Fall is here! Our secret spots to collect “Kastanien” in NYC

If you grew up in Germany, chances are that you were busy collecting “Kastanien” (chestnuts) about this time of year and turned them into little figurines with the help of tooth picks and glue.

A staple in most parks in Germany, chestnut trees are a bit harder to find in NYC. But not to worry! We found an app where you can locate certain trees all around the city. The official name for the chestnuts as we know them from Germany is “Horse Chestnut”. Those are not the edible kind you will find in the supermarket.

Here are a few spots where you can go on a chestnut tree hunt:

1. Brooklyn
   Fort Greene Park  (our Go-To Spot!)
   There are a bunch of trees on “Washington Park” and “Dekalb Avenue” around the park.
2. Brooklyn
   Prospect Park Area
   244 LINCOLN PL you will find a good sized tree (trunk diameter of 21 inches)
   32 PROSPECT PARK WEST is a pretty small tree (might not have any fruits)
3. Manhattan
   has only very small trees, which might not have any fruits yet
   10 WEST 65th STREET
   860 PARK AVENUE
4. Bronx
   Bronx Park: Bronx Park E and Arnow Ave (trunk diameter of 35 inches, good chance to find fruits)
   1739 MONTGOMERY AVENUE (trunk diameter of 31 inches)
5. Queens
   There are 3 trees on 120-23 14 AVENUE with a decent size (trunk diameter of 26 inches)
   You can find 8 trees on 83-66 ABINGDON ROAD

Want to find more trees?

Just look through the “NYC Street Tree Map” and filter for “Horse Chestnuts”. There are a lot of trees in Brooklyn and Queens and maybe you find one right in your neighborhood?

If you need inspiration on what to do with them you will find lots of ideas on pinterest.