The London Underground had been completed - the world’s first subway system - was completed in 1863, but it was plagued by the dirty soot of its steam-powered trains. Alfred Beach promised something similar, and yet entirely different for New York City. But his dreams for the future of transportation would be mired in the politics and economics of the present.

New York City might be known as the concrete jungle, but its parks have been an ever-present part of this bustling metropolis from the beginning. The city's 30,000 acres of parks serve as an escape for New Yorkers and serve the city itself in many unseen ways.

Will Gleason, the North American content director for Time Out, joined New York Living to share fun things to do in New York City, for free.