Your New York City CME conference.

New York City after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM New York City time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a walk in Central Park, the High Line on Manhattan’s West Side, or the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. All three are outdoors, so leave time for getting there and for the weather.

Travel, accommodation and admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your own schedule on your phone or laptop; the city is simply the setting you chose for it.

Central Park, the High Line or the waterfront?

Central Park is open every day of the year, according to the Central Park Conservancy, so a 2:00 PM finish leaves the afternoon and evening for it. The Conservancy lists the Central Park Zoo, the Ramble, the Conservatory Garden and rowboats among the places to visit. It describes a 19-minute walk from Grand Central, and the M1, M2 and M3 buses run up the length of the park, a block away on Madison Avenue. Visitor centers and kiosks around the park have maps, and the Conservancy publishes a Fall Foliage Tracker for autumn visits. The Conservancy is a nonprofit that has cared for the park since 1980.

The High Line is a public park on the West Side of Manhattan. It has elevators at four locations, bicycles are not allowed, and its hours are shorter from December through March. Guided tours run on select days, so check the schedule if you would like one. Dogs other than service dogs, smoking, skateboards and recreational scooters are not permitted, and a wheelchair can be requested through a form at least one business day before your visit.

Brooklyn Bridge Park is an 85-acre waterfront park with rolling hills, riverfront promenades, gardens and city views. It is open every day, and Roebling Rink, a seasonal ice rink, runs from November through February. Pier 5 has picnic areas, Pier 6 has playgrounds and volleyball courts, and lockers are available at Piers 2 and 5 if you would rather not carry your bag. Fishing is allowed in designated areas.

Dumbo, Empire Stores and the waterfront

Empire Stores sits in the northern section of Brooklyn Bridge Park, in the Dumbo neighborhood. Seven connected warehouses, built between 1868 and 1885, once stored sugar, molasses, wool, rubber and coffee. Today the complex has shops, restaurants, live music and public art, including the Time Out Market New York food hall and a public rooftop garden with views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline.

The park lists the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C and F subway lines, several bus routes, Citi Bike stations and NYC Ferry nearby. For more places to eat, it points to the Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo neighborhoods and to the Montague Street and Atlantic Avenue business districts.

Walking the High Line

The park lists a few named stops. The Chelsea Market Passage, between 15th and 16th Streets, becomes an open-air food court from April to October. At 17th Street, the 10th Avenue Square and Overlook is a wheelchair-accessible amphitheater, where a window down to the street was made by removing steel beams. The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Overlook at Gansevoort Street lies east of the Whitney Museum of American Art.

At the northern end, the Spur at 30th Street and 10th Avenue is the last section of the original rail to be turned into public space. It has the High Line Plinth for large artworks. Park-level access is also available at 30th Street at Hudson Yards, where the neighborhood’s website lists shops, restaurants, the Edge visit and the Vessel, a 150-foot structure.

A harbor afternoon

The National Park Service says the Statue of Liberty’s ferry service and security screening have moved to a new location in The Battery. Visits to the crown and to the pedestal balcony require a reservation, so book those ahead rather than planning to decide on the day. The monument is a gift from France, dedicated in 1886, and the Park Service lists a museum and ranger tips on its site.

For a simpler harbor outing, the city’s Department of Transportation describes the Staten Island Ferry as a service between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan, every day of the week, year-round. Look up the current schedule before you set out.

When to visit New York City

The National Weather Service’s Central Park averages give a clear picture. The average daytime high is about 40°F in January, 62°F in April, 85°F in July and 65°F in October. Spring and autumn are the milder seasons, summer is warm, and winter is cold. By season, the average daytime high is about 61°F in spring, 83°F in summer, 65°F in autumn and 42°F in winter. The averages show no snow from May through September.

Snow is most likely in January and February, which average about 9 and 10 inches. Check the forecast close to your dates, especially if you plan to spend your afternoons outdoors.

Getting to New York City and your study setting

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Its website has a Transportation and Parking section, and it describes a pickup and drop-off lot at the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain station as an alternative to curbside pickup. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.