Baby-friendly outings (ages 0–1) in New York
With a baby, the outing is half for you: somewhere flat to push the stroller, space to sit and feed, and something to look at while they nap. Every place here gets our top rating, 5 out of 5, for babies under one, and all of them work with a stroller and the subway.
The waterfront parks are New York's stroller heaven: Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City are flat the whole way with benches everywhere. For quiet, the botanic gardens (Brooklyn's is free under 12) or the Conservatory Garden in Central Park. Among libraries, the children's floors at the new NYPL branch and Brooklyn's Central Library have baby storytimes and changing tables. And the free Staten Island Ferry runs every half hour: the baby sleeps, you watch the Statue of Liberty.
- 21 places
- 13 free
- 21 stroller-friendly
- closest is 5 min away
21 places
Travel times from Midtown, by subway or car
NYPL Stavros Niarchos Library children's floor
5.0Manhattan · 5 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park or 7 to 5 Av; right outside the station
Ride the elevated 7 train to Flushing
5.0Queens · 5 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Board the 7 at Grand Central or Times Sq and ride to the last stop, Flushing–Main St, about 35 minutes
Roosevelt Island Tramway
5.0Manhattan · 10 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Subway 4/5/6/N/R/W to 59 St–Lexington Av, then a 3-minute walk to the tram station
Central Park: the Ramble, Belvedere Castle and Turtle Pond
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway B/C to 81 St or 1 to 79 St, then a 10-minute walk; don't drive
Central Park: Conservatory Water model boats and the Alice statue
5.0Manhattan · 15 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 6 to 77 St, enter at Fifth Ave and 72 St, then a 5-minute walk
Hudson River Park (around Pier 25)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to Franklin St or A/C/E to Canal St, then an 8-minute walk
Little Island
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C/E/L to 14 St–8 Av, then a 10-minute walk to Pier 55
Staten Island Ferry (free Statue of Liberty views)
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 1 to South Ferry or R/W to Whitehall St; the terminal is right outside
Ride the NYC Ferry East River route
5.0Manhattan · 20 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Board at Wall St/Pier 11 or E 34th St; buy a $4.50 ticket in the app, strollers roll straight on
Brooklyn Bridge Park piers
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway A/C to High St or F to York St, then an 8-minute walk; NYC Ferry to DUMBO
Jane's Carousel glass pavilion
5.0Brooklyn · 25 min away
1 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Subway F to York St or A/C to High St, then an 8-minute walk; NYC Ferry to DUMBO
Governors Island
5.0Manhattan · 30 min away
4 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: Ferry from the Battery Maritime Building (10 minutes); free before 11am on weekends, otherwise $5 round trip and free under 12
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
5.0Queens · 30 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 7 to Mets–Willets Point or 111 St; paid lots if you drive
Brooklyn Central Library youth wing
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
1.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy–Brooklyn Museum; right outside the station
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
5.0Brooklyn · 30 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$ · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Eastern Pkwy or B/Q/S to Prospect Park, then a 3-minute walk
Prospect Park: Long Meadow and the Audubon Center
5.0Brooklyn · 35 min away
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Subway 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza or B/Q to Prospect Park, then a 5-minute walk
Liberty State Park
5.0Jersey City · 35 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Hudson-Bergen Light Rail to Liberty State Park station; free parking if you drive
New York Botanical Garden
5.0Bronx · 40 min away
3.5 h · stroller-friendly
$$$ · Getting there: Metro-North Harlem Line from Grand Central, 20 minutes to Botanical Garden station; or subway B/D to Bedford Park Blvd and a 10-minute walk
Queens County Farm Museum
5.0Queens · 55 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: Driving is easiest, with a free lot; or subway E/F to Kew Gardens and the Q46 bus
Rockefeller State Park Preserve carriage roads
5.0Pleasantville · 60 min away
3 h · stroller-friendly
$ · Getting there: About 50 minutes by car, parking $6; or Metro-North to Tarrytown and a taxi
Muscoot Farm
5.0Katonah · 75 min away
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Getting there: About 65 minutes by car, free lot
💡 Good to know
- Many subway stations have no elevator; check the MTA accessibility map, or take the bus, which is all low-floor and takes strollers straight on.
- The waterfront is windy; bring an extra blanket, and in summer find the shaded stretch.