Washington Square Park

The symbolic heart of Greenwich Village, Washington Square Park is one of NYC’s most recognizable public spaces. Pass beneath the Washington Arch—the giant structure marking the park’s Fifth Avenue entrance on the north side—and you’ll see the energy that makes the place so special. NYU students congregate around a central fountain; sunbathers lie on the lawn; musicians sit on benches strumming guitars; and canines run gleefully amok in two dog runs. The park’s black-brick paths and vintage-style streetlights lend it a 19th-century feel, as does a majestic bronze statue of Garibaldi.