New York City is the original concrete jungle, a bustling mass of skyscrapers, sidewalks, and subways.
Green spaces and gardens can be few and far between, making them especially coveted for residents and visitors alike – especially once the weather warms up.
Whether you’re searching for the perfect picnic ground, space to run and play, or simply a grassy knoll away from the teeming masses, here are a few of my favorite NYC parks (and a bonus one in Brooklyn!).
Not included in here are the riverfront greenways, but know that if you’re ever itching for a breeze and a tree-lined esplanade, heading to the waterfront is a good way to go.
Best parks in NYC
1. Central Park
Without a doubt, the most well-known park in NYC (if not the world). It takes up 778 acres in the heart of Manhattan: six percent of the total land area of the island!
There’s plenty to do in Central Park in all seasons: ice skating and sledding, bike riding or rollerblading, having a picnic in Sheep Meadow, or just wandering around to enjoy the leaves changing color or the magnolia trees blooming.
Although Central Park New York is a favorite place for New Yorkers to walk their dogs or play in a softball league, there are plenty of iconic sites as well. Have a drink at the Boathouse and watch the lovers row around the lake under Bow Bridge – or even rent a boat yourself.
You can splurge on dinner at Tavern on the Green, watch the kids (and adults) race model sailboats on the Conservatory Water, pop into the Metropolitan Museum of Art or see the view of Turtle Pond from Belvedere Castle.
Note that the farther north you go in the park, the fewer tourists you’ll see!
2. Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is right in the heart of West Village, and only a few steps from the shopping madness of SoHo. The square is also lined with the NYU campus buildings, so it’s unsurprisingly filled with plenty of college kids.
Home to the most famous arch in the city – built to celebrate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration as president – there’s also a fountain that is filled with playing children during the summer months.
3. Fort Tryon Park
It’s hard to believe you’re still on Manhattan when you’re in Fort Tryon Park: it starts at 190 th Street. It holds the city’s largest public garden, overlooking the Hudson River with a view of the George Washington Bridge.
It’s big enough (and far enough away from the center of the city) that you can always find a quiet corner to yourself.
Fort Tryon Park is also home to the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art that focuses on medieval art and is actually made up of ancient buildings that were transported from Europe and reconstructed on the site.
My favorite part of the Cloisters is the outdoor section: it has a herb garden with more than 250 species of plants that were grown during the Middle Ages.
4. Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is arguably the most exclusive green space in New York City: you can only enter with one of 383 coveted keys to the park. It’s been fenced since 1833 and locked since 1844, with keys only granted to parkside residents, club members and hotel guests.
But even if you can’t wiggle your toes in the grass, it’s still a lovely and quiet tree-lined walk around the park.
5. Riverside Park
I feel like Riverside Park is one of the best-kept secrets in NYC: it’s only a few blocks west of Central Park, but almost no tourists venture that way.
It stretches four miles (from 72 nd to 158 th streets) along the Hudson River, with a wide space to walk or bike that is completely lined with gorgeous towering elm trees.
There are a few select gardens, historical monuments (the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ is likely the most well-known), playgrounds and a skate park.
Don’t miss stopping at the Boat Basin for a drink with a view of the marina after a walk through the park!
6. Tompkins Square Park
Located in the East Village, Tompkins Square Park is reflective of the eclectic, sometimes-grungy, sometimes-hipster neighborhood that surrounds it.
On a sunny day, the limited grass area is packed with sunbathers and picnickers sipping champagne out of red plastic cups. It’s not a huge park, but there’s a dog run, playground, plenty of benches and picnic tables, and often community events.
Fun fact: it’s also home to the original Hare Krishna tree, although you’re more likely to see adherents of the religion in Union Square today.
7. Prospect Park
Bonus Brooklyn park! I live in Brooklyn, so I may be biased – but what I love most about Prospect Park is that there aren’t very many tourists (not that we don’t love you!).
It was designed by the same person who developed Central Park, so there are a ton of similarities, but it’s full of locals!
It’s not quite as classically beautiful or as well-maintained, but it’s huge and green and full of wide open spaces.
If you’re looking for activity, try a bike ride around the loop (you can rent a CitiBike near Barclay Center) or a paddle boat around the lake.
