Take a short ferry from south street seaport or Red Hook, Brooklyn. It's like Central Park all the way downtown and surrounded by water. Great for hiking, and there are often live outdoor concerts there too. Could be romantic... or [more...]

Washington Square Park is the place where the locals congregate most days in the summer to play speed chess. It's intense, but they are willing to play strangers (for money) and of course there are hustlers to lift the cash off [more...]

Regularly voted as offering one of the best burgers in NYC, the re-opening each summer of this New York institution in Madison Square Park is eagerly awaited by its fans. If you are a die hard aficionado, you'll be willing to wait in [more...]

Get up close and personal at this zoo/animal extravaganza. Unlimited rides, all kinds of shows and attractions. Especially exciting is the alligator dare [more...]

Belmont is a park with everything you can't get in once place on the island. Come here for all of the following: boating, fishing, picnicking, biking, horse [more...]

This peaceful state park provides an oasis of beauty and quiet for the pleasure, rest and refreshment of those who delight in outdoor beauty.

This 260-acre nature preserve is beautiful, has history and a working organic farm. It was the site of 19th century clay mining. Now it is a unique habitat to [more...]

These 12 acres at the tip of the peninsula in the Rockaways t juts out into the Mott Basin on the eastern shore of Jamaica Bay. Includes beach, wetland and woodlands. Gorgeous place for strolling, picnics, frisbee.

This lesser known gem is comprised of 28 historic buildings and 86 acres of parkland. There is also a center for the visual and performing arts, so go see something [more...]

The Unisphere is a giant globe in Flushing Meadows Park and is considered the symbol of Queens. It's a great spot to hang out, go walking, biking, skating, running, barbecuing, and play soccer. Next door is the Queens Museum of Art, [more...]

The most technologically savvy tour in the city. Tour the High Line with the help of narration by famous New Yorkers like Glenn Close and Ed Norton by downloading [more...]

The perfect place to enjoy those clear, sunny days when the weather starts to warm again.

It is near the corner of Greenwich and Chambers Streets. There is a cute little playground for kids, complete with a sprinkler (so if you [more...]

The East River Waterfront promenade is my favorite summertime stroll. It is slowly being revitalized and has new public open spaces at Coenties Slip, Old Slip, and Wall Street. Especially nice is Wall Street Park, a plaza with a view of [more...]

Prospect Park has tons of things that you can do including riding on an antique carousel. But the most romantic thing to do on a Sunday afternoon after a picnic [more...]

New Dock Street in Dumbo. Buy your picnic from Grimaldi's on Old Fulton & Water, and Jaques Torres Chocolate at Water & Main. Eat to your heart's content, enjoy the beautiful setting, and then stroll hand in hand back over the [more...]

Most of us know about The Cloisters, but have never been. It really is worth the trip all the way uptown and can be a very romantic getaway without leaving the island.

Go to look at the Met's collection of art and architecture [more...]

Okay, so you know you should go to the Park when the weather is nice, but how often do you actually do it? We dedicated a day trying to do as much as we could. It ended up being a lot: Visit the Central Park Zoo in the park near 5th [more...]

Early on a weekday morning, go get a coffee and a danish, take the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green, and follow Battery Place to the lovely and quiet Robert F. Wagner jr. Park. From here you have a wonderful view across the water as the ferries [more...]