Riverside Park

Excellent place for relaxing, running, cycling, kids. There's a lot of benches, so you can always sit and enjoy nature and Hudson river views.

I live near Central Park and come to Riverside still. It is less crowded and has a nice vibe, as well as bathrooms if you need!

Went to visit family who live along Riverside drive and enjoyed the easy long stretches of walkways. There are playgrounds and athletics ground at certain intervals with plenty of activity. If you don't live here, there is also plenty of street parking.

Riverside Park is much less crowded then Central Park, and arguably offers much grander views too. The greenway is the best section of the park, offering great views of the river and even access to the rocky coastline of New York City.

Summer festivities in the city are in abundance but those events that take place on the west side in the Riverside Park greenway are some of the highlights. It varies from family events to great adult events as well. Live music can be seen and heard on weekends and family activities such as my favorite the FLYNY kite festival on Pier I. Kids can make their own kites and fly it on Pier I. You'll see a abundance of kites in the air which makes for a great sight. Live music and food concessions are also there as well as the Pier I cafe. Summer on the Hudson is one of the premier activities to partake in NYC.