In a city where tall buildings can make one feel closed in, Bryant Park offers open space for residents and tourists to relax, grab food and drinks, or simply to charge a cell phone at an outlet station. Visited by six million people annually, according to its website, the park has a well-designed backyard feel, equipped with a porch, comfortable chairs, a fountain and a sprawling lawn. In a tiny section of the park in New York City, one of the world’s greatest financial and cultural centers, a close-knit community comes together at The Tables, free outdoor ping pong tables that attract people from across the city and around the world.

This unique setting in heart