Not one of the worst or one of the best public parks in Manhattan, and could use an overall upgrade…read morebut serves it's purpose. I passed through and by it many times during my marathon training runs to the lower east side and through Chinatown area. It's a 7-8 acre park with basketball courts, children's playground, soccer field with running track around it, and roller skating rink. The park is named after Sara Roosevelt (1854-1941), the mother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Sara D. Roosevelt Park - This park feels long, open, and very community-oriented. It offers…read morenumerous sports courts, playgrounds, and spaces for relaxation, making it a true neighborhood park for residents. I like its functionality and variety, which ensure that everyone can find a place here--from athletes to people who simply want to sit and unwind.

First impressions can sure last a long time. This ten-acre park is a prime example as I remember…read morewhen I came here for the first time way back in the late 1980's. It felt like a misbegotten haven for society's outcasts, and I remember feeling too antsy even to sit on a bench as the fear of a surprise ambush ran through me. I thought of the park rather unfairly as the ugly stepsister to Washington Square Park, the one who couldn't afford to move out of the East Village. That myopic feeling honestly didn't dissipate until probably the last five years when I finally noticed the improvements around the park motivated no doubt by the encroaching gentrification. The renovated Field House was the first thing I noticed along with the clean, modernized restrooms. The surrounding fountains and gardens also made quite an impression. Overall the park felt a lot more vibrant on my recent visit, and its countercultural legacy and persistent political activism make it feel all the more essential. RELATED - Exploring NYC? Here's a collection of non-culinary places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/gN4VaqiLL3

One of my favorite NYC parks. My best friend has lived less than a five minute walk from the park…read moresince we graduated from art school way back when (decades now). I spend a lot of time in New York and always look forward to people watching in Tompkins Square. It's a haven for folks from all walks of life from the artistic and creative to the Wall Street type dude. Lots of characters! Lots of dogs...even better! Central to all of the best spots in Alphabet City (restaurants, bars, and shops). Love having a morning coffee here or a true New York slice while people watching.

A beautiful small park featuring a kids' playground, a summer pool, basketball and handball courts,…read moreplus outdoors exercise machines. Just be careful where you walk, though. It's gotten pretty popular with some privileged and entitled neighbors who let their dogs run around, leaving messes everywhere.

Brilliant large park in the East Village that revolves around the recreation center and the huge…read morepool. Surrounded by a nice tall wrought iron fence. The park initially opened on June 1 1900 and has been expanded and restored a number of times. The park includes basketball courts, handball courts (in use today and these guys are good!), squash courts, spraygrounds and fitness equipment. Bathrooms and changing rooms for the pool and supposedly wifi hot spots. As for the strange name, that was New York's 16th governor Hamilton Fish (1808-1893) who served in 1849-1850 and later went on to be a US Senator (1851-1857) and Secretary of State under President Ulysses Grant (1869-1877). [Review 15692 overall - 284 in New York - 1196 of 2021.]

Any true hooper knows how frustrating it is to play without a net on the rim…read more There are few joys in life like stepping in to a rhythm jumper and knowing right when it leaves your hand that that thing is in. SPLASH! BOTTOMS UP! Cut to jogging down the opposite end of the court cracking a cocky smile while furrowing your eyebrows, feeling yourself a little bit too much. These moments have your internal dialogue saying "damn if I hadn't messed my knee up back in high school I may be chasing my 5th ring rn..." THIS IS WHAT IS AT STAKE. Tompkins has been robbing us of this basic human need for the past year and some change by not having any nets on these rims. Get it together.

God awful - THE WORST. Unprofessional, disorganized staff and management…read more If you have an issue/complaint - don't tell them, because they'll restrict you from playing at ANY or ALL locations AND won't REFUND you. Be careful because their refund policies are awful. I'm requesting a chargeback from my credit card company because I no longer want to participate. I don't know who manages this organization, but it's clearly managed by adult babies who are unable to address poor staff or player behavior. Attending staff are useless - they don't care about the rules. There are some regular players there hogging up court time or wanting to play with their friends and not allowing equal court time to newcomers. Bunch of old farts acting like entitled grade schoolers. Staff are constantly on their phones and are just there to collect a measly paycheck. Utterly useless.

I had positive experiences when they were NYC Social however since rebranding to Volo Sports I felt…read morethe service has dropped off significantly. I signed up for a Pickleball league in February 2024 to start in May however the league we were notified three times (April 10, April 26th and May 7th) that the league would be delayed and as a result, I can only attend half the games now. I never agreed to the schedule change and they refuse to refund my registration fees.

This is the best field to play 8v8 soccer , the size of the field and the size of the goals are…read morejust perfect . It's also located very close to the street , and u can see all the cars and the bikes moving , which makes it even cooler . Also the place is surrounded by big trees .

