Why you should go: - Hammock-style seats to chill & read…read more - Panoramic East River views - Peaceful, rarely crowded - Great light for portraits or cityscape shots Perfect for: - A quiet break from downtown chaos - Skating, biking, or just watching boats - Golden hour shoots How to get there: Walk east from Chinatown or take the F train to East Broadway. It's tucked right next to the FDR Drive. Shot on Fujifilm XT4 - natural light hits different here Pro tip: Come during sunset and bring headphones + snacks

I love Pier 35! The views of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge are unmatched. The layout makes it…read moreconvenient to catch to hang out while sipping on a drink and having a snack. There's construction happening around the pier, so access to the ramp can be confusing, just follow the detour signs. You will love the swings (can fit two people). It was so relaxing to sit and admire the picturesque NYC views. I can only imagine how lovely a sunset would look!

I absolutely love stopping by Pier57 whenever im in Chelsea. It's great for a quick bite or drink…read moreat one of the several restaurants and cafes. Or just as a place to relax and take in the awesome view of downtown from the rooftop. If you haven seen it yet I recommend adding it to your list, one of the best free spots to catch the sunset. And if the weather is not cooperating there are still plenty of areas inside to sit, relax or get some work done.

Met up with a few friends for lunch. Within Pier 57 on the first floor is the food hall-Market 57…read morewith numerous eateries and public living room. Check out menus and prices at Market 57. Found some of the dining establishments to be expensive while others are within budget. The living room and gathering place houses comfortable chairs and community area with an interactive discovery tank. Take the elevator to the rooftop Level- It's a 2 acre outdoor rooftop park. Saw people sun tanning, amphitheater, and great views of the Hudson River. Pier 57 is right by Little Island.

Just blocks from Times Square and the Theater district in Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park is…read moredirectly next to the main branch of the New York Public Library. It's a park that my wife and I have passed by during the day on visits to New York City. But we finally saw it come alive as a community gathering place at night, with its many tables to talk or eat, permanent and temporary food trucks and carts, and a large greenspace lawn that was cordoned off this night, but can be the location for free summer movies on the lawn and an ice skating rink in the winter. On a warm summer night, the night atmosphere was magical, especially walking through the walkways with the London plane trees, after a great Broadway show. The current park is 9.6 acres and is located on two city blocks (5th and 6th avenue on the NW/SE, 40th and 42nd street on the NE/SW). The western half of the park contains a lawn, walkways, and a french-inspired carousel. Down below are the repository/stacks of the public library, located on the eastern half of the park. It opened in 1847 as Reservoir Square, later renamed for abolitionist William Cullen Bryant in 1884. It fell into disrepair in the 1960s. In 1980, the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation was formed as a non-profit, to try to create a long term solution for the maintainability of the park. Massive renovation was planned and implemented, with a complete rebuilding of the park (after the library stacks had been first built underneath). It reopened in 1992, to great acclaim. Since then, the value of the real estate around the park has greatly increased, attracting new development. The reclamation of the park has been often used a model for a successful urban renewal.

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you notice about Bryant Park is how everybody…read moreis trying so damn hard to act like they're having the time of their life. I walk by there on my way to Grand Central Terminal to get Metro North to my goddamn job at the law firm whichbis 45 minutes away, its so far,I think im gonna quit. It's right behind the New York Public Library on 42nd Street, trapped right in the middle of all these massive, skyscrapers looming over the trees like giant glass monsters. ​During the warmer months, they've got this giant green lawn laid out, and people sit around in these little green metal folding chairs looking like they're in some kind of advertisement for happy urban living. You see all these tourists and families sprawling out on the grass, taking pictures of each other with their fancy phones and fancy shopping bags and laughing at what seems to me like absolutely nothing. They sit there eating overpriced sandwiches and pretending they aren't surrounded by millions of tons of steel and exhaust fumes. It depresses hell out of me, it really does. Every single one of them acts like they just discovered nature because someone put a patch of sod between 5th and 6th Avenue. ​Then in the winter, the whole place transforms into this "Winter Village" deal. They put up a big ice skating rink right in the middle and surround it with all these tiny wooden kiosks selling fifty dollar scarves and gourmet hot chocolate whichbis pricd probably at about ten bucks. The tourists go completely crazy for it. You watch these parents pushing their little kids out onto the ice in those goofy plastic skate aids. Half the grownups are wobbling around like they're about to break a leg, but they keep smiling for the cameras because they want everyone back home in Ohio Belgium or wherever they are from to think they're having a marvelous time in New York. ​I mean, the kids are alright, it's actually kind of nice seeing a little kid who hasn't been ruined by everything corporate yet having fun on the ice, but the whole commercial spectacle of it kills me. Everybody's acting, and everybody knows everybody else is acting, but they just keep on doing it anyway. ​It's not the worst place in the city, I guess. If you need to sit down for ten minutes and watch a bunch of outta towners pretend to be relaxed, you could do worse. Just don't buy the hot chocolate unless you want to spend your last ten bucks on hot water and cocoa powder.

Domino Park is a 6-acre waterfront park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, built on the former Domino Sugar…read moreRefinery site, blending industrial history with modern recreation. This park features an elevated walkway with Manhattan skyline views, a sugar factory-themed playground, sand volleyball and bocce courts, water features, and a taco stand. Moreover, this park has a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline and Wiliamsburg bridge. Parking is very challenging so it's best to take a public transit. As a first time visitor, I really like this park and its modern design. This park was not built when I was exiled to LA over a decade ago! Overall, I am glad I enjoyed this park and its stunning view. I highly recommend you visit.

