Where to Go Apple Picking in NYC

This Friday marks the first day of Fall — how will you ring it in this weekend and the next . . . and the next? You can soak up the vibrant colors of Autumn's leafy arrival and reap the benefits of the apple orchards' plentiful harvests. In fact, we can already smell the apple crisp wafting through our tiny apartment and taste the homemade splendor of a cider well done. Lucky for us, this fruitful bounty isn't too hard to come by — hop on the Metro North or the LIRR or utilize that ZipCar membership for a daytrippin' adventure.

Outside the city limits, you'll moonlight as an apple pickin' pro, a feat we've all been inadvertently training for via subway strap hanging and reaching for the inconveniently placed toilet paper (why is it always on the top shelf?) at the corner bodega. Hit up our six favorite apple farms for bushels of fun and, if you're lucky, a hayride, too.