It's not just the buildings that make a place, but the spaces between them, and in particular those green spaces that encourage wildlife, and benefit stressed-out humans looking for a place to sit or to wander.
Rowntree Park - a Rowntree gift to the citizens of York. By the riverside, off Terry Avenue, on one side of town
Homestead Park - also a Rowntree gift to the citizens of York. By the river in Clifton, on the other side of town
West Bank Park - an interesting park with a royal presence, in Holgate/Acomb