Central Park is one of the most famous parks in the world, and apartments overlooking "New York's backyard" frequently rank among the city's highest-priced sales and contracts. However, visitors' and buyers' attention alike has shifted to other tranquil spaces throughout the city. West Chelsea condominiums near the High Line recently had Manhattan's top sale for two weeks in a row, and outer borough listings near Brooklyn Bridge Park and Prospect Park regularly command attention from luxury buyers.
Moreover, New York City is home to over 1,700 other parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities surrounded by residential buildings that can treat them as their backyard. We look at other popular parks, nearby new buildings, and beautiful listings with park frontage.
Moreover, New York City is home to over 1,700 other parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities surrounded by residential buildings that can treat them as their backyard. We look at other popular parks, nearby new buildings, and beautiful listings with park frontage.
In this article:
Active sale listings overlooking NYC parks
Summer 2024 marked the 15-year anniversary of the opening of The High Line, an abandoned railway turned elevated park that took New York by storm and inspired similar adaptive reuse projects in cities all over the world. Since its opening, it has welcomed public art installations, hosted dance parties, connected to Hudson Yards amidst the new development’s construction, and expanded to connect to Moynihan Train Hall.
It has also breathed new life into a stretch of Manhattan that was previously best known for its art galleries. New condos by high-profile architects took shape to make the most of views of the High Line, and they command similarly headline-generating prices.
It has also breathed new life into a stretch of Manhattan that was previously best known for its art galleries. New condos by high-profile architects took shape to make the most of views of the High Line, and they command similarly headline-generating prices.
The West Chelsea skyline has seen some imaginative new structures take shape around the High Line, but none so tall and striking as the two-towered, full-block, Bjarke Ingels-designed One High Line. The taller West Tower is closer to the Hudson River, entirely residential, and features interiors by Gabellini Sheppard. In the East Tower, which is closer to the High Line, the apartments start on top of luxury hotel Faena New York and feature interiors by Gilles et Boissier.
Residential amenities include state-of-the-art fitness centers in each tower, an indoor pool, steam rooms and saunas, a private dining room with catering kitchen, and a double-height, glass-enclosed lounge in the bridge connecting both buildings. Moreover, when Faena New York opens later this summer, residents will enjoy two memberships to exclusive members’ club Faena Rose as well as access to Tierra Santa Healing House spa, the Living Room bar, the speakeasy-inspired El Secreto, and a restaurant by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann.
Residential amenities include state-of-the-art fitness centers in each tower, an indoor pool, steam rooms and saunas, a private dining room with catering kitchen, and a double-height, glass-enclosed lounge in the bridge connecting both buildings. Moreover, when Faena New York opens later this summer, residents will enjoy two memberships to exclusive members’ club Faena Rose as well as access to Tierra Santa Healing House spa, the Living Room bar, the speakeasy-inspired El Secreto, and a restaurant by celebrity chef Francis Mallmann.
One High Line, #EAST15E (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Select listings with views of the High Line
Vesta 24, #5A (Modlin Group LLC)
HL23, #6 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
505 West 19th Street, #7W (Compass)
The Yorkville building boomlet touts its proximity to Central Park, but there is more green space to the east that enjoys an extra perk of East River views. Originally used as farmland by New York’s earliest Dutch settlers in the seventeenth century, shipping magnate Archibald Gracie bought the land dubbed “Hell Gate” (taken from the Dutch for “bright passage”) in 1799 and built the mansion that bears his name today. Centuries later in 1910, by which time a sizable German population had settled in Yorkville, it was renamed in honor of Civil War general/Secretary of the Interior/publisher Carl Schurz.
In the wake of the construction of FDR Drive in the 1930s, Carl Schurz Park underwent a redesign with a new esplanade. The Carl Schurz Park Conservancy was founded in the 1970s to maintain and preserve the park. In the present day, features like the playground, the Peter Pan statue, and basketball and pickleball courts give it the atmosphere of Yorkville residents’ backyard. A renovated dog run is expected to open later this summer.
