Upper West Side · River walks, gardens and a little breathing room
By Zvi Zidon, a New Yorker since 2002 · Practical information checked October 13, 2026
Riverside Park is where Manhattan loosens its tie. The Hudson opens out beside you, someone has claimed a bench with a book, and the afternoon stops asking how many attractions you have crossed off. Come for a short walk and you may spend half of it sitting down. That counts as a successful visit.
At a glance: ordinary park entry is free, with posted hours of 6 a.m.–1 a.m. daily. Allow 60–90 minutes for a short Upper West Side walk, or 3–4 hours with breaks and Morningside Heights. Columbia is an optional, separately arranged visit: the university currently does not accommodate self-guided campus tours.
A picnic, a monument and thirty Manhattan blocks
In 2014, I came here one afternoon with my girlfriend. We brought water and a little food, took the subway, and wandered through the park looking at the river and taking pictures. A grand white building caught our attention. At first we thought it was a church; it turned out to be the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument.
We stopped on a bench for a small picnic, then followed Broadway north toward Columbia at 116th Street. The shops, cafés and ordinary street life were part of the outing. I still like that approach: the walk between places can be the reason to go, rather than something to get through.
Two details deserve an update. The monument is at 89th Street, rather than the approximate 86th Street location I gave in the original story. And an old memory of walking into Columbia is not a current invitation to do so. Keep the leisurely afternoon; arrange campus access separately. Also, 86th to 116th is thirty blocks. Your finger travels that distance on a map rather more quickly than your feet.
Choose a few stops, not the whole waterfront
The Warsaw Ghetto Memorial: make time to read
Near 83rd–84th Streets, this quiet memorial honors the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Its cornerstone was dedicated in 1947, with survivors among those present. Plans for a larger monument never reached agreement; the stone, garden and annual remembrance gatherings became the memorial themselves.
That history makes a modest-looking place feel very different. Read the inscription before moving on. With older children, it offers a thoughtful pause in a day that might otherwise be all scenery. The Conservancy’s account explains how the tradition grew.
The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument at 89th Street
The white columns look theatrical against the trees. Dedicated in 1902, the monument commemorates New York’s Union soldiers and sailors in the Civil War. You do not need a long history lesson to enjoy the composition, but knowing what it commemorates gives the stop some weight. Treat this as an exterior-view stop and respect any fencing or restoration restrictions; the official monument page provides its background.
The 91st Street Garden
Flowers, a path and a bench: a surprisingly persuasive argument against packing the afternoon too tightly. This volunteer-tended garden on the upper promenade, around 90th–91st Streets, is associated with You’ve Got Mail. Film fans get an extra layer of recognition; everyone else still gets the garden. Its appearance changes with the season, which is part of the pleasure rather than a promise of year-round blooms. Find it on the official garden page.
With children: give a playground a proper turn
Hippo Playground near 91st Street works naturally with the garden-and-monument walk. Dinosaur Playground near 97th Street is another option farther north. Pick one instead of presenting both as obligations. Half an hour of play can do more for family morale than another architectural explanation. The park map identifies playgrounds and restrooms; facilities may have shorter hours than the park.
Cherry Walk and the Hudson
For more water and fewer shop windows, Cherry Walk follows the river roughly between 100th and 125th Streets. The Conservancy announced its reopening in May 2025 after repairs. Spring can add blossom to the view, but the river is the year-round attraction. This is also a travel corridor, so step aside for photographs and follow the path markings rather than stopping in the way of passing cyclists. Read the reopening notice and current park alerts when planning this section.
Three ways to spend the afternoon
| Walk | What to include | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| A gentle Upper West Side loop | 86 St subway, Warsaw Ghetto Memorial, monument exterior and 91st Street Garden | About 90 minutes, including a bench break |
| Park and Morningside Heights | The shorter walk, then Broadway north toward 116th; Columbia only with arranged access | About 3–4 hours; fit any confirmed tour around its actual start time |
| Sunset at Pier I | Riverside Park South near 70th Street, waterfront and pier | About 60–90 minutes, as a separate southern option |
These are suggested walking budgets, not scheduled tours. For the first route, use the 1 train to 86 St, walk west toward the park and begin around the memorial. With young children, trade a stop for playground time. If the longer outing starts feeling like a compulsory march, Broadway and the 1 train offer a sensible way to shorten it.
