Jared S.
Yelp
This is easily one of my favorite parks in the city. While you won't see anyone throwing frisbee or biking trails here like other parks in New York, what do you find are a great combination of locals, folks who work in the nearby offices, and super happy tourists who are simply excited to here.
As with most of us New Yorkers, I have often taken such spaces for granted in the past. Which is a shame because people come from all over the world just be here. Lately, whenever I see a visitor posing for photo for a selfie with the Flatiron building as a backdrop, I stop for a second (mentally that is as my feet usually keeping going so I'm not late for work) to appreciate the fact that I get to come here every week.
The park is very well cared-for, both by the people who walk through it and also by the city workers (big ups to them!). You won't see trash lying on the ground, aside from the random table at Shake Shack, which gets cleaned up pretty quickly. Speaking of Shake Shack, how cool is that they have a location right in this park. The lines often get pretty long from noon to about 1:30pm, so if you're in the mood for it, avoid those times.
There is often events going on that put on by local organizations in collaboration with the city and there is also a ton of bench seating all around the perimeter... perfect for eating lunch or just people or dog watching. There's an awesome little dog park on the most west end of the park along 5th ave. For a few years, I had a desk overlooking said dog park and during stressful moments, took short breaks to watch lively action below.
Speaking of animals, I find it both hilarious and pretty interesting when I come here and see tourists in awe of squirrels. Admittingly, in my dumb youth, I once teased a squirrel here with a granola bar by offering it and pulling back slightly (I was going to give it to him but wanted him to earn it). I turned my head to a group of giggling tourists who were watching and as I looked back, the squirrel decided playtime was over and had jumped on my shoulder. I got startled, the squirrel ate the granola bar which fell to the ground, and the tourists laughed even more. I couldn't help but laugh myself so it was a win-win-win.
The lesson of this random story is that Madison Square Park is a great place to enjoy, check it out whether you're a local or just visiting!