Park life! NYC’s most glorious green spaces revealed

The lush green heart of Manhattan, Central Park requires little introduction. But we’re going to give it one anyway. Designed by the award-winning landscape architect team, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the park spans a gargantuan 843 acres between the Upper West and Upper East Sides and is home to everything from a 90-acre woodland to a fairytale castle, boating lake, seasonal ice-skating rink, and charming old-school painted carousel.

You could spend days in Central Park without seeing everything. Hike winding trails and skip over rocky streams in the 38-acre wilderness area known as The Ramble, rent a rowboat from the picture-perfect Loeb Boathouse and boost your Insta credentials with a romantic selfie on the swoonsome Bow Bridge. Spread a blanket at Sheep's Meadow and devour your picnic as you watch the world go by, and wander through Strawberry Fields in search of community theater troupes rehearsing Shakespeare. You can also explore the historic folly that is Belvedere Castle, visit world-renowned museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History, and go wild at Central Park Zoo.

The park also hosts major events like the New York City Marathon, Shakespeare in the Park, and outdoor SummerStage concerts where you can dance the night away under the New York sky.

Pro-tip: The New York Pass unlocks entry to 100+ Big Apple attractions, tours and experiences, including several cool Central Park tours like this one, and bike rentals that will add a little zip to your park sightseeing.

What’s next? A day out in Central Park means you’re well-placed for several of the city’s top institutions along Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue, including the Guggenheim, the Museum of the City of New York, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and more.

For spectacular sweeping views down the Hudson River, Riverside Park in the Upper West Side is the place to be. Stretching for four miles along the Hudson River from 72nd to 158th Streets, this scenic waterfront green space is home to stately trees and sloping lawns, and some pretty special views of the city skyline, to boot.

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame, Riverside Park may not be quite the hive of activity that its Manhattan sibling is. But there’s still plenty to do here, from meandering bicycle paths on the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway to tennis courts and a skate park. Children’s playgrounds are peppered throughout the park, as well as some of New York’s finest monuments, like the Athenian grandeur of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, and Grant’s Tomb, final resting place of Ulysses S. Grant and the largest mausoleum in North America.

Pro-tip: Grab lunch from Perfect Picnic with your Go City NYC pass and while away a few hours soaking up those ravishing river views.

What’s next? Take a tour of the splendid Cathedral of St John the Divine, a few blocks east of Riverside Park or, if the timing’s right, catch a gospel concert in nearby Harlem.

Yet another Olmsted and Vaux marvel, Prospect Park is the crown jewel of Brooklyn. Sprawling across 585 acres in the heart of the borough, the park is flanked by some of Brooklyn's most historic neighborhoods, with beautiful old brownstone houses that have been standing here for over a century.

The park is home to a 60-acre boating lake (complete with achingly photogenic boathouse and bridge) and beautiful landscapes like the Nethermead and Long Meadow with their stately trees and perfect picnic-and-people-watching patches. Not to be outdone by its larger Manhattan sibling, there’s also a zoo and a carousel, plus plenty of iconic landmarks, including the 1857 Litchfield Villa, Grand Army Plaza and Picnic House.

Pro-tip: Swing by on spring and summer Sundays for Smorgasburg – arguably the city’s premier street-food market for serious gourmands.

What’s next? Follow your nose to Brooklyn Botanic Garden where seasonal rose gardens, bluebell woods and cherry blossoms are pure manna for flower fans. Or, equally colorful, mosey over to the Bushwick neighborhood for a guided walking tour of the borough’s best street art.

Tucked behind the New York Public Library (you know, the one from Ghostbusters), Bryant Park is the cultural heart of Midtown Manhattan. At a diminutive 9.6 acres, it’s one of the smallest parks on our list, but don’t let that fool you: this lil’ urban oasis packs a pretty mighty punch. You’ll find it on 42nd Street, surrounded by skyscrapers (hello Chrysler and Empire State buildings!), and full of New Yorkers on morning constitutionals, office lunch breaks or evening yoga classes, depending on the time of day.

The park hosts a dizzying array of fun activities and cultural events throughout the year. Join a free tai-chi or dance class in the park, enjoy a game of boules or Kubb (Scandinavian lawn bowling), relax over a game of chess, and summer movie nights on the lawn. Winter brings wonderful offerings like the pop-up winter village and an ice-skating rink. Don’t skip a selfie at the mythical Bryant Park Fountain, which often freezes in the depths of winter, creating spectacular ice formations.

Finally, it’s a New York park, so naturally there’s a carousel – Le Caroussel – which rotates to jaunty French cabaret music, in-keeping with the park’s distinctly European style. 

Pro-tip: Restroom aficionados, rejoice! Bryant Park boasts some of the best public restrooms in town. You’ll find these grand Beaux-Arts loos on the park's northern edge, with artworks, classical music and fresh flowers inside. The call of nature never felt so elegant.

What’s next? Take your pick: Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Museum of Broadway, Top of The Rock and many more A-list attractions are all within a few blocks.

Bohemian history and NYU energy fuse in this quintessential Greenwich Village hangout. The park has long been a hotbed for counterculture and creativity from a gathering place for the Beatnik movement and the hippies, to today’s avant-garde artists and NYU students.

