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    Harlem Meer

    4.4 (33 reviews)

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    Ed U.

    I'm just an enthusiastic tourist whenever I'm in New York City, certainly not a knowledgeable local when it comes to the less publicized gems of the city. That's my less than credible explanation for not venturing into the less touristed part of Central Park north of the reservoir. You can tell the locals like to keep this part of the city to themselves. I finally addressed this gap on my most recent trip and actually walked to Harlem by way of the park. What a nice surprise to see unexpected sights like waterfalls and hidden ponds. But the biggest surprise for me was this well tended lake in the northeastern corner of the park. It makes for a nice stroll around the perimeter with bluffs that were supposed to be used as war bunkers two centuries ago. Now they provide bucolic meditation spots. Right now there's a lot of construction going on as they are refurbishing the nearby rink and building a boardwalk. It won't all be done until 2024, but the lake itself is still a nice spot to get your steps in after feasting on fried chicken and waffles at Sylvia's. RELATED - Exploring Manhattan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ZvQA2F

    Olive loves to watch the ducks
    Kristina B.

    Lovely pond with plenty of walking paths, benches, and stunning views adjacent to The Conservatory Garden. Depending on the weather, one can see fishermen fishing for fish! My BFF Olive loves it here, we always walk up the rocks above the meer and watch the hawks flying past, likely hunting their next meal. It's a beautiful quiet place in nature, and the pool/ice rink (depends on the season) is within walking distance! Couldn't love it more.

    Alexis B.

    Harlem Meer is a body of water/area in the northeast corner of Central Park (east side between 106th and 110th). It's a really pretty area of the park that is a nice place to take a walk, sit and read a book, or bird/people watch. It's very pretty and well-worth a stop if you're in this area of the park.

    Aamiya D.

    The Harlem Meer section of Central Park is AMAZING! Our class took a trip to the Harlem Meer and visited the playground, our favorite part. We loved the swings. The area was clean and in fact it was being power washed while we were there. However, our teacher did see a really LARGE RAT, in the playground area bushes! But, hey - it's NYC! We really want to visit again before school is over, fingers-crossed.

    07/16/17
    Marianne W.

    One of my favorite spots to have allergy attacks! I can't stay away. Sometimes my friends in my building come here to fish. It's just a wonderful relaxing place to find Peace. If you want to enjoy food it's close to food. If you enjoy flowers and gardens they are nearby. You can enjoy the museums, culture and there's even little beaches. See my photos. The Harlem Meer and surrounding area can provide you with hours of entertainment and enjoyment in many ways. Plus the hospital is close if your allergies get the best of you!

    Phil H.

    Walking by the Harlem Meer the other weekend on a nice sunny day I just had to notice how peaceful it was, but also how full of activity the spot had going on. This man made lake is pretty large for a body of water on the far northeast corner of Central Park, and offers great views and picture opportunities. Benches all around, groups of people picnicking, free fishing, snack booth, bathrooms in a little Hansel & Gretel type little house (Charles A. Dana Discovery Center), playgrounds close by, and even live music performances lakeside in the summer. The Lasker Rink and Pool is also close by for summer swimming and winter ice-skating. It's actually a great spot to take a nice walk around, or relax on a bench and watch the world meander by. At winter time after a snowfall it is also a picturesque serene scene.

    Free no cast fishing
    Colleen Y.

    From previous yelp reviews, I was expecting peace and quiet but when I came here on Saturday Afternoon, there was a pow wow group playing drums non-stop during the 3 hours I was there. There was also loud top 40 music playing in the neighborhood but the drums drown it out... lucky me. With your drivers license, the harlem meer ecocenter gives you a fishing rod with cooked corn as bait (for free)... After 2 hours of fishing and moving from one spot to another, my friend and I didn't catch anything, but we did witness other fishers catching fish from time to time and realized it was because they brought their own bait. Tip: BYOB - I recommend you bringing your own bait - hotdogs, worms, etc. I saw a lot of people running/training near the pond, it is nice but I wouldn't describe this pond as serene or peaceful - at least on Saturday afternoons.

