Manhattan Outdoor Activities

As part of the Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex, located at the historic Chelsea Piers, the Golf Club perches over the same port that once welcomed ships into New York City. Now, golfers tee up in the driving range's 52 heated and weather-protected stalls, which overlook the glinting waters of the Hudson River. Automatic tee-up systems position balls for launch across the 200-yard, net-enclosed fairway. A putting green allows patrons to improve their short game, and two Full Swing simulators encourage them to take hacks in virtual environs, transporting them to famous courses across the country or fifth-grade birthday parties where they missed the piñata.

Children and adults alike can enlist in Golf Club at Chelsea Piers’ classes, which stratify students by experience level. The 13-member coaching staff includes PGA and LPGA professionals, and sessions take place in a 2,000-square-foot teaching facility.

Under the bright lights of the world-famous Madison Square Garden arena, four of the best women’s college basketball teams in the country will tip off in the Maggie Dixon Classic. The first game pits Baylor against St. John’s before DePaul takes on Tennessee to guess the number of jellybeans hidden inside the basketball. The undefeated Baylor Bears, ranked No. 1 in the nation nine games into the season, follow the lead of junior slam-dunk machine Brittney Griner. Pumped up from her placement on the Naismith Trophy early-season watch list, St. John’s senior forward Da’Shena Stevens will induce frustrated growls from Baylor as she makes them work for their points. With 15 NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 23 years, DePaul’s squad enters the high-pressure match gracefully, and Tennessee confidently follows the lead of its celebrated coach, Pat Summitt, named Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year for her more than 1,000 wins and ability to slam dunk while riding a unicycle.

NY Waterway's tours are the prime way to see NYC, whether you see it every day or woke up in Manhattan yesterday with no idea of how you got there. The knowledgeable tour guides make the cruises engaging by dredging up historical details and sharing fascinating facts while dodging mermen and beached JumboTrons. NY Waterway makes it easy to reach the watery way with free shuttle buses that run along popular city routes. At the wave of a hand, the red, white, and blue buses will pick you up and take you straight to Pier 78, where the boats depart. After your tour, the shuttle will be waiting to take you back inland.

On the Statue & Skyline cruise, you'll step aboard the Manhattan, Classic Harbor Line's 1920s-style commuter yacht, and set sail for a 90-minute cruise past Battery Park, the Financial District, Governor's Island, and the Statue of Liberty, as well as parts of Queens and Brooklyn, including the Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn bridges. You'll get a 360-degree view of New York's magnificent architecture from the ship's cozy, enclosed back-deck observatory.