69th Street Transfer Bridge
A walk in Riverside Park, Manhattan
Riverside Park runs for 4 miles (6.4 km) on the west side of Manhattan, from 72nd to 158th Streets. Since 1875, it’s offered somewhere for New Yorkers to escape the city and relax. Part of the land on which the park is built was originally used for railroads.
The photo above is what’s left of the 69th Street Transfer Bridge — a dock for car floats which allowed the transfer of railroad cars from the rail line to car floats that crossed the Hudson River to New Jersey. It may seem an odd subject to open a post about a park, but it looms over the park and is a reminder of the area’s history. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Hover mouse over image for caption; click to open gallery and view full size.
A shady set of stairs.
Rules of the road.
These walkers are obeying the “keep right” rule (Note the transfer bridge looming in the background.)
Ivy-clad arches supporting the Joe DiMaggio Highway/West Side Highway (NY 9A).
There’s no escaping the ubiquitous New York fire hydrant.
The park is a great spot for chilling out.
Find two trees and sling a hammock.
Plenty of benches for reading …
… or just admiring the view.
Warm sun and cold beer — what more do you need on a lazy Saturday afternoon?
I couldn’t understand why he left the beer on the path. Or why they were all open!
Refreshments are also available in a more, shall we say, structured manner.
Reminders of the area’s industrial history are everywhere.
This aerial shot shows the 69th Street Transfer Bridge and the rebuilt Pier 1 beside it, plus the rotting remains of old structures.
A Canada Goose preens beside an old pier.
A mix of old and new commercial structures here.
It won’t be long before this mooring point is gone.
The park looks across the Hudson River to New Jersey.
A dramatic sky breaks over the New Jersey shoreline.
In the 1980s Donald Trump owned the 57 acres of land just south of Riverside Park that had been the Penn Central freight rail yard. His Riverside South development of towering apartment buildings also extended the park south to 59th Street.
Walking up from the river, under the Joe DiMaggio Hwy, to Riverside Boulevard.
Some of the buildings comprising Riverside South.
If you enjoyed this walk along part of Manhattan’s Riverside Park, head over to Jo’s Monday Walk to see where other people have been walking.
For other bloggers’ travel adventures on a Monday, check out Monday Escapes.
Facts and figures about Riverside Park taken from:
nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park/history
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_Park_(Manhattan)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_Railroad_69th_Street_Transfer_Bridge
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