Best Outdoor & Fresh Air in NYC
Parks, gardens, waterfronts, rooftop bars, and beer gardens around NYC.
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More top-rated Outdoor & Fresh Air
Ranked by rating and how many reviews back it, after the three above.
- Rank 4
- Rank 5Upper West Side4.8 out of 5
Riverside Park South is a Manhattan park along the Hudson River, lying between West 59th and West 71st streets, between Riverside Park and Hudson River Park. It combines recreational space with native ecosystems and recalls the railroad history of New York City. Facilities include dog-friendly areas, playgrounds, soccer fields, public restrooms, and Wi-Fi hot spots.
- Refreshing
- Scenic
- Peaceful
- Rank 6Meatpacking District4.8 out of 5
Pier 57 is a restored historic pier on the Hudson River in the Meatpacking District, with a nearly two-acre rooftop park open to the public daily. Indoors, the pier holds a food market, the City Winery venue, and the Discovery Tank, an interactive gallery and classroom about local wildlife and waterways.
- Refreshing
- Scenic
- Peaceful
- Rank 7Nolita4.8 out of 5
Elizabeth Street Garden, Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 2016 in New York with the mission to protect & preserve the magic of Elizabeth Street Garden as a public community green space and to determine how the City of New York together with the community can protect the space for generations to enjoy.
- Refreshing
- Scenic
- Peaceful
- Rank 8Meatpacking District4.8 out of 5
Pier 51 is a riverside park built over the water, with views of the city skyline. Its sheltered children's playground includes a sand pit and a water sprinkler for children.
- Refreshing
- Scenic
- Peaceful
- Rank 9
Best Outdoor Spots and Fresh Air in NYC
Yes, you can breathe in Manhattan. Here's where.
Manhattan has more outdoor options than people give it credit for. Rooftop bars with skyline views, waterfront parks along the Hudson, beer gardens tucked between buildings, restaurant patios on quiet side streets, and green spaces that make you forget you're on an island. When the weather cooperates, outdoor NYC is unbeatable — and even when it doesn't, those heated patios come in clutch.
Good for rooftop sunset drinks, waterfront walks, park picnics, patio dining, fresh air breaks between plans, and spots where you can actually see the sky.
The best rooftop bars don't advertise on the street. Check the top floor of hotels in Midtown and the Meatpacking District. And for waterfront, skip the packed areas near Chelsea Market and head north — Riverside Park is the move.
Types of Outdoor & Fresh Air in NYC
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Where most Outdoor & Fresh Air places are
The neighborhoods with the most outdoor & fresh air places we list.
Photo: St. Nicholas ParkHarlem40 places listed
Photo: Thomas Jefferson ParkEast Harlem38 places listed
Photo: Imagine MosaicCentral Park37 places listed
Photo: Survivor TreeFinancial District34 places listed
Photo: East River Park Field 8East Village27 places listed
Photo: Rockefeller ParkBattery Park City26 places listed
Outdoor & Fresh Air by neighborhood
Browse all 45 Manhattan neighborhoods.
- Hell's Kitchen
- Alphabet City
- Battery Park City
- Carnegie Hill
- Central Park
- Chelsea
- Chinatown
- East Harlem
- East Village
- Financial District
- Flatiron
- Governors Island
- Gramercy
- Greenwich Village
- Hamilton Heights
- Harlem
- Hudson Yards
- Inwood
- Kips Bay
- Koreatown
- Lenox Hill
- Lincoln Square
- Little Italy
- Lower East Side
- Manhattan Valley
- Meatpacking District
- Midtown
- Morningside Heights
- Murray Hill
- NoHo
- Nolita
- NoMad
- Randalls Island
- Roosevelt Island
- SoHo
- Stuyvesant Town
- Sugar Hill
- Times Square
- Tribeca
- Two Bridges
- Upper East Side
- Upper West Side
- Washington Heights
- West Village
- Yorkville
Frequently asked questions
What visitors and locals ask about outdoor & fresh air in NYC.
What are the best outdoor spots in Manhattan?
Ranked by rating and number of reviews, the top outdoor spots on Moodap are Central Park in Central Park (4.8 stars), Sheep Meadow in Central Park (4.8 stars) and Conservatory Garden in Central Park (4.8 stars).
Which Manhattan neighborhood has the most outdoor spots?
Harlem has the most, with 40, followed by East Harlem (38) and Central Park (37).
How many outdoor spots are there on Moodap?
558 rated outdoor spots across 40 Manhattan neighborhoods, each with hours, photos and what reviewers say.
How does Moodap rank outdoor spots?
By star rating, weighted by how many reviews back it: a place with hundreds of strong reviews ranks above a perfect score from a handful. Places with few or no reviews come after well-reviewed ones. Not sure which fits your plans? Find Your Vibe™ picks one for your mood in about 25 seconds.
Find your outdoor & fresh air spot
Answer a few quick questions and Moodap narrows the city down to places that fit your mood.
Find Your Vibe™Also on Find Your Vibe™: Free things to do in NYC