It seems fitting that for a city with a big population that it have a big and special parkland area. It's shortly after dawn in this Lower Manhattan image.
At 850 acres right in the middle of Manhattan, Central Park fills that role. (Compared to Boston where the Common and Garden together total only 75 acres). Both the NY and Boston parks, and many others, were designed by Frederick Law Olmstead in the mid-late 1800's.
There are miles of paved and unpaved trails and roads for walkers, joggers, and wheeled device users (an all-encompassing term that includes bicycles, skateboards, scooters, etc.). This paved road is a 6+ mile loop around the park. Cars are not permitted except park service and police vehicles. Of course there are many other ways to wander on trails that are not paved with asphalt.
There are thirty tennis courts, all of which were in use and there were additional people waiting outside hoping for a cancellation.
There is a lake with rowboats available for rent.
Or a really big lake (the reservoir) to walk or jog around.
There's a special area called "Strawberry Fields," created by donation from Yoko Ono in John Lennon's memory (They lived directly across the the street outside the park at 72nd Street). On my visit, there was a busker playing non-stop Lennon and Beatles tunes on his gently amplified acoustic guitar at the "Imagine" tile medallion.
But the park's best use might be, to simply sit still, listen to the birds and the wind rustle in the trees and enjoy the peace and quiet away from the noise of the busy city.
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