Greenacre Park

***** A WORLD THAT EXISTS OUTSIDE OUR OWN WORLD *****
I love Greenacre Park! Once you have arrived, you are no longer overwhelmed by the monoliths and madness of the big city. Once you have arrived, you have found an escape hatch to peace and serenity… It’s magical. If I were a philanthropist, I would duplicate Greenacre Park in other cities and towns, as well as in my own backyard.
* 6,000 square feet of inviting landscape architecture.
* Comfortable outdoor living room with movable chairs and tables.
* 25-​foot high waterfall produces a «sound machine» for good energy.
* Shade from trees provide shelter during warm weather.
* Overhead heat lamps available during cool weather.

Beautiful little spot in the bustling city. Be careful though because if you blink you might miss it! the waterfall really drowns out the sound of the sirens and the loud city. Could sit here for hours

This is a genuine urban oasis. We stumbled upon it with our 14 month old and needed a place to take a breather. Beautiful water features and a nice sitting area. Even a snack stand that seemed well stocked, even though we didn’t partake. If you are looking for a bit of a refuge in midtown check it out!

such a nice place for reading~ the water sound is rather calming, and there are rules in place and a guy who enforces them to insure a peaceful park.
basically no kids/​pets and no loud grouping are allowed. although we did have a birthday picnic there but we were mostly quiet and didn’t do anything outrageous.
overall a great place, just no bathroom.

Very serene and cool environment! Perfect place to wind off for a smoothing weekend! Next time, I’ll definitely come with a book to read as I get massaged by the cool breeze from the trees’ branches!

I’m writing this review from the park itself and have concluded that Greenacre is pretty much perfection.
The most noticeable thing about the park is the gorgeous, cascading waterfall, which, aesthetics aside, serves to drown out most street noise. There’s plenty of greenery to enjoy as well, from trees peppered among the tables and chairs to shrubbery to the colorful potted flowers. There’s even a little food stand, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to be open today.
Perhaps most importantly, it’s not crowded at all. It’s currently a lovely April Sunday — 66 degrees and Sunny — and there is plenty of available seating. The park really seems worlds away from the busy 2^nd and 3^rd aves, close within its vicinity. Places like these really make the prospect of midtown living seem like an almost bearable idea. (Almost.)

A little bit of Eden in Midtown East. When the weather gets warmer, I’m usually here daily. Beautiful flowers, beautiful waterfall, chill environment. Great place to have lunch. Grab some foods from any of the nearby restaurants, grab a chair, and soak in the loveliness of it all.
In fact, I’m about to head over there now. See you there!

Found this random gem last summer and enjoyed a peaceful lunch by the waterfall. Get there early or after the general lunch crowd to snag a seat in front of the waterfall. Enjoy!

A beautiful, magnificent small out of place park in Manhattan, if anyone wants to go on a date with me here, I think my answer would always be yes, but that’s just me, I’ve a knack for peaceful structure and nature. Anyways the let’s get to those incredibly awesome points I have to share about why I like this soooo let’s go, right? Yeah? yeah. Let’s go. Alright
This awesome park is striked with some awesome seating next to a live falling mini waterfall, it’s almost natural. The sounds of the splashing don’t overthrow your conversations and, it really doesn’t effect the awesome factor. I really like that not only is it a sort of traditional take on a peaceful waterfall, but it also invests heavily in a modern architecture. (This guy is intellectual af!) If you haven’t been to this place it’s some hidden you can literally walk past it and not notice if you weren’t looking good enough.
Another thing that I find best is that when it hits the night the place gets even more romantic as they kind have this dim lighting effect going on, and I’m pretty sure that lady friend of yours would feel the mood too. So there’s to that.
Now with all great things, come bad things as we all know. It’s life, we deal with it, we bare it. The bad or should I say the worst thing is they have a strict no photography rule. Meaning you can’t take pictures of the awesome place you just visited. It sucks really I’m pretty sure people would enjoy it so much more, pictures are always fun and I can’t really see a reason why they wouldn’t be allowed so screw it you get 4 stars 2 can play that game lol
In all honesty Do yourself the favor, bless yourself with this bliss in a busy manhattan, there’s a place to find peace. Thanks everyone gals and guys I’m outs!

A lovely and peaceful park marred by a new, ill-​mannered and ill-​suited attendant who would be better placed at Rikers Island than in an upscale neighborhood park. This park is in my neighborhood and I’ve been going on and off for many years. It was always attended by well-​mannered and responsible individuals who are still there if you’re lucky enough to arrive when it’s their time slot. Management is evidently slipping.
The no photography rule is incomprehensible and hostile to the public.

