If we can scrub our minds of the image of Daniel Craig’s abs, glistening with seawater, some of us may recall the opening sequence of Casino Royale, set in a parking garage, in which Bond and his foe launch themselves at a variety of cement obstacles. That’s apparently a sport, known as parkour, and New York Parkour offers instruction. Each strenuous class, held on the Elevated Acre in Lower Manhattan, trains students in swinging through the concrete jungle. nyparkour.com
Hurling oneself out of airplanes sounds suspiciously suicidal, but for those who consider high-speed descents a thrill, Skydive the Ranch, located near New Paltz, offers a skydiving training program, consisting of three tandem dives, a comprehensive jump course, and instruction in techniques such as free fall, heading awareness, altitude awareness, turns, and rolls. Why not take a fall? skydivetheranch.com
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Nature
Long, long ago—practically the dawn of time—humans had to navigate without the aid of a handy talking GPS. If you’ve longed to ask directions of the stars, consider a Celestial Sail, sponsored by the South Street Seaport Museum. Other education programs include lectures and turns detailing New York’s maritime history and present-day waterways. seany.org
The Staten Island Museum won’t give the Smithsonian or the Museum of Natural History much of a run for their money in ticket price (adults are just $2; kids under 12 are free), but its century-old galleries are home to more than two million artifacts including a preserved four-legged chicken. That interest in natural sciences extends to their sponsorship of a natural science/ecology club that offers monthly meetings and weekend walks in nearby William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. statenislandmuseum.org<?p>
Photography
The Alice Austen House, a beautiful low-slung building on Staten Island with spectacular views of the Verrazano Bridge, is certainly photogenic. And the Beginner Adult Photography Workshop teaches students how to make the most of it. Inspired by the work of Austen herself, a Victorian shutterbug, this course acquaints students with the basics of digital photography. Cameras are supplied. aliceausten.org
“The photograph itself doesn’t interest me,” said famed photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. “I want only to capture a minute part of reality.” But if the photograph does interest you, you can arrange private lessons in picture taking at the Camera Club of New York. Individual instruction covers topics such as color printing, black-and-white printing, studio lighting, and digital photography. Group lessons and lectures are also available. cameraclubny.org
Miscellaneous
Time was, Orchard Street was not such a desirable address. But with the Lower East Side now so thoroughly gentrified, the Tenement Museum, housed in an 1863 apartment building, occupies some prime Manhattan real estate. Dedicated to the history of the immigrant experience, the museum also offers lectures and discussions about Lower Manhattan’s storied past. Fall talks include a history of Five Points, an atlas of New York, and the story of a disappearing judge. tenement.org
If you hold with Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living, get ready to live large with the 10-week introductory course at Philosophy Works on the Upper East Side. The class draws on ancient and contemporary philosophy, encouraging students to “gain access to inner happiness, wisdom, and strength.” (Modest course goals.) Weekly classes explore such questions as “What is Beauty?” and “Is there such a thing as Truth?” philosophyworks.org
