Riverside Park

Upper West Side & Central Park

LoginSave

A classic beauty designed by Central Park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, this waterside spot, running north on the Upper West Side and banked by the Hudson River from W 59th to 155th Sts, is lusciously leafy. Plenty of bike paths, playgrounds and dog runs make it a family favorite. Views from the park make the Jersey side of the Hudson look quite pretty.

From late March through October (weather permitting), lively waterside restaurant West 79th Street Boat Basin Café serves a light menu at the level of 79th St. Pier i Café, an outdoor cafe nine blocks south on the waterfront, is another option.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • A woman takes notes in front of a sculpture at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

    Metropolitan Museum of Art

    1.74 MILES

    What started with a handful of paintings brought over from Europe or donated by a coterie of philanthropically minded robber barons in the 19th century…

  • OCTOBER 2015: Visitors paddle in boats near a bridge at Central Park..

    Central Park

    1.48 MILES

    One of the world’s most renowned green spaces, Central Park comprises 843 acres of rolling meadows, boulder-studded outcroppings, elm-lined walkways,…

  • Ellis Island and the Immigration Museum

    Ellis Island

    8.07 MILES

    Located in New York Harbor, Ellis Island is the US's most famous and historically important gateway and is home to one of the country’s most moving…

  • Beautiful view of Manhattan during a summer sunset

    Empire State Building

    3.9 MILES

    The Chrysler Building may be prettier, and One World Trade Center taller, but the queen bee of the New York skyline remains the Empire State Building. NYC…

  • NEW YORK - MAY 29 : ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY grand opening day on May 29, 2015. It is open year round. Starting May 29th until September 7th from 9 a.m. until midnight

    One World Observatory

    6.64 MILES

    Spanning three levels at the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, One World Observatory offers dazzling panoramic views over Manhattan's…

  • SolomonR. Guggenheim Museum, detailed view

    Guggenheim Museum

    1.54 MILES

    A New York icon, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, more commonly known as the Guggenheim, is an internationally-renowned art museum and one of the most…

  • Statue of Liberty

    Statue of Liberty

    8.81 MILES

    It’s been over a century since Lady Liberty made her debut appearance on the New York skyline, but this iconic statue is still one of the city’s most…

  • NEW YORK CITY, USA - JUNE 18 2016 - Panoramic view of the interior National 9/11 Memorial Museum. The Last Column Remnants and Slurry Wall. Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA

    National September 11 Memorial Museum

    6.74 MILES

    When the twin towers of the World Trade Center toppled during the awful events of 11 September 2001, it led to years of soul-searching about what would be…

View more attractions

Nearby Upper West Side & Central Park attractions

1. Nicholas Roerich Museum

0.08 MILES

This compelling little museum, housed in a three-story town house from 1898, is one of Manhattan’s best-kept secrets. It displays 150 paintings by the…

2. Straus Park

0.17 MILES

This leafy little triangle is dedicated to the memory of Ida and Isidor Straus, a wealthy couple (Isidor owned Macy's) who died together in 1912 on the…

3. Cathedral Church of St John the Divine

0.41 MILES

New York’s most impressive house of worship is a towering monument that looks like it's straight out of medieval Europe. Built in a mix of styles – with…

4. Columbia University

0.54 MILES

Founded in Lower Manhattan in 1754 as King’s College, the oldest university in New York is now one of the world’s premier research institutions. In 1897…

5. Riverside Church

0.69 MILES

This imposing neo-Gothic beauty was built by the Rockefeller family in 1930. While the sparseness of the interior evokes an Italian Gothic style, the…

6. General Ulysses S Grant National Memorial

0.77 MILES

Popularly known as Grant’s Tomb (‘Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb?’ ‘Who?’ ‘Grant, stupid!’ goes a classic joke), this landmark holds the remains of Civil…

7. Blockhouse

0.81 MILES

The oldest building in Central Park, the Blockhouse is a military fortification from the War of 1812. It's located in the North Woods, on the west side of…