7. Sutton Place Parks, Between 53rd and 58th streets

FDR parks-Sutton Place-Wild Boar-East River-NYC-Untapped Cities-Stephanie GeierWild Boar at Sutton Place Park

Five cozy, distinctive pocket parks, created during the FDR Drive’s construction in 1938, span these five blocks. The park on 57th street contains a 1972 replica of the Renaissance sculpture, Wild Boar, while another between 53rd and 54th streets centers around a 1971 sculpture of a celestial globe.

Ship merchant and entrepreneur Effington B. Sutton was part of the minority of prospectors that succeeded during the Gold Rush. He built brownstone homes between 57th and 58th streets in 1875 with the vision of creating a residential area. The surrounding picturesque townhouses and an unusually quiet atmosphere allow for a comforting sense of privacy with excellent views of the Queensboro Bridge and Long Island City.