New York City is a bustling metropolis—a concrete jungle that never sleeps. Yet even in Manhattan, the city’s most vibrant and fast-moving borough, there are plenty of green spaces where you can slow down and take a break from the noise.
The borough of Manhattan—home to IE New York College—is a sprawling landscape of skyscrapers and iconic landmarks. But it’s also packed with green spaces, meaning you never have to go far to find somewhere to take a break from the hustle and bustle.
From the world-famous Central Park to lesser-known spaces like Septuagesimo Uno—which, at 0.04 acres, is famously one of New York’s smallest parks—Manhattan offers a remarkable variety of public spaces for its residents and visitors to enjoy.
This elevated park in western Manhattan is built on old rail lines, originally used for delivering meat and products to factories. It stretches for over two kilometers and features art installations, gardens and panoramic views of the city. And it’s only a 15-minute walk from IENYC.
Manhattan’s second-largest park lies along the Hudson River waterfront in the West Village area. An extremely popular spot with locals, Hudson River Park features walking paths, sports facilities and piers. It also offers a year-round program of cultural, sports and community events—and don’t miss the incredible sunsets!
This historic and vibrant park can be found in Greenwich Village, just a seven-minute walk from IE New York College. It’s the crossroads of the city: a hub of culture, diversity and community. The park features a famous arch that was built in honor of George Washington, as well as tree-lined paths and lawns. It often hosts protests, artistic performances and celebrations.
In Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Madison Square Park is an urban oasis in the middle of the city. It became a public space in 1847 and is named after the fourth US president, James Madison. The park is a popular spot for workers on their lunch breaks, offering quiet and green surroundings.
Though technically part of Manhattan, Roosevelt Island is a two-mile-long island in the middle of the East River. You can get there by subway, ferry or a famous overhead tramway that offers spectacular views. Once home to hospitals, asylums and prisons, it is now a green haven of parks and tree-lined promenades.
Hidden between the skyscrapers in Midtown East is Greenacre Park, a tiny green space of only 0.15 acres. Despite its location, the park is surprisingly peaceful, due to its 25-foot waterfall, which masks the city noise. There are tables, chairs and benches throughout the park, inviting visitors to rest and take in their surroundings.
This park in Upper Manhattan is home to The Met Cloisters and some of the best Hudson River views in the city. Heather Garden offers four seasons of beautiful flowers and plants, and there are also walking trails and woodlands. Inwood Hill Park—the last natural forest in Manhattan—is right next door.
This is an ongoing project that aims to inject new life into a large area alongside the East River, with thoughtfully designed waterfront paths that offer a slice of nature with greenery, benches, bike lanes and great views.
More proof that green spaces don’t need to be at ground level, this hidden rooftop lawn can be found above a parking garage in the Financial District and is accessed via an elevator or stairs. It has amphitheater-style seating, landscaped gardens and lawn, and great views of the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge.
No article about green spaces in Manhattan would be complete without giving a nod to the most famous of them all. Central Park spans around 843 acres—about 6% of Manhattan’s total land area. It offers visitors a variety of experiences, from well-known locations like the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, Bow Bridge and the John Lennon memorial, to these more off-the-beaten-track areas:
New York is a city full of ambition and endless opportunity, and its green spaces provide a balance in the fast-paced energy of life here. Whether you’re taking a study break or just looking for a place to disconnect for a while, nature is never far away.
Ready to immerse yourself in the green heart of the business world? Discover the programs IE New York College offers.
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Meag Gardner is an experienced writer, linguist, translator, and editor from Indianapolis, USA. She’s done anything from storytelling for luxury hotels in the Caribbean to song lyric translation, academic writing for universities, podcast production, app development, and she even ran an art gallery in Madrid, Spain.
Meag completed a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature at Indiana University, where she earned a minor in International Relations and a Certificate in Translation & Interpretation Studies. During this time, she completed a semester abroad at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. She later completed a year of postgraduate studies in Fine Arts at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and several certificates in programming and software development. She has combined her love of language and storytelling with art and technology for a broader and deeper understanding of modern communication.
Meag is now the Head of Brand Narrative at IE University and a contributor to The Blueprint at IENYC. She is also an Adjunct Professor at IE University in Segovia, where she teaches Research & Academic Writing.
