While Central Park or Prospect Park may be the spaces most commonly associated with parks in New York City, the diversity of the built environment here allows for a plethora of non-traditional open spaces. In the past, we’ve covered everything from Manhattan’s tiniest parks, to privately owned public spaces and indoor public spaces, to pocket parks. We also recently showcased the five New York City parks larger than Central Park. Now, we turn our attention to a type of open space made possible in a multi-level, multi-layered city: the elevated park and garden, sometimes hidden from view at street level. Here are ten to check out:

1. The Rooftop Gardens of Rockefeller Center

Atop Rockefeller Center, there are at least four immaculately manicured gardens. Above 610 and 620 Fifth Avenue (pictured above) are two matching gardens, with one used as an event space called 620 Loft &Garden. Both have a landscape design featuring shaped hedges around a central green, along with a rectangular blue pool where water spouts from a fountain in the shape of a frog. You may have caught the location featured in television shows like Gotham and Daredevil as well.

View from 620 Loft & Garden

At 630 Fifth Avenue, the building next door across 50th Street, there are two more gardens. One is the terrace of the Tishman Speyer office, which has more lush landscaping than 620 Loft & Garden with trees, flowers, and urns around an elevated grassy area. Check out our photos visiting all of these hidden gardens previously here.