Starting on May 23, city law bans smoking in public parks. But state law allows it — meaning that our borough still has plenty of places where you can light up. Here’s our guide to flouting the city ban:
East River State Park
Kent Avenue at N. Eighth Street in Williamsburg
Features: Stunning views of Manhattan’s skyline, home to boisterous indie rock summer concert series, site of prominent religious rituals involving the casting of sins into the river.
Fun fact: Smoking-friendly neighborhood where even state troopers try to bum a loosey off of you!
Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park
Main Street at Plymouth Street in DUMBO
Features: Even more stunning views of Manhattan’s skyline and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, site of a historic 19th century customs center for inspecting tobacco, its grassy knolls once inspired Walt Whitman to consider smoking.
Fun fact: It’s home to the Tobacco Warehouse, fer chrisakes!
Floyd Bennett Field
End of Flatbush Avenue in Marine Park
Features: Stunning views of JFK Airport, site of several record-breaking circumnavigational flights including those by Howard Hughes and Leonardo DiCaprio, the actor who played Hughes in The Aviator, home to campers who missed their flights to Burning Man.
Fun fact: Voted best place to illegally drag race your motor vehicle in Larceny Magazine’s Summer 2008 edition!
