New York City Proper

New York City

Parks in New York City Proper

There are 22 National Park sites in the state of New York, and half of them are within New York City limits. I have been to 9 of them, and I’m hoping to finish them up within the next year or so. I have visited the parks that are listed in red, but I only linked the parks I’ve reviewed.

Where are the parks located?

Most of the parks are fairly close together and not hard to travel between. I could not get Maps to show the names of every single park, but the outliers are the General Grant N MEM, Hamilton Grange N MEM, Saint Paul’s Church, and Gateway NRA. The Grant Memorial is not hard to get to but is a bit of a train ride if you are staying in Manhattan.

The best parks in New York City

Views of Manhattan from Governors Island, November 2021

I have a feeling I will love some of the parks I still have left to do, but for now, I’ll give my top 3 parks in NYC.

No. 3 Federal Hall

Federal Hall is not that big and doesn’t take much time to see, but I really enjoyed it. I participated in a ranger program and learned a lot. I also got some good pictures of the famous steps and pillars. Lastly, I really like the area of Manhattan that Federal Hall is in. There is a lot to see and do and it’s less crowded than up near Central Park.

No. 2 Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

Of course the Statue of Liberty made the list. At first it felt cliche to even put it on my itinerary, but after arriving on Liberty Island, I was enthralled. Make sure to get a ticket to go inside the statue, because there is a whole museum in there about how it was built, which was all new information to me. Not only is the statue amazing, but there is so much to see and learn about on Ellis Island. I spent hours in that museum. I recommend visiting both places and plan on it taking most of the day.

No. 1 Governors Island

This was hard because obviously the Statue of Liberty is iconic, and so many people can only dream of visiting it. I had an AMAZING visit to both the statue and Ellis Island. However, I can’t get over my trip to Governors Island. I went in November and the leaves were still on the trees and really colorful. I took a guided tour around the historic part of the island, got some beautiful pictures of the city, and then enjoyed really great food and beer from the food trucks. It was one of the best days I’ve ever spent in NYC and I think about it often.

Other popular tourist attractions in NYC

Top of the Empire State Building at night

One thing I love about New York City is how much there is to do. You could live there and never run out of things to see or experience. I have been multiple times and still have a mile-long list of things I need to check off.

One of the reasons I love the NPS is because it allows you to experience parts of the United States that many other people don’t know about. Millions of people go to NYC, but how many visit General Grants grave? It’s a way to experience the city without the crowds. However, if you are planning a trip to NYC and are looking for other things to get into besides the National Parks, check out these options:

  • Central Park
  • Empire State Building
  • Times Square
  • 9/11 Memorial & Museum
  • Battery Park
  • Theatre District
  • Brooklyn Bridge
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET)
  • Carnegie Hall
  • Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
  • American Museum of Natural History
  • Guggenheim Museum
  • The High Line
  • Rockefeller Center
  • Top of the Rock
  • St. Patrick’s Cathedral

How to spend two days in NYC

Central Park in mid-November

At some point I would love to make some detailed multi-day itineraries for NYC, but for now I will give one for how I personally would spend 3 nights and 2 full days in NYC.

Day 1

  • Walk to get some iced coffee and a smoked salmon bagel
  • Spend a few hours in Central Park. Visit The Lake and Belvedere Castle, take a ride on the carousel.
  • Grab lunch and head down to Time’s Square to walk around. Make sure to check out Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall. If you have time, go to Top of the Rock for amazing views!
  • Grab dinner before seeing a Broadway show

Day 2

  • Walk to get some iced coffee and a smoked salmon bagel (of course)
  • Head down to Battery Park and catch the ferry to Governors Island to spend the day. Have lunch from their food trucks.
  • After getting off the ferry, head to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
  • Grab dinner
  • Climb to the top of the Empire State Building at night

Last updated: May 28, 2023

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