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Is everyone at your office talking about their fun travel plans for the sunny three-day holiday? Don’t even bother feeling jealous; while those losers are stuck in traffic on their way to the Hamptons, you’ll be free to attempt to go to the beach or attend as many fun Memorial Day events as possible. Here’s why the best vacation weekend is a staycation.
RECOMMENDED: See the full Fleet Week NYC guide
1. Governor's Island is now open
Put on those frolicking shoes, the city’s car-less backyard is open for the season and ready to meet all your bike-riding, sleeping in hammocks, fresh-air breathing desires.
2. Sailors!
Much like Christmas, Fleet Week comes but once a year and all the presents are wrapped in white with blue bows.
3. Concerts
The city—and city adjacent—is overflowing with good music this Memorial Day weekend, from the Pixies to the New York Philharmonic.
4. The ocean in the Hamptons and Jersey Shore will be the same temperature in Brooklyn or Queens.
AKA freezing.
5. That being said... Woohoo! The beaches are open!
For the price of a subway ticket you can get the city’s free, public beaches. If icy waters don’t scare you, take surfing lessons at Rockaway Beach or let that nice sea breeze hit your face at 60 MPH on a Coney Island roller coaster.
6. More time in traffic, less time partying
Traffic getting out of the city on Friday and coming back in on Monday adds at least an hour travel time, which means hours lost in your precious three days of freedom.
7. Picnic in the park > picnic on the beach
New York pigeons may be ferocious but they’re sure easier to fight than seagulls.
8. Outdoor fun on rooftops
Those first rays of summer not only feel great, but look amazing reflected off the city's skyline.
9. Eating fish on a boat is superior to fishing on a boat
For the amount of money you spend procuring a reel and bait and chartering a fishing vessel off Montauk you could buy SO much shrimp salad, fish tacos, and—most importantly—beer on the Frying Pan or North River Lobster Company.
10. Subways aren't as crowded
Sure they're running on weekend hours and the L train is shutting down for the holiday, but when you do find a train, you can man-spread as much as you want as you ride the rails.
11. Films under the stars are better than new movies with big stars
Guys, let's face it, it's not that hot right now, you don't need to sit in air conditioning or, for that matter, to spend $14 on a subpar flick. Instead see an outdoor screening for zero dollars.
12. More room at the Museums
While all those suckers work on their tans, you can get a head start seeing this summer’s most anticipated exhibits at MoMA or the New York Botanical Garden.