In the wake of the construction of FDR Drive in the 1930s, Carl Schurz Park underwent a redesign with a new esplanade. The Carl Schurz Park Conservancy was founded in the 1970s to maintain and preserve the park. In the present day, features like the playground, the Peter Pan statue, and basketball and pickleball courts give it the atmosphere of Yorkville residents’ backyard. A renovated dog run is expected to open later this summer.
Between the opening of the Second Avenue subway and a rumor that the Obamas were moving to the area, East End Avenue has experienced a new appreciation in recent years. Directly across from Carl Schurz Park, the Peter Marino-designed 170 East End Avenue brings a modern sensibility to this stretch with its two-tower design, concrete facade, and oversized, deeply inset windows.
All units feature generous proportions, abundant natural light, and high-end finishes and appliances throughout. Select residences have fireplaces and/or private balconies, and all residents have access to amenities like concierge service, a full-service garage, a health club, a screening room, a billiards room, and a children’s playroom.
All units feature generous proportions, abundant natural light, and high-end finishes and appliances throughout. Select residences have fireplaces and/or private balconies, and all residents have access to amenities like concierge service, a full-service garage, a health club, a screening room, a billiards room, and a children’s playroom.
170 East End Avenue, #10/11B
$5,300,000 (-18.4%)
Yorkville | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,642 ft2
170 East End Avenue, #10/11B (Corcoran Group)
Notable listings with views of Carl Schurz Park
80 East End Avenue, #12D (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
130 East End Avenue, #14D (Digs Realty Group LLC)
60 East End Avenue, #27B (Keller Williams NYC)
The 526-acre Prospect Park is widely considered Brooklyn’s answer to Central Park, and was designed by the same team of Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. The Grand Army Plaza Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch was recently restored; the LeFrak Center at Lakeside offers ice skating, curling, and hockey in winter as well as roller skating, biking, and boating in summer; and that’s not to mention the sports courts, dog runs, playgrounds, and extensive green space throughout the rest of the park all year round.
By virtue of the protections conferred by the Park Slope Historic District, much of Prospect Park West looks like it did when the park first opened. However, other stretches of the neighborhood have welcomed new development.
By virtue of the protections conferred by the Park Slope Historic District, much of Prospect Park West looks like it did when the park first opened. However, other stretches of the neighborhood have welcomed new development.
One Park Point is a rental building located down the street from Prospect Park, close to the lake and sports fields; with Greenwood Cemetery on the other side, it is fairly surrounded by greenery and offers the atmosphere of a peaceful oasis in a bustling metropolis. However, the Fort Hamilton Parkway F/G trains allow for easy access to the rest of the city.
All interiors feature expansive park and/or skyline views, oversized windows, white oak flooring, kitchens with custom cabinetry, walk-in closets, and in-unit washer/dryers. Amenities include a landscaped inner courtyard, a furnished roof deck with 360-degree views, a fully equipped fitness center with adjacent yoga room, coworking spaces, a residents' lounge, a children's playroom, bike storage, and on-site parking.
All interiors feature expansive park and/or skyline views, oversized windows, white oak flooring, kitchens with custom cabinetry, walk-in closets, and in-unit washer/dryers. Amenities include a landscaped inner courtyard, a furnished roof deck with 360-degree views, a fully equipped fitness center with adjacent yoga room, coworking spaces, a residents' lounge, a children's playroom, bike storage, and on-site parking.
One Park Point, #PH102 (MNS)
Notable listings with views of Prospect Park
84 Prospect Park West, #4D (Corcoran Group)
Park Union, #3B (Corcoran Group)
35 Prospect Park West, #6A (Corcoran Group)
One Prospect Park West, #3C
$4,225,000 (-5.1%)
Park Slope | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,046 ft2
One Prospect Park West, #3C (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York Properties)
In 1927, John D. Rockefeller Jr. enlisted the Olmstead Brothers Firm (led by the son of Central Park and Prospect Park architect Frederick Olmstead) to develop a plan for an Upper Manhattan park with views of the Hudson River and Palisades. Nearly 100 years later, Fort Tryon Park boasts eight miles of pathways, a massive public garden with unrestricted public access, two playgrounds, volleyball courts, Ping-Pong tables, Manhattan's largest dog run, and The Met Cloisters. It has long been beloved by Upper Manhattanites, and more residents are discovering it in the wake of a recent Inwood rezoning.
