Hudson River Park
I challenged myself to walk the entire length of Hudson River Park to explore everything that it has to offer.
Hudson River Park is like a super-green boardwalk, stacked with piers containing miniature parks and sprinkled with hidden outdoor activities all along its aquatic borders. For those who’ve never been, this park is absolutely massive. Stretching all the way from the southern-most tip of Manhattan to 59th St, it is the second largest park in New York City, second only to the iconic Central Park.
Being the curious adventurer that I am, I decided to take a New York City-style, top-to-bottom hike to make sure I wasn’t missing a single thing that Hudson River Park has to offer.
You’re Never Too Old for a Little Game of Mini Golf
I woke up early on a Sunday morning and began blazing a trail along Hudson River Park, armed with sunscreen, a couple of books, and a day of complete freedom ahead of me. I took the train down to Canal Street and walked over to Pier 25, on the west side of the island.
It barely took me ten minutes before finding an amazing surprise — I’m not embarrassed to admit how ecstatic I was to see a glorious mini-golf course! Right there, in front of my very own eyes! For only $6.00 I got to revisit a seriously underrated part of my childhood for the next 18 holes — and I even got to use a super cool purple ball. Win.
Fun For All Ages
As I continued on my walk, I discovered tons of different activities everywhere I looked, including beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, playgrounds, fountains, and even statues of bagels that were conveniently built for sitting on!
There was certainly no shortage of runners along the parkway either — being a runner myself, I can see why it’s perfect place for a good jog, covered with clear paths to run on and plenty of great scenery to pass you by. The breeze coming off of the river doesn’t hurt either!
Other attractions for everyone in the family to check out are the skating, bowling, and tons of other cool activities at the incredible Chelsea Piers (where they filmed Law & Order), the Trapeze School on Pier 40, and the Hudson River Park Cruise. There was so much to do, there was no way I could fit it all into one day!
Sitting in a Park
After walking around for a while, I was seriously beat from the heat, so I decided to pop a squat and hang out for a little while on the grass. I looked around me and saw couples having romantic picnics on the grass, people walking their dogs, pushing their babies in a stroller, and groups of people exercising together. I whipped out a book and a crossword puzzle and basked on the grass until it was time for some delicious refreshments.
The Frying Pan
The Frying Pan is more than just a dinnertime staple — it’s historical ship located on Pier 66. And more importantly, it’s also a pretty killer restaurant and bar. You can come here to sit on this historical landmark of a boat right on the beautiful Hudson River while eating some delectable grub and, if you’re planning on really relaxing, sipping on plenty of refreshing cocktails and spirits.
I ordered a heaping pulled pork sandwich and a cold beer and sat on the deck of this 100-year-old ship to soak up the sun and gloat about how awesome life is.
Great Day
I had such a winning day exploring the entire length of Hudson River Park. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably pick my favorite spot along the park and just camp out there for a couple of hours! There is never a shortage of things to do on the river — and this park does not fail to impress. Still, there’s nothing more relaxing than just picking a place and chilling out, especially in such a beautiful place.
