Take a walk on the wildest side.<\/p>\n
Every New Yorker knows Central Park. From The Pond all the way up to the North Woods, there are so many reasons our beloved, 843-acre green lung grabs all the attention<\/a> \u2014 and the crowds, selfie sticks and picnic blankets, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n But that globally-renowned respite from the greatest city in the world makes up just a fraction of the more than 30,000 acres of open space under the care of the Parks Department, within the five boroughs. <\/p>\n And that number that significantly when you factor in state and federal lands \u2014\u00a0adding up to more than 20 percent of the Big Apple\u2019s available land, by some measurements.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason why New Yorkers and the world all adore Central Park (pictured) \u2014\u00a0but those 843 famous acres make up just a fraction of the open lands the Big Apple has to offer. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Nearly every New Yorker lives within a ten-minute walk of their nearest park, according to the Trust for Public Land \u2014 from secret gardens to protected forests, secluded waterfronts, expansive wetlands and wildlife refuges where honking taxis give way to birdsong.<\/a><\/p>\n This weekend, before summer takes a hike, carve out some time to explore one or more of Gotham\u2019s best under-the-radar oases.<\/p>\n All are short on crowds and long on breathing room \u2014\u00a0without the pricey trip out of town.<\/a><\/p>\n The Post picked some of the finest spots worth your attention \u2014\u00a0from the Hudson Valley-adjacent woodlands of the northern Bronx, all the way out to the open ocean in Queens.<\/p>\n Manhattan<\/p>\n To escape Midtown without going anywhere, stroll over to the Ford Foundation Public Atrium Garden \u2014 a lush indoor jungle hiding in Turtle Bay at 320 E. 43rd St., between 1st and 2nd Aves.<\/p>\n The 160-foot glass atrium, designed by architects Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo with landscape architect Dan Kiley, is packed with nearly 40 species of subtropical trees, vines, ferns and shrubs.<\/p>\n A reflecting pool and gently burbling fountain anchor the garden, while a sensory garden features fragrant and textured plants originally designed with visually impaired visitors in mind.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to leave Midtown to escape it \u2014\u00a0just duck into the soaring atrium of the Ford Foundation Building on E. 43rd St. in Turtle Bay, home to dozens of species of subtropical trees and plants. Getty Images<\/p>\n Best of all? It\u2019s free, generally open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. \u2014 though hours can vary, so check ahead before going.<\/p>\n In densely-packed downtown, the West Village has no shortage of exclusive comforts \u2014\u00a0but one of its most delightful respites is completely open and free to the public.<\/p>\n Tucked behind the historic Church of St. Luke in the Fields at 487 Hudson St., the roughly two-thirds-acre oasis dating back to 1842 is backed by towering brick walls \u2014 which not only do an impressive job of muffling the city beyond, but also create a warm microclimate for plants, birds and butterflies, according to garden stewards.<\/p>\n The gardens adjacent to St. Luke in the Fields in the West Village are designed as a community-friendly space for contemplation \u2014\u00a0no chatting on your phone allowed. stlukeinthefields.org<\/p>\n Inside, explore several tranquil spaces, from the cherry-tree-lined all\u00e9e to a rare-for-downtown stand of historic maples.<\/p>\n Entry is free and the space is open daily during daylight hours \u2014\u00a0just don\u2019t expect to turn it into your all-day hangout spot, because cellphone conversations, smoking, alcohol, pets and feeding any wild animals are verboten.<\/p>\n Uptown, Carl Schurz Park is a favorite of the Upper East Side\u2019s savvier locals looking for a tourist-free alternative to a certain other park across Fifth Avenue.<\/p>\n The 14.9-acre space stretches out along the East River and offers beautiful gardens, a waterfront promenade, playgrounds, sports courts, dog runs and plenty of spots for simply sitting and watching the boats drift by.\u00a0<\/p>\n Upper East Side resident Greg Gerla, 36, is firmly in the Carl Schurz camp. He says it has one major advantage over its famous neighbor: the breeze.