The Perfect Picnic in Central Park
One of my favorite things about living on the Upper East Side is the proximity to Central Park. Since moving to NYC in 2007, the only other place we’ve lived was on Ave C in the East Village for one year, and while I loved that neighborhood, too, I really missed going to the park.
One of our favorite activities is having a picnic in Central Park. There certainly aren’t any rules to picnicking in the park, but there are a few things that I like to bring and do.
First, decide when you’re having a picnic. We’ve done brunch/am picnics with bagels from Tal, cream cheese spreads, lox, and mimosas. You can have a lunch picnic, where we’ll often stop at Milano’s for Italian sandwiches and grab-and-go sides. Or, you could do the aperitivo picnic, where we’ll bring along wine or canned cocktails and small apps like chips, nuts, cheese and crackers etc.
Over the years, we’ve rounded out out picnic gear to include the following, which makes it more festive and fun, but there’s still not too much to carry.
Wine and snack tray: This tray is fun and functional. I purchased this one on Amazon for a gift and it’s perfect for a bottle of wine and a sturdy table for a few snacks. Plus, it’s easy to carry, and folds up to fit easily in our tiny apartment.
Picnic backpack: I love the idea of a basket, but this backpack has proven to be a lot more practical. This thing has everything you need for a picnic for four people including an insulated cooler for food storage, waterproof blanket, wine cooler, wine opener, cutting board, cheese knife, plates, glasses, cloth napkins, and cutlery.
A portable speaker for tunes: We’ve had a few portable speakers over the years and this one is by-far the best—plus, it’s a fraction of the price of a Bose or other brand name. This speaker is waterproof and the battery lasts forever.
That’s all, just take off your shoes (sneakers make for the perfect cup holder), and chill out with a picnic in Central Park.
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