A favorite among locals living on the Upper West Side, Riverside Park is a quieter alternative to Central Park. Walking tours of Riverside Park follow meandering pathways and typically include stops at the community garden between West 90th and 91st streets, and Riverside Park Bird Sanctuary, a protected area of forest and meadow that runs between 116th and 124th streets. The park also features a paved riverside promenade, which is often covered by bike tours.
Riverside Park is a must for travelers looking to unwind in between sightseeing.
There are playgrounds, dog runs, kayak launches, sports fields, and walking and biking paths in the park.
The park is wheelchair-accessible.
There are several food carts stationed in the park, as well as restaurants at 79th and 105th streets.
Riverside Park is in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, and runs from 72nd street up to St. Clair’s Place in West Harlem. The 1 train runs along Broadway, parallel to the park, with stations at 72nd street, 79th Street, 86th Street, 96th Street, 103rd Street, 110th Street, and 125th Street, all of which are within walking distance of the park.
Riverside Park is typically tranquil, even on hot summer days, though the bike track by the river does see a high level of two-wheel traffic. Sunset is a particularly scenic time to soak up views of the river.
History buffs visiting the park should make a beeline for the General Grant National Memorial—more commonly known as Grant’s Tomb—on 122nd Street. The largest mausoleum in America, this Grecian-style rotunda holds the remains of 19th-century president Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, and is the only presidential burial site in New York City. Inside the visitor center, exhibits chronicle episodes in Grant’s life.
