Whether you’re a history nerd or not, Floyd Bennett Field is an alluring retreat. Situated off southeast Brooklyn in Jamaica Bay, its deserted runways and overgrown Art Deco hangars tell a story of a time before there was a LaGuardia or JFK airport, when this was the portal into America for the jet-set crowd of the 1930s.
Stay the Night:
What remains is a living museum and one of the best opportunities to camp without leaving the five boroughs. Decommissioned since 1971 and administered by the National Park Service, Floyd Bennett Field offers the only year-round campgrounds within city limits; you can book a campsite for just $20 per night.
Get Outdoors:
The Park Service has preserved the historic look and feel of the airfield while creating an area larger than Prospect Park with things to do and see, from community gardens and urban camping to triathlon races, cycling, stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, soccer, and indoor sports. There’s even an archery range and a cricket pitch.
Nowadays, the only air traffic comes from amateur enthusiasts flying radio-controlled model airplanes, and the occasional NYPD helicopter (the Coast Guard and police maintain a hangar at the airfield). On weekends, the runways often draw teenagers learning to drive. It’s quiet on weekdays, save a few joggers and cyclists going round and round the runways.
Kayakers and canoers can launch into the waters of Jamaica Bay from the old concrete ramp behind the hangar. During World War II, seaplanes would roll down this ramp and take off from the channel to protect convoys of ships that were leaving New York Harbor.
Standing at the water’s edge near the end of one mile-long runway, flanked by wistful fishermen, the spire of the Empire State Building is visible in the distance, though it couldn’t feel farther away.
How to get here: Take the 2 train to Brooklyn College, hop on the Q35 bus and get off at the Ryan Visitors Center stop. Floyd Bennett Field is just before Marine Parkway Bridge takes you over to Jacob Riis.
Photo credits: Signe Brewster, ChristopherTitzer, Will Pollard, Wayne and Salim Virji
Gordon Macrae is a travel writer based in Brooklyn. He is currently writing a travel guide to the beaches of New York City and around. He is less Scottish than you think.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram