One of the challenges of life in the city — whether you’re apartment hunting or you already live here — is finding a place to escape. Whether you’re looking for an indoor refuge from the cold, or an outdoor garden that isn’t packed with tourists, even many insiders don’t realize that the city is filled with hidden public plazas, courtyards, and atriums — designated by the city government, and open to the public. You don’t always have to duck into the nearest coffee shop — and many of these spaces even have wifi! Here are a few of our favorite hidden gems:
1. 55 Water Street, Manhattan (Downtown Manhattan — nearest subway stops: R (Whitehall), 1 (South Ferry), 4/5 (Bowling Green))
Also known as the “Elevated Acre,” this hidden space requires you to take an escalator off the street. You end up in a manicured park looking out on the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River. A bench with an electrical outlet even lets you grab a quick cell phone charge while you take in the views. The park hosts summer movie screenings, and features an Astroturf lawn — not quite Central Park, but a secret oasis that doesn’t appear on the tourist maps. To get there, look for the escalators next to 55 Water Street, take them all the way up, and walk to the back of the building. According to one of the architects, “[it] has the magic of the beach, when you run up a dune and see the ocean.” The space connects to the Vietnam Veterans Plaza, containing a memorial.
Photo by jennystyles315 / CC BY
2. 825 Eighth Avenue, Manhattan (Clinton — nearest subway stops: 1 (50th Street), C/E (50th Street), N/Q/R (49th Street))
Known as One Worldwide Plaza, this public space — with plenty of seating, and a cafe — sits behind a towering office building and features trees (mostly Japanese varieties — the Japanese Maple, Japanese Locusts, Katsuras, and Honeylocusts), statues, and a picturesque fountain in the center. There are summertime concerts in the plaza, public restrooms, and direct connections to the subway stations just beneath. A place to rest within the bustle of Midtown Manhattan is hard to find — but except for the shadows of the towering office buildings surrounding you, here you can almost forget you’re in the city at all.
3. 153 East 53rd Street, Manhattan (East Midtown — nearest subway stops: E/M (53rd Street and 5th Avenue), 6 (51st Street))
In the basement of the Citigroup Center is a huge public space perfect for meetings, tutoring, writing groups, or just catching your breath if you need a place to duck indoors for a moment (there’s also a Barnes & Noble bookstore in the building). With ample seating, restrooms, wifi, an assortment of food vendors (including Melt Shop, a grilled cheese specialist), the space is perfect when the rain threatens to cut short your apartment hunt. (The building is also home to the fictional law firm on the USA television show “Suits.”)
4. MetroTech Center, Brooklyn (Downtown Brooklyn — nearest subway stops: A/C/F/R (Jay St./MetroTech), 2/3/4/5 (Borough Hall)).
Not all of the city’s public spaces are in Manhattan. MetroTech Center, in the commercial heart of Brooklyn, is the city’s largest public space, at 3.3 acres. The space has a campus-like feel, with Polytechnic University surrounding the plaza. Local artists were commissioned to create relevant works for the space, and the always-changing installations make the park an even more interesting place to visit. Lush plants and bench seats make it a place to relax.
Photo by GK tramrunner29 / CC BY
5. One Court Square, Queens (Long Island City — nearest subway stops: E/G/M/7 (Court Sq.)).
Long Island City has a hidden public space of its own — in fact, this is the only privately owned public space in the entire borough of Queens. A tower (also owned by Citigroup) overlooks the space, which is filled with trees and benches. The building is actually parodied in the Grand Theft Auto IV video game as the LC24 Tower, which is a fact you can share with friends, as you eat lunch in the park and look out onto the East River.
Photo by David Shankbone / CC BY
For more of New York’s hidden public spaces, check out the city’s directory of privately owned public spaces or Advocates for Privately Owned Public Space, which reviews most of the city’s best spaces.
