Lately we’ve been focused on Central Park as seen from Fifth Avenue, but we can still appreciate other spots that are great for gawking. Sitting on a corner lot with a curved facade featuring floor-to-ceiling panoramic views, 200 Central Park South provides some great looks at Manhattan’s green masterpiece. Unit #15H in the white-glove co-op, listed by CORE’s Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon, is an oversized 1-bedroom (convertible 2-bedroom), 1.5-bathroom apartment with an amenity to die for: a large balcony with views just above the tree line. It’s a perfect pad for someone who wants stunning vistas without breaking the bank.

This week Curbed published a fantastic map of New York City’s secret gardens, lush green spaces that the average person doesn’t even know are out there to be enjoyed by all. One such place is the Central Park Conservatory Garden, just off East 105th Street in the quiet northeast corner of Central Park. It’s a beautiful spot we’ve become much more familiar with ever since the launch of One Museum Mile, which is located just a few steps away.

The Conservatory Garden, the Central Park website explains, “is divided into three smaller gardens, each with a distinct style: Italian, French and English. The Garden’s main entrance is through the Vanderbilt Gate, on Fifth Avenue between 104th and 105th Streets. This magnificent iron gate, made in Paris in 1894, originally stood before the Vanderbilt mansion at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street.” This photo was taken last month, with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Not a bad place to call home, right?

Photo via Flickr/jmvazquezjr

The buildings on Central Park West are some of the most historic and attractive in the city, dotting the boulevard with prewar masterpieces. While gaining entry into them isn’t always so easy (availabilities tend to get snatched up by buyers very quickly), when these apartments do pop up on the market, they present a great opportunity to get an inside glimpse of their rich history. At 418 Central Park West, built in 1902, we see one of the most attractive entrances facing the park. And the listing, a newly renovated one-bedroom apartment, has oversized windows looking directly at Central Park. Not bad for a price tag that’s well under $1 million.

Long Island City’s Murray Park is an under-the-radar gem in a neighborhood that has exploded with growth in recent years. A multimillion-dollar renovation by the city has infused the park with a new ball field and state-of-the-art playground equipment, and we’ve been keeping an eye on the park’s improvements while watching the ascent of One Murray Park, the first condominium located along the green space. We’ll have news about this exciting new LIC development next week, but for now, check out the One Murray Park Facebook page for more photos and updates.

Looking for authenticity in a loft? Then we direct your attention to the live/work setup at 138 Mulberry Street in Little Italy, a blank slate of a space that has some of the coolest preserved details we’ve seen lately. The original brick archways immediately draw your attention, setting the massive 4,000-square-foot space apart from any other loft you’re likely to lay eyes on. As Little Italy gets absorbed by trendy neighborhoods like SoHo and the Lower East Side, it’s nice to see this reminder of Mulberry Street’s rich history.

This week we’re sharing some prescient words from Ralph Walker, the late influential architect who is the subject of Ralph Walker: Architect of the Century, the new exhibit on display within 212 West 18th Street, which has been renamed Walker Tower in his honor. This sign hangs in what will soon be Walker Tower’s residential lobby, and was created by Let There Be Neon, the legendary TriBeCa signage shop. See it before the exhibit closes on May 1!

The rising 1 World Trade Center is changing the face of the Lower Manhattan skyline as it climbs all the way up to 1,776 feet, which will make it America’s tallest building. On the Lower East Side, another downtown neighborhood, but one known more for nightlife and historic tenements than tourists and office towers, the view from 195 Bowery is perfectly unobstructed, giving you a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the changing cityscape. Looking out over the rooftops, all the way to the skyscrapers of the Financial District, the view cuts to the core of what New York City really is: a collection of diverse neighborhoods.

Photo by Michael Toolan

Given today’s big news about Walker Tower, we thought we’d share another photo taken at the building last fall–a deleted scene from the November unveiling. Above is a north-facing view from one of the lower floors at Walker Tower, and though this shot is taken through an old window (they’re all being replaced with bigger and better versions), we just love how the iconic Midtown skyline is framed like a painting.

With all the gray skies and bitter winds, we’ve been on a bit of an escapist’s kick lately. And looking ahead to spring, the daydreams of grilling and outdoor picnics with close friends are ramping up. The above photo isn’t helping our workplace productivity, but we had to share it. It comes from one of our favorite townhouses, 38 Bethune Street, in the heart of the West Village. There are two outdoor spaces measuring 1,600 square feet in total, and the house isn’t strictly limited to being a warm-weather fantasy. The $14.95 million townhouse has a wood-burning fireplace out back that can keep everyone toasty, even in February.

If you poked your head out the window today you might have noticed that it’s beautiful out here in NYC and, once again, we’re left daydreaming of the great outdoors. The 3BR/3BA penthouse loft at Chelsea’s The Cammeyer — which just hit 80% sold — has one of the most casually inviting terraces on the market. The massive space is ideal for any kind of entertaining, but we like to think of it more as a private getaway where one can be alone above the bustle of the city.