New Yorkers love their parks, and so should you. When visiting New York City, taking a relaxing walk through one of the city’s parks is almost like a rite of passage. However, in order to get the authentic experience, you might want to skip tourist-packed locations like Central Park. Instead, get a bit adventurous and explore one of these lesser-known NYC parks below.
Inwood Hill Park
Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park looks like an oasis in the concrete jungle thanks to its expansive forests, greenery, and other vegetation. The majority of the park’s landscape is natural, with small traces of human interventions. The park is known for being one of the rare green spaces in NYC where e barbecue setups are allowed.
Gantry Plaza State Park
Gantry Plaza State Park is the premier place for relaxing walks in Long Island City. The park offers plenty of green spaces, meticulously landscaped gardens, and opportunities for outdoor activities. However, it’s perhaps the most impressive feature is the waterfront promenade that provides a stunning panorama of the midtown Manhattan skyline.
Monsignor McGolrick Park
Most tourists and visitors will head straight to McCarren Park when in Brooklyn. The locals, however, prefer Greenpoint’s quiet and less crowded Monsignor McGolrick Park. This is the place where you can be alone with your thoughts, soak up the natural beauties, or have a relaxing picnic.