Not So Central Parks: Fort Tryon

New York City is teeming with beautiful parks and green spaces. If you're looking to spread your wings and explore beyond Central Park look no further than Fort Tryon. Full disclosure: this is my absolute favorite NYC park. Picturesque doesn't even begin to explain the views you'll find here. Located in Upper Manhattan's Inwood neighborhood the park is easily accessible from the 190th Street stop on the A train. In every season Fort Tryon exudes an incredible serenity that invites anybody, local or tourist, to pop in your headphones, whip out your camera and get lost.

When you first enter the park you are greeted by a verdant walkway that makes you stop for just a second to take it all in.

In the spring and summer the walkway is full of colorful flowers like this.

And this.

And this.

The walkway is just as amazing in the fall when the leaves begin to change.

Parallel to the walkway is a spectacular view of the George Washington Bridge.

Fort Tryon is full of quaint places to sit and take in the view.

Past the park's initial walkway is one of Fort Tryon's landmark features: this unforgettable arch.

You can sit in the arch's windows and continue to soak in the view of the bridge.

Or you can stroll through it with a loved one.

Once you reach the end you'll find a set of stairs that takes you upward giving you an aerial view of the arch.

If you keep walking upward and follow the signs you'll eventually hit The Cloisters, a museum located within Fort Tryon.

The Cloisters is a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and features a collection of medieval paintings and sculptures. The museum itself is evocative of the era.

The museum has stunning gardens perfect for thoughtful afternoons.

On the opposite side of the park is a large concrete space perfect for groups of friends to hang out or intimate weddings like this one I stumbled upon.

One edge of this space offers several benches overlooking this particularly breathtaking vista.

The other edge gives you a more metropolitan skyline like this nighttime view.

And there you have it! Fort Tryon Park is large enough to spend an entire afternoon well into the night and gives you the opportunity to experience magnificent sunsets like the one pictured here.

Next time you want to take a stroll in the park or are at a loss for a recommendation for a friend consider Fort Tryon Park and experience another wonderful New York City gem.