10 upcoming events · 0 local studios
Manhattan's big outdoor escape, Randalls and Wards Island is a nearly 500-acre park sitting in the East River between East Harlem, the South Bronx, and Astoria. Almost all of it is open parkland, which makes it feel genuinely different from the rest of the borough, especially on a weekend when the fields are full and the paths along the water are quiet enough to actually hear your kid. For small kids, the main draw is Randall's Island Park itself. There's a playground with a sprinkler, swings, and a slide, right next to the Urban Farm, where chickens, vegetable beds, and fruit trees give toddlers plenty to point at. Miles of flat, paved waterfront paths make stroller pushing easy once you're there. Getting there takes a little planning. There's no subway on the island, but you can take the M35 bus from 125th Street and Lexington, connecting from the 4, 5, or 6 train, or walk or roll a stroller across the 103rd Street Footbridge, open year-round from the East River Esplanade at East 103rd Street. NYC Parks runs events on the island throughout the season, and a handful are on this calendar right now.