Explore 7 privately owned outdoor spaces in NYC that are open to the public
- Developers get extra square footage or zoning waivers in exchange for creating public green space
- A similar program allows public access to parks outside new developments along NYC’s waterfront
You don’t need to be a resident to stroll along the 58,000-square-foot Hallets Point Esplanade near the Durst Organization’s residential development in Astoria.
A “privately owned public space” might sound like an oxymoron, but in New York City, it’s a designation dating back to 1961 for the public plazas, parks, and lobbies that private owners maintain and keep open for all.
Developers get extra square footage or zoning waivers from the city in exchange for creating and maintaining a green space for the public to enjoy. According to the NYC Department of Planning, the city’s 590 privately owned public spaces (POPS), provide the equivalent of nine Bryant Parks, or 3.8 million square feet.
Three years ago, the New York Times documented compliance issues with the program. About one in five of the properties’ owners had violated the terms of their agreements. There have also been more recent controversies over developers’ duty to provide and maintain these spaces that are “easily seen and understood as open to the public” and convey “openness,” as the city’s design standards require.
The NYC Planning Department maintains a map of all the spaces that’s current as of October 2025, according to NYC OpenData. Although the majority of POPS are located either inside the lobbies of Manhattan’s downtown office buildings or in courtyards between them, a number of new residential projects in recent years have expanded New York’s public open space.
If you can’t access a POPS or if it’s poorly maintained, you can make a complaint to 311.
Here are four outdoor public spaces in new residential developments you can enjoy, whether you live there or not:
1. Domino Park in Williamsburg
300 Kent Ave. in Brooklyn
This six-acre park along the East River was built on the site of the former Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg in 2018. Along with greenspace and beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline, the park is a paradise for dogs with a dog run and doggy drinking fountain. For kids, there’s a playground with structures modeled after ones used for original sugar production, plus a water feature with 88 jets for cooling off this summer.
2. Sendero Verde in East Harlem
60th East 112th St. in Manhattan
This East Harlem lot between 11th and 112th streets west of Park Avenue sat empty for nearly 50 years, allowing neighbors to turn it into a thriving green space, according to Handel Architects, who designed this mixed-use affordable housing development along with DLAND Studio in collaboration with developers Jonathan Rose Companies, L+M Development Partners and Acacia Network.
This raised green space includes three NYC GreenThumb community gardens and seating areas. A winding walkway, which architects say was inspired by a historic Lenape path, leads through the 18,000-square-foot courtyard which has tables and seating, according to Handel’s website.
3. The Ritz-Carlton Plaza in Midtown
1185 Broadway in Manhattan
Whether or not you’re a guest staying in one of the Ritz-Carlton’s $1,700 a night rooms or one of its lucky penthouse residents, you can enjoy this green space next door near Madison Square Park and the 28th Street Flower Market. The 4,184-square-foot courtyard has trees, seating and tables, bicycle parking and a drinking fountain, according to the planning department’s map.
Developed by Marriott, Ritz Carlton Hotels and Flag Luxury Properties and designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, the Ritz-Carlton opened in July 2022.
4. 130 William St. in the Financial District
Block bounded by William, Fulton, and Gold streets in Manhattan
A three-bedroom condo inside this 66-story FiDi skyscraper, 130 William St., is listed for $3.87 million, but you can enjoy this 5,317-square-foot courtyard full of greenery for free. Sandwiched between stores, the green space has bike parking, seating, and tables, all in front of the luxury condo building’s arches, which resemble a Roman aqueduct.
When construction finished in building 2023, Adjaye Associates principal David Adjaye told New York YIMBY that the plaza was intended as an “urban living room.” Lightstone designed 130 William.
Waterfront public access areas
Similar to POPS, there’s also a planning department designation for “waterfront public access areas,” which refers to privately owned zoning lots where an owner provides public space along the shoreline in exchange for developing the site. A separate map from the planning department shows where you can find them.
“This is a similar concept to POPS, but they are exclusive to sites along the city shoreline with their own set of regulations,” said Joe Marvilli, deputy press secretary at NYC’s Department of Planning.
Here are three privately owned areas with waterfront views that anyone is free to enjoy.
1. Malt Drive Park in Long Island City
Newtown Creek waterfront near 2nd Street
Much like Domino Park, Malt Drive Park in Long Island City is a waterfront park in what was once an industrial area. Named after the beer distribution center that formerly occupied the shoreline of Newton Creek in Hunter’s Point South, the park opened in 2024 with verdant landscaping, a dog park and playground. SCAPE and TF Cornerstone turned this former Superfund site into this 3.5-acre shoreline park that features views of the Lower Manhattan skyline. SCAPE designed the park to mitigate flood risk, creating a gradual slope down toward the creek.
2. Hallets Point Esplanade in Astoria
East River waterfront adjacent to 20 and 30 Halletts Point
At this waterfront park, you can gaze upon the East River from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s old neighborhood of Astoria into his new one on the Upper East Side. With views of Gracie Mansion, Roosevelt Island, and the RFK Bridge, you can stroll along the 58,000-square-foot esplanade near the Durst Organization’s Hallets Point Development. Designed by Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects, this space includes native plants, areas for picnicking, and a playground inspired by nautical motifs.
3. Bankside Park in Mott Haven
2401 Third Ave. in the Bronx, near the Third Avenue Bridge
Bronx residents and visitors can enjoy the Harlem River waterfront on this 4.3-acre park, which includes wooden decks for sitting and shady spots for picnics. In 2024, Brookfield Properties built three residential towers and this public park on this former Brownfield site. Landscape architect MPFP designed Bankside Park’s esplanade to balance the waterfront’s industrial history with native ornamental plants.
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