This gorgeous oasis is a must see in Manhattan. I stumbled upon it when walking around looking for great little green spaces on the East side. This one is absolutely the best. The fountain is beautiful and the water pressure changes on a cycle so you really must sit and watch the whole cycle. Not to mention, that just taking a moment here is really in your best interest. It is so serene and lovely. There is a little café and know that they are HUGE sticklers for picture taking so just be slick about it. ;)

Not bad on a cooler day like today. completely empty and the waterfall still looks serene

I just had late breakfast here.
It’s pretty funny how I found this oasis.
We went to Juice Generation for breakfast and realized they have no seats so we needed to find seats elsewhere. There was just one tiny green spot on the map nearby. «Well. let’s check it out» we said. And found this perfect spot for byo food.
Lots of seats. Between 11.00 and 14.00 many lunchers.

I hate myself for not coming here sooner. I pass by this place often since I work around the corner and always made a mental note to check this place out.
Now summer is ending and I didn’t get a chance to have a summer fling…
But that’s alright! Because we’ve got the remainder of September and beginning of October *fingers crossed*
This park is an oasis tucked between tall corporate buildings. If you walk by too fast (I know you are, I saw you bump that tourist on their phone) you can easily miss it. The waterfall serves as a beautiful backdrop and doubles as white noise*. There are plenty of cute (and surprisingly comfy) patio chairs. Some have low tables paired with them, not ideal for those eating lunch, but perfect for you to set down your iced coffee or lemonade (you’re so predictable). The seats are placed on the different levels in the park which offer alternate views of the waterfall.
There’s a small café window by the entrance serving sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. They take credit cards and I think tax is already included in the prices.
Grab a good book and relax or grab a friend/​coworker and gossip about that annoying colleague of yours.
P. S. Photos apparently aren’t allowed. WUT? That’s like putting a delicious dessert in front of me and telling me I can’t eat it.
——
*Can someone explain to me how white noise ~actually~ works? It’s just loud noise that drowns out other noise. Isn’t that just as noisy? Hmmm.

This is very cool, VERY COOL. Genius, who ever thought of it.

What a great place to sit and get away from the craziness of the city. Such a quiet and relaxing place where everyone sticks to themselves.
I also like that there is a little coffee shop in the park.
Tip: keep an eagle eye for a table and seat… it goes quick. Lots of space with not enough chairs and tables.

This is my favorite little oasis that I’ve discovered so far. Within walking distance of my office.
PROS: waterfall drowns out city noise, lots of foliage and flowers, and the place is SPOTLESS. The people who work there take maintaining it seriously.
CONS: Gets VERY crowded during the lunch hour. Would be better if they had additional seating.

Over the last few years, I’ve searched and discovered a lot of «secret» places in the city. Those who know me well would know that I have a great fascination for exploration in NYC, and I try to look for hidden gems whenever possible. A quarter of the time, I like to immerse myself in noisy, crowded, high energy areas. The other three-​quarters of the time, I like to be in peaceful and meditative environments.
I like to spend a lot of time refreshing my mind and reflecting on my past, present and future. I also spend a lot of time stabilizing my inner emotions and energy. In order to do that, there needs to be a particular kind of setting that I have to be in. The setting has to be simple, quiet, and have a kind of nature vibe to it. This is one of those places. Greenacre Park is in the middle of Midtown, but upon entering it, it doesn’t even remind me of Midtown or the city anymore. It makes me feel like I’m on vacation. The primary sound I hear is not of cars or city noise, but of a waterfall situated inside the park. If you work nearby, this is a great place to be during your break.
Not only is this place good for relaxation and as another reviewer brilliantly pointed out, for «harnessing my chi like a motherfucker,» this place — along with other «secret» places is a wonderful date idea. It will be a very memorable experience for the both of you and sets the mood that I hope you do not crush later on… memorable because from so many people who I’ve asked before, almost none of them have even heard of a waterfall in Midtown (there are two other places that I’ll review about later on).
I’ve come to this place numerous times — both by myself and with a date. The experience has always been incredible. The waterfall sound and the scenery itself win me over every time. It may also be great to bring a friend or family member along. I recommend not bringing your entire group of friends; I recommend cautiousness with this because bringing in a lot of noise here can get annoying for the people who come to relax or to have quiet time.
I give this place five stars. I highly recommend checking this place out.

What a lovely, serene place to enjoy lunch! Beautiful waterfall, water running off stones and other than the sudden urge to take a potty break… I love this place!
Bring your own lunch and grab a table. People are so friendly and caught up in the peacefulness, they won’t even know you’re there!
Perfect spot to hide from coworkers and have a quiet moment to yourself… yup!

Well this is just the cutest little park.
Full of foliage.
Serene.
And there’s a waterfall!
Sadly it was turned off the day I visited.
And what’s even sadder is that photographs aren’t allowed in the park. What? What nonsense is this?!
Despite this silly rule the park is still a little hidden gem in Midtown. I plan on going back when I find myself in Midtown again and in need of a quiet moment.