Columbus Park, New York

There is much to be learned of the dark past of the surrounding buildings and streets, gang warfare and crime (as portrayed in Martin Scorsese's historical gangster epic "Gangs of New York"), but this park is the center of life in the transformed neighborhood – a small world unto itself, where locals gather for Tai chi in the morning, music playing on traditional Chinese instruments, and board games that sometimes go well into the night. It is quite obvious when you see an outsider walking around the park, usually taking pictures, because everyone else seems to belong here.

There are pathways and walkways leading from end to end, gardens and tree-surrounded benches, a water area for the hot summer days, frequent games of soccer set up on the main field nearby, and plenty of kids playing hoops or even volleyball. Sun Yat-sen, the revered Chinese revolutionary leader, has been memorialized with a statue sitting in the middle of it all.

If you're walking through Chinatown and are looking for a good place for a break, this is a great spot to come and people-watch, or get out of the sun.