This Domino Park is beautifully renovated into a modern park. Not really a children's park in my…read moreopinion. Looked more like a museum or some nice walkway to enjoy sightseeing of the Williamsburg bridge and the lower east side views of Manhattan, which is not that spectacular in my opinion because there are too many government buildings in that section so it's all brown over on the Manhattan side. Oh wells. Other than that, I'm shocked to see nice bathrooms a block away from the park for Domino Park guests! The bathrooms were really nice and modern! Each bathroom had dimmed lighting with a baby diaper changing station. One of the bathrooms was dirty with pee on the floor so I had to go to another one. Did not expect these nice bathrooms to get dirty like that! There were more bathrooms downstairs besides the ones on the first floor. The door to the bathrooms was very nice too! What a great job they did to this park. I cannot believe the Domino sugar factory still exists or is standing because I used to take the train and they be doing construction for many years for I don't know what reason. Looked like they turn downstairs into this nice modern park. So I went to the park to go to a Target pop up and got some nice freebies. There was enough space for pop ups and large crowds. Need to check out the rest of the park next time I'm here. Too bad there is no subway or trains going to this park and you need to resort to buses that take forever to arrive.

High Line Park - The High Line is a unique urban park that offers a completely different view of…read moreNew York. Walking along the former elevated railway above the streets is , green, and provides many interesting perspectives. I especially like the combination of nature, architecture, and art. It is the perfect place to slow down and relax in the middle of busy Manhattan. We also discovered some fascinating sculptures here. The route is several kilometers long.

Originally created for an elevated train, which last ran in 1980, the High Line was converted into…read morea beautiful public green space that opened in 2009. It's 1.45 miles long, and is filled with luscious trees, plants, flowers, art and incredible views of unique architecture. Open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., you can enjoy a leisurely walk, sit down and catch up with friends and have lunch, take a breath and enjoy the beauty of nature or check the calendar of events ahead of time and see what activities will spark your spark. This is a fantastic line of gardens that feeds your soul in the middle of NYC's concrete jungle. A great way to connect yourself to the city in a whole new way.

Rising above the Hudson River on its distinctive tulip-shaped pillars, Little Island is one of the…read moremost unique public parks in New York City. The park combines beautiful gardens, winding pathways, open lawns, viewpoints, and performance spaces, all packed into a relatively small area. The design feels creative and peaceful, and the elevated walkways provide great views of the Hudson River, New Jersey skyline, and surrounding waterfront. There are quiet spots to sit and relax, landscaped gardens that change with the seasons, and a variety of free performances and events throughout the year.

A cool little island near Chelsea Market and Highline…read more Took about 30-45 minutes to walk around and at one viewpoint you can see both MY and NJ.

The High Line Park...what can I say? I mean, I've loved you for years…read more I think I was in my 20s when I first laid eyes on you, and after doing this walk so many times, I can confidently say my favorite direction is starting at Gansevoort Street and walking toward 34th Street. Unless you want to stop at the shops and restaurants at the end, then I would do the opposite. For me, this direction is perfect because I can end near Penn Station and hop back on the LIRR home. But regardless of which direction you walk, it's perfection. I made a few pit stops along the way this time. I hopped off to explore Little Island, realized the Whitney Museum was right there, and decided to explore that too. Then I went back to the High Line and continued my walk, ending at The Vessel; another one of my favorites. I love the greenery, the flowers, the art,the Hudson River views, and the fact that there is always something to see along the way. Grab an ice cream as a little treat on a sunny day, and you have the perfect NYC outing. The High Line will definitely always be one of my favorite things to do in the city.

The High Line is one of those places where you almost forget you're in NYC…read more Last night, after dinner with about 20 coworkers, we wandered up a staircase and found ourselves on this beautiful elevated walkway winding through the city. Gardens, benches, public art, apartment windows close enough that you're practically making eye contact with the people inside... and somehow, despite being in Manhattan, it all feels surprisingly peaceful. At night, it's especially beautiful. Couples cozy up on patches of lawn and stare out at the city lights. Others are taking photos, selfies, or just people-watching. I found myself doing a little of everything while wandering farther and farther south. Before you know it, you've walked 20 blocks and suddenly realize... well... I guess I have to turn around now. Along the way, you might notice remnants of old railroad tracks running through the gardens and think, "What the heck are those doing up here?" That's when the curiosity really starts. The High Line wasn't originally built as a park. It was an elevated freight railroad completed in the 1930s as part of the West Side Improvement Project. Before that, freight trains ran at street level along Tenth Avenue, so dangerously that the road became known as "Death Avenue." Yeah, who knew?? Cowboys on horseback (apparently nicknamed the West Side Cowboys) would ride ahead of trains waving flags to warn pedestrians. The tracks were elevated, which spared pedestrians, while also transforming the neighborhood. Decades later, after the railroad was abandoned, New Yorkers saved it from demolition and turned it into one of the city's most unique public parks. It's free, beautifully landscaped, and one of those attractions that's just as much about wandering as it is about reaching a destination. Don't rush it. Stop, look around, enjoy the history beneath your feet... and for a little while, forget you're in New York.

I really like this park. It's a quiet corner of the city. If you're looking for a great, relaxing…read morespot in The Village, I'd highly recommend it. You could sit and meditate or have a picnic here. I can't wait to come back here, again.

this was such a cute garden. i didn't know it was there. very peaceful. its small but you can take…read morelovely photos here. clean and has plenty of seating. i would come back.