Bryant Park one of US’s ‘Great Spaces’

Metro

October 13, 2010

Bryant Park was named as one of the 10 best "Great Public Spaces" in the nation yesterday by the American Planning Association.

The 9.9 acre Midtown jewel was chosen as a site that "helps promote social interaction and a sense of community," according to the APA. It joins places like Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square and the Emerald Necklace in Boston.

New Yorkers agree the park, known for sunbathers in the summer and as an outdoor lunch spot during on weekdays, enhances life in the city. 

"I get a nice lunch break every day and I always come here. The aesthetics, the foliage the buildings, the people-watching - it's amazing," said subway conductor Jaceon Kimbro, 33, enjoying a book and a cigar yesterday in the park.

The next big event at the park, which features free Wi-Fi, will be the outdoor holiday shopping mall, which opens Nov. 5 this year.