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There are few pleasures in life simpler than cooking outside. After all, cooking inside is a recent trend in the grand scheme of things, and every summer provides the opportunity to get in touch with your fire-reliant roots.
Most NYC parks that offer barbecue areas also allow you to bring in your own grill, if you're a purist or the installed units are all taken. Other things to keep in mind: you must always be 10ft from the nearest tree, dumping coals on roots of trees is forbidden and all parks require that you have a permit for parties of 20 or more and take at least a month to process.
Now that the rules of the cookout are out of the way, let's move onto what you came for—the grilling. Click on to explore the 15 Best NYC Parks for Cookouts.
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15. Fort Washington Park
Neighborhood: Hudson Heights
Address: Riverside Dr. and W. 181st St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/fortwashingtonpark
This historical park isn't just the home of the city's only lighthouse, but offers some prime grilling real estate anywhere north of 158th St.
14. Thomas Jefferson Park
Neighborhood: East Harlem
Address: 1st Ave and E. 112th St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/thomasjeffersonpark
This little park is usually bustling with activity, so take advantage of the quality people watching and wheel your grill into the center of the action. There's a pool nearby to reward yourself for all your hard work.
13. East River Park
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Address: FDR Dr. and 10th St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/eastriverpark
The six grills of East River Park are so coveted that you need a permit to use them, no matter what size your party is. But with a view this good, it might just be worth the advance planning—at least a month for most permits to be processed.
12. Fort Greene Park
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Address: Myrtle Ave and St. Edwards St.
Website: fortgreenepark.org
This quiet little park is a nice change of pace from giants like Prospect Park and Pelham Bay Park, while still covering ample acreage to set up your spread. Brooklyn's first park allows grilling anywhere on its grounds, though permanent grills have yet to be installed.
11. Inwood Hill Park
Neighborhood: Inwood
Address: Dyckman St. and Payson Ave
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/inwoodhillpark
The dramatic caves and ridges of Inwood Hill Park make for some great exploring of a glacier-worn landscape rarely seen in the city, including the only naturally occurring salt marsh left in Manhattan. All that exploring should work up the kind of appetite that only a good long grill session can cure.
10. Wolfe's Pond Park
Neighborhood: Staten Island
Address: Holten Ave and Hylan Blvd
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/wolfespondpark/
The combination of grilling and beach is a rare and beautiful recipe for a day well spent. The ten grills of Staten Island's Wolfe's Pond Park are calling for you to use them,once you've dried off from the surf. Or maybe that's the animals from the nearby nature preserve.
9. Red Hook Park
Neighborhood: Red Hook
Address: Bay St. and Columbia St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/redhookpark/
Though mostly known for its pool, the recreation area to the south of the popular Red Hook swimming hole is a great place for a post pool party. That is, if you can resist the easy temptations of the many food carts serving Latin fare from the baseball fields.
8. Forest Park
Neighborhood: Woodhaven
Address: Woodhaven Blvd and Forest Park Dr.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/forestpark
The 550 acres of Forest Park feature five grills in between the dense woods of the east side and the athletic fields of the west. The park also features free concerts in the warmer seasons.
7. Randall's Island Park
Neighborhood: Randall's Island
Address: 1 Randall's Island Park
Website: randallsisland.org
The incredibly scenic and activity-filled home to the Governor's Ball, also allows you to throw a party of your own when you set up camp at the far end of the Sunken Meadow Ballfields. When you're done grilling, you can visit the urban farms past the salt marsh and wetlands.
6. St. Nicholas Park
Neighborhood: Harlem
Address: St. Nicholas Ave and W. 135th St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/stnicholaspark
This gorgeous little park is the pride of the neighborhood and is usually bustling with families at play. The Harlem gem has barbecuing areas for a perfect family outing, and is dog friendly so no one needs to be left at home.
5. Manhattan Beach Park
Neighborhood: Manhattan Beach
Address: Oriental Blvd and Hastings St.
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/manhattanbeachpark
When you're deciding which beach to visit this summer, keep in mind there's only one in Brooklyn that will allow you the distinct pleasure of hot food off the grill after a dip in the cool water. Keep in mind that all New York Beaches are in restoration due to Hurricane Sandy and will have many changes in availability and services, check here for more info.
4. Pelham Bay Park
Neighborhood: Pelham Bay
Address: Wilkinson Ave and Bruckner Blvd
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/pelhambaypark/
The beauty of the water off the shores of Pelham Bay Park are no secret, so the 30 grills offered on the grounds are taken pretty quick. No worries, the city's largest park has more than enough room for you to make your own quarters within the grilling area, if you're willing to make the trek with one of your own, that is.
3. Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Neighborhood: Flushing
Address: Van Wyck Expressway and Jewel Ave
Website: nycgovparks.org/parks/fmcp/
When driving past Citi Field and the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, it's sometimes easy to forget about the haven of greenery just a stone's throw away. Flushing Meadows-Corona offers grills with ample space on either side of Meadow lake, and a respite from city life nestled in between some of its biggest structures.
2. Riverside Park
Neighborhood: Morningside Heights
Address: Riverside Dr. and W. 145th
Website: riversideparknyc.org
There aren't any grills installed in Riverside Park, but the little bit of planning required will be more than made up for by the view from Manhattan's best waterside park. Grilling is allowed anywhere above 145th street, which should give you ample space to set up a perimeter.
1. Prospect Park
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Address: Prospect Park West and 3rd St.
Website: prospectpark.org
Arguably the best park in New York, Prospect Park is the holy grail when it comes to cookouts. There are seven grilling areas in the enormous park, including the four coveted grills next to the west side picnic tables. Of course, anyone can bring their own grill and lay down the barbecue law in any designated barbecue area as well.