Hudson River Park

Hudson River Park in New York covers an area from Pier 25 to Pier 99 alongside a walkway (pictured above) which is sandwiched between the river and the street. It provides an uninterrupted linear path which is ideal for walking, cycling or jogging. The path links together many green spaces, play areas and attractions along a 4 mile route. There’s mini golf, fairground rides, dog parks, performance spaces and more, covering around 550 acres of riverside Manhattan.

Whilst there is something for everyone visiting Hudson River Park, the section we liked the most was around Little Island at Pier 55 (pictured above). This is a park, sitting on top of multiple concrete legs. Inside there are performance spaces, superb planting, walkways and viewing areas. It’s a lovely place to wander around and there’s a full entertainment schedule available at littleisland.org

The Gansevoort Peninsular is right next door. This is another park within a park, covering 5.5 acres. We loved the sandy beach here with blue wooden sun loungers and parasols. On a warm day, it’s a great place to sit and read or watch the world go by. Also at the peninsula, there’s a dog park, ball field, an outdoor gym and a salt marsh. The ‘Day’s End’ art installation can be seen here too. If you head north from here, there are the Chelsea Piers offering a complex of sports and entertainment. There’s a skate park and a carousel at Pier 62 and then more greenery at Chelsea Waterside with a picnic area, lawn bowl and playground.

There are lots of children’s play areas dotted around Hudson River Park. We particularly likes the Science Playground adjacent to Pier 26 (pictured below). This opened in 2024 and all the play equipment is designed around native Sturgeon fish. The idea is that kids learn about ecology as well as having a great time. Pier 26 itself is worth seeing, with lots of beautiful planting and a large seating area at the end. If you’re looking for good food while at Hudson River Park, the City Vineyard restaurant is also at Pier 26.

Further north, the Habitat Garden at W27th Street is a 2 acre native garden with a classroom space. The High Line linear park meets Hudson River Park between W30th Street and W34th Street. Visiting this former overhead railway line is our top tip in New York – don’t miss it! Piers 81 & 83 are the places to take to the water yourself and catch a sightseeing cruise. At Pier 84 there’s more recreation and you can hire Kayaks here too. Then, there’s Pier 86 which is home to the Intrepid Museum (pictured below), which is well worth a visit.

The final pier in the park is also the most recently developed. Pier 97 has a lovely green open space which is a ‘sunning lawn’, there’s also an all-ages slide and a children’s playground.