Marking the park’s north side entrance, the iconic white Washington Arch honoring George Washington frames the Empire State Building beautifully for that classic NYC selfie.

There’s always something happening in the park, whether that be diehard chess rivals battling it out beneath the trees or dance troupes strutting their stuff in front of the arch. Lounge on the grass with a picnic, listening to busking musicians, or watch the local skaters performing tricks on the fountain steps. Heck, you could even have a street artist draw your portrait – your grinning visage captured in posterity is about as unique a souvenir of your New York vacation as you're likely to find. Beats an I ❤️ NY t-shirt anyway. Well, depending on what your face looks like, I guess.

What’s next? Take a deeper dive into Greenwich Village’s storied past on a guided walking tour. Prefer your tours a little more… spooky? Well, there's a Greenwich walk for that too.

Once a disused railroad track, the High Line now stakes a claim as one of the top attractions in NYC. This 1.5-mile-long public park stretches from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards and – true to its name – seems to float high above the city streets below.

This verdant floating garden passes through some of New York City's most historic neighborhoods in the Lower West Side of Manhattan. Follow this cute urban greenway for captivating glimpses of the Hudson River, ever-rotating public art installations, colorful wildflower patches (often alive with bees and butterflies in summer) and the distant shimmer of Midtown skyscrapers. Or just grab an ice-cream, park yourself on a bench and settle in for some world-class NYC people-watching.

Pro-tip: You’ll find the legendary Chelsea Market at the High Line’s southern end, for all your artisan snack, takeout street food and face-sized donut needs.

What’s next? Start your High Line walk at the southern entrance and finish up in Hudson Yards, where daredevils can brave the glass-floored Edge observation deck, some 1,131 feet above terra firma. Start in Hudson Yards and make time for a visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art at the southern exit, home to the world’s largest collection of Hopper paintings.

Nestled beneath New York City's oldest suspension bridge, Brooklyn Bridge Park is an idyllic spot for escaping the crowds and soaking up some beautiful views over lower Manhattan. With the iconic New York skyline as a backdrop, the park is a popular spot for enjoying outdoor pursuits like basketball, football and volleyball. Expansive green lawns are perfect for picnicking, and a water play area offers cool respite from the city heat in summer.

Local eats really shine here: try the lobster roll at Luke’s Lobster or pizza at Juliana’s just a short walk away. Jane’s Carousel, a beautifully restored merry-go-round encased in glass right by the water, is pure magic for kids. Movies with a View film nights pack the lawns with locals and food trucks on balmy summer evenings. Bring friends and a camera: it’s the quintessential NYC sunset spot.

Pro-tip: Bike rental is also a great way to explore this part of the city, and you can pick yours up in Lower Manhattan for a ride across Brooklyn Bridge, down into the park and, should the mood take you, all the way down its scenic waterfront greenway.

What’s next? A walking tour of nearby DUMBO will help you get right under the skin of one of NYC’s hippest ‘hoods.

Escape from the non-stop noise of New York with a trip out to the green oasis that is Governors Island. A quick ferry ride from Brooklyn or The Battery takes you to the shores of this tranquil isle where you’ll find lush green hills – helpfully named The Hills – with breathtaking city views.

Once a military base, this New York Harbor isle enjoys a much more peaceful life these days, with a magnificent park where city dwellers escape to enjoy outdoor recreation. It’s transformation includes a design that pays homage to the lush, hilly landscapes of pre-colonial Manhattan, including four man-made grassy knolls boasting panoramic views of the harbor.

The best (and indeed only) alternative to tramping around the island on foot is to rent a surrey bike and cruise the hills in style. There are 172 acres to explore with highlights that include several art installations, like Day is Done, the Cabin sculpture, and Yankee Hangar. You can even delve into the island’s military past at Fort Jay and Castle Williams, and get your hands dirty at the Island’s Urban Farm.

But mostly, you’ll want to get into those hills – or Hills – for smashing views of New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and the Lower Manhattan skyline. Or perhaps the self-explanatory Hammock Grove, where you can enjoy a well-earned rest after all that pedaling.

What’s next? Take the ferry back to The Battery and head up to the dizzyingly high One World Observatory for views back down to where you’ve just left and far, far beyond.

Last but very far from least, Flushing Meadows – at just shy of 900 acres – outguns even Central Park in terms of sheer size. Nor is it a shrinking violet when it comes to world-class attractions, several of which are reminders of its role as host of two World’s Fairs in the 20th Century. Perhaps the most famous of these, the Unisphere is a 12-story steel globe atop a circle of fountains that anchors wide lawns and endless meadows and is a favorite meeting spot for locals. You can also check out what’s left of the New York State Pavilion (from the same 1964 fair as the Unisphere) and ogle several thousand artworks relating to the fairs in the mighty Queens Museum; look out too for World’s Fair mosaics by the likes of Andy Warhol and Salvador Dalí. There’s also a zoo, a boating lake and plenty of bike lanes and walking paths to explore.

Pro-tip: Stick around for the epic Queens Night Market on summer Saturdays for any number of global street food options, from Korean noodles to Peruvian ceviche – it’s surprisingly affordable too, with prices capped at just $6 a plate.