    Chuck C.

    I've been living up by this small (yet noble in its own right) body of water for a month now, and it's been nothing but roses. Yeah, the Meer may not be the BIGGEST body of water in the park, but does that mean it's not the best? Suck it Jacqueline Onassis Kennedy reservoir, you may hold some "drinking water" that "keeps people alive", but your fence makes you look bad (yeah I said it, someone had to). So what if the water in this little lake is "unsuitable for drinking", and "may cause giardia", I like it just the same. Who wants to go for a stroll around the Meer? Well aside from the dirty sounding name* (it means lake in Dutch by the by), the Meer is one of the most gorgeous places in Central Park (and you should absolutely go for a walk around it if you find yourself uptown). From the early morning dog walkers, to the late night hooligans, and all the tourists in between, the diversity of people hanging out around here cannot be overstated; that is really the beauty of this part of town though, it seems like every different sort of person lives around here and I have to say I like that a lot. The windy paths lead you around the many curves of the lake, and the views are super nice. They have the Christmas tree in the middle of the lake this time of year, which is really something to see lit up at night (they also have a lighting that I missed, will have to go next year). If you're into water, small hikes on paved paths, and are looking to get away without getting away, then this place is probably something that will be right up your alley. So there you go, a gorgeous spot in the park for you to check out, and a quick Dutch language lesson all in one short review. ______________________________________________ *is it dirty sounding or funny? I still can't make up my mind (though most dirty things are in fact funny, so there you go)

    Sitting right behind the Meer benched on a sunny & mild Saturday afternoon. 8/24/13
    A R.

    I'm fairly new to the Central Park neighborhood. The Meer is a good place to quietly sit on the benches & people watch. People jogging & walking their pets makes it meditative. :-)

    Enjoy a walk

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    This place has less tourist and more relaxed then other parts. Make sure to make a visit. Get some food and drinks from Maoz. Just relax.

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    Review Highlights - Harlem Meer

    Lovely pond with plenty of walking paths, benches, and stunning views adjacent to The Conservatory Garden.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Madison Square Park - Park vibes

    Madison Square Park

    4.4(414 reviews)
    4.2 miFlatiron

    Bryant what? Central who? Washington Square, why when you can go to Madison Square Park. I keed…read moreabout the other parks. I actually love all of them for different reasons. But Madison Square will always be my favorite. It's kept fairly clean and is a nice size. Mostly for the working professionals and students in the area, it's an awesome spot to eat lunch, with a great food selection in Flat Iron. It's home to the OG Shake Shack, which stands there til this day. There is also an awesome dog park there. This park is great at all times of the year, so don't hesitate to go now.

    The most notable thing about Madison Square Park (at least for me) is that it's the location of the…read moreoriginal Shake Shack. Besides that, I never paid much mind to the park, especially in light of the fact that it's not in my stomping grounds. Nevertheless, I had just finished brunching nearby and since it was such a gorgeous day out, I decided to take a walk through the park and check it out. MSP is not large - the center of it is a large green space with paths on the perimeter that contain walking paths and benches. In addition to the Shake Shack, there's also a small seating area nearby where you can sit and eat, or just hang out. The park is ideal of people watching, eating your lunch, or just walking around a space that contrasts the hustle and bustle of the surrounding areas. Because of the weather, it was a little crowded but still pleasant. Overall, MSP is fine - it's not worth coming to unless you're in the area IMO, but a pleasant spot nonetheless.

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    Madison Square Park - Sunny June day

    Sunny June day

    Madison Square Park - Shake Shack seating

    Shake Shack seating

    Madison Square Park - Sunny Fall 2024 day

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    Sunny Fall 2024 day

    St. Vartan Park - Stunning high rise right across the park.

    St. Vartan Park

    4.1(22 reviews)
    3.7 miMurray Hill, Midtown East

    Nice big park great for different age groups! Entrance on 1st ave for big playground and bathroom…read more Plenty of benches and equipment to play on. There is also a basketball quart and small field. Pretty clean and safe.

