Prospect Park

Designed by Central Park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Prospect Park is a massive playground in the center of Brooklyn. Residents and visitors can play softball, explore the Prospect Park Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, go horseback riding, stroll through the breathtaking Long Meadow, treat their four-legged friends to a dip at Dog Beach and ice-skate at the brand-new Lakeside recreation center (scheduled to open in the fall of 2013). It’s also a bargain—most attractions are inexpensive or free.