By Marnie Kunz

I’ve been running around New York City since 2012, and these are my picks for the 25 best places to run in NYC. This list includes the most scenic places to run in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

New York City is the largest city in the U.S. and the most vibrant and eclectic, with so many different neighborhoods, parks, bridges, iconic landmarks, and mural-lined streets. What I love most about running in NYC is the energy, the people, the city views, and the life everywhere. I hope you enjoy exploring some of the best places to run in NYC.

Also, this list is based on my experience, and my living in Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, so let me know of any great places to run in NYC that I missed in the comments below.

Central Park

Central Park is a must on any list of the best places to run in NYC. Central Park, which includes 843 acres of nature in the middle of the dense concrete jungle of Manhattan, is the most iconic and busiest park in NYC.

Central Park includes a 6.1-mile (almost 10k) running loop that is perfect for a hill workout, people-watching, and sweeping views of the city. You will be in good company too, as thousands of people run, walk, bike and roll on the path every day.

A great place to start your Central Park run is at 59th Street Columbus Circle. You can hop on the main loop and head east then north along the magnificent Museum Mile in the famed Upper East Side. The Central Park main loop is full of people and activity, making it a great place to get inspired and enjoy people-watching while you run. Just be careful when you run onto or off of the Central Park loop. Watch for cyclists when crossing into the pedestrian lane, and make sure you run on the inside pedestrian lane, as the bike lane (to your right when you are running) often has speeding cyclists.

There are also many options to run off the beaten path in Central Park. The Central Park Reservoir, officially known as The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, is a lakeside loop that is just over 1.5 miles. You will get a flat, cushioned run and amazing NYC skyline views along the path.

The Bridle Path is a dirt trail with fewer people and a softer running surface than the main Central Park loop, which is paved. The Bridle Path loop is 2.5 miles and extends beyond the Central Park Reservoir, further north to the North Meadow fields, and across the 102nd Street Transverse. It eventually rejoins the main path after some time on West Drive.

Check out my Central Park Running Guide for more tips on the best places to run in Central Park.

Hudson River Greenway

The Hudson River Greenway — often called the West Side Path — is a scenic 12.9-mile paved path winding up the west side of Manhattan, along the Hudson River. The path is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway loop and a larger trail system within the state. So if you want to hammer out a really long run, you could keep going north right out of Manhattan. The Hudson River Greenway has sweeping views and several parks lining the path as you run along the trail.

The Hudson River Greenway, stretching from Battery Park in downtown Manhattan to Inwood Hill Park at the northern edge of the borough, is one of the most popular places to run in Manhattan. The picturesque trail is practical and beautiful, offering iconic views along the Hudson River as well as a pedestrian trail that is separate from the bike line and protected from traffic.

The most popular stretch of the Hudson River Greenway is from 59th Street in Midtown down through Chelsea and downtown Manhattan. On the lower stretch, you will run by the iconic Freedom Tower, the 9/11 Memorial, and the famous High Line in Chelsea. At the southern tip of the trail, at Battery Park, you’ll see the Statue of Liberty across the Hudson.

Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway

The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway is one of my favorite places to run in NYC. The greenway is expansive and offers stunning views of the NYC skyline. The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway is a biking and running path around the perimeter of Brooklyn, along the waterfront. There are over 26 miles along the Brooklyn waterfront, with 20 miles paved for the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative.

Some of the most scenic parts of the greenway for views of the Manhattan skyline are in Dumbo and Williamsburg. In a city full of people and concrete, the waterfront path offers a slice of peace along the water as well as a safe place to run that’s separate from traffic.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway

Speaking of waterfront views, Brooklyn Bridge Park Greenway in Dumbo has some of the best views of the NYC skyline and the Brooklyn Bridge. The beautiful green space and expansive piers in Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo offer an inviting backdrop for running along the park trails. To get the best views, run to the ends of the piers and you can see the Statue of Liberty and the downtown Manhattan cityscape across the East River. In warm weather, you’ll also see boats docked on the piers. Check out my Dumbo Running Tips for more details on where to run in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic landmarks in NYC and offers a breathtaking run with incredible city views. The pedestrian path is 1.3 miles or about 2 kilometers. So running over the bridge and back is a scenic, mostly flat 2.6-mile route. If you’d like to add more miles, run in Dumbo on the Brooklyn side of the bridge.

Although the bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge is now separate, the bridge still gets crowded with tourists walking and taking photos, so I recommend running the bridge at off-peak times, such as early weekday mornings and during winter.

East River Running Path

I lived and worked on the Upper East Side for a chapter, and the East River Running Path — officially called the East River Greenway — was my go-to running path. It’s a designated pedestrian path that offers an escape from the bustle of the city, along the East River. The 9.44-mile path winds down the East Side of Manhattan, from Battery Park in downtown Manhattan to 125 Street in East Harlem, with a 1.2-mile gap between East 34th Street and East 60th Street. The East River Greenway is part of the larger Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, which circles most of the island of Manhattan.

