Located at Pier 62 on the Hudson River next to Chelsea Piers, the carousel and skatepark are part of a 9-acre park (which includes the adjacent Pier 63) that is, without exaggerating, an urban miracle. With a Sheeps Meadow-like expanse of grass, marvelous landscaping and terrific views of the Hudson River, this is an ideal place to bring the kids for a sunny afternoon respite from the steel and concrete of the city. Opened in the spring of 2010, this park, which was built and is maintained by the nonprofit Hudson River Park Trust, is part of an enormous, revival of Manhattan’s West Side waterfront. Its pride and joy is a custom-designed 36-passenger carousel with all the hand-carved animals indigenous to the greater New York City area. Well, except for the unicorn. It’s hard to imagine a more joyful feeling than riding around and around with the soft breezes from the Hudson playing over you. Nearby is a state-of-the-art Skatepark where skateboarders can do their thing on 15,000 square feet of whorls, turns and dives designed by California’s (where else?) Site design Group. The great Tony Hawk came to try it out and declared it one of the best he’s ever experienced. After you’ve done your 180s, you can stroll over to Chelsea Piers and grab lunch or an early dinner and take the bus back to your hotel.