The Park Overture is a new rental across from Fort Tryon Park, and its infrastructure is as green as its neighboring views: The building has solar panels on the roof and all-electric systems.
All one- to two-bedroom apartments feature abundant natural light, recessed lighting, kitchens with two-toned custom cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, and in-unit laundry. Amenities include a furnished lobby, fitness center, bike storage, pet spa, and courtyard with grills.
All one- to two-bedroom apartments feature abundant natural light, recessed lighting, kitchens with two-toned custom cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, and in-unit laundry. Amenities include a furnished lobby, fitness center, bike storage, pet spa, and courtyard with grills.
The Park Overture, #4D (MNS)
Notable listings with views of Fort Tryon Park
689 Fort Washington Avenue, #4B
$399,000 (-6.1%)
Washington Heights | Cooperative | 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
689 Fort Washington Avenue, #4B (Compass)
1825 Riverside Drive, #6B (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
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Playing a key role in New York civic life for centuries, City Hall Park is an eight-acre respite home to the seat of city government in addition to more than a dozen monuments. Following a $34.6 million upgrade undertaken by Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani in 1999, where he touted the renovation as “a final gift from the 20th century to New Yorkers of the 21st,” the residential population of the Financial District surged from 23,000 recorded in the 2000 Census to 61,000 residents in 2018.
Some of its majestic commercial buildings ringing the park, such as the Morse Building, Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building, and Park Row Tower have been converted to apartments. More recently, a new crop of towers lining Park Row has joined these cherished gems.
Some of its majestic commercial buildings ringing the park, such as the Morse Building, Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building, and Park Row Tower have been converted to apartments. More recently, a new crop of towers lining Park Row has joined these cherished gems.
With front-and-center views of City Hall Park, 49 Chambers Street is a 99-unit condo conversion of the 1912 Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank. Designed by Raymond F. Almirall in the Beaux-Arts style, the 15-floor structure has an elaborate limestone facade, sumptuous bay windows, and a beautiful roofline. The condos inside were refined by Gabellini Sheppard Associates have large kitchen island wrapped in honed San Marino marble, cypress cabinetry, and Corian sinks and primary bathrooms have bathtubs of honed Ariel white marble with Apaiser stone double vanities and radiant heated floors.
Residential amenities include 24-hour concierge service, a landscaped rooftop park framed with limestone balustrades, an outdoor kitchen and dining area, a children’s playroom, yoga/dance studio, virtual golf room, screening room, double-height residents’ lounge, a Hamman and spa, fitness center, steam room, pool, storage and bicycle storage. The building's retail space is home to event venue Hall des Lumieres.
Residential amenities include 24-hour concierge service, a landscaped rooftop park framed with limestone balustrades, an outdoor kitchen and dining area, a children’s playroom, yoga/dance studio, virtual golf room, screening room, double-height residents’ lounge, a Hamman and spa, fitness center, steam room, pool, storage and bicycle storage. The building's retail space is home to event venue Hall des Lumieres.
49 Chambers Street, #11A (Sothebys International Realty)
Other notable listings with views of City Hall Park
The Potter Building, #8A
$1,795,000
Financial District | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,600 ft2
The Potter Building, #8A (Corcoran Group)
1 Park Row, #7B (Serhant)
No. 33 Park Row, #17B
$4,995,000
Financial District | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,723 ft2
No. 33 Park Row, #17B (Compass)
25 Park Row, #PH45A (Compass)
Stretching 1.3 miles around the Brooklyn Heights/DUMBO waterfront, Brooklyn Bridge Park offers panoramic views of Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and the New York harbor. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the park features a promenade of six diversely-programmed piers offering barbecuing areas, bocce courts, soccer fields, basketball courts, kayaking, volleyball courts, passive lawns, and much more. The continuous promenade was made even more so in December 2021, when Emily Warren Roebling Plaza opened to connect the northern DUMBO portion of the park with southern piers that stretch towards Atlantic Avenue.
The park is unique to the city in that it is required to be economically self-sufficient. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy raises funds from commercial and residential development within its grounds. These include record-breaking condos One Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1 John Street, and Quay Tower.
