Why you should experience Highland Park in New York, NY.
Highland Park is a serene public park where Cypress Hills' rolling landscapes, ecological diversity, nineteenth-century park design, and neighborhood recreation converge across one of Brooklyn and Queens' most distinctive green spaces.
Set along Jamaica Avenue near Highland Boulevard and just steps from Ridgewood Reservoir, the park blends wooded hillsides, scenic overlooks, winding pathways, athletic facilities, and historic landscape features into a setting that feels remarkably removed from the surrounding city. Elevated terrain, mature tree canopies, open lawns, and carefully planned circulation routes create an atmosphere where recreation and landscape design remain closely connected. Walkers, runners, birdwatchers, historians, and neighborhood residents continue returning throughout the year to experience one of New York City's most distinctive hillside parks. The result is an experience defined by natural beauty, historic landscape planning, and enduring community stewardship.
What you should know about Highland Park.
Highland Park is best known for opening in 1901 following the acquisition of former Brooklyn Water Works property, expanding Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux's broader park planning vision while transforming elevated terrain between Brooklyn and Queens into a major public landscape serving surrounding neighborhoods. Covering approximately 141 acres, the park incorporates dramatic topography, wooded slopes, meadows, athletic fields, playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, pedestrian circulation networks, and panoramic viewpoints overlooking portions of Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. Landscape improvements directed by the Brooklyn Department of Parks and later the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation introduced extensive tree planting, circulation roads, ornamental plantings, recreational facilities, comfort stations, and public gathering areas while preserving much of the site's natural elevation and geological character. Continuing investment in woodland restoration, accessibility improvements, recreational infrastructure, horticultural management, trail maintenance, and long-term capital projects reinforces the park's importance as one of the largest public open spaces serving eastern Brooklyn and western Queens.
Ecological management emphasizes native woodland restoration, invasive species control, habitat enhancement, stormwater management, urban forestry, and biodiversity monitoring that strengthen the health of the park's natural landscape while supporting regional wildlife. Recreational programming includes youth athletics, seasonal community events, environmental education, volunteer stewardship, fitness activities, and neighborhood partnerships that encourage sustained public engagement across all seasons. Long-range planning integrates landscape preservation, accessibility upgrades, climate resilience, infrastructure renewal, ecological restoration, and resource management that protect the park's historic character while preparing it for future generations. Together these ecological initiatives, recreational programs, preservation efforts, and infrastructure investments demonstrate how Highland Park continues advancing public recreation while remaining one of New York City's most significant historic parks.
How to fold Highland Park into your trip.
Highland Park is best experienced as the culmination of a day exploring Cypress Hills' remarkable blend of natural landscapes, historic infrastructure, and public green space.
Begin at Forest Park, where expansive woodlands, historic carriage roads, and broad recreational landscapes introduce the ecological character that defines this section of Queens before the route gradually shifts toward higher terrain. Continue to Ridgewood Reservoir, where restored grasslands, freshwater habitat, and one of New York City's most successful adaptive ecological projects deepen appreciation for the landscape that surrounds the park while naturally drawing the journey onward. Continue to Highland Park Children's Garden, where community horticulture, educational planting beds, and seasonal blooms reveal how environmental stewardship operates at a neighborhood scale before arriving at the park itself. Conclude at Highland Park, where rolling hills, historic landscape architecture, restored woodlands, and sweeping views unite more than a century of public investment into the defining expression of this remarkable green corridor. Together these destinations reveal how ecology, preservation, recreation, and thoughtful landscape design have shaped one of eastern New York City's most rewarding outdoor experiences.
Where your story begins.
Start the planning journey with Foresyte Travel.
Experience immersive stories crafted for luxury travelers.
