The Best Running and Biking Paths to Stay Active This Summer in Battery Park City
The Best Running and Biking Paths to Stay Active This Summer in Battery Park City
Living in Battery Park City makes staying active feel surprisingly easy. You head outside, and you're immediately surrounded by runners along the waterfront, cyclists cruising the Hudson River Greenway, and people finding any excuse to spend time outdoors and sunny days. After a while, it becomes hard not to join in. This NYC neighborhood was built to support movement, where getting outside is actually enjoyable.
Whether you're training for a marathon, trying to hit a fitness goal, or simply looking for more reasons to soak up the sunshine, Battery Park City puts some of New York City's best routes right at your doorstep. Here are a few of the best running and biking paths to check out this summer.
A Waterfront Made for Movement
One of the best things about staying active in Battery Park City is that you don’t have to go looking for a good route. The Hudson River Greenway runs right alongside the neighborhood, giving runners and cyclists a wide, uninterrupted path with waterfront views for nearly the entire journey. It’s well-maintained, easy to follow, and has become a go-to route for people who prefer exercising outdoors.
Heading north, you can keep pace all the way toward Midtown, while heading south offers sweeping views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. It’s especially appealing in the summer, when early mornings bring cooler air and fewer crowds, and evenings bring just enough energy with locals coming out after work. It’s the kind of setting that makes you want to lace up again tomorrow.
Parks That Keep It Interesting
Battery Park City parks aren’t just beautiful; they’re built for variety. Rockefeller Park is a favorite for runners due to its wide paths, which work well for steady laps, short runs, or even interval training. You can loop the park and connect to nearby paths along the waterfront, and easily stretch your run a mile more without repeating the same route. Teardrop Park, on the other hand, gives you a more tucked-away, nature-forward experience with winding paths, varied terrain, and small elevation changes that add a little variety to your route. It may not be built for long-distance mileage on its own, but it works well as part of a larger run or as a place to slow things down and reset.
And once you’re done, these parks are just as good for slowing down and enjoying your surroundings. You’ll find open lawns to stretch out, shaded areas to cool off, and spots where people sit, read, or just take in the waterfront.
Biking Through Lower Manhattan
If you prefer getting around on two wheels, Lower Manhattan is just as enjoyable to explore by bike. The Hudson River Greenway doubles as a major cycling route, with miles of smooth, uninterrupted pavement and minimal street crossings. From Battery Park City, you can ride north along the waterfront with open river views the entire way, or loop into other parts of Lower Manhattan if you’re in the mood for something a bit more urban and energetic. Citi Bike stations are also scattered throughout the neighborhood, so you don’t even need to own a bicycle or plan ahead. You can just head out, grab a bike, and go.
A Built-In Fitness Community
If you like group activities and thrive on that energy when exercising, you’ll find a lot of that here. The Battery Park City running club is a local favorite, bringing together runners of all levels for group runs and community events. One of the more popular groups you’ll find is the Badass Lady Gang NYC, a pace-inclusive women’s run club that often meets on Tuesdays around the Oculus before heading out along the Battery Park City waterfront.
You’ll also find Asphalt Green’s Battery Park City campus on Murray Street for group fitness classes and running programs if you prefer a more guided approach or want to build a consistent routine. Even outside of organized groups, there’s a quiet sense of camaraderie along the paths. After a while, you start to notice familiar faces, and it begins to feel like your own little routine forming in the middle of the city.
Your Summer Fitness, Simplified
In Battery Park City, staying active isn’t something you have to plan around. It just fits into your day. The waterfront paths are always close by, the parks give you space to slow down or pick up the pace, and the rest of the city is never far when you feel like exploring a little further.
That same ease carries into your daily life at Gateway. There’s an 8,000-square-foot fitness center with two floors of equipment and Peloton® Bikes, so getting a workout in doesn’t require much thought or effort. Outside, you’ve got acres of green space and a private park you can loop around and stay active without even leaving home. Life here is set up to support your fitness routine just how you’d like.
Schedule a tour of our community, explore the amenities waiting for you, go for a short run along the nearby waterfront, and get a real feel for daily life at Gateway. We can’t wait to welcome you home.