The park is unique to the city in that it is required to be economically self-sufficient. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy raises funds from commercial and residential development within its grounds. These include record-breaking condos One Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1 John Street, and Quay Tower.
Originally built as a Jehovah's Witnesses printing warehouse in 1920, One Brooklyn Bridge Park was converted to condos in 2008. Its nearly 450 residences, which range from studios to three bedrooms, have kitchens with Bosch ovens and Sub-Zero refrigerators. Bathrooms feature Porcher double vanities and standalone tubs.
Amenities in the building include a fitness center, Peloton bike room, three satellite cardio rooms, a billiards room, children's playroom, art room, movie screening room, music room with baby grand piano, two video game lounges, yoga room, dance studio, virtual golf simulator, video game lounge, two conference rooms and two landscaped courtyards. There is on-site dry cleaning/laundry service, cold storage, bicycle storage, and an on-site parking garage for 500 cars.
Amenities in the building include a fitness center, Peloton bike room, three satellite cardio rooms, a billiards room, children's playroom, art room, movie screening room, music room with baby grand piano, two video game lounges, yoga room, dance studio, virtual golf simulator, video game lounge, two conference rooms and two landscaped courtyards. There is on-site dry cleaning/laundry service, cold storage, bicycle storage, and an on-site parking garage for 500 cars.
One Brooklyn Bridge Park, #1030/1031
$2,750,000
Brooklyn Heights | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 2,198 ft2
One Brooklyn Bridge Park, #1030/1031 (Sothebys International Realty)
Notable listings with views of Brooklyn Bridge Park
Sweeney Building, #7H (Archpoint Advisory)
Quay Tower, #24A (Serhant)
Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, #N400
$8,450,000
Brooklyn Heights | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 4,311 ft2
Pierhouse at Brooklyn Bridge Park, #N400 (Sothebys International Realty)
75 Columbia Heights, #TH (Compass)
Riverside Park South, the link between Hudson River Park and Riverside Park, is a stretch of waterfront recreational space and native ecosystems between West 59th and 71st Street. The 32-acre park, designed by Thomas Balsley & Associates, partly replaces the New York Central Railroad’s 60th Street railyard and fronts the Trump Place/Riverside South and Waterline Square master plans. The project has long been in the works, and the final stage (Phase 6) is estimated for completion later this year.
When Phase 6 is completed, it will bring a multi-use athletic field, basketball courts, pickleball courts, new entry points at West 62nd and 64th Streets, and improvements to the West 59th Street entrance. Additional features of the park as a whole include the 900-foot-long Pier I with its namesake cafe at its foot, basketball and handball courts, volleyball courts, baseball/soccer fields, a dog run, and a playground.
When Phase 6 is completed, it will bring a multi-use athletic field, basketball courts, pickleball courts, new entry points at West 62nd and 64th Streets, and improvements to the West 59th Street entrance. Additional features of the park as a whole include the 900-foot-long Pier I with its namesake cafe at its foot, basketball and handball courts, volleyball courts, baseball/soccer fields, a dog run, and a playground.
The Waterline Square complex is the largest residential offering to come to the Upper West Side in recent years. Comprised of a mix of condos and rentals in three distinctive buildings, the for-sale homes are all perched at or above the 20th floor and come in one- to five-bedroom layouts.
Each tower, One Waterline Square, Two Waterline Square, and Three Waterline Square, is designed by its own high-profile architect and interior designer that offer their individual takes of luxurious city living. All homes are finished in a rich selection of hand-picked materials and feature custom kitchens, marble baths, over-sized windows, and breathtaking views.
While each of the three towers offers exclusive amenity space, all residents have access to the 100,000-square-foot Waterline Club. Bells and whistles include an indoor tennis court, two swimming pools, a soccer field, an indoor skate park, art studios, and music rooms...to name but a few! The new development is also home to Harry's Table by Cipriani, the hospitality magnate's first-ever food hall.
Each tower, One Waterline Square, Two Waterline Square, and Three Waterline Square, is designed by its own high-profile architect and interior designer that offer their individual takes of luxurious city living. All homes are finished in a rich selection of hand-picked materials and feature custom kitchens, marble baths, over-sized windows, and breathtaking views.
