7. Louis Valentino Junior Park (Red Hook, Brooklyn)

The above photo shows it crowded from a 3D boat race in the September of 2015, but normally, Louis Valentino Jr. Park is a nice respite from the ever-increasing crowds just a few blocks south near the ferry landings. Named in honor of a fallen firefighter and NYC Parks Department lifeguard, this pier was built on former bustling shipping industry property. There’s also a long pier, also named after Valentino, that takes you further out into the Buttermilk Channel.