I was in Columbus Circle with one of my friends the other day, and it was really hard to miss the gigantic elephant statues! This huge attraction is all part of a new art exhibit hosted by the Broadway Mall Association. The statues are designed by artist Peter Woytuk. The pieces are placed upon the “malls” in the middle of Broadway and go up for five miles! The exhibit begins at Columbus Circle, then heads up the Upper West Side through Morningside Heights and Washington Heights. Along this route, you’ll find a Bear (67th St), a Raven on top of some apples (79th St), Four Ostriches (86th-87th St), and a pair of Sheep (137th St.) But those aren’t all of the pieces! I’ve included a MAP of all the pieces in the exhibit, so be sure to see them all! The best part about these statues, according to residents of neighborhood, is that all the art is usually found downtown, so it’s fun to have something interesting going on in the UWS neighborhood for once. Plus, it’s a chance to explore parts of the city you may never have before! Woytuk’s exhibit will be on display until April 2012. If you’re traveling along Broadway, keep your eyes open!

The Cathedral Church of Saint John The Divine has three great Halloween events happening! The Church is located at 1047 Amsterdam Ave & 112 St. To get there, hop on the 1 train to 110th St.

Grand Procession of the Ghouls: The evening begins with a screening of a silent movie. Every year the movie is different, and this year it’s the 1928 version of Phantom of the Opera. While you’re enjoying the movie, the cathedral organist occupies the film with goosebump-inducing tunes on the organ. Afterwards, the Grand Procession of the Ghouls begins! Fun Fact: the procession of the ghouls was started by Ralph Lee, the same guy who created our famous Halloween Parade! During the grand procession, creepy scary spooky ghouls make their way down the aisle of the church. Their costumes are so extravagant! The Grand Procession of the Ghouls is happening on Friday October 28th at 7PM and 10PM. General Admission is $20. If you’d like to order your tickets in advance, you can visit the church’s website or call 866-811-4111.

Crypt Crawls – A Halloween Tour: This one sounds really fun, and really interesting. I’m a huge history buff, so this caught my eye. Here, you’ll take a trip into the Crypts of the cathedral, where you’ll learn about all the origins of Halloween. Space is limited, so get there first! It’s $20 for people 12 & up. Crypt Crawls is happening Oct 25-28th, as well as the 30th.

Morning of the Gargoyles: I swear, little kids get to do all the cool stuff. All the fun kicks off with a reading of Night Of The Gargoyles by Eve Buntings. Afterwards, the workshop begins! The kids will get to make clay gargoyles, skeleton creatures, and paper gargoyle masks! Oct 22, 10AM-Noon. Tickets are $8 per child with an adult. Reservations are required, so call 212-932-7347 to reserve your spot!

Usually when I think of autumn and all the leaves changing color, I picture quaint little towns somewhere in Massachussetts and Connecticut with gazebos and happy smiling people everywhere. It could be my past Gilmore Girls addiction speaking, but it’s true. However, you really don’t have to travel all the way up to New England just for leaves! In fact, you don’t even have to leave your borough! New England Fall Tours might be all the rage among some people, but we’ve got all that red and yellow goodness here too. I reached out to PopUp fans on our Facebook page to get THEIR thoughts on the Best Places to PopUp to see the leaves changing color here in the city! I was surprised by how many people wrote back to me, on the FB and in my e-mail inbox. This list is comprised of some of their awesome contributions, with a little bit of Meagan sprinkled in.

Staten Island:

1) GREENBELT: A huge forest in the middle of the city. It’s got 35 miles of walking trails AND a 16-acre lake. Comprised of all different species of trees, it’s a great place to spend a crisp fall day outside.

2) CLOVE LAKES PARK: This seemed to be the most popular suggestion amongst Staten Islanders, just because it’s used for a lot of city events. They’ve got trails and lakes, as well as sports fields and several playgrounds. It’s also home to SI’s largest living thing, a 300 year old Tulip Tree that is 107 feet tall. If you like picnics, this place is perfect for ya.

Brooklyn:

1) PROSPECT PARK: This one was also suggested a lot, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a beautiful park to hang out and spend a day in. Plus, it’s home to Brooklyn’s ONLY lake!

2) OWL’s HEAD PARK: People should spend more time here! Not only are there SO many different species of trees, which has to make for spectacular fall view, but this park has some great views of the NY Harbor, which you shouldn’t miss out on.

Queens:

1) ALLEY POND PARK: This is the 2nd largest park in Queens. You can spend the day wandering around their trails. It’s bound to be a good time, since they did restoration on the park in 1998 and planted 30,000 new trees and shrubs.

2) FOREST PARK: This is the largest continuous oak forest in the whole borough. It’s made up of 538 acres! Fun Fact: Forest Park hosts many different annual events, including a Halloween Walk, which is PERFECT for fall!

The Bronx:

1) PELHAM BAY PARK: Most people don’t know this is the city’s largest park, believe it or not. It’s been quoted as being home to the “most exquisite fall foliage in the city.” It’s also home to a 400 year old White Oak Tree, which you can try and find while wandering around the many trails it has to offer.

2) VAN CORTLANDT PARK: It’s pretty big. It has a lot of trails to walk on. I know you’re probably reading this like, come on Meagan stop talking about trails. But really, you wanted leaves, so this is where you can see leaves. You can also go horseback riding and cool stuff here, which is loads of fun.

3) BOTANICAL GARDENS: Need I say more? This place is all about trees and plants!

Manhattan:

1) CLOISTERS: This isn’t a park, but it’s way up there in the trees which makes the medieval experience that much cooler. Plus, The view of the Hudson and the cliffs will make you feel like you’re totally in the renaissance. Not to mention the leaves on the trees of the cliffs are turning into brilliant reds and oranges!

2) BRYANT PARK: I was actually surprised when I got this suggestion from Fiona on our FB page. I’ve spent a lot of time in Bryant Park, but I never really thought to put it on this list! Well, Fiona, you’re actually a genius. When the leaves are changing colors, they’re so beautiful to sit underneath. It’s also a really peaceful city spot, even with all the hustle and bustle going on around you.

3) CENTRAL PARK: This is self-explanatory. But I’ve got another suggestion for you. Try and stay above 72nd Street. Most people don’t venture up that far! Tourists and other park dwellers normally stay closer to the bottom of the park, and I’m not really sure why. The further up you go, the more beautiful it gets! There are trees, trails, and hidden fun things all over. The picture on the top of this blog IS actually of Central Park. Pretty, right? For more info, check out the Central Park segment here on our website!

I hope this was helpful! If I missed something, please let me know! Happy Autumn!