Rockefeller Park

Want to plop down a blanket on a sprawling lawn, relax and catch some sun... but don't feel like making the arduous trek all the way up to Central Park? No worries -- Nelson A. Rockefeller Park is like a mini Central Park right in Battery Park City's backyard (it's at the north end of BPC near River Terrace, to be exact).

The acres of lush, no-dogs-allowed green are perfect for having an afternoon picnic, taking in a free public concert in the summer, or simply watching the sun set over the Hudson.

The park's natural beauty is enhanced by some aesthetics of the artistic variety. The open-air, Doric-columned Pavilion, designed by Demetri Porphyrios, is magnificent, as is the statue of a nude Ulysses, which is huge in more ways than one (if you know what we mean). But, surprisingly, it is the park's playground that is the biggest draw for art lovers. There, mixed in with swings and tunnels for kids to enjoy, is Tom Otterness's The Real World. Part plaything, part sculpture, Otterness' world of little people and creatures and giant pennies is both beautiful to behold and fun to play with. In short, it's our kind of art.

By Tom