New York City's Most Scenic Running Route Boasts Spectacular Views Of Lower Manhattan

The island of Manhattan is dense and vertical, and many first-time visitors feel claustrophobic walking these dense New York City streets. Among the teeming crowds of Times Square and Madison Avenue, you may find it hard to imagine that New York is actually a great city for running — as long as you know where to go. Central Park is a natural favorite, with its 843 acres of trees, lawn, and multi-use paths. The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a car-free trail system that circumscribes the island, and this ongoing project adds new amenities all the time. Wilder still, one of the longest hikes in New York State starts at a subway station on 175th Street.

Perhaps the most scenic route in town isn't a traditional path but the wooden deck of the Brooklyn Bridge. Completed in 1883 — after a 14-year construction process — the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most iconic structures in the world, thanks to its Neo-Gothic stone towers. While many visitors associate this landmark with Big Apple history and its many waves of immigrants, the Brooklyn Bridge is just as functional as when Chester A. Arthur was president; over 100,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, along with 3,000 cyclists and, yes, 30,000 people on foot, many of whom are putting their athletic shoes to good use. Jogs are very much in keeping with New York's street culture; this is a metropolis where people walk a lot.

The Brooklyn Bridge was built to connect the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River, and the western side begins about a mile north of Battery Park, which marks the very tip of the island. This is a busy and important part of an already busy and important city; Wall Street is nearby, along with City Hall. A nice place for runners to start is City Hall Park, right at the bridge's edge. From here, the Brooklyn Bridge is about 1 mile across — not long, but you'll find yourself in Cadman Plaza Park, a nice little greenspace in Brooklyn, which stands alongside Walt Whitman Park. Then, of course, there's the run back, which adds another beautiful mile.

The bridge itself is a pretty easy thing to cross, but the view of the New York skyline is magnificent. No matter what the weather, the Brooklyn Bridge's walkway is a pretty busy route, with runners, walkers, babies in strollers, and folks in wheelchairs making their way across. There's even a paved, two-lane path designed for cyclists and rollerbladers. As you make your way between two teeming urban centers with millions of residents and hundreds of skyscrapers, you can enjoy the breeze and wide-open panoramas from nearly 120 feet above the water. When you've finished your workout, consider replenishing your calories among the stalls at Chelsea Market.