Best Time to Visit New York City in the Spring

When is spring in New York? Is it worth visiting New York in spring? What's the weather like in NYC in spring? I'll answer all those questions, but let me tell you up front: traveling to New York in spring is fantastic!

Spring is easily one of the best times to visit NYC, so book those flights and start planning your dream trip with my help 😉.

Spring in New York is beautiful, and the best part is that there are fewer tourists and flights and hotels in New York are a little cheaper.

When is spring in New York?

Spring in New York officially starts on March 21 (March) and ends on June 21 (June), when it gives way to the hot New York summer.

In March it's still pretty cold and most buds haven't opened yet, so I'd suggest traveling later, in April.

Visiting New York in May is another great bet. You'll get mild weather that's perfect for walking the city.

New York temperatures in spring

Don't forget to pack an umbrella, because rain is very common in spring, especially those April showers.

In March temperatures start climbing quickly, leaving the freezing New York winter behind, but they're still low (average low 2ºC and average high 10ºC).

April in New York is much warmer and more pleasant (average low 7ºC and average high 16ºC), which makes it one of the best months to visit New York.

Traveling to New York in June is also a good plan, but by then most of the flowers are gone, and with summer around the corner far more people arrive in the city and prices start to climb.

Now that you know what the weather is like and when spring starts, here's what to do in New York in spring:

1. Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

This Brooklyn garden is open year-round, but in spring it's a New York spot you have to see, especially in late March and early April when the cherry trees bloom.

Cherry blossoms depend a lot on the weather and each tree has its own rhythm, which is why the Brooklyn Botanic Garden created the «Cherry Tracker«, a tool on their website that updates the blooming status of every one of their cherry trees day by day.

The truth is that by mid-April most of the gorgeous cherry trees planted across New York are in bloom.

Another park with more than two hundred cherry trees is the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. They also track the spring bloom there, not just for the cherries but for their magnolias, azaleas, peonies, daffodils and roses.

2. Central Park in spring

Central Park in spring fills with color. After months of black-and-white winter, it's a color party. There are cherry trees here too, clustered between 72nd and 96th Streets.

And of course Central Park has its own Cherry Blossoms Tracker, a map updated in real time so you don't miss a single one of those pink petals.

You'll love the tulips planted in every corner of the park. Read the page with everything to see in Central Park.

3. Explore dozens of New York parks

I've already told you about Central Park and the New York botanical gardens, both unmissable in spring, but New York is known for having dozens of unique parks across all its boroughs.

Wherever you walk you'll come across a park, and spring is one of the best times to get to know them.

Check out the guide to New York parks and go see other parks that are one of a kind, like Little Island over the Hudson River or the High Line, built on an abandoned rail line.

4. The St. Patrick's Day Parade

On Saint Patrick's Day, March 17 every year, «everyone is Irish,» as the parade's slogan goes.

Beyond the parade, full of redheads, people dressed in green, bagpipes and shamrocks, crowds pack the Irish pubs of New York to celebrate Ireland's patron saint, honored at St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The route runs along Fifth Avenue, from 44th Street to 86th, from 11 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon.

5. Easter week in spring

Every Easter Sunday, between 10 am and 4 pm, Fifth Avenue closes between 49th and 57th Streets for the Easter Parade around St. Patrick's Cathedral, between 50th and 51st.

Read the post on what to do during Easter week in New York for more details.

6. The season opens at Luna Park

The second week of April marks the start of the season at Luna Park, the iconic amusement park in Coney Island.

You can ride the classic boardwalk attractions there, including the oldest roller coaster in the United States.

If you're a regular Newyorkando reader, you already know that Coney Island in Brooklyn is one of my favorite neighborhoods, and it's because of places frozen in time like this amusement park 🎡.

7. Bike rides during spring in New York

Spring is a perfect time to explore New York by bike. You can rent one for a few dollars and cover Central Park quickly, for example, or ride across the Brooklyn Bridge.

You can also use the Citi Bike system to get around the city (here are more details on renting bikes).

New York in other seasons

Read more ideas for enjoying summer in New York, fall and the beautiful NYC winter.