    Slowly trying to hoop at all the basketball courts in the city, so I came here after work before a…read morelong weekend. We were on our 4th game of 5 on 5 on this slanted, slippery court with double rims as the Midtown skyline looked over us. We had gone 3-0 and already on wobbly legs but wanted one more to really push ourselves to exhaustion and be WHOOPED. A group of 5 17 year olds showed up and I was lowkey like damn I don't wanna play these little kids for our last game but whatever, they got next. We were going back and forth, and to be fair they were actually pretty good but just too frail to give us any problems. At 5'10 174 lbs, I'm a BIG guard. I'm left handed, but shot a right handed floater fading to my right as I'm trying to get better. If you can hit a weak hand floater on the run you will be tough to stop. I bricked it and this little 17 year old kid goes "that's a TERRIBLE shot" looking at me dead in the eyes. Like bro y'all are losing and you suck why you talking? He woke me up and I started actually trying really hard and lowkey busting their ass... but tbh normally I'm not even that good. It was just one of those days where everything was falling. I hit a 3 and yelled out "THAT'S A LAYUP." I drove hard left, euro stepped and hit a tough finish through 2 and yelled "I"M TOO BIG," while flexing. I switched onto little homie and he took a terrible stepback shot after I turned him 3 times and bricked it. I just whispered to him "I don't even gotta say nothing after that one it speaks for itself" which really pissed him off. Then I hit the game winning 3 and did the Dame wave to him as he walked off the court PISSED as hell. I sat down and then he got the courage to say "STOP TALKING SO MUCH" while he put his hand together to mimic me YAPPING. I almost stood up and said "HOW BOUT U GET WIN?" But then I realized I'm a grown ass man and there is absolutely no reason to be jawing at this little kid on a beautiful Friday in New York City. I just kind of laughed at myself and asked what is wrong with me lol. All in all, these runs were kind of weak and this court is in horrendous condition. The court on the westside highway is still my favorite in the city. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews

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    St. Vartan Park
    St. Vartan Park - Park entrance

    Park entrance

    St. Vartan Park - Summer colors in 2025

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    Summer colors in 2025

    Herald Square - Da bar

    Herald Square

    3.4(93 reviews)
    3.8 miMidtown West

    Ian's Cookie Jar (Located in Herald Square Holiday Market)…read moreW. 35th. St. & Broadway New York, NY 10001 The Bucket Located in the Herald Square Holiday Market adjacent to Macy's is a chocolate chip cookie kiosk. This secret recipe was handcrafted by food influencer Ian Martin and Hungry Gnome bakery owner Danielle Sepsy. All cookies are freshly baked on the spot in these cookie ovens. An entire batch is immediately scooped up with a french fry scooper and handed off for your enjoyment. The Bucket: The primary ingredients in these cookies are all butter, brown sugar, and premium Callebaut chocolate. As soon as you try your first one, you will be far from done. They are warm and crispy on the outside while gooey on the inside. As a bonus, the holiday themed visual design on the bucket was hand drawn by Ian's sister. There is a decent amount of seating at the holiday market for you to enjoy your dessert. Be sure to arrive early because Ian's cookies are immensely popular and they will sell out. Stop by Ian's Cookie Jar kiosk at the Herald Square holiday market and indulge in this warm, gooey treat during the most wonderful time of the year. #ianscookiejar #chefdaniellesepsy #IanMartin #thehungrygnome #TheBucket #chocolatechipcookies #HeraldSquare #heraldsquareholidaymarket #nycholidaymarket #imma_eat_this #callebautchocolate #40cookies

    I really enjoy coming to this area of the city. So much to do and see, lots of shopping and food…read moreoptions. Madison square garden is also nearby. The historical Macy's Herald sq is here. It's beautiful in this area esp during the holidays. However, expect heavy crowds on weekends or after events like concerts

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    Herald Square - Christmas day at Macy's

    Christmas day at Macy's

    Herald Square - 05/02/25

    05/02/25

    Herald Square - Holiday carousel

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    Harlem Meer - parks - Updated May 2026

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