Home to the Unisphere, the giant steel globe created for the 1964 World’s Fair, Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the largest park in Queens and the second largest in the entire city. See a bit of the park’s history, as many structures from the 1939-40 World Fair survived, including the Meadow Lake boathouse and the New York City Building. In addition to the New York Hall of Science, Queens Museum, Arthur Ashe Stadium, and Citi Field, the park grounds offer fields, a zoo, a boating lake, a skate park, and a $66 million aquatic and hockey center. And don’t forget about the barbecue. Turn the grill on at 111th Street and 55th Avenue or off Lake West and Lake East.
If hoping to barbecue with the soothing sounds of crashing waves in the background, head over to Far Rockaway at O’Donohue Park. Located on the eastern tip of the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk, the park, while not directly on the sand, was converted from a parking lot into a newly designed space with baseball fields, a basketball court, exercise equipment, and a picnic area, as well as views of the East Rockaway Inlet.
Prospect Park, the mammoth-sized 585-acre Brooklyn oasis, offers hundreds of activities to do year-round. Since the 19th century, it’s served New Yorkers as one of the best picnicking destinations, currently with over a dozen designated barbecue locations. Set up at Long Meadow North, near the Picnic House, the Bandshell, the 15th Street Lawn, the 10th Avenue Lawn, and the Lincoln Road picnic area, among others.
Tucked away in the corner of Coney Island, Kaiser Park allows visitors to play sports, fish at its pier, barbecue, and relax, all steps from the beach. In addition to 20 grills, the park also has basketball and handball courts and baseball and soccer fields. Different bird species, like the red-winged blackbird, red-crested mergansers, and marsh hawks flock to this area.
Located at the center of Red Hook, Coffey Park serves as a civic and recreational space for residents of the Brooklyn neighborhood. The nearly nine-acre park has a spray shower, playground, swings, game tables, basketball and handball courts, and a baseball diamond. After a $2.3 million renovation in 2014, it received a brand new barbecue area with grills and picnic tables. Grill some hamburgers and hotdogs at Verona and Richard Streets and Verona and Dwight Streets.
Part of the Greenbelt, the largest Parks sub-system, Willowbrook Park is considered one of Staten Island’s most popular destinations. Spanning 164 acres, with spacious areas for wildlife and recreational facilities, this park offers something to do for everyone. In addition to its notable Carousel for All Children, a handicap-accessible merry-go-round, there are also tennis courts, playgrounds, an archery range, and hiking spots. Find the park’s designated barbecue area at the Eaton Place Entrance of the park.
This 193-acre park on Staten Island’s North Shore in West Brighton is known for its flush natural history and ecological assets. Its three lakes, ponds, serpentine rocks, and a 300-year-old tulip tree, the borough’s oldest and largest living thing, make this park a nature lover’s paradise. In addition to all of the trails and bodies of water Cloves Lakes Park has, there are several baseball and soccer fields, a basketball court, a football field, and an outdoor ice skating rink. Cozy barbecues can be held at the picnic area at Clove Road and Victory Boulevard.
While not actually in New York, Liberty State Park provides some of the most breathtaking views of the city. This Jersey City park sits on New York Harbor less than 2,000 feet from the Statue of Liberty. Once an abandoned and desolate site of debris, the reconstruction of Liberty State Park helped revitalize the North Jersey neighborhood. A two-mile promenade, Liberty Walk, connects the picnic area, the Interpretive Center, and the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal. The park also offers kayak tours, fishing, crabbing, and boat launches. Liberty State Park provides seven open-air group picnic areas that offer picnic tables and a grill at designated spots. Find more about the rules and regulations of barbecuing at Liberty State Park here.
Another getaway outside of the city, Jones Beach State Park can be found on an island located in Wantagh in Nassau County, just 20 miles from New York City. The 6.5-mile-long oceanfront park is known for its beaches and continues to be one of the most popular summer recreational areas in the metropolitan area, with nearly six million beachgoers each year. With an ocean-liner theme, visitors can enjoy a walk on the boardwalk, play miniature golf, and shuffleboard, or attend a concert at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater. Host your barbecue near the beach at the park’s fields 1, 6, and 10 in the designated grilling areas.