<\/p>\n \u201cif you are going on a run, it\u2019s so much cooler with the breeze versus going in Central Park,\u201d he told The Post.<\/p>\n Carl Schurz Park is one of Manhattan\u2019s loveliest outdoor offerings \u2014 but mostly only experienced by those who live in the adjacent Upper East Side neighborhood.<\/p>\n Gerla said that between the dog run, pickleball courts, benches and boat-watching spots, the park has become a neighborhood gathering place<\/a> \u2014 just steps from Gracie Mansion.<\/p>\n \u201cYou feel like the whole community is there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Brooklyn<\/p>\n Once upon a time, the borough of churches got its water from Ridgewood Reservoir, Today, nature has essentially taken the keys back.<\/p>\n Built in 1858 and decommissioned by 1989, the former storage spot\u2019s stone-walled basins have since transformed into forests, fields and wetlands \u2014 a roughly 50-acre oasis within Highland Park.<\/p>\n Ridgewood Reservoir\u2019s three basins evolved into forests, wetlands, meadows and a freshwater pond rather than being redeveloped into conventional parkland. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n A paved loop lets visitors walk, run or bike around the historic basins, with elevated paths offering views of the Rockaways and Atlantic Ocean. <\/p>\n Bird-watchers can spot waterfowl, while turtles, snakes and migrating birds also call the area home.<\/p>\n Down in South Brooklyn, Bay Ridge has its own botanical surprise \u2014 and it comes with waterfront views.<\/p>\n At the Ridgewood Reservoir, you\u2019re essentially walking around a 19th-century engineering project that has been transformed into a functioning ecosystem. Tamara Beckwith\/NY Post<\/p>\n Narrows Botanical Gardens is a 4.5-acre volunteer-run oasis just a hairsbreadth away from a busy highway \u2014 one transformed from a neglected strip of parkland into a thriving ecological habitat, beginning in 1995.<\/p>\n Today, visitors can wander through a Native Plant Sanctuary, Japanese Zen rock garden, rose gardens, lily pond and moon garden filled with white and silver flowers.<\/p>\n What makes Narrows Botanical Gardens special is that it\u2019s not a giant, formal botanical garden \u2014 it\u2019s a grassroots oasis that Bay Ridge residents essentially built from scratch. Clayton Rawson<\/p>\n The grounds are also home to wildlife, including turtles, bees, chickens and migrating birds.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the view of the Verrazzano Bridge, too.<\/p>\n Queens<\/p>\n For anyone who thinks a park needs more than trees to hold their attention, Fort Totten has entered the chat.<\/p>\n The 60-acre Bayside park packs greenery, waterfront views and a castle-like Civil War-era fortress that looks like it wandered in from another century \u2014 because it did.<\/p>\n Plans for Fort Totten were drafted in 1857, with construction beginning in 1862 to defend New York Harbor. But changing military technology left the granite fortress unfinished.<\/p>\n Fort Totten Park is unique because it\u2019s part waterfront escape, part Civil War relic and part living museum \u2014 a pretty unusual combination for a Gotham park. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Today, visitors can explore historic batteries, join ranger-led tours, bike or stroll the waterfront, kayak on the Long Island Sound and hit the athletic fields \u2014 or cool off in the outdoor pool.<\/p>\n And if Fort Totten\u2019s mix of history and scenery is a little too tame, Queens has an even wilder escape.<\/p>\n Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a sprawling 9,155-acre protected wetland and bird sanctuary straddling Brooklyn and Queens, practically next door to JFK Airport.<\/p>\n Managed by the National Park Service as part of Gateway National Recreation Area, the refuge encompasses salt marshes, mudflats, open bay waters, islands, grassy fields, sand dunes and wooded areas.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a remarkable reminder that the city\u2019s natural world extends far beyond manicured lawns and paved pathways. <\/p>\n The Bronx<\/p>\n For a real dose of woodland solitude, head all the way up to Riverdale, where the little-known Raoul Wallenberg Forest is a five-acre natural preserve tucked between Palisade Avenue and Douglas Avenue. <\/p>\n The park is named after the Swedish diplomat credited with saving tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II \u2014 and what better way to honor a Scandinavian than with this stand of massive trees, replete with wildflowers and berry thickets, preferred as a stopover for migrating birds.