New York sports venues re-opened in February, in time for the stretch run NHL and NBA seasons and ahead of the 2021 baseball season.

In the Bronx, the Yankees will open the season on April 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets home opener will be April 8 at Citi Field in Queens.

Like other sporting venues in the city, attendance will be limited to 10 percent of capacity. At Yankee Stadium, that means 5,400 fans per game. In Queens, entry will be capped at 4,200.

The reopening coincides with a feeling of enthusiasm for New York fans. For hockey fans, up-and-coming players such as Alexis Lafreniere, Kaapo Kakko, and Igor Shesterkin are the brightest stars in a lineup filled with promise.

Same could be said for the Devils, across the Hudson in Newark, headed by newly-named captain Nico Hischier. And out in Uniondale, the Islanders currently sit atop the East Division following an appearance in last year’s conference final.

As usual, however, all eyes will be on the Yankees as the team heads north to try to put an end to a 12-year World Series drought. Following a second-place AL East finish and a hairsbreadth from a berth in the AL Championship Series, the team is loaded with power-hitters including Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as Gerrit Cole, who is expected to anchor the pitching staff.

Even the Mets, while not expected to contend for a playoff spot, have shored up their lineup with shortstop Francisco Lindo.

“I feel like we’re in a good place starting out,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman told The New York Post.

Major League Baseball has joined the NBA and NHL in operating major retail stores in Manhattan. The opening in early October 2020 follows the transfer of the commissioner’s office from Park Avenue to the upper floors of the Midtown Manhattan building. Baseball Advanced Media also moved to the new facility from the City’s Meatpacking District, as did the umpires’ video review control room.

The flagship store, on the street level of a revamped television studio building, is 10,000 square feet of MLB merchandise displayed on two floors. There is also a customization station, game-used gear on display and for sale, and a photo booth.

MLB chief revenue officer Noah Garden related to the timing of the opening and said, “It’s a challenging environment out there. But certainly, as it relates to this store, there’s no better city for retail in the world than this one. And it’s going to come back, and as it does, we’re going to be here to service the fans and the folks that are traveling in the streets.”

Good news for New York City’s beach lovers: all eight of the public sandy ocean fronts will be open for swimming as of July 1.

The city’s 14 miles of beaches have been closed since March to curb the spread of coronavirus. Swimming hours will be 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with lifeguards on duty. Social distancing precautions will be put in place and NYC Parks Ambassadors will distribute face masks to those who arrive at the beach without.

“New Yorkers have worked hard to fight back this virus and to put us back on the path to a safe reopening,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This summer is still unlike any in our history, but now, we will all have the opportunity to cool off and swim at our cherished beaches.”

For most New York City families, visiting a landfill is not on the top of the to-do list. But the Freshkills Park is a public park and wildlife habitat the whole family can enjoy.

Once the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills has been gradually transitioning from a trash-dump into a nature-gem in Staten Island.  At 2,200 acres, Freshkills Park is nearly triple the size of Central Park and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years. It is built on what was once the largest landfill in the world (Fresh Kills Landfill ceased operations in 2001). Now the landscape is being engineered with layers of soil and infrastructure, making it a most unexpected place for wildlife, recreation, science, education, and art.

For obvious safety reasons, the landfill is covered by different layers of geomaterials to stabilize landfilled waste, separate the waste from the environment and park visitors, and prevent the release of landfill gas to the atmosphere.

As the park is being built in phases, with the entire expanse set to open to the public in a few years, free tours and events provide early access for learning and exploration of more than 700 acres and eight miles of trails. Family activities include cycling (bring your own bike or borrow one there), guided walks with groups like New York City Audubon and the Urban Park Rangers, kite flying, kayaking, wind chime design, and upcycled art. This is a great activity even if you don’t live nearby: Free shuttle buses transport visitors to and from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.