While they don't have the grandeur of Central Park, these smaller parks are essential arboreal breaks in the cityscape, providing natural beauty and an escape from the bustling metropolis.
Union Place, formed at the union of Bloomingdale Road (Broadway) and the Bowery, previously extended from 10th to 17th Streets. After it was landscaped and reduced to its present size, it was renamed Union Square in 1832. The equestrian statue of George Washington by Henry K. Bro...
14th to 17th Streets (Broadway)From the City of New York/Parks & Recreation Historical Signs Program: This park honors Daniel D. Tompkins (1774–1825), who served as Governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and as Vice President of the United States under James Monroe (1758-1831) from 1817 to 1825. Peter Stuy...
E. 7th St. and Ave. ARiverbank is the only park of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by urban rooftop designs in Japan, this 28-acre multi-level landscaped recreational facility is a state-of-the-art park facility. Rising 69 feet above the Hudson River, Riverbank offers a wide variety of r...
679 Riverside DriveThe creation of the Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden, in the heart of Lower Manhattan, was prompted by a desire to honor and memorialize the 67 British subjects who lost their lives in the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2002, the St. George’s Society, under the ...
Hanover SquareNew York's oldest public park, Bowling Green is a teardrop of a triangle cut out of the Financial District, just above the Staten Island Ferry and Battery Park. In 2006, the popular lunch-time destination of local works had a beautiful fountain installed in the center of the park...
Broadway & Bowling GreenFrom the City of New York/Parks & Recreation Historical Signs Program: Lemon Creek, which empties into Prince’s Bay, has been known by several names over the last few hundred years. In 1830, the freshwater stream was known as Seguine’s Creek, and later, as the Little North Ri...
Hylan Blvd. (Sharrot and Seguine Aves.)Forest Park is the third largest park in Queens and is one of the last natural densely forested parks in New York City. With specimens over 150 years old, the 413 acres of native red and white oak forest may leave you feeling you have left New York City miles behind. Surrounded b...
Fort Tryon Park—frequently misspelled as Tyron—is a landmarked 67-acre park designed by the Olmsted brothers. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. presented it to the city as a gift in 1935. The most notable horticultural feature is the three-acre Heather Garden, which has year-round interes...
Highbridge Park derives its name from New York City’s oldest standing bridge, the High Bridge (1848), which was built to carry the Old Croton Aqueduct over the Harlem River. The area that is today's Highbridge Park was assembled piecemeal between 1867 and the 1960s, with the bul...
This park is the second largest in Queens, and the eighth largest overall in New York City. The site is named for The Alley, an 18th century commercial and manufacturing center formerly located here. The park, including 26 acres of newly constructed playing fields and the Alley P...
Morningside Park is located in New York City's borough of Manhattan from West 110th to West 123rd Streets between Manhattan Avenue, Morningside Avenue and Morningside Drive. It is one of four designated Historic Harlem Parks. The City received jurisdiction over the 30-acres prope...
Morningside Dr & Manhattan AveFreshkills, the famous gargantuan former landfill a park? Hard to believe, but true. The city carefully transformed this controversial site into an important asset for Staten Island, New York City and the region. Now that the landfill is nearly covered with protective caps and gr...
The charming park area at Amsterdam Avenue and West 62nd Street in Lincoln Center.
62nd St. (Between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves.)This Rockefeller Park-adjacent public spans stands circumscribed by high-rise buildings, casting a perennial shadow on the brilliant twisting design of the park. Michael Van Valkenberg designed the $17 million park, including a massive slide for children, art work, and an "i...
River Terrace (bet. Warren & Murray Streets)Named for former governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, this park features a stunning Hudson-side locale and holds a particularly warm spot in the hearts of locals. There's the sculpture garden by Tom Otterness, a wading pool, carousel, and a swath of tables with footprints for checks o...
River Terrace (bet. Chambers & Vesey)So named for Edgar Allen Poe, the luminary of American poetry who resided in the area in the final years of his life. His original dwelling—named Poe Cottage, we think, after he lived there—is still on the grounds, although slightly relocated to the north and no longer surrounded...
Grand Concourse & E. Kingsbridge RdThis park stands near Yankee Stadium and commemorates the poet Joyce Kilmer, the Columbia University graduate who penned the well-recognized poem "Trees," which nearly every school-aged kid in America is taught at one point or another. The park is also home to the Heinr...
Grand Concourse & E. 161st St