Bryant Park
City Park · New York, New York
Nine and a half acres behind the New York Public Library, built over the library's book stacks, and the most-used urban park per square foot in the world by several counts. ⚠ IT WAS A NO-GO AREA IN THE 1970s AND 1980s, known as Needle Park, and its redesign — sightlines opened, hedges cut back, movable chairs put out — is the single most cited case study in modern urban design.
West 42nd Street at Sixth Avenue, New York, New York, 10018, United States
Open daily and FREE, with seasonal hours generally from 7 a.m. to around 10 p.m. or later. ⚠ THE WINTER VILLAGE ICE RINK IS FREE TO SKATE ON — the only free-admission rink in New York City — roughly late October to early March; SKATE HIRE IS CHARGED, so bringing your own makes it free. The holiday market runs November and December. Free wifi, free games, free restrooms and free programming year round. ⚠ DOGS ARE NOT PERMITTED. ⚠ The lawn closes for maintenance periods each year.