Carl Schurz park is a fantastic park on the upper east side of NYC. It is right along the east…read moreriver and features a great walking/running trail along the river. There are also many playgrounds, pickleball courts, and benches to enjoy. The park is well maintained and is pretty active with people on a nice day you will see many people out here. You really can't go wrong spending the day here in NYC.

Love this park it is my backyard pretty much. Grew up coming here to play in the playground and…read moreenjoy picnics in the grassy areas. Love taking daily walks on the promenade and around the park. It is small but pretty. If you are in the neighborhood I highly say you should check it out.

John Jay Park is great. Saturday May 31st they had kids day. With three small children in tow we…read moreheaded to the park for some time outside. There were kids everywhere and lots of bouncing things for them to jump on. I'm not sure what they're called. Being with friends and with so many children around I didn't take photos. Frankly we had our hands full with the kids. The highlight of the day was the free popcorn that the kids patiently waited in line to receive. When it was our turn in line to get free popcorn the employees said they were done making popcorn for the day. Our littlest had such a tizzy the employees started making more popcorn for the rest of the children that had been waiting! Meltdown averted. I'll definitely keep an eye out for Kids Day at John Jay Park next year and get there early.

This park is one of a few parks in the upper east side that has handball courts. There are also…read moregood benches to sit on.

One of my favorite parks in NY. Even when I was living in a different borough, I would try to come…read morehere whenever I could. Nowadays, I try to come here about once a week -- whether it's to admire the Manhattan skyline or just jog along the waterfront. The park is always well maintained, and there's usually some cool activity or event happening, especially during the summer.

I don't know why it took me so long to visit this park when I live close by, but suffice it to say,…read moreit's beautiful. The views of the skyline are amazing, and it's clean and well maintained. It's a really picturesque and peaceful spot to clear your mind and/or touch some grass. It reminded me how lucky I am to have access to places like this. I'll definitely be back soon.

It's an ok park. The street in front of it is blocked off which is convenient. Lots of trees but…read moredoesn't seem to be kept well. The grass needs to be cut. Lots of pigeons. The playground equipment needs an upgrade.

The trees at Ruppert Park is so huge and just make me feel like a little person…read more Some days I'll come to the park for a cute picnic with my coworkers. Just to lay on the grass and eat lunch. Enjoy what nature have to offer on a cool day.

I've eaten 30 rotisserie chickens in the past 2 months, and I'm exhausted. You asked for my hustle,…read moreI gave you my heart. I'm mostly exhausted from working a full time job while doing this, which has become another full time job in itself. When I started the journey to find the best rotisserie chicken in the country, there was so much I didn't know: 1) I had no idea people would actually care and be as invested in this series as they are, which is kind of cool. 2) There are more grocery stores selling a hot & ready rotisserie chicken than I ever could have imagined. I have so much work left to do. I ate the $25.99 tissi from Ouri's here at St. Katherine's Park, and it was a nice place to just sit and eat some bird. A couple basketball courts, playgrounds, ample seating, and bathrooms that are in some desperate need of some TLC. It was a vibe. The bird was actually bomb, but charging $25.99 for a rotisserie chicken should be a war crime. I will never buy it again. I'm taking the night train to Boston tonight to try Market Basket, Star Market, Stop & Shop, and a few other grocery stores. I also need to get to Texas, the Midwest, and Southern California before I wrap this journey up. I'm tired, but my momma always told me you don't start something until you finish it. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

St. Catherine's Park is huge and really busy on a Saturday. Despite the many people, you can still…read morefind a secluded spot to sit alone. There's plenty of benches and tables with chairs for chess. There's even a bathroom, although no lock on the door in the ladies room, and only one toilet in there. It's better than nothing. There's a huge basketball court. There's benches near the basketball courts also and more equipment for the children to play on. It's various sections fenced off for what might appear to be different activities and different age groups. This is a nice park if you live nearby. I'm recommending you visit even if you're like me. I just wanted a bathroom break and maybe sit down for a few minutes.

