^{by Julia Baskin}

Moving to a big city can be challenging for someone who wants to have a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle, but it’s not impossible. In this article, we will look at simple ways to live green in one of the busiest urban centers in the world—New York City.

Choose an environment-friendly neighborhood.

Green would probably be the last thing on your mind when you think about the Big Apple, but  the largest city in America is actually very kind to the environment. In fact, NYC came third overall on the Siemens Green City Index. The city’s “walk score” shows that it’s one of the most walkable urban hubs in the US, too. And when it comes to finding a place to stay, Yoreevo’s James McGrath explains how there are over 3.4 million properties in New York, which means buyers need to narrow down their options. McGrath recommends asking yourself questions to help your search. In this case, it could be the sustainable features of the building or where the nearest parks are located. Your best choices are Morning Side Heights in Manhattan, Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, or Park Slope—some of the greenest neighborhoods in the city.

Locate the best places to shop for food.

The city is a melting pot of dishes from around the world and it has no shortage of sustainable family-run farms and markets, too. If you’re looking for a good source of freshly picked fruits and vegetables as well as artisan bread, heritage meats, and jams, you can go to the Union Square Greenmarket. You can check out CBC Local’s list of the best farmer’s markets in New York, which includes the Agata & Valentina Upper East Side Market—known as Manhattan’s Little Sicily because it’s where you can buy some of the best homemade focaccia, mozzarella, handmade pasta, and ricotta gelato.

Spend your free time in local parks.

Just as other urban centers in the country have their own landmark green spaces, such as Florida’s Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, so does New York. Aside from the iconic Central Park, one of the most underrated parks you need to see is the Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, where you can go kayaking or paddle boating at Flushing Bay. There’s also the Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which was designed by the creators of Central Park, and a beautiful sanctuary for quiet time with nature.

Join yoga and exercise sessions outdoors.

Feel even closer to nature by getting your daily dose of exercise outdoors. Refinery29 suggests joining the weekly workout Sweat Sessions at the Meatpacking District. The classes are free, but you can donate some money to help them raise funds and awareness for the Exhale into Inhale movement. You can also join the yoga classes by Paragon Sports, which they often host at Union Square. It’s close to the subway, which means you can easily do this after work. Moreover, if you want to take your green living advocacy to the next level, you can join coastal cleanup drives at the Riverside Park Conservatory or join local gardening and tree planting activity near you.