It’s also worth checking out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is located right down the street: it’s especially resplendent during cherry blossom season, but there’s something blooming year-round.
As a perpetual solo female traveler, one of the questions I frequently get asked is do I get lonely?
I mean, what a question! Of course, I get lonely when I travel solo but also sometimes when I am at home.
Traveling without a companion or partner can be completely daunting but I’ve found it to be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling styles of travel.
Like most types of travel, solo female travel has its ups and downs but at the end of the day, I heartily vouch that every person should try it at least once in their lives.
1. Stay in social accommodation
No, I don’t mean a hostel. If you’re a backpacker on a budget and looking for cheap accommodation, shared dorm rooms in hostels will certainly introduce you to people.
But I’m past those years of my life, though occasionally I still stay in hostels but in private rooms.
Nowadays there is a wide range of types of hostels you can stay in, some are categorized as “luxury” even. So when I’m traveling and looking to meet people oftentimes, I’ll book into a high-quality hostel in a private room and spend time in the common room or communal areas to meet people or participate in hostel group activities.
But most of the time I don’t like staying in hostels so I look for smaller, more intimate accommodation options, ones where you meet the owners and other guests easily, like small B&Bs or on AirBnB.
AirBnB and other similar accommodation rentals are a great way to meet the locals and get to see a different side of a destination. I’ve made friends with many AirBnB hosts over the years and it feels like I’m visiting a friend in the city or country where I’m visiting.
2. Hop on a guided tour
Depending on your trip, your travel style and where you are going you might consider hopping on a tour.
Usually, there are a range of tours that meet every type of need and interest. Day tours or multi-day tours, photography tours and budget tours even pub crawls, there are many types to choose from.
Usually, when I’m in a place like Europe, I prefer to travel around on my own, but when I want to get to places where I need a car, I’ll just hop on a day tour instead. It’s a great way to pack in a lot of sightseeing and meet new people.
At the end of every tour I’ve done I usually leave with a couple of new friends and sometimes we would meet up later on and either travel together or just grab coffee. After all, everyone is in the same boat as you.
If I’m traveling to a country where I’m either not comfortable traveling alone (rare now but still it happens) or I’m looking for a different kind or unique travel experience, I’ll book a multi-day tour.
For example, I just came home from a 3 week horseback riding trip through Mongolia with Zavkhan Trekking. Not even sure how I would even begin planning that on my own.
Last year for Christmas I joined in on a small-group local tour around New Zealand called Haka Tours, both of which fitted perfectly for what I wanted and almost everyone else on the tours were also solo travelers. Even if you travel by yourself, you’re rarely alone.
3. Participate in group activities
Aside from hopping on tours when you’re traveling around, another great way to stay social and meet people on the road is to join in on group activities.
I love having hands-on travel experiences, like eating, when I’m on the road so I tend to gravitate towards activities like cooking classes, food and market tours, and lots and lots of adventure activities, like bike tours, boat outings, and scenic flights.
Most of these activities book more than one person on them so you are guaranteed to meet people. There is nothing quite like making a new friend as you kayak through rapids or bake a local dish in a new city.
4. Make a travel buddy on the road
This usually works when you are traveling for extended periods of time and have a flexible schedule on the road, but also it can still work when your schedule is a bit limited.
Once I’ve met other solo travelers, if we’ve hung out a few times and have similar interests or want to go to the same place, sometimes it’s easy to just travel along together for a while.
This happens a lot on the well-trodden backpackers trails in Europe and Southeast Asia but also works in other parts of the world too.
5. Have a “Say Yes” policy when you’re feeling a bit lonely and be friendly
Maybe it’s just me but meeting people has never come easy to me. I am an introvert through and through, and it almost goes against my nature to intentionally be outgoing.
In the beginning, I had to force myself to talk to people. The easiest way is just to be really friendly. Depending on the country, I’ve found the majority of people love friendly solo travelers. It’s less intimidating than when you’re in groups and it just works.
On top of that when I’m traveling I try to have a “say yes” policy when people invite me to things.
Of course, I judge the situation and definitely say no if I feel unsafe or weird, but often times just putting yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone can be very rewarding.
These are the moments I tend to treasure the most on the road.