Bryant Park

Known as Bryant Park since 1842, this park hasn't always held quite the stand-up reputation it has today. The once notoriously nicknamed "Needle Park" was known in the 1970's for hosting prostitutes, homeless, and numerous drug dealers with a brisk heroin trade. It was then considered a "no-go zone" by New Yorker's and visitors alike. But after a massive clean-up effort initiated by the park advocacy group known as Park Council from 1979-1983 the park was rejuvenated and brought back to life with all the amenities, including an addition of a book market, flower markets, cafe's, landscape improvements, and exciting entertainment activities. Today, this 9.6 acre Manhattan park is essentially crime-free and has an incredible daily attendance often exceeding 800 people per acre, making it the most densely occupied urban park in the world. Bryant Park is one of my favorite place to go in the city, especially around the holiday's. It hosts "The Holiday Shops", a perfect place to do some unique gift shopping, where you can buy hand made jewelry, homemade chocolates, and look at a multitude of artworks by local artists. There's also a huge free-admission ice rink in the center of the park, dubbed as "NYC's best" by the New York Time's. It's a great place for the whole family to enjoy and the perfect place to grab a steaming artisanal cup of hot chocolate from the 'Wichcraft cafe and a bag of kettle corn from the local vendor. But, not only is Bryant Park a great place to visit in the cold of winter, but they host a variety of events all year round. Probably best known for having been the host of NYC's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, the park also hosts a Summer Concert Series, Broadway in Bryant Park, and a fabulous "Pinstripes in the Park" event in which they provide a live broadcast of a Yankee's game in which former Yankee's players greet the crowd and take the time to sign autographs. So, as you can see, this park has something for everyone and would be on the top of my list of places to visit in this city that doesn't sleep!