I'm a (somewhat new) New Yorker and looking for a few fun outer borough daytrip ideas. My traveling companion and I love a good adventure (including long walks), as well as shopping, food and museums (but not for more than a few hours). Looking for a few full day itinerary ideas to string together. Thanks!

Topping so others might add favorites.

Each borough has a zoo near other parks, museums, and attractions to explore.

New York Botanical gardens then walk to little italy for lunch

Yeah, sure. It's 15.9 miles by road.

I think that he meant Arthur Avenue in the Bronx... less than 1 mile by foot, or by car...

I have never heard Arthur Avenue referred to as Little Italy. Your mileage (and location) may vary.

It is the only one I think of as little Italy!

https://www.arthuravenuebronx.com/

Cold Spring Harbor and Fire Island for starters

Emmons Ave. in Brooklyn. Brighton Beach cafes on the boardwalk. Tashkent market.

Arthur Avenue in the Bronx for food shopping and restaurants, both Italian and Albanian. Can combine with the Zoo, also.

Flushing, Queens, for food from various regions of China..shopping and eating.

Roosevelt Avenue for Latin American foods; some great street carts in the evenings and weekends, also restaurants and shopping. The food critic of the NYTimes named one of the street carts as among his favorite eateries of the year. Jackson Heights/elmhurst in general for foods of many ethnic groups from Tibetan to Colombian to Mexican to Filipino.

Brighton Beach/Coney Island for Boardwalk and food shopping and eating. Foods from everyplace from Bangladesh to Georgia. Great on a good day....beach is also good.

Rockaway for beach and boardwalk.

Brooklyn Museum, Botanical garden, Prospect Park--all in the same area; and within walking distance, Green-wood cemetery.

https://flic.kr/p/PF3V2t