Plazas in New York

Bryant Park

After Work / All Ages / Brunch

Party Earth Review A luscious swath of green just behind the New York Public Library, Bryant Park is an activity-filled mecca for people of all ages and interests. Young professionals and local office workers take over the hundreds of patio tables on sunny afternoons to people-watch over lunch, as students stretch out on the grass to read ... more

Between 40th and 42nd Street just east of Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10018

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Union Square

After Work / All Ages / Bars / Free

Party Earth Review With its famous chess tables dotting 14th Street and its alternative artistic vibe, Union Square has been one of Manhattan’s defining cultural landmarks since the 1800s when it was the site for union rallies. Now a favorite with NYU students and local lunching workers, the park offers plenty of conversation pieces and people ... more

14th to 17th Street between Union Square West (University) and Union Square East (Fourth Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

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Times Square

All Ages / All Types / Bars / Free

Party Earth Review One of the busiest, most frenetic, and most visually stimulating urban centers in the world, Times Square offers a vast assortment of dining, shopping, and entertainment options that go beyond its famous bright lights and giant flashing advertisements. Usually filled with hordes of tourists and people who work in the area ... more

42nd Street to 50th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019

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Rockefeller Center

All Ages / All Types / Bars / Free

Party Earth Review Sprawling from 48th to 51st Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue, the world-famous Rockefeller Center is a bustling nerve center that welcomes millions of local and foreign visitors every year. Weekdays see the area abuzz with everyone from business people and ad execs hurrying off to lunch meetings to the more ... more

48th to 51st Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
New York, NY 10112

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Bryant Park - Outdoor Activity | Park | Square in NYC

The biggest metropolises around the world always seem to have multiple plazas and squares that serve as centralized focal points for the biggest events and happenings in the city. New York is no different, as a number of plazas are not only iconic landmarks, but active participants in New Yorkers daily lives.

The plazas in New York are good for a great number of things. They’re perfect as a centralized meeting spot – especially when it’s so easy to get lost among the millions of people. They are always in the middle of maddeningly busy areas filled with endless stores for shopping, incredible restaurants, great bars, and more. And ultimately, they give New Yorkers something they seldom find, a little bit of breathing room to sit back and relax for a beat.

The most famous NYC plaza is unquestionably Times Square. One of the craziest, most hectic, and most visually stunning plazas in the world, Times Square is a smorgasbord of dining, shopping, and entertainment. The square is completely packed during festivals and holidays, and none more so than New Year’s Eve when the famous ball drop commences every year at midnight.

Other popular New York plazas include Rockefeller Center, which is a sprawling megaplex of shopping, eating, and entertainment, and Union Square, which is a favorite hangout of NYU students and also known for its chess tables along 14th street.

The massive plazas and squares in NYC are of course packed with tourists, theater lovers, and bar-hoppers of all kinds, but they’re also great hubs of culture and entertainment that any New Yorker or traveler can appreciate equally.