1. Washington Square Park
9.5
W 4th St (btwn MacDougal St & University Pl), New York, NY
Park · Greenwich Village · 706 tips and reviews
Andrea Hong: Love everything about this place because it's just perfectly New York. Sit around the fountain, people watch some crazies, and enjoy an impromptu show by whatever talented musicians happen to hang by.
Vansi: Great people watching with great music on the weekends.
Gabriel Hayes: Great place to hang on a good weather day. Can read, picnic, study, relax, sun bathe or people watch.
2. Union Square Park
9.0
Union Sq E/W & Broadway (btwn E 14th & E 17th St), New York, NY
Park · 566 tips and reviews
M. K.: Beautiful place to people watch and catch up with friends. NYC Classic.
Daniel Karran: A New York staple filled with all different types of New Yorkers! Stop here to enjoy items from the farmer's market. Always busy but always fun! A good place to people watch or enjoy a cup of coffee
Afi Yellow-Duke: Great spot for meeting friends, people watching, and hanging out in the grass
3. Bryant Park
9.5
W 42nd St (btwn 5th & 6th Ave), New York, NY
Park · Midtown East · 1227 tips and reviews
Monica Bloom: summer movies, winter iceskating, great place to hang out during the day and people watch
The Corcoran Group: A mecca of fun things to do – outdoor films, ping pong and yoga in the summer, ice skating in the winter and great people watching all year round.
Kevin Michael Reed: One of the best thinking and people watching spots in Midtown. Relax. Enjoy.
7. Central Park
9.7
59th to 110th St (btwn 5th Ave & Central Park W), New York, NY
Park · Central Park · 1840 tips and reviews
Brad Hager: Great to experience as often as you can. So much to do and see. Great music, people watching, and walking in nature. Be sure to do a carriage ride, very relaxing, educational & scenic.
David Milberg: Bring my bike here occasionally on nice days. Great exercise, breathtaking views and a great place to people watch.
Liana Fong: It's freaking massive and beautiful and green! Can spend all day walking, sitting, picnicking, people watching, and wandering aimlessly
10. Tompkins Square Park
8.6
E 7th St to E 10th St (btwn Ave A & B), New York, NY
Park · East Village · 160 tips and reviews
M K: Tompkins is a great EV park. It's definitely one of my favorite people watching locations, with passersby embodying many EV idiosyncrasies.
Miguel de Leon: Dog runs, people watching, and good coffee -- what's not to like?
Giovanni D'Palma: Still has the old NY feel, it's a great spot to people watch or hang out in the nice weather with a book. Plenty of good food and bars around. Beautiful in the spring and home to a family of Hawks
11. Ground Support
8.5
399 W Broadway (btwn Spring & Broome St), New York, NY
Coffee Shop · SoHo · 507 tips and reviews
Mike Anz: Great place to sit inside or outside and relax with great coffee and people watch.
Chet Mancini: Grab a bench and people watch over some of the best espresso in SoHo. Free wifi (password is on a wood block on the counter).
Sumeet Shah: Come for the fantastic coffee, stay to work (Wifi!), eat (50% off food after 5 PM), or chill (best people watching spot in Soho).
14. High Line
9.5
btwn Gansevoort & W 34th St (btwn 10th & 12th Ave), New York, NY
Park · Chelsea · 1499 tips and reviews
Bethany Larson: What a surprising place! Views, plants, old and new. This is a great place for a walk, for reading or sketching, for people watching, and it is in Chelsea/Greenwich Village area.
Daniel: Excellent for people watching.
Jenn Schwartz: Best people watching.