napping anywhere in public in NYC is just begging for problems.
posted by EvilPRGuy at 6:25 PM on June 29, 2011
Napping anywhere in public in NYC is just begging for problems.
posted by EvilPRGuy at 6:25 PM on June 29, 2011
Best answer: Maybe you'd enjoy hanging out at the Central Park Boathouse, maybe even renting a rowboat? Even if you've been there before, it might still be a nice experience. I've eaten at the boathouse before and that was good, but I've never done the rowboat thing so if anyone else wants to chime in about it please go ahead! I am not sure if that is a waste of time... seems like it would be nice to lounge around in the lake for a couple of hours (which would be about $25 from what I can tell?).
posted by belau at 7:23 PM on June 29, 2011
posted by belau at 7:23 PM on June 29, 2011
Response by poster: Central Park Boathouse sounds delightful! Wave Hill unfortunately is too far, as i will be staying by Central Park.
posted by wayofthedodo at 9:54 PM on June 29, 2011
posted by wayofthedodo at 9:54 PM on June 29, 2011
Best answer: You say "comfortable chairs is a must" -- I can do you one better and offer HAMMOCKS.
At the picnic area at the southernmost end of Governor's Island they have a decent number of hammocks set up for people to just use. You may have to either get there early, or wait around a while waiting for someone to surrender one so you can swoop in and get it, but there's no cost or reservation or anything. Nearly all of them have amazing views of the Statue of Liberty.
Elsewhere on Governors' Island they have bikes to rent, tons of food carts, and a funky minigolf course, and it's also a nifty place to walk around in its own right. There are free ferries to Governors' Island from both Manhattan and from Brooklyn.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:12 AM on June 30, 2011
At the picnic area at the southernmost end of Governor's Island they have a decent number of hammocks set up for people to just use. You may have to either get there early, or wait around a while waiting for someone to surrender one so you can swoop in and get it, but there's no cost or reservation or anything. Nearly all of them have amazing views of the Statue of Liberty.
Elsewhere on Governors' Island they have bikes to rent, tons of food carts, and a funky minigolf course, and it's also a nifty place to walk around in its own right. There are free ferries to Governors' Island from both Manhattan and from Brooklyn.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:12 AM on June 30, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you're staying in a hotel, the lobby/bar is probably your best bet for fulfilling all of these criteria. Think Coffee on Mercer has everything except for TVs but napping there isn't looked too kindly upon... Unless you have someone with you I would strongly advise against napping in public. If you have someone with you it is only moderately unadvisable (rude, but not dangerous).
posted by telegraph at 4:01 PM on June 29, 2011