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A planned residential community on the southwestern tip of Manhattan, Battery Park City was literally built on landfill and has grown into one of the most park-dense corners of the borough. For a parent of a toddler, the outdoor situation is genuinely good. Rockefeller Park has a large playground with baby swings, sandpits, water sprays, and plenty of shade, plus wide lawns running along the Hudson. Teardrop Park, tucked between apartment buildings nearby, has a tall slide that feeds into a sand pit and shaded winding paths small kids love. The New York Public Library's Battery Park City branch on North End Avenue has a dedicated children's reading area and runs regular programs for little ones. The neighborhood is essentially one long pedestrian esplanade. You can push a stroller from playground to playground without crossing a busy street. Getting here from the rest of Manhattan does mean crossing West Side Highway, so most families take a short bus or cab ride from the nearest subway stops, or use the free Downtown Connection bus. Weekends feel quieter than the Financial District immediately next door, which makes the whole area easier to navigate with a small kid in tow.