I find there’s one activity that seems to equal parts startle and comfort tourists when asked where to go or what to do. Advising them to find the nature in New York City. In a city where gray can become the backdrop, finding a green space is essential to your sanity. Sure Central Park is great but New York has splotches of green thrown across the five boroughs that are just as deserving of the awe that Central Park invokes. Sometimes those splotches are fifty blocks long and sometimes they barely cover one block. 

Below I detail the parks that played a special part in helping me call New York home despite how small or large they may be. 

Brooklyn: 

Prospect Park

Back in the 18th century Brooklyn grew from a small village to a bustling city within the course of 30 years due to its location on the East River. As industries grew so did the need for a park, not just for aesthetics but also health. After the immediate success of Central Park, Prospect Park was plotted and opened in 1867 even though it would see another 7 years of development. The original rustic aesthetic of the park can still be admired today. 

With the immense amount of winding trails that lead to old fountains and Victorian style bridges and monuments, Prospect Park almost feels mystical. And with grassy knolls accessible but still off the main paths, it became a sanctuary even before avoiding people was advisable for your health. 

The incentives you can reap as a tourist are vast as well. The LeFrak center offers seasonal ice-skating and roller-skating which turns into a massive splash pad in the summer. Paddle boats can be rented from the Lefrak Center as well in the warmer months. International cuisine can be enjoyed every Sunday at Smorgasburg Prospect Park from April to October.

According to Prospect Park Alliance’s website the park receives over 10 million visitors a year. As opposed to Central Park where you’re always within earshot of another park goer, Prospect feels more tranquil, more pastoral, and certainly more provincial. After I lost my job in the hospitality industry due to Covid there were days when the only thing I could bring myself to accomplish was a walk through the park. Then, once I pulled myself together, I got a job as a nanny and covered every inch of that park with a stroller on long walks singing and laughing with the 2 year old I was watching. Prospect Park became a bubble of seclusion during a time when it was becoming more and more difficult to turn off my mind. 

Sunset Park

Sunset Park is located in the neighborhood of the same name and spans a simple two avenues and four blocks. The walk from the subway or bus stop to the park might feel like you’re walking through a warehouse or sleepy residential area. But then you’re inside the park standing on the slope of a hill gazing at sensational views of the Manhattan skyline with your mouth agape and you forget all the misgivings. From the park’s highest point you can see The Statue of Liberty, New Jersey, Staten Island and sweeping parts of Brooklyn. For visitors interested in learning a bit of history The One World Trade Center is visible from most points in the park as were the World Trade Center Towers. Members of the community had a front row seat watching the tragedy unfold and many famous photos of that day were taken from Sunset Park. A Living Memorial Grove can be found in the park and serves as a place for reflection with a clear view of the sight of the tragedy. 

For me, my love for Sunset Park developed begrudgingly. I attended a birthday party in Sunset Park and was honestly a bit annoyed that I had to make the journey on a weekend when trains to the area were scarce. We had a picnic by ordering food from different Chinese, Central American, and South American restaurants that intersected in the neighborhood creating an international feast. I found myself returning to Sunset Park again and again for the views and sense of community. 

McCarren Park & Bushwick Inlet Park

McCarren Park is the green space that joins Greenpoint and Williamsburg, two vastly different neighborhoods. Greenpoint’s industrial look serves the filming industry well as it is home to filming locations for Law & Order, Girls, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Boardwalk Empire, and more. Williamsburg has become known as what visitors might envision as the quintessential Brooklyn Hipster. With 35 acres of land, McCarren park provides endless opportunities for softball, kickball, soccer, swimming, and barbecuing. 

The park opened in 1906 as Greenpoint Park and was renamed McCarren Park in 1909 after Patrick H. McCarren who became the Democratic boss of Brooklyn. In the 1930’s the park was expanded as part of FDR’s New Deal. In the 1970s the park had fallen into disrepair with a car even crashing into the empty swimming pool at one point. Eventually, and very slowly, the park was restored to its former glory with a full renovation by 2012. 

Located two blocks from McCarren sits Bushwick Inlet park where the Williamsburg Smorgasburg takes place from April to October. This park feels a bit uneventful until you walk across the flat grassy field and come upon a rocky beach with stunning views of Manhattan. 

When I first moved to New York I worked as a nanny to a 9 month old little girl while I auditioned and wrote and tried to get my plays seen. I would bring the baby to McCarren park and sit watching the baseball games while writing and generally trying to get used to living in a place so different from anywhere I’d ever been. We would walk the two blocks from McCarren to Bushwick Inlet Park and count the boats as they passed nibbling on pastries I’d bought from the small cafes that dot the streets in that area. 

Queens

Astoria Park

As a staunch Brooklyn dweller for going on 7 years now Queens has never felt super accessible. Having friends in Queens feels like I’m in a long-distance relationship. With hardly any trains that connect Brooklyn to Queens I don’t have a lot of experience with traversing to Queens to find peace. I am lucky enough however to have friends that have insisted that I attend a few specific events at Astoria Park and of course the journey was worth it. 

