Best place in the city to be in the country

Best place in the city to be in the countryBrooklyn Botanic Garden

Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Winner Brooklyn Botanic Garden
or kids itching to get out and run around on some grass, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is just the place. Founded in 1910, the garden has steadily grown from simple beginnings into a sprawling horticultural paradise, but what distinguishes it from its enormous Bronx counterpart is the layout. Pocket-size nooks just off the main path, like the Rock and Native Flora Gardens, beckon kids to explore otherworldly landscapes, and the Fragrance Garden’s raised beds allow visitors to get a whiff of pungent plants like sweet basil and sage. Though most of the lawn areas are off-limits for walking, kids (and parents) are allowed to run around or sit under the shady blossoms in the Cherry Esplanade, a plot of grass lined by rows of cherry trees (check the BBG’s website for updates on the progress of the blooms). Tots will enjoy the Discovery Garden, with its wooded paths and hands-on exhibits, but the coolest place for kids is the Children’s Garden, where, through a variety of programs, 3- to 13-year-olds can plant and cultivate their own little country corners.

900 Washington Ave at Eastern Pkwy, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-623-7200, bbg.org)

Runner-up New York Botanical Garden
This massive oasis in the northern Bronx features a rainforest and desert in its conservatory, a really cool children’s adventure garden and a 50-acre ancient forest.

Bronx River Pkwy at Fordham Rd, Bronx (718-817-8700, nybg.org)

And don’t forget…the Greenbelt, Staten Island
The stunning 2,800-acre expanse of forest across the heart of Staten Island is a place where kids can truly get away. Be sure to hit up the Nature Center before embarking on one of the hiking trails that wind through wetlands, meadows, hills and even the 200-foot-tall Moses Mountain, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding island and distant ocean.

For info on visiting the Greenbelt, go to sigreenbelt.org