New York can be overwhelming, but there are tons of websites and apps that will help you navigate the city. If you want to find the best bagel, you can use Yelp. If you want the times for the next subway, I like an app called iTrans. Newish app Elixr promises to help you find a cocktail. But what if you’re fed up to death with the noise of bars, bagel places, and the B train, and all you want is to find a place where you can hear yourself think for half a second?
That’s where The New York Times’ handy “Quiet City” map comes in. This interactive, crowdsourced widget shows you where to go for a little down time in all five boroughs. It ranges from the obvious (Central Park, duh son) to the hidden (community gardens, church courtyards, tiny canoe-accessible islands). If you’re thirsting for quiet in the city and want to find an oasis, this map has your back, wherever you are. And if your personal quiet place doesn’t appear, you can share it — or just hoard it until someone else lets the cat out of the bag.
