A picnic in the park is a simple way to spend the day outdoors with your family, and NYC has no shortage of shady locations perfect for a packed lunch. Plus, with city parks boasting tons of diverse kid-friendly amenities and activities from carousels to kite-flying to fresh water fishing, a picnic in a new park is bound to turn into an exciting new adventure for you and your kids.

The High Line
The High Line has a few great, lesser known locales that make for a picturesque picnic destination!  The 10th Avenue Square (located on the High Line at West 17th Street and 10th Avenue) boasts peel-up picnic benches that are surrounded by flower maple trees and offers an amazing view of the Statue of Liberty; for an impromptu picnic, families will love the Chelsea Market Passage, which features cafe tables and chairs, as well as numerous vendors selling tasty snacks like Popsicles and cupcakes; finally, the High Line under the Standard Hotel offers families moveable cafe tables and chairs and breathtaking views of the Hudson River, Lower Manhattan, and the Meatpacking District. What's more, this spot offers families plenty of room to run and play, as the paths are particularly wide.

Riverside Park
Kids will love picnicking at the Locomotive Lawn (at 61^st Street); it has an Astroturf play area, picnic benches, and of course, a locomotive engine. Parents will love the spectacular view of the water, too. Another great choice is Linda’s Lawn (at 66^th Street), which features wide open lawns, willow trees and beautiful views. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument (at 89^th Street) is also a beautiful location for a picnic and is provides a gorgeous backdrop for family photos. The Crabapple Gardens (at 92^nd Street) are gorgeous (especially when the trees are in bloom), and are near the Hippo Playground, a favorite playground destination for young kids!

Brooklyn Bridge Park

Main and Plymouth Streets, Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Bridge Park has one of the best views in the city. There’s plenty of grass to lay down a blanket and plenty of playgrounds to keep children entertained.

Cherry Hill in Central Park

West of the Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, NY, NY

Wave Hill

675 West 252nd Street, Bronx, NY

Willowbrook Park and Carousel

Between Victory Blvd. and Eton Place, Staten Island, NY

Willowbrook Park has baseball fields, freshwater fishing, a kite-flying area and picnic tables. There’s also a carousel that’s $1 a ride and wheelchair accessible.

Kaiser Park

West 31^st and Neptune, Brooklyn, NY

Encompassing part of Coney Island, Kaiser Park has a fishing pier, bird watching and beautiful views. There are also soccer, baseball and football fields and 20 barbecue grills (available on a first come, first served basis).

Carroll Park

Court and Carroll Streets, Brooklyn, NY

With two playgrounds, a basketball and bocce court and tons of picnic tables and benches, Carroll Park already seems like the perfect picnic destination. But it’s also the home of the Carroll Park Kids’ Concert Series and a movie series.

Cunningham Park

196-22 Union Turnpike, Flushing, NY

Cunningham Park is the go-to picnic spot for Queens locals. With playgrounds, picnic grounds and a concert oval, Cunningham Park has plenty to do.

East River Park

Between 6^th and 12^th Streets on the FDR, New York, NY

East River Park boasts barbecue areas, basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields and beautiful views. There’s also a tot-play water area with harbor seal spray showers.