5 city parks to revel in

A disused rail line from the 1930s has been transformed into a 1,5-mile-long landscaped wonderland, perched 30 ft above the street. An exciting new breed of modern building has taken over the area too – the HL 23, the crooked building on 23rd and the IAC Building, the frosted, amorphic giant between 18th and 19th Streets. Start your walk at the Whitney Museum. 

Olmsted and Vaux not only famously designed Central Park but also had a hand in the layout of this flagship Brooklyn park. It’s the neighborhood’s central hangout, much less manicured than its Manhattan cousin, with room for barbecues and impromptu soccer games. Walk or run on the looped trail and bridle path of roughly 4 continuous miles. 

At the northwestern tip of Manhattan is 196 acres overlooking the Bronx, where you can also see two bridges spanning the East River, and a serene section of the Hudson. The natural forest, valleys and ridges hold remnants of the ancient and even prehistoric New York when the Lenape Native American tribes used the caves as dwellings. 

Battery Park is a beautifully landscaped 25-acre park that sits all the way downtown, right on the Hudson. It’s where you’ll get a view of the Statue of Liberty, pass a few museums and memorials. Choose to end your walk and watch the sun go down on Pier A, which was once a government building, now a fabulous blocks-long restaurant. 

Founded in 1838 as one of the first rural cemeteries in America. Their 478 acres are donned with beautiful statuary and mausoleums, and a stunning entry gate. Check the calendar for events, like the annual tour of the catacombs. Famous folks buried here: artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Morgan – the wiz of The Wizard of Oz.