While each of the three towers offers exclusive amenity space, all residents have access to the 100,000-square-foot Waterline Club. Bells and whistles include an indoor tennis court, two swimming pools, a soccer field, an indoor skate park, art studios, and music rooms...to name but a few! The new development is also home to Harry's Table by Cipriani, the hospitality magnate's first-ever food hall.
One Waterline Square, #28C
$4,450,000 (-5.2%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,688 ft2
One Waterline Square, #28C (Compass)
Notable listings with views of Riverside Park South
Avery, #7H
$1,599,000 (-11.1%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,058 ft2
Avery, #7H (Blu Realty Group)
220 Riverside Boulevard, #21G
$2,995,000 (-6.4%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,594 ft2
220 Riverside Boulevard, #21G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
The Aldyn, #PH3601
$6,500,000 (-5.8%)
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths | 2,930 ft2
The Aldyn, #PH3601 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
A dedication ceremony for Sara D. Roosevelt Park was held on September 14, 1934, where Harry H. Schlacht, the founder of East Side Home News announced that this day was to be the day of “the birth of the new Lower East Side.” The park sits on land acquired by the city in 1929 and original plans were to widen Chrystie and Forsyth streets, and to also construct new low-cost housing in between. The latter plans were set aside for a new park and when it opened, it had seven distinct play areas (some separate for boys and girls), two wading pools and a roller skating rink.
The park is named for Sara Delano Roosevelt (1854-1941), the mother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), who was known for her philanthropic work. At the dedication ceremony, performances and a cannon solute paid tribute to the patriotism and ethnic diversity of the largely immigrant neighborhood. In 1996, a $2.7 million capital project raised a portion of the previously sunken park to street level and added a new playground, basketball courts, and sidewalks.
Sara D. Roosevelt has experienced disrepair in recent years. But in March 2025, Our Town Downtown found that conditions have improved and that Chinatown residents have embraced the section of the park from Canal to Hester Streets. Meanwhile, developers remain optimistic – witness the line of boutique condos with private terraces overlooking the treetop views.
The park is named for Sara Delano Roosevelt (1854-1941), the mother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), who was known for her philanthropic work. At the dedication ceremony, performances and a cannon solute paid tribute to the patriotism and ethnic diversity of the largely immigrant neighborhood. In 1996, a $2.7 million capital project raised a portion of the previously sunken park to street level and added a new playground, basketball courts, and sidewalks.
Sara D. Roosevelt has experienced disrepair in recent years. But in March 2025, Our Town Downtown found that conditions have improved and that Chinatown residents have embraced the section of the park from Canal to Hester Streets. Meanwhile, developers remain optimistic – witness the line of boutique condos with private terraces overlooking the treetop views.
At 17 stories high, Freeman Residences towers over surrounding buildings and cantilevers over a neighboring low-rise building from its address up the street from Sara D. Roosevelt Park. However, its light brick facade, arched windows, and setback terraces pay tribute to prewar architecture.
The building will house ground-floor retail, 40 rental units, and 18 boutique penthouses with private outdoor space on the uppermost floors. Prices for these one-bedrooms will start at $1.65 million (per the offering plan), and Art Deco-inspired interiors will feature high ceilings, large windows, luxurious finishes, generous closet space, and in-unit laundry. Amenities will include a fitness center, bike storage, a private garden, and a roof terrace with Manhattan skyline views.
The building will house ground-floor retail, 40 rental units, and 18 boutique penthouses with private outdoor space on the uppermost floors. Prices for these one-bedrooms will start at $1.65 million (per the offering plan), and Art Deco-inspired interiors will feature high ceilings, large windows, luxurious finishes, generous closet space, and in-unit laundry. Amenities will include a fitness center, bike storage, a private garden, and a roof terrace with Manhattan skyline views.
Notable listings with views of Sara D. Roosevelt Park
38 Delancey Street, #10D (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
199 Chrystie Street, #4S
$2,750,000 (-5.2%)
Lower East Side | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 1,267 ft2
199 Chrystie Street, #4S (Compass)
215 Chrystie Street, #28E (Sothebys International Realty)
FORSYTH, #PH6 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
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