City parks serving up perfect picnic spots

Sutton Place Park one of Manhattan’s best kept secrets. Named for shipping merchant Effingham B. Sutton, the park sits under the Queensboro Bridge between East 56th and East 57th streets, not far from the United Nations headquarters. Grab a to-go coffee and take a leisurely seat on a bench.” data-id=”113696528″ data-link=”https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/12862_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13696528″/>
Photo Credit: Bryan Smith

Septuagesimo Uno (which means “71” in Latin) is one of the city’s smallest parks. The Upper West Side “pocket park” – on 71st Street between West End and Amsterdam avenues – is nestled between two townhouses and provides ample opportunity to get lost in a book (or even just a few thoughts).” data-id=”113696546″ data-link=”https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/12865_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13696546″/>
Photo Credit: Yana Paskova

Old Stone House and lay claim to a bench in the park that surrounds the historic building. The structure, in Washington Park at 336 Third St., is a reconstruction of the Vechte-Cortelyou House, which served an important role in the Revolutionary War, but was destroyed in 1897. The house itself is open for visits on select hours during the week.” data-id=”113696773″ data-link=”https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/12867_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13696773″/>
Photo Credit: Polly Higgins

Forest Park is the third largest in Queens and has something for everyone. For picnicking, there is wide-open space after wide-open space, and after you’re sated there are copious options for recreation (see: golfing, soccer fields, hiking trails, and more). Known for its hilly terrain, Forest Park, at Park Lane South between Brooklyn-Queens County Line and Park Lane, transports parkgoers to a more rural setting. ” data-id=”113696940″ data-link=”https://www.amny.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/19960_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.13696940″/>
Photo Credit: Meghan Giannotta

Sure, a picnic can include a large checkered blanket and a woven basket full of food. But sometimes, a picnic is also a bag full of snacks from the nearest bodega eaten on a park bench.

In a city that takes great initiative to preserve and expand green space – hey, we all need to escape the concrete jungle from time to time – there are countless places to unwind. The obvious picnic spots, like Central Park and Prospect Park, are already accounted for. Instead, we’ve compiled a short list of New York’s off-the-beaten-path parks to explore – from one of the city’s tiniest to some of its most unexpected.