Here’s a confession: I love New York City (especially during the Westminster Dog Show), but I never understood the appeal of Bryan Park. That’s right, I didn’t get why so many loved dog-friendly Bryan Park and posted on many NYC must-see lists.
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Granted, I’d only ever seen Bryan Park in the winter. Yes, the few kiosks open in the cold were cute, and of course I bought another scarf. (I own so many NYC street scarves). And yes, the winter skating rink was festive … when it was open. I took a few photos and headed to the library (which is around the corner) to visit the stone lions.
Then I experienced Bryan Park in the summer. Now I get it.
The Westminster Dog Show moved to Queens in 2023, so I had a little different NYC experience than in previous years. (Unfortunately, I missed 2024) and stayed in the borough. Yet, I still did my annual pilgrimage to Manhattan and visited my favourite haunts including The AKC Museum of the Dog. (More on that soon).
Dog-friendly Bryant Park NYC
Bryant Park in the summer is beautiful and vibrant, with so many people and dogs. It’s almost impossible to not see a dog. Even though there’s no off-leash site here, Bryant Park is a popular place to dog walk and brunch with the dog. Several kiosks offer pastries, coffee and more, and the many patio tables, easy to saddle up to with the pup, are almost Parisian.
It’s also a popular place to do other things. The charm of Bryant Park isn’t just the child-size historical merry-go-round, or the marble Victoria fountain, or the perfect green yard. This 9.6-acre city park, located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 40th and 42nd Streets, functions like an open-air community centre.
I watched pairs of strangers play for the ping pong table, others at tables accessing the free Wi-Fi and noticed the schedule of events like outdoor poetry readings, board game tournaments, bird watching tours, and Tai Chi.
Any dog events in dog-friendly Bryant Park?
You bet, thanks to the AKC Museum of the Dog.
Join fellow dog lovers every Wednesday morning at 11:30 am from June to August 2024, for an all-ages dog-themed craft workshop. Workshops (beginning June 5, 2024) are free, materials included, and it gets better: you can bring your dog. Wouldn’t your dog love a lunch hour of arts and crafts?
The area around the Art Cart on the Upper Terrace near the William Cullen Bryant statue is pet-friendly, so whether you’re in NYC with your dog or not, there’s a list of reasons to visit Bryant Park, especially in the summer. Then make sure to add the Museum of the Dog to your list, too.
History and Fun Facts about Bryant Park, NYC
- In 1686, the land was designated a public space and during the next two hundred years underwent many transformations and name changes.
- The park became Bryant Park in 1884, named after William Cullen Bryan, poet and editor of the New York Evening Post.
- Bryant Park was redesigned by landscape architect Lusby Simpson into a classical garden, with the great lawn and formal pathways, in 1934.
- Like much of mid-town Manhattan in the mid-20th century, the park became known as a sketchy area and hub for crime and drug deals.
- In the 1980s, the park became the Bryant Park Corporation, a private non-profit organization.
- Bryant Park was reopened as we now know it in 1992 with reinvigorated landscaping and new security systems.
If you go …
Leashed dogs are welcomed at Bryant Park in NYC, but can’t be walked on the central grass area and, of course, you’re expected to clean up after your dog. (There are no bag dispensers available).
The park is open every day including holidays, but not at night. Hours vary during the year, but generally, Bryant Park is open from 7 am to 10 pm. And there’s a staffed public bathroom open from 8 am to 10 pm, which is often hard to find in NYC.
Bryant Park is located at Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 40th and 42nd Streets in New York City. 42nd Street Bryant Park is the closest subway stop. The AKC Museum of the Dog is located at 101 Park Ave, New York, NY.
