Bryant Park

Who knew that Bryant Park has the fanciest public restroom in New York City? It boasts of fresh flowers, art, and a classical music soundtrack. This Beaux Arts building hides a lovely restroom oasis. The bathrooms were funded by private donors. There are only two stalls for men and three for women. The first thing you will notice are the fresh flowers, paintings of the park made by artists-in-residence, and even bathroom attendants, all set to a background of curated classical music. Large frosted glass windows let light gently into the space. The toilets, sinks, and other fixtures are the same luxury brand used at the MoMa. The building, which is a historic landmark, underwent a roughly $300,000 renovation in 2017. Bathroom attendants don't accept tips. This is a must see if you are in Bryant Park

We visited a few weeks before Christmas and were able to see the ice skaters take to the rink. Vendors selling their wares in covered tents helped us out with the Christmas list. Food and drink is available, too. Don't forget to take a peek at the 42nd St. Library adjacent to the park.

Bryant Park has a Winter Village set up from Octoberish to early January with holiday gift shopping, treats & eats, and an ice skating rink. I did not skate because I’m from Texas where ice only goes in your tea glass, but I saw plenty of amateurs falling all over the ice. I browsed the shops and bought a few items; there are all kinds of things and many are made by local artisans. There’s plenty of warm food from local restaurants as well, including coffee and hot chocolate options. Definitely a fun stop to check out at least once!

This is the park at the iconic New York Public Library.
There is an upscale restaurant facing the park that is very good quality but a little pricey.
When we were in the skating rink was open so there were lots of reasonable food choices available.
The park is clean and well maintained and just a great place to chill

During our stay in NY we came daily to Bryant Park, since our hotel was a few streets away and we often enjoyed having a coffee and a baked good while sitting at one of the many tables spread throughout the park.
There are stalls selling baked goods and coffee, when we visited an ice ring, free toilets and lots of benches and tables where you can sit while enjoying the free wifi.
We really enjoyed in the evening spending some time here while looking at the empire state building lit in a different color depending on the occasion.
Attached to the park you will also find the new york public library, one of the best ones I have been at.
Really really lovely, I strongly suggest you to pay a visit.

Bryant Park is a great park located in the heart of midtown serving as a calm oasis in the hustle and bustle of the city. This month I have had the opportunity to visit the Christmas markets on a few occasions. As in past years, this village offers an array of brands meeting various gift needs. I took further comfort in seeing both shop owners and park personnel taking steps to clean various areas of the park. This aspect of cleanliness has kept me a regular visitor through all four seasons. For the present moment the Christmas Village and Ice Skating Rink is a nice break and/ or ending to the day!

This was a lovely and well organized skating rink with fun music and friendly attendants!! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because you are not allowed to leave your shoes anywhere at all without paying $12. You read that right. You leave your shoes and they will be confiscated and you must pay them $12 to get them back. You must bring a lock to utilize the lockers or pay for a lock (also $12). The bag check is also $12. So instead of just adding $12 to the $18 fee and being upfront about pricing, they hide it. Other than this, it was a fun time. Note: Clean bathrooms too .

Myself and my daughter went to ice skate at 1pm on a Monday in November.
Tje whole experience was amazing. To rent skates was about $22 for 55 minutes! That's a really long time on the ankles! When we arrived it snowed lightly, such a pretty venue, right in the middle of midtown manhattan, we got amazing hot chocolate for $5. The ice scaring was so organised from picking up skates, skating and dropping off skates. All the staff were so very nice and helpful. And a big plus was the bathrooms were very clean and very available, as someone walking around the city endlessly will appreciate.
I would hughly recommend it as the best ice-skating in the city.

There can’t be many parks in the world with a backdrop like Bryant Park. Surrounded by the skyscrapers of Midtown, included the spire of the Empire State Building in the middle distance, it’s incredible to sit in the park and admire the view. And if you feel like taking part in activities, there's plenty to do. In winter there’s an ice rink, but in warmer weather there’s a board games area where you can borrow playing cards or a chess set or even Monopoly if time is no object. And, for slightly more strenuous summer exercise, there’s boule and ping pong. There are lots of place to get food, including the Grill. But if you want to be a bit more thrifty, there's a Pret and a Whole Foods on 6th Ave where you can buy food to eat in the park. One more thing, do not leave without visiting the toilets/restrooms. They are the fanciest public loos I have ever seen.

If you found the skating at Rockefeller Center to crowded, head to Bryant Park, located on 42nd Street and 5th ave. They have a nice Christmas village set up with vendors, pop up eateries, and a nice skating rink. Skating can be expensive, around $40 for 2 hrs, it is a nice alternative to RC. Nicely located and easy walking distance from Times Square area. Plenty of Restaurants nearby. Even after the new year, this is really nice park just stop and rest during the spring and summer.