Bryant Park is a real time commitment — fit it in only if it's a priority.
Allow 30–60 min.
A pocket of calm wedged among Midtown towers — gravel paths, movable green chairs, a lawn. The distinctive rhythm is the weekday lunch hour, when the surrounding office towers empty out and every chair fills with workers eating al-fresco; come just before noon or after 2pm and you'll actually find a free chair, ideally along the quieter library (east) edge rather than the packed lawn. Unlike a destination park you don't explore it — you sit in it. In winter the free Winter Village rink and holiday market take over the lawn. A pause between Midtown stops, not a destination.