A Quick Guide to NYC Parks

1. Astoria Park

Located next to the Hell Gate and Triborough Bridges in Astoria, Astoria Park encompasses more than 59 acres, running parallel to the East River. The largest and oldest swimming pool in New York City resides inside this stately park that covers over 54,000 square feet.

The park also boasts a bandstand that is prominently displayed on Independence Day with the Queens Symphony Orchestra playing during the fireworks display. Astoria Park features a host of amenities like its fourteen tennis courts, spacious, contemporary skatepark, two playgrounds, and numerous basketball courts. With benches along the perimeter of the East River, Astoria Park has plenty of shoreline views.

Astoria Park, 19 19th Street, Astoria, NY, Phone: 212-639 9675

2. Battery Park

A planned residential community, Battery Park in New York City is situated on Manhattan’s southern tip. It features Castle Garden, the first immigrant depot in the world. Well before Ellis Island was constructed, millions of immigrants were ferried to the Battery to be processed at Castle Garden. The park, east of the West Side Highway and the Hudson River to its west, offers expansive views from the shoreline of the Hudson. Battery Park provides ferries for tourists visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Being located on the waterfront, the park provides an idyllic place for those wanting to hike or bike along the trails here.

Battery Park, New York, NY, Phone: 212-344 3491

3. Bronx Park

Home to world renown New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo, Bronx Park offers a diverse setting in one of the nation’s most iconic cities. This idyllic park provides tourists with ecologically diverse outdoor space that is second to none, with a plethora of animals and plants that call this majestic park home. With the Bronx River running alongside it, the Bronx Zoo has a number of trails that traverse the grounds and showcase native fauna and flora. The park also features wide bike paths, a baseball diamond, playgrounds, and football and soccer fields.

Bronx Park, East Tremont, Bronx, NY, Phone: 718-430 1800

4. Bryant Park

Within eyesight of one of of New York City’s most iconic buildings, the New York Public Library, Bryant Park in centrally located in Manhattan. It offers tourists an opportunity to see the many surroundings this area has to offer like the theatre district and Times Square. The park features what is said to be the first major monument dedicated to a woman in New York – the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain. Bryant Park is also home to Bank of America Winter Village, featuring the only free ice-skating rink in the city. The Village is open daily October to March, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Bryant Park, Manhattan, NY, Phone: 212-768 4242

5. Carl Schurz Park

Overlooking the waters of Wards Island and Hell Gate, Carl Schurz Park in New York City is home to Gracie Mansion, the Mayor of New York’s official home. Offering a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of New York City, the park provides expansive green space to picnic, sunbathe, and read when the weather is nice. The park also provides visitors with beautiful vistas of the river. Carl Schurz Park is a dog-lover’s dream park, with two extraordinary dog runs that allow furry friends to frolic about and mingle with other dogs.

Carl Schurz Park, East 86th Street & East End Avenue, New York, NY, Phone: 212-459-4455

6. Central Park

Central Park is a manmade wonder that is perhaps one of the most famous and iconic parks in the country. Situated in Manhattan, it was America’s first public park dating back 150 years.

It’s centrally located in the Manhattan borough and receives more than 25 million visitors per year. The park is said to be the world’s most filmed location, despite being New York City’s fifth-largest park. It has a mind-numbing number of spectacles, including 21-official playgrounds, almost 50-fountains, sculptures, and monuments to gaze upon, along with 36 arches and bridges. Central Park also offers ample space for athletes to run, musicians to practice, and visitors to people-watch.

North 110th Street, Manhattan, NY, Map

7. Clove Lakes Park

Situated on Staten Island in the Sunnyside neighborhood of this beautiful borough, Clove Lakes Park offers picturesque scenery and fresh air. The park is a designated Forever Wild site to protect its indigenous wildlife and valuable ecological assets. Clove Lake Park provides a treasure trove of eye-catching beauty including a tulip tree that is over three hundred years old and is the oldest living thing on Staten Island. This iconic park has soccer fields, several baseball diamonds, playgrounds, and basketball courts. The park also features the Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink.

Clove Lakes Park, 1150 Clove Road, Staten Island, NY, Phone: 718-390-8000

8. Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk

Offering tourist and locals almost three miles of shoreline, Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk provides an idyllic getaway from the hustle and bustle of New York City. The park offers guests a wide variety entertaining activities and sites to see, such as the Abe Stark Ice Skating Rink and the New York Aquarium. Baseball lovers will thoroughly enjoy the home of the Mets minor league affiliate, the Brooklynn Cyclones, who play at MCU Park. Perhaps one of the world’s most iconic boardwalks, Coney Island features views to crashing waves, sandy shores, and amusement rides and games. The park also has basketball and handball courts.

Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk, 1208 Surf Avenue, Brooklynn, NY, Phone: 718-372-5159

9. Crotona Park

Crotona Park in the Bronx, a fixture in this community since 1888 when purchased by the city, offers a blend of wildlife and manmade structures that will pique the interest of any outdoor enthusiasts. Offering a lake that spans 3.3 acres, trails run along the lake offering romantic strolls while taking in the water views that showcase fish, ducks, and turtles. Crotona Park is also known for its potpourri of tree species said to be 28 in all. Its manmade structures include 20 hardcourt tennis courts, 11 playgrounds, five baseball/softball diamonds, and a 300-foot swimming pool. This majestic pool is the largest pool in the borough.

Crotona Park, 1700 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY, Phone: 212-639-9675

10. Cunningham Park

Providing over 350-acres of spacious land, Cunningham Park in the Queens borough of New York, was originally called Hillside Park but the name was later changed to its present name in 1935. A park that promotes barbecuing, Cunningham Park has designated areas for this fun-filled event but does prohibit from using propane and barbecuing next to trees, branches, and buildings. The park also has several unnamed trails that provide park goers with means to see this expansive park. Cunningham Park provides a diverse ecosystem that helps support wildlife and showcases Kettle Ponds with numerous species of frogs.

Cunningham Park, 196-10 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, NY, Phone: 212-639-9675