Staycation In The City

**Brigitte Bergen** (0:10)
It's The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. I'm Brigitte Bergen, filling in for Brian. And to wrap up today's show, we're going to sink into that summer Friday feeling a little bit. Maybe you're leaving town and you're stuck in your car on the Montauk Highway, or heading up 17 to the Catskills, or maybe in the New Jersey Turnpike, or maybe you're not leaving the five boroughs, but you still want that getaway feeling right here in the five boroughs.
If the flight prices to Mykonos got too high and you couldn't get away for the whole week, or that end of summer just snuck up on you, a staycation may be just the solution you need. And fortunately, my friend and colleague, culture reporter Hannah Frishberg from the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom is here to help you make some plans. Her writing often puts people onto new stuff they've never heard of. Earlier this year, she published a story titled Travel is Hell. You Should Staycation in New York. She's with me now in studio to share some staycation tips and to hear what you recommend for a New York City staycation. Hey, Hannah, welcome back to the show.

**Hannah Frishberg** (1:11)
Hey, thanks for having me.

**Brigitte Bergen** (1:13)
And listeners, we want to hear from you what makes for a perfect New York city or a New York and New Jersey area staycation. Are there any spots that make you feel like you're not even in the city any city anymore, even though you can get to them by subway? Or maybe you have a place that reignites your love for the Big Apple, helps you see it in a different light. Long Island, New Jersey, Westchester, where do you staycation? We want to hear from you. Give us a call, 212-433-WNYC. Call or text, 212-433-9692.
Okay, real quick, Hannah, what makes a good staycation?

**Hannah Frishberg** (1:52)
You got to get some rest. You got to enjoy maybe a part of New York that you don't usually have time to get out to because of your day job. Have fun.

**Brigitte Bergen** (1:59)
And let's get to recommendation. Some people may want to leave the city so that they can get in touch with nature. But in your article, you argue that we have nature at home. So tell us what you recommend for them.

**Hannah Frishberg** (2:11)
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge out in Queens is transportative.
You can see the skyline from a distance, which is insane. But you are so surrounded by nature. I mean, I've convinced people they're in the Everglades.

**Brigitte Bergen** (2:22)
I am very partial to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Hannah. I live not so far from it. And I know that for bird watchers, it is like a primo place because there are so many species that you can see. I will also say that if you are into marine life, dolphins, whales, sharks, all assorted fish are very close by, both in the bay and in the ocean, which is just across the Cross Bay Bridge.
What about for our people who are into design, architecture heads? We've got all these different styles of buildings here in one place. What should they check out if they're going to staycation here and they're looking at the design elements of everything?

**Hannah Frishberg** (3:06)
I recently ended up at the Tiffany Glass Gallery at the New York Historical, and it was stunning. The glass is obviously gorgeous and it was just a really well presented museum exhibit that was also interactive.

**Brigitte Bergen** (3:18)
We have a listener who also suggests the Cloisters, which is another cool and sort of architecturally interesting space in Upper Manhattan.
Vacation also often means good eats. New York is a foodie town, of course, but where would you send someone who wants to feel like maybe they're traveling to get their cuisine?

**Hannah Frishberg** (3:40)
New Asha in Staten Island has incredible Sri Lankan food, as does La Cruana. There's a few great Sri Lankan spots out there. It is very, you're in New York, that one, you're nowhere but New York. Couldn't exist anywhere else.

**Brigitte Bergen** (3:52)
Yeah, it is.
And yet that part of the South Shore of Staten Island kind of feels like you're somewhere else. It feels like New York, but it feels sort of removed. And of course, it's Staten Island, so most likely you're going to take the ferry, which is kind of like a trip unto itself. What about people who have families, the ones that they want to take out? They've got this extra week before school starts. What do you recommend a family hits with some extra time at home?