Broadway, Battery Park City

Battery Park is often associated with stress far more than your average NYC green spot. Between the chaos of nearby Wall Street, the aching emptiness where the World Trade Center and Twin Towers once stood, and the hustle and bustle of commuters coming in from the Staten Island ferry, Battery Park at times can feel like a whirlwind rather than a park. But for New Yorkers and tourists alike, Battery Park can be a hidden pleasure. The bike path that lines the West Side Highway makes a circuitous route that ends up at Battery Park - making it an ideal "finishing line" for the exercise crowd. Likewise, the street artists and comfortable benches make this a perfect spot to sit and read - or just watch the world go by. (This is, however, a strictly summer-y pursuit; the wintertime turns Battery Park into one of the coldest, windiest spots in the city, given its proximity to not one but two bodies of water.)

A downside of Battery Park is the relative lack of indoor restaurants/cafes nearby or lining the park. While Fraunces Tavern is a great touristy venture, the nearest Starbucks is a fair few blocks away, and less chain-y outlets seem to be few and far between. The nearest amenities seem to be for a happy hour/post-work crowd, which can be daunting for the idle pleasure visitor. That said, while Battery Park doesn't have the neighborhood feel of - say - Central Park, it's nevertheless a highly worthwhile place to visit and spend an afternoon.