Garden City: Things to do, shopping and nightlife 

Centered within Nassau County, Garden City is known as a luxury spot with endless shopping opportunities, from the nearby Roosevelt Field mall to locally owned village boutiques. Parts of the community are very walkable and there’s lots for kids to do during the day and for adults to try at night. Head to a children's museum, window shop along Seventh Street or grab a bite with friends.   

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO 

There’s a great deal of free parking, but make sure to check signs to see what time limits are in place. There’s an LIRR stop (Hempstead Branch) as well (Hubbell Plaza) and it’s only a block from where the area’s Seventh Street main drag starts. The Country Life Press station (St. James Street South between Elm and Filbert streets) is also close (about half a mile to the intersection of Seventh Street and Franklin Avenue). Other train stations in the area are Nassau Boulevard, between 56 and 84 Nassau Boulevard, and Stewart Manor, between 99 and 7772 Manor Rd. All station parking is operated by the Village of Garden City and a parking permit is required.

THINGS TO DO 

Garden City Bird Sanctuary

This 9-acre preserve was once a stormwater basin, but has since been nurtured into a place for hiking and bird-watching. Open on weekends from April 29 through Sept. 30 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), the site has over 100 different species that have been spotted there since its creation and also offers occasional events. Upcoming events include an open-air market (April 29) and a bird count to mark the international Global Big Day birding celebration (May 13). 

ADMISSION: Free 

INFO 182 Tanners Pond Rd.; gcbirdsanctuary.com

Muse Paint Bar

The Garden City outlet of this paint-and-sip parlor provides a place where patrons can create while ordering wine, beer or cocktails from a menu that includes appetizer-style foods and desserts. Its event calendar consists of classes that focus on a variety of subjects and themes. All ages welcome, must have a valid ID to purchase alcohol.

INFO 837 Franklin Ave.; 888-607-6873, musepaintbar.com

Monster Mini Golf Garden City

 Illuminated by black lighting, the venue offers 18 holes to play while surrounded by monster-styled décor and animated creatures. Guests can also try arcade games, mini-bowling and a maze of laser beams. 

ADMISSION: Starting at $12 

INFO 645 Stewart Ave.; 516-279-4433, monsterminigolf.com

Garden City Hotel 

The Garden City hotel is a luxury hospitality spot that offers upscale amenities for those looking to be pampered. It has three chef-driven restaurants, with two indoor options (King Bar and Red Salt Room) and an outside spot (Patio Bar; reopens for 2023 at the end of May). The hotel features a boutique beauty and wellness center called the Red Hots Spa. A traditional British tea service is served every other Saturday (starts at $55).  The Spring Forward Package (book by April 30) includes a deluxe king room, a $50 food and beverage credit and two breakfast vouchers ($309-$349).

INFO 45 Seventh St.; 877-549-0400, gardencityhotel.com

SHOPPING

Roosevelt Field

This luxury mall is a mega-hub for all things retail, with anchor stores like lMacy’s, Bloomingdale’s, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom Marcus, as well as hundreds of shops dedicated to brands of clothing, accessories, toys, electronics and more. The mall also has high-end restaurants on its periphery, such as Small Batch by Tom Colicchio, True Food Kitchen and The Capital Grille. For casual-while-shopping bites, there’s a food court on the second floor and small snack spots mixed in. It also has a basement level that features a small playground and Glow Golf (opryglowgolf.com), a mini-golf course that glows under black lights. Admission for Glow Golf is $13, $11 for ages 5-12, $8 for seniors and ages 4 and younger. 

INFO 630 Old Country Rd.; 516-742-8000, simon.com

BOUTIQUES ON SEVENTH STREET

Explore the boutiques along the village’s Seventh Street that focus on the latest fashion. Madison's Niche (186 Seventh St.; 516-246-9964, madisonsniche.com) features several brands of women’s clothing and home décor, candles and wedding gifts. Coquette (173 Seventh St.; 516-873-8180, coquetteonseventh.com) also focuses on women’s clothing and accessories with an eye toward trends, but also offers monogramming and personalized items intended for gifting. The Islands (177 Seventh St.; 516-248-2481, theislandgc.com), is a Lilly Pulitzer brand signature store that is broken down into three entranceways (“The Island,” “The Little Island” and The Pink Island”) where shoppers can find clothing by the brand, as well as other designers.   

SNACK AND SIP 

For Five Coffee Roasters

The village outlet of this upscale coffee shop is also a social stop where people crowd the indoor seating (or sit outside when weather permits) and chat, while others work on their laptops. The spot features coffee, breakfast items, salads, baked goods and sandwiches.

INFO 147 Seventh St.; 516-271-9100, forfivecoffee.com

The French Workshop

Another big brand coffee outlet, it offers a wide selection of pastries, croissants, muffins, tarts and other baked goods. 

INFO 191 Seventh St.; 516-248-6800, thefrenchworkshop.com

Chip City

Coffee is also served at this small takeout shop, but cookies are the star. The shop has a rotating menu of cookies that changes weekly, which includes a specialty option among its standard offerings. 

INFO 951 Franklin Ave.; 516-385-5820, chipcitycookies.com

NIGHTLIFE: IN GARDEN CITY, NEARBY TOWNS

Revel

Recently renovated, this upscale restaurant and bar has a Friday-night dance party powered by a roster of rotating DJs and occasional live acts. Open to guests age 25 and older, it’s a great fit for fans of classic luxury nightlife, as the dress code is casual-elegant and bottle service is available. 

INFO 835 Franklin Ave.; 516-246-9111, revelrestaurant.com

Prost Grill & Garten

Primarily a German bier hall, it’s also a serious soccer bar that shows matches Tuesday, Wednesdays and weekends and serves as the base for some area fan clubs. It also hosts trivia nights on Tuesdays and features live music. Hungry folks should also watch for special dinners prepared by Chef David Mannes.

INFO 652 Franklin Ave.; 516-427-5656 

The Cuban

You’ll notice this colorful restaurant from the street, but come weekend evenings it gets even more interesting inside as its signature live shows and DJs take the stage Fridays and Saturdays. There are DJs spinning both nights, plus dancers who move to mainly Latin sounds. Bottle service is available Saturdays after 11 p.m.

INFO 987 Stewart Ave.; 516-222-0295, thecubanny.com