East River Park

“I look out the window and I see the lights and the skyline and the people on the street rushing around looking for action, love, and the world’s greatest chocolate chip cookie, and my heart does a little dance.”

— Nora Ephron

East River Park is a green sanctuary with a nice outdoor public track located along the waterfront in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Tracks are hard to come by in the city, making this park one of the best places to run in NYC. You can get to the park by taking the elevated pedestrian bridge from the eastern side of East 6th Street in the East Village. Once you’re in the park, enjoy running on the paths or the track and revel in the waterfront views and green space.

To extend your run, you can always hop on the East River Greenway and head north.

Long Island City

Long Island City, Queens, one of the most scenic places to run in NYC, sits right across the East River from Midtown Manhattan. To get to Long Island City, run the Queensboro Bridge from East 60th Street (.71 miles across the bridge) or take the subway to Vernon Blvd - Jackson Avenue and then head to Gantry Plaza State Park. The waterfront park is nestled in a green, unusually clean (for New York) area with amazing views of the Midtown Manhattan skyline along the East River. If you run north along the waterfront path, you’ll enjoy epic city views and green space. To extend your run, take 46th Avenue to Vernon Boulevard, where you can continue heading north along the waterfront. You’ll run through small local parks and hit Socrates Sculpture Park, a nice place for an art break or a turnaround point. The run from Gantry Plaza State Park to Socrates Sculpture Park is about 2.3 miles or 4.6 miles for a full loop to the sculpture park and back.

Prospect Park

Prospect Park, one of NYC’s most popular parks, is a central hub in Brooklyn and a great place to run. The 526-acre park was built by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the same brains behind Central Park. As with Central Park, Prospect Park includes the main running loop around the outer parts of the park, as well as serene lake views, open fields, a botanical garden, a zoo, trails, and more running paths.

For a scenic run in Prospect Park, hop on the main running path that loops around the park. The 3.3-mile Prospect Park loop includes hills and plenty of other runners for company. Make sure you stay to the left and out of the bike lane when you run.

Riverside Park

For uninterrupted, picturesque running, check out Riverside Park in upper Manhattan. Stretching for 4 miles from West 72nd to West 158th streets, the park offers sweeping views along Manhattan’s Hudson River. The park connects to the Hudson River Greenway so if you want to extend your run, you can easily add on miles and keep going.

Riverbank State Park

Riverbank State Park offers a scenic and varied place to run, with running trails, elevated waterside views, and an outdoor track. The park, located on the west side of Harlem and Washington Heights along the Hudson River, includes 28 acres of multi-level amenities and rises 69 feet above the Hudson River. The park also features an Olympic-size pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, a 25-yard lap pool, a wading pool, four tennis courts, four basketball courts, a softball field, four hand/paddleball courts, and a 400-meter standard outdoor running track with a football/soccer field.

I recommend checking out the track for a speed workout or some easy laps. And if you want to add more miles to your run, you can hop on the Hudson Greenway and run south.

Williamsburg Bridge

The Williamsburg Bridge is one of my favorite bridges to run because it’s funky and colorful and offers a great hill workout with plenty of people watching. The lanes are also wide and the bike lane is separate from the running and walking lanes. The Williamsburg Bridge is 1.38 miles from the entrance on Delancey Street in the Lower East Side in Manhattan to the exit in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

For a great hill workout, start on the Manhattan side and run up to the first platform on the bridge (about one-half mile), jog down the hill and repeat to do at least three hill repeats.

Williamsburg

Williamsburg is one of the top places to run in NYC due to its many parks, running paths, public track, and colorful murals. I recommend checking out McCarren Park in Williamsburg for some green space and a track. The track is very popular with locals and is a good place to people watch as well as run. If you’re doing a speed workout, McCarren Park offers one of the few public tracks in Brooklyn. For more Williamsburg running, check out scenic Domino Park along the East River, which is nestled next to a portion of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Domino Park is one mile from McCarren Park Track, and you’ll see plenty of colorful murals along the way if you take Bedford Avenue.

Van Cortlandt Park

Van Cortlandt Park is a massive natural gem in New York City, with 1,146 acres of green space in the Bronx. It is one of the best places to run in NYC for trail running. With so many wooded acres, and the Bronx’s largest freshwater lake, Van Cortlandt is a trail runner’s dream. You can decide your own route and hop on the trails for a few miles or a 10K, and enjoy the time in nature.

Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island, located between Manhattan and Queens, offers a green oasis to escape the concrete of the city. You can get to Roosevelt Island by taking the F train to the Roosevelt Island stop (the only subway stop on the island) or by running from Queens, across the Roosevelt Island Bridge from 36th Street in Astoria. Once you’re on the island, hop on the 3.5-mile pedestrian path and enjoy the beautiful views of the midtown Manhattan skyline and the fresh air away from the city.

runner street art — The Bushwick Collective is packed with hundreds of murals from artists around the world.

