New York has over 1700 parks
Most tourists know Central Park and maybe Bryant Park. But New York has hundreds of small, hidden parks and gardens that are frequented almost exclusively by locals. Here are the most interesting ones.
1. The Cloisters – A Medieval Garden in Northern Manhattan
Address: 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, Fort Tryon Park
A branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art designed as a medieval monastery. The gardens are designed according to medieval patterns: medicinal herbs, symbolic flowers, fountains. View of the Hudson River. Admission: pay what you wish (for NY residents).
2. 6BC Botanical Garden – East Village
Address: 624 East 6th Street
A tiny community garden hidden between tenement buildings. Run by volunteers since the 1980s. Benches, flowers, trees – an oasis of calm in chaotic East Village. Open on weekends during the season.
3. Greenacre Park – Midtown
Address: 217 East 51st Street
A pocket park with an 8-foot waterfall. Yes – a real waterfall in the middle of Midtown. A dozen tables, trees, silence. Perfect for a lunch break. Open 8:00 AM–8:00 PM.
4. Tudor City Greens – UN Area
Address: Tudor City Place, near 42nd Street
Two small parks on a hill overlooking the UN building and East River. Almost no one comes here because they are hidden behind the Tudor City residential complex. Best at sunset.
5. Paley Park – Midtown
Address: 3 East 53rd Street
Another pocket park with a waterfall, right next to MoMA. 6 meters wide, but feels like another world. Tables, chairs, a wall of water muffling street noise.
6. Fort Tryon Park – Washington Heights
A huge park at the northern tip of Manhattan, home to The Cloisters. Few tourists, spectacular views of the Hudson and Palisades. In autumn, the colors of the leaves are the most beautiful in all of NYC.
7. Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Free on Tuesdays
Address: 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn
It’s not hidden, but few tourists know that admission is free on Tuesdays. Japanese garden, rose garden, greenhouse with tropical plants. In April – the cherry blossom festival (Sakura Matsuri).
How to Find More
Search for “community gardens” on the NYC Parks map. There are hundreds of community gardens run by residents – each one is different and all are free.
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