"This was a great place to unwind and feel the power of being with my fellow humans."
"A fantastic free cost place to visit in Manhattan."
"The location is very convenient. The subway station is close."
"Bryant Park in New York is a gem nestled amidst the bustling cityscape."
"Nestled amidst the bustling heart of Manhattan, Bryant Park stands as an oasis of tranquility amid the urban frenzy."
"Beautiful and small park in the heart of Manhattan next to 5th avenue."
"Bryant Park, nestled in the heart of New York City, is a verdant oasis amid the concrete jungle."
Cons:
"Only problem is that it is very very crowded and some of the food stalls had very long lines."
"It was so crowded you couldn't get anywhere."
"The crowds were so intense it made the whole experience unpleasant."
"It gets super crowded around Christmas time when it is thronged by tourists and some locals for the Christmas market and ice skating."
"However, it's worth noting that the charm and allure of Bryant Park during this time also mean it can get quite crowded."
"The only downside to Bryant Park is the crowds, especially during the spring and summer months."
"This place it’s a bit of a bitter sweet. The place is great a lot of eating options and drinking options. However, it’s just sooo overcrowded!"
Activities & Events
Pros:
"We really loved the ice skating. It was one of the highlights of our Christmas weekend trip."
"It hosts over 1,000 free activities annually, including outdoor movies, yoga classes, and ice skating in the winter."
"The seasonal transformations, from the winter ice skating rink to the summer outdoor movie nights, ensure that the park offers diverse experiences year-round."
"The Summer Stage at Bryant Park in Manhattan offers a vibrant array of free cultural performances."
"Skating here, surrounded by the dazzling city lights and the buzz of the city, is a quintessential New York experience during the holidays."
"The movie nights during summer are so cool, best open cinema I've ever been to."
"In the summer, you can join free yoga classes or watch movies outside."
Cons:
"I was disappointed that when I arrived in October, the crew had already begun the preparations for the Winter Village."
"However, they let way too many people on the ice at once. It got too crowded about halfway through our hour."
"The staff handing out skates had an attitude, makes you not want to ask them anything & they weren’t very helpful with sizing will just tell you to look at the size chart."
"I suggest getting smaller groups of people on each hour if you don't have the right staff or protocols for this kind of place."
"Only issue was you couldn't easily just watch the ice skaters it was all blocked off."
"But it's still a little scary at night."
"I didn't like how people could take the chairs and sit on the lawn in front of all the blanket sitters."
Food & Vendors
Pros:
"Wonderful during the holidays but it is expensive! Food is more filling than you expect so plan to do it one at a time."
"We got to ice skating, eat delicious street food."
"Love the pastry kiosks."
"The winter market here has unique gifts and foods in small booths throughout the park."
"We enjoyed some excellent Mexican cuisine from the range of street food on offer from competing vendors."
"The holiday village has food vendors selling just about every type of cuisine, and it's all pretty good grub."
"There are several places to grab a bite to eat. We tried the menu from the Chinese, Indian, and Mexican restaurants and everything was delicious."
Cons:
"We expected to find cheaper crafts, but everything was really expensive."
"Many of the shops and activities are highly overpriced. Macaroons coming in at $37 dollars for 12 is a little wild."
"The vendors, while great, are so overpriced you end up just looking at everything and wishing it wasn’t so expensive!"
"The park is beautiful, but the food sucks and is over price. The flea market is also over price, but that is understandable."
"Not worth the tiktok hype. Very crowded, prizes are sky high."
"Christmas time they have wonderful booths where you get to pay top dollars, plus 40%, for average clothing and average knick-knacks."
"The booths contain mass produced items instead of local artisan- union square Christmas market had much more unique stalls."
Facilities & Cleanliness
Pros:
"Really nice resting stop in Midtown. the restroom is clean and well maintained."
"Bryant Park also boasts the cleanest public bathrooms I've ever seen in New York."
"Iconic...clean restroom with fresh flowers."
"The restroom is very clean, cleanest i have seen for a public washroom."
"Beautiful park and free public restrooms within attendant."
"Bryant Park does, however, have wonderful bathrooms on 42nd where there is a man and a woman in charge, controlling the line and mopping up after every fourth user."
"These pristine facilities provide a welcome respite for park-goers amidst the chaos of city life."
Cons:
"There is always a huge line to use the bathrooms."
"Bathrooms - in the park - super long lines."
"There are toilets, but once again: not really well organized, you’ll be waiting 30 minutes at least."
"The vendors were absolutely packed. Big lines everywhere."
"However, despite there being signs for handicapped accessibility, only a few unmarked access points don't have stairs."
"If you're going to eat your lunch there and you are sitting by the ivy patches, do not put anything on the ground, including your garbage, because the rats will come out from the ivy and snatch it."
"Nearby, an unidentified syringe that smells like hemp and has been used up and thrown away is also found."