New York

Before there were public parks, people took their picnics in the graveyards of the city—spreading blankets and playing games with balls and bats amid the stones. The urban improvement movement of the late 1800s, which culminated in the grandeur of Central Park, also planted many, smaller parks throughout the city. These small, neighborhood parks are not destinations but shared back yards. My back-yard park boasts two bridges and the largest public pool in the five boroughs, but I love it for what is typical about it. I love walking in the morning and seeing how many are jogging, how many are dog-walking, and whether anyone is breathing through the ritual of Tai Chi. I love sitting on a sunny weekend afternoon and seeing children beg their parents for ice cream money, listening to urban youths taunt one another through basketball games, watching the young women tan, and the young men watch the women. And I love knowing that, while I am watching, others are also watching, and that one of the ones these others are watching might be you.

Photo:  Emily Pecora

Yes, Astoria! Half an hour from Midtown you’ll find the largest public pool in New York that’s also one of the largest in the country (thank you, Robert Moses). With a capacity of over 2,000, this Art Deco-style pool is nestled in lovely Astoria Park, overlooking the Triborough Bridge and a stunning skyline view across the river. Now, I won’t lie—on a hot summer weekend, hundreds of screaming, splashing kids can thwart your attempts at a calm, watery day. But as large as the pool is, it’s not hard to find pockets of respite. And if you’re an early bird, you can always go for the adult lap swim in the wee hours of the morning (7 am to 8:30 am, daily). NOTE: Bring a combination lock to store your valuables; they won’t let you in without it.

Photo:  Krista Apple