If you want to know the truth, I hate reviewing public places, but Astoria Park actually isn't as…read moreboring as most public parks in New York. ​It's sitting right on the East River, and you've got these two massive bridges, the Hell Gate and the RFK, looming right over you like giant iron monsters. The Hell Gate, with its big red steel arch, actually looks damn impressive, especially when the light hits it right around sunset. This park just kind of sits there letting the water run by and wether walking by or just sitting down, its an impressive and calming place with the right person on a midsummer night. ​You walk along the concrete promenade by the railing and you see all kinds of people. Couples taking pictures, kids yelling, guys sitting on benches thinking about whatever. It's got these giant green lawns where people just lay around. I hear that there's this massive outdoor pool that gets completely jammed in the summer, but I've never been nor do i intend to. ​It's just grass, trees, a breeze off the water, and trains occasionally rumbling over the bridge high above your head. It kills me how peaceful it can get right under all that heavy machinery. If you have to be around people in Queens, this is probably one of the least depressing places to do it. It really is.

This park honestly felt like a bit of an oddball because it's truly a sprawling urban park that has…read morethe Hudson River, freestanding houses, massive bridges, shops, and multilevel apartment buildings all around its boundaries. I admit the parking lot, in the midst of the city noise and overflowing rubbish bins, made me a tad hesitant to get out of the car at first, but it gradually dawned on me how the character of the park changed as we walked further away from parking and into the trails lined with mature tall trees. I love nature and appreciate green spaces, so parks like this usually hold a special place. I hope they continue to maintain the park and I hope many more people will cherish its presence.

East River Greenway is located around Manhattan so you can walk along the water for miles. It's…read moregreat to be out of the traffic and the start and stop of street lights. I always lived by the ocean so my favorite views and activities are around the Piers. I love to see the boats in the water and the ones docked. The views of the bridges and the other boroughs keeps me interested. I'm always spotting something new on the landscape. I'm recommending wherever you are in Manhattan you head for a river and enjoy the fresh air and views. I feel privileged to live in Manhattan where I have the opportunity to be near bodies of water. After all, I'm Aquarius.

Terrific place to run along the water on the East Side…read more Love running down here from uptown during my training runs. Especially at night when the skyline and bridges are all lit up. At times I have run down here on a weekend afternoon, across the Manhattan Bridge then back across the Williamsburg Bridge. So much to see down here along the way. People running, fishing, playing basketball, jet skiing, etc. You can pretty much run or walk it down to the Staten Island Ferry. It's a great running route and worth checking out if looking for a different view for your exercise routine.

Central Park has this playground that may have been inspired by the ancient pyramids…read more Kids climb on it. That's interesting for about 15 min. The newer playgrounds are more interesting. Easy to maintain. No moving parts to break.

Nice climbing playground next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Parking is tough but doable.read more

Central Park is one of the best and largest urban parks in the country. It occupies 6% of total…read moreland area of Manhattan. Similarly, this park is very popular tourist destination and movie set production. I mean how could you not go here? It's skyscraper buildings as your backdrop, c'mon now. I have spend my younger years here at this park during college and grad school. I am glad I could be here again after MIA. Overall, I love Central park.

This is my top 3 parks in the world, and been here countless times…read more Lake for boating, restaurant, beer garden, ice skating rink in the winter, plays in the summer ... too many to name.

Rainey Park is a waterfront NYC public park on the East River with views of Roosevelt Island and…read morethe Manhattan skyline, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas, and a greenway for biking and walking. This oark is located at Astoria, Queens. It was my first time at this park despite growing up in Queens. Anyway, I made a quick stop to enjoy the view and the tree shade because it was utterly muggy n hot--typical NYC heatwave. Visitors can definitely enjoy this park for BBQ, stroll, hangout, or going on a date. Overall, I like this park because it has one ridiculous view.

So yes, this is definitely a smaller park but it is a park all the same. It's certainly more of a…read moregreen space and less of a playground though it has a bit of both. There's a slide and climbing play area for kids, a swing set and a basketball court on the other side. There's a lovely esplanade with some benches and the park even has some lovely cherry blossom trees which are currently in bloom! This is a great place to go for a walk (and lots of pet owners come here as well), go for a bike ride or even a run! There are different lanes for biking and running/walking which are convenient. I love that it's by the water. I've seen folks come and BBQ here on the weekends and set up recreational sports on the grass! It's a great place to hang out and feels like a mostly low key space (though weekends can definitely be more crowded). I love coming through here for a run and it's nice for walks as well. Would definitely recommend!