Astoria Park is known for it’s large public pool- the oldest in all of New York City. With beautiful views of Manhattan across the East River an entire day can be spent in Astoria Park by enjoying all the amenities it offers. 

I first visited Astoria Park in the summer of 2019 to see a movie with a screen set up on a road closed to traffic on weekends. I didn’t know it at the time but that was one of the last times I was able to enjoy the shared experience of laughing along with strangers at a movie as we all happily sipped wine and enjoyed snacks on our picnic blankets for quite some time. As the pandemic continued, things changed to make life more… liveable, I visited Astoria Park again multiple times birthday cookouts at the grills and bike rides along the many trails that spider themselves throughout the park. 

Manhattan

Tompkins Square Park

Tompkins Square is a small patch of manicured green in the otherwise chaos of the East Village. Spread between two avenues and three blocks this park provides prime spots for people watching. Perhaps a surprising feature of the park is its large elm trees that don’t quite feel like they fit next to the tumult of the East Village. The most beloved tree can be found near the Avenue A and East 7th St. entrance. Called the Krishna tree it serves as the place where A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, an Indian Spiritual leader and the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in New York, sat and sang the “hare krishna’ chant. This event is recognized as the founding of the religion in the United States. Notable artists in attendance were Allen Ginsburg. People have continued to use the tree as a symbol for peace, even some residents going so far as to get married under the tree. 

Historically Tompkins Square Park has been a place the public uses to voice dissent. As early as 1857 the park has been used for demonstrations about lack of jobs, humane treatment for workers, treatment of the homeless, and human rights issues. 

I initially discovered Tompkins Square Park through GrowNYC’s greenmarkets. My first visit was to drop off a trash bag of old clothes to the market’s textile recycling program. I ended up sitting down on one of the benches to people watch and enjoy a fresh smoothie bought from the market. I continue to find solace under the canopy of elms whenever I find myself in that neighborhood. 

Bryant Park

The NY Public Library’s main location towers over Bryant Park’s grassy lawn and sets the tone for a quiet and spacious park. With its many tables available for meetings  or meals, Bryant park feels like one of the more orderly public spaces in New York. Perhaps that’s due to its original designers drawing great inspiration from Parisian Parks of the time. In fact The Landmarks Preservation Commission called it “a prime example of a park designed in the French Classical tradition – an urban amenity worthy of our civic pride.” With how manicured the park seems today it’s hard to imagine, but the park’s history stretches back to the 1600’s when it was declared public property by New York’s Colonial Governor at the time. During the Civil War Bryant Park, then known as Reservoir Square, served as an encampment for Union Soldiers and later as the site of one of the riots that broke out due to the introduction of the draft. Today Bryant Park serves as a lunch time reprieve for many New Yorkers who work in Midtown Manhattan. 

Seasonally Bryant Park offers Christmas Markets and ice skating in the winter and outdoor movies and concerts in the summer. Super close to the theater district Bryant Park has always been my go to green space to access when killing time in Midtown. 

My last visit was after a stay at the Historic Bryant Park Hotel where I bought lunch at a street fair and then sunbathed for hours with a book before heading into the New York Public Library for a few pictures. As I sat in the grass reading, a young performers Broadway class started on the large stage behind me. A wedding party celebrated at the cafe to my right and a carousel spun slowly clinking away a somewhat recognizable tune as children squealed in delight. Quintessential New York bliss. 

Fort Tryon Park

Many days have been spent sitting in Fort Tryon Park admiring the Hudson River after spending a few hours at The Cloisters, a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Cloisters sits on a steep hill inside the park and looks more like a 13th Century church than a museum. Fort Tryon Park has an extremely layered history that dates back to the 17th century when it was inhabited by the Indigenous Weckquaesgeek Tribe. The British gained control of the area in 1776 and named it Fort Tryon after Sir William Tryon who was a Major General and the last British governor of colonial New York. During the 19th century many wealthy New Yorkers purchased land around Fort Tryon and developed estates overlooking the Hudson River. Then in 1917 John Rockefeller purchased one of the largest estates and began developing the land, even purchasing the land across the river on the New Jersey side so as to preserve the views. Then in 1931 he donated the land to the city. For someone who loves hiking but can’t always deal with the commute on the Metro North, Fort Tryon’s 8 miles of trails feels like a happy medium. 

My favorites of the park include having a glass of wine at The New Leaf Restaurant as well as strolling The Heather Garden, the city’s largest public garden. The Cloisters is my absolute favorite museum in all of New York. The museum’s herb garden, the quiet tranquility, and views from the vistas are absolutely worth the trek all the way up to190th street. 

I chose the parks that have been the most impactful for me but that doesn’t mean another little splotch of green not mentioned didn’t affect you deeply. I could have honestly continued writing and I encourage visitors of New York to also check out the main parks: Central Park, Union Square, and the High Line to name a few. Those serve as great introductions to the greenery that New York has to offer. Let me know which ones have helped you find the necessary calm in New York! 

More information on all NYC parks can be found here.

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