Bushwick Collective

Bushwick is a must for runners who love street art. The Bushwick Collective serves up over 100 blocks of murals in what has become NYC’s biggest collection of street art. Every year, artists from around the world come to paint new murals in an epic block party and homage to street art. To get there, take the L train to Jefferson Street. You will see art everywhere as you run, but make sure to run along Troutman Street, Jefferson Street, and St. Nicholas Avenue to see some of the most massive murals.

Astoria

If you’re an art lover, check out Welling Court Mural Project in Astoria, Queens for a colorful run. The mural project has over 100 original street art pieces painted around the Welling Court neighborhood, which begins at Welling Court and 30th Avenue in Astoria. Astoria also includes the expansive Astoria Park, just a half-mile from Welling Court. Astoria Park has a popular outdoor running track and views of Manhattan along the East River.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens is an expansive park with cultural landmarks and a large lake, making it one of the best places to run in NYC. You can easily run a nice 3- to 6-mile loop following the park’s paved trails, and take in sights from the previous two World’s Fairs held at the park as well as the serene Meadow Lake. At 95 acres, Meadow Lake is the largest fishable freshwater body in NYC. The park is usually bustling with activity, with people playing sports, hiking, running, biking, and more, but there is plenty of room for everyone to spread out so it doesn’t feel crowded.

Coney Island

Coney Island offers an offbeat, uniquely Brooklyn place to run. You can run and enjoy people-watching along the 2.7 miles of boardwalk stretching from West 37th Street in Coney Island to Brighton 15th Street in Brighton Beach. Running the Coney Island Boardwalk offers the serenity of the ocean on one side of the boardwalk while the carnival atmosphere of the shops and Luna Park amusement park provides a stark contrast on the other side. Enjoy both and don’t forget to stop and check out the colorful murals at Coney Art Walls at Stillwell Avenue, just two blocks off the boardwalk. Hit the boardwalk and run early to avoid overcrowding during peak beach season.

Lower East Side

The Lower East Side is one of my favorite areas to run in Manhattan due to the extensive amount of street art. The area has some narrow streets and small spaces, but if you go early, you can beat the crowds and see all the outdoor murals. Run down Allen Street and head to First Street Green Art Park and the Bowery Wall to take in the latest street art installations. Check out our article on East Village Street Art to add in some miles in the East Village if you’d like to extend your art running tour.

Fort Tryon Park

Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan’s northwestern corner offers 8 miles of running trails, lush plant life, and the city’s largest garden with unrestricted public access, the Heather Garden. The garden includes over 500 varieties of planks, trees, and shrubs, offering sweet green solace from the concrete jungle. For running, you can enjoy more than 8 miles of paved trails in the park.

Red Hook

Red Hook is one of my favorite places to run in NYC because it feels more like a seaside community than a big city. Red Hook’s chill vibe is perfect for a more quiet, relaxed run and you can take in some great murals, and waterside views of the Statue of Liberty at Louis Valentino Jr. Park and Pier. From the park, I suggest running up Coffey Street and then turning left to run on the main drag in Red Hook, which is Van Brunt Street. Eventually, Van Brunt curves around to become Degraw Street, which hits Columbia. Make a left on Columbia to run on the Brooklyn waterfront Greenway.

Check out my guide to Red Hook for more tips on exploring the area.

Pelham Bay Park

If you’re looking for miles of uninterrupted trails, Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx is over three times the size of Central Park. Pelham Bay Park, NYC’s largest park, includes an outdoor running track, as well as miles of trails for trail running. The park includes Orchard Beach and over 13 miles of shoreline along the Long Island Sound.

Randall’s Island

Randall’s Island, between Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, offers traffic-free running and plenty of greenery, with 10 miles of pedestrian pathways. You can get to Randall’s Island by running across the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge from 27th Street and Hoyt Avenue in Astoria, Queens, or by running across the pedestrian bridge at 103rd Street and FDR Drive in Manhattan. You can also take a ferry from East 35th Street and FDR Drive in Manhattan.

Manhattan Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge is an underrated bridge that tourists often overlook. But it’s less crowded than the Brooklyn Bridge with equally beautiful city views. The Manhattan Bridge is 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) connecting downtown Dumbo, Brooklyn to Chinatown, Manhattan. You can enter the pedestrian path (which has a completely separate entrance from the bike path) at Sands Street and Jay Street in Brooklyn or Bowery Street and Canal Street on the Manhattan side.

Where are your favorite places to run in NYC?

Are you visiting the city? Check out my running safety tips for ways to stay safe while running in NYC. Happy exploring to you, and happy running!😊

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, a dog lover and Akita mom, and the founder of Runstreet.

25 Best Places to Run in NYC