<\/p>\n The Raoul Wallenberg Forest is beloved because it\u2019s a tiny, genuinely wild pocket of the Bronx that feels far more remote than its five-ish acres would suggest. It also has a surprisingly rich history. J.C. Rice for NY Post<\/p>\n Hop on the park\u2019s Orange Trail and spot red-tailed hawks, downy woodpeckers and white-throated sparrows.<\/p>\n Nearby, crash one of the upscale area\u2019s most exclusive estates \u2014\u00a0now a city park, boasting manicured gardens and sweeping Hudson River and Palisades views.<\/p>\n Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center offers a two-for-one escape along the river \u2014 with scenery that some of the more famous estates upriver can\u2019t even beat. <\/p>\n Wave Hill sits high above the Hudson, and the Great Lawn provides a huge open vantage point toward the river and New Jersey Palisades. The nearby Pergola is specifically designed to frame those views. Wave Hill<\/p>\n Spend an afternoon wandering the 28 acres, containing woodland trails, greenhouses, alpine houses and historic homes \u2014\u00a0which over the years hosted everyone from Mark Twain to Teddy Roosevelt.<\/p>\n Admission to Wave Hill is $10 \u2014\u00a0and always free on Thursdays.<\/p>\n Staten Island<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never been to Snug Harbor Cultural Center, you may need convincing you\u2019re still in a city of eight-million-plus.<\/p>\n Part historic site, part botanical garden, part cultural center and part full-blown escape from the urban grind, the 83-acre property is a memorable day out and worth a trip from anywhere.<\/p>\n No, this isn\u2019t The Catskills. The Staten Island Greenbelt\u2019s trail network passes through through NYC\u2019s largest remaining forest preserve, ravine, and wetland areas. Michael McWeeney<\/p>\n Originally established in the 19th century as a retirement home for elderly sailors, the space contains 23 historic buildings, nine distinct gardens and 10 acres of wetlands.<\/p>\n Explore the lovely New York Chinese Scholar\u2019s Garden and the very convincing Tuscan Garden, but don\u2019t overlook the site\u2019s arts and cultural institutions including the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Noble Maritime Collection, Staten Island Children\u2019s Museum, Art Lab and Staten Island Museum.<\/p>\n Jersey City resident and Snug Harbor fan Sara Khalid, 34, told The Post she was immediately taken by the oasis\u2019 unusual combination of tranquility and accessibility on her recent visit.<\/p>\n Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden is far more than a botanical garden. It\u2019s essentially a tiny historic city within Staten Island \u2014 83 acres where gardens, grand architecture, museums, art and wetlands all collide. Education Images\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I love most about Snug Harbor is how peaceful and unexpected it feels,\u201d she said. \u201cI was surprised by how quiet and spacious it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Khalid wandered the grounds, taking in the gardens and historic buildings, but said the biggest surprise was how thoroughly the campus managed to shed its urban jungle identity (and feel more like an actual jungle).<\/p>\n \u201cIt genuinely felt like stepping into a completely different place for a little while, nothing like New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n And despite the secluded feel, Khalid said getting there isn\u2019t nearly as daunting as the escape might suggest, calling it \u201ca hidden escape\u201d that\u2019s still relatively \u201ceasy to reach.\u201d<\/p>\n The Staten Island Greenbelt, the second largest city-managed open space in NYC, is nearly three times the size of Central Park. Most of it feels gloriously untouched. For those looking to take a genuine, day-long hike within city limits, it has to be the Staten Island Greenbelt \u2014 a 2,800-acre patchwork quilt of forests, wetlands, meadows and ponds that feels more like a rural idyll, but one steps from some of the borough\u2019s most important sites, from \u2018The Godfather\u2019 mansion to the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, not to mention some of the city\u2019s best Italian delis<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Michael McWeeney<\/p>\n