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The 5 Best NYC 'Staycations' For Spring

Home sweet home doesn't have to be boring. This spring, create your own 'vacation' right here in New York. These staycation activities will help you have fun and take advantage of everything the city has to offer.
Double Decker Bus
Photo Credit: ThinkStock

CitySights NY: Shop, Hop, and Top plus Lunch
234 W. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 812-2700
www.citysightsny.com

Price: $129 for adults/$94 for children
Hours: daily tour times vary; click here for times and departure locations

Take NYC by storm with this 96-hour tour. Hop on and off a double-decker bus that takes sightseeing to a whole new level. Your voucher includes a tour of downtown, uptown and Harlem, a night tour of the city, and even a tour of Brooklyn. Plus, you'll get free access to the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock, a special trip to Woodbury Commons outlet mall, a sightseeing cruise around Manhattan on a yacht, a ticket to the Museum of the City of New York and lunch at Planet Hollywood.

Brooklyn Winery
(credit: Brooklyn Winery)

Brooklyn Winery
213 N. 8 St.
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(347) 763-1506
www.bkwinery.com

Price: free winery tours/$25 per person classes
Hours: Wine Bar Mon to Thurs – 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Fri – 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sat – 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Sun – 1 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Wine tours on weekends at 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Click here for a calendar of events

Located in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Winery offers myriad activities for those looking for adventure without straying too far from home. Free winery tours give guests an intimate view of all aspects of the wine-making process, as a guided expert walks them through the facilities. For larger groups, the winery offers wine-tasting packages for every budget and even blending sessions for a make-your-own-wine option. Plus, the winery features weekly events including mystery Mondays, with a blind wine tasting of a mystery wine flight for just $10, and trivia night Tuesdays to win a $50 bar tap.

Related: NYC's 5 Best Wine And Cheese Bars

Chatwal New York

The Chatwal
(credit: The Chatwal Hotel/Facebook)

130 W. 44th St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 764-6200
www.thechatwalny.com

Price: $497 per night and up
Click here for exclusive packages and offers

The art deco-themed rooms at this luxury hotel will take you back to the 1930s, and make a night in at The Chatwal the new night out on the town. Dating back to the era of cards and cocktails, the mini-bar is equipped with a cocktail shaker and set of custom-designed playing cards ripe for a good ole game of black jack. If you don't feel like being a mixologist for the night, have vintage cocktails complete with hand-cut ice, exotic garnishes and popular 1920s liquor brought directly to your room via your own server. Just because the décor is inspired by the 1930s, doesn't mean you have to forgo luxury. Each room includes the latest technological comforts, and in the bathroom, there's even an integrated mirror-television. For those who would rather curl up with a good book, every room includes "The Great Gatsby" and an author-signed copy of "American Eve."

Red Door Spa

Red Door Spas
(credit: John Ferrentino/Red Door Spas)

663 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 546-0200
www.reddoorspas.com

Price: services start at $25
Hours: Mon to Tues – 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Wed to Fri – 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sun – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Click here for complete list of services and prices

Get away from it all with a unique spa experience at legendary Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. The iconic Fifth Avenue destination, which recently moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility, offers guests a contemporary, lavish day spa with modernized services, treatments and amenities, making it the perfect place to relax, rejuvenate and brush away harsh work-week realities. Pamper yourself with decadent services such as the signature stress-melter ritual, which combines a massage, an olive-oil softening scrub and an aroma therapy body wrap for a completely indulgent experience, or the Oxygen Infusion Facial, which is the end-all-be-all of facials. In one service, your complexion will be completely transformed to one that rivals any Hollywood star. Your face will be primped and plumped with a magical collagen serum. The oxygen treatment literally breathes life back into your skin and pores. In addition to the deluxe services, the new Flagship also has a stunning outdoor penthouse terrace, event space and sundeck adjacent to the spa café and overlooking the magnificent Fifth Avenue shopping district.

Stray Boots

Apple iPhone 4s
(file / credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images)

147 Prince St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(877) 787-2929
www.Strayboots.com

Price: $12 per person
Hours: Anytime
Click here for a complete list of New York games

Combine a scavenger hunt, a cell phone and all the sights that New York has to offer with Stray Boots' urban games. It works by sending challenges directly to your cell phone to take you to cool spots around the city. After you complete each challenge, learn fun facts about the area. It's like your own private Amazing Race that allows you to play tourist without feeling cheesy for less than the cost of a movie ticket. There are 12 games available in New York, spanning neighborhoods, parks, shops and museums all over Manhattan, so there are plenty of options for any stay-cationer.

For the latest on all of the best events in New York City, follow us on Twitter!

Traci Tournoux is a freelance writer living in New York. She is covering Travel & Outdoors. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.


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