Brooklyn Botanic Garden (990 Washington Ave, Brooklyn) Beautiful garden; holiday light show

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Bryant Park  (Located between 5th and 6th Avenues and between 40th and 42nd Streets) Offers Christmas popup shops, options for lunch or snacks and the best public restrooms in the city thanks to Brooke Astor. (Not sure if the Brooke Astor part is correct but the restrooms are lovely to be in the middle of a public park).

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*Central Park 

So much to see and do in Central Park.  Don't miss Bethesda Fountain, the mall or literary walk, conservatory water where you can rent remote control boats to sail and visit statues of Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Anderson, Wollman Rink for ice skating in winter and Victorian Gardens amusement park in summer, Central Park Zoo, huge meadows for sunbathing, and Strawberry Fields (memorial to John Lennon).  

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I love the history of the city and enjoyed learning about the 1811 Commissioners' Plan for a grid design for the city streets.  It took ten years for the island to be surveyed and marked.  At the time there were streets only in the southern part of Manhattan, but wise city planners foresaw the growth. Some clever sleuths in recent years decided to try to find a remaining iron surveyor's spike from that period.  The park was the most logical place where one might remain, and after some apparent work, it was spotted.  From a photo, I was able to figure out where the spike was roughly located and on a recent trip, my friends and I found it! Email me if you'd like more information on trying to find this very cool relic of the city's past.

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There is a smaller, "secret" garden in Central Park located at 104th-106th Sts on 5th Ave called the *Conservatory Garden.  It's the only formal garden in the park.  It's a bit north but worth the trip.

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Central Park Zoo (5th Ave at 64th St)

Small zoo but fun nonetheless

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*The Cloisters (99 Margaret Corbin Dr)

The gardens at The Cloisters are lovely and quiet.  The museum, part of The Met, specializes in Medieval architecture and decorative arts.  The short walk from the subway stop to The Cloisters is really pretty for the museum is located inside Ft Tryon Park.

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Elizabeth Street Garden (Elizabeth St bet Prince and Spring) Might be closing late 2024; sweet little quiet garden in the middle of SoHo full of funky sculptures and statues

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Gramercy Park (E 20th/21st Sts bet Gramercy Park East/West)

This is a private park open only for residents who have keys.  It is open to the public on Christmas Eve. There is a Bower Boys Podcast on the park and the Gramercy Park neighborhood.

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*Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th St, Brooklyn)

My friends and I took a stroll through this historic cemetery a few years ago and had the best time tracking down the grave markers for Leonard Bernstein, "Boss" Tweed, DeWitt Clinton, Horace Greely and others.

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*The High Line (Gansevoort St in Meatpacking District to W 34th St bet 10th and 12th Aves at Hudson Yards) The first section of this public park opened in 2009.  It's built on an old, elevated freight rail.  There are several access points.  Not to be missed. Newest addition connecting to MoynihanTrain Hall is now open.

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Madison Square Park (23rd St at Broadway and 5th Ave)

This park usually has an art installation.  Also a great place to linger with a Shake Shake burger since the ordinal is located here.

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*New York Botanical Gardens (located in The Bronx)

Just a 20 minute train ride; catch the MetroNorth, Harlem line from Grand Central.  Stunning gardens and blooming plants and flowers. 

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