Columbia: plan the visit before making the detour
Broadway around 116th Street gives the walk a different texture: university buildings, storefronts and neighborhood activity. Columbia’s Visitors Center describes guided historical tours, but currently says it cannot accommodate self-guided visits because of restricted campus access. Office opening hours are not tour departure times. Use a confirmed arrangement, rather than turning up with an old walking-tour PDF.
Without campus access, keep to the public streets or choose a further outdoor stop at Sakura Park near 122nd Street. The afternoon should still work if the campus gates remain outside your itinerary. For a preview from home, Columbia links an official virtual tour from its tours page.
Pier I is a sunset plan of its own
Pier I near 70th Street is south of the main route. Resist the temptation to label it “just one more stop” after walking to Columbia. Give it its own shorter outing, ideally arriving before sunset so you see the colors develop over the Hudson. You are looking west toward New Jersey, rather than at a sweeping panorama of Manhattan’s skyline. Open Pier I in Google Maps for the southern option.
Photo spots that reward a slower walk
- 91st Street Garden: try a low angle with flowers in the foreground and the path leading through the frame. Stay out of the beds.
- 89th Street monument: use the trees to frame the white columns from an open public viewpoint.
- Cherry Walk: leave room for the river and opposite bank; spring blossom is a bonus, not a fixed-date appointment.
- Pier I: arrive before sunset and expose for the bright sky if you want silhouettes. A river breeze can make a tripod less steady than it looks.
- Broadway around 116th: look for street details and exterior architecture. Columbia prohibits filming its information sessions and campus tours.
The details that make the walk easier
| Cost | Free ordinary park access. Food, transport, organized activities and any separately booked tours are additional. |
|---|---|
| Park hours | 6 a.m.–1 a.m. daily, according to the Conservancy. Individual facilities can close earlier. |
| Getting there | 1 train to 86 St for the shorter northern-Upper-West-Side route, or 116 St–Columbia University for Morningside Heights. Check current transit service. |
| Effort | The park has multiple levels, slopes and stairs. Choose an entrance and path for your mobility needs; proximity on the map does not establish a step-free connection. |
| Weather | An outdoor outing. Shorten it in heat or cold, and choose another plan in heavy rain, strong wind or icy conditions. |
For a kosher picnic, bring suitable packaged food or arrange a meal before the walk. Eshel’s Persian restaurant guide offers a separate Upper West Side meal option; plan around its opening hours and current kosher certificate rather than assuming it is beside every park stop. For Shabbat, establish the applicable eruv and carrying arrangements beforehand. Sunset suggestions here are for a suitable weekday, not a Friday-evening outing.
Use the Conservancy’s facilities information to find restrooms and the interactive park map to choose entrances. Carry water, a layer for the river wind and a bag for your picnic waste. A bench break is part of this itinerary, not a delay.
What to combine—and what to leave for another day
If you want landscaped interiors, famous park landmarks and more cross-park variety, compare this with Central Park. Riverside is particularly appealing when the Hudson and a relaxed neighborhood walk are the point. For a different waterfront mood, Brooklyn Heights Promenade faces the Lower Manhattan skyline. Our free New York ideas can help you build the rest of a low-cost day without crossing the city for every stop.
Frequently asked questions
Is Riverside Park free?
Yes. Ordinary walking and park access are free. Organized activities, sports permits or separately arranged tours can have their own conditions and charges.
Can tourists walk into Columbia University?
Do not assume unrestricted entry. On October 13, 2026, Columbia’s Visitors Center said self-guided tours were unavailable because of restricted campus access. Arrange an approved visit before including the campus in your plan.
Is this a good walk with children?
Yes, when shortened to suit them. Combine a small section of the park with Hippo or Dinosaur Playground instead of attempting the whole park and Columbia in one outing.
Where is the best sunset option in this guide?
Pier I in Riverside Park South near 70th Street is our suggested short sunset outing. It is a separate southern alternative to the 83rd–116th Street walk.
The 2014 visit is Zvi’s personal experience. Current access and facilities were checked against the official sources linked above on October 13, 2026; route durations and photo suggestions are our planning recommendations. Read this guide in Hebrew.