I play soccer here on weekends in a league and the occasional pickup game when the field isn't…read morebeing used - which is rarely as this field is in a great location and sees a lot of use. As a result, Nike Field is in terrible condition: there are huge areas of turf which are completely worn out. Other spots near the seams have giant flaps that are definitely hazardous - I've seen plenty of guys get tripped up and the potential for injury is high. I'm not sure what the association with Nike is, if they are still considered a sponsor of this field they (and the NYC Parks and Recs dept) should be ashamed of themselves for how neglected this field is. It's a great field in a great location and would definitely get more stars if it was repaired.

Sat in this "Miracle Garden" on a green wooden bench, surrounded by greenery, as I verbally…read moreaccepted a new job offer. I lit up a menthol capri cigarette while sipping my iced americano to celebrate. Some real East Village sh*t. I'm excited about the new job, but 100x more excited about the 3 weeks I have until I start. There is nothing like the peace of mind that comes with the gap between jobs. You can completely check out of a work mindset, but also have a date where you know you are locking back in and have a steady paycheck. It's true freedom. No stress. I get to just spend all my time doing things I want to do?!? Maybe this is how life should be all the time... I can't WAIT. I'm gonna take a couple trips and soak up some culture, write a bunch, play some basketball, go to a few restaurants at odd times during the week when I normally would need a res weeks in advance, maybe read a book (probably not though), and just decompress. Do only things that feed my soul. Do things for the sole purpose of wanting to do them. I actually pray for times like this... Okay I'm doing the most now, but this time is so valuable and I can't wait to make the most of it. Thank you Miracle Garden for being the catalyst for me to get these thoughts off my chest. These little gardens randomly sprinkled in the Lower East Side are so clutch... I wonder how long until people start developing them into apartment buildings smh... IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

Every corner in EV has a hidden community garden. Summer is such a great time to hang out in this…read moreneighbourhood. Sit back, read a book, sip on iced coffee or just chat with a friend. Public space is such a premium in NYC! You can't beat Tompkins for people watching, but here's a little piece of quiet.

I prefer the 36DD garden, or I guess she just increased to 36GG garden, so that's fun…read more Nice little community garden that adds a little green space to an otherwise Concrete Jungle area and that's always a good thing and you can't really go wrong when you're adding lovely Community Gardens to the urban landscape of Manhattan.

I came across this cute park by accident…read more It had been a long day and walking in here was a great idea. It's so peaceful. Plenty of pretty flowers. Lots of benches available. A great place to relax, read a book, and listen to the birds.

6BC botanical garden is free for the public…read more The neighborhood community manages the surviving botanical garden in Lower Manhattan, New York. Garden hours are noon to 6 pm on weekends, 6 pm to dusk on weeknights, and whenever a member is in the garden, it will be open. As well, there are many event venues and entertainment programs throughout the summer. https://www.6bcgarden.org/experiment.html

6 BC Botanical Garden 624 E. 6th. St…read more New York, NY 10009 There is a tranquil garden nestled away in the Lower East Side. This hidden oasis has multiple seating areas where you can admire the sights of a rock garden, koi pond with a mini waterfall, and a tree house. It is the perfect place to eat your breakfast, lunch, or snack. It is also a nice area to socialize among your peers. Be sure to add this to your bucket list because it is a relaxing destination for all ages! #6bcbotanicalgarden #plantlife #treehouse #rockgarden #koipond #pond #lowereastsidenyc #alphabetcity #lowereastside

We brought our Little here on a warm weekend since I had a few places to visit in and around the…read moreVillage/Chinatown. We love taking her to different parks and playgrounds, because they all can be so different. The playgrounds in the city are loads different than the ones in the 'burbs, way more diverse, with many more children running around. This particular playground is located on the southern end of Sara D. Roosevelt Park, in LES. It's a large park with a basketball court and a sizeable area for children of all ages, to play. Despite there being so many children and families present, it did not feel overly packed at all. There are plenty of different sections in which to play. We started with the swings and tire swings. My Little dominated their rope climbing feature. There are plenty of structures on which to climb. Hubby, myself and our daughter, all took advantage of being kids, taking turns pretending we were pirates trying to steal a captain's treasure. It's a perfect place to tucker your kids out. There are plenty of benches so that you can sit and let you kids just run wild. All the children I saw playing, were playing in a kind manner, not being too rough with one another. They event have a sections for smaller children, with supportive swings and structures to walk around and inside. There's also a sandbox feature that I didn't feel too comfortable letting my kiddo play in due to general cleanliness.

What a wonderful playground! Very few stand the chance to compare with what this play space has to…read moreoffer. I dropped by on a Saturday morning with my daughter and we were here for almost 2 hours! It gets busy, but since the place is big, it doesn't feel too crowded. The afternoon may be a different story, though. The playground has: 2 racketball courts 2 basketball courts 1 Small climbing wall 1 Small spider web Restrooms 2 Sets of structures catering different toddlers ages Plenty of benches in the shade Multiple water fountains Sounds and smells of Chinatown A sandpit Your kids will not be disappointed. Just check my pics. Recommended!