New York City Sports & Outdoors Tips by sarahandgareth

Running around the city Running Review

We were preparing for a marathon while we lived in New York, so we were always on the lookout for places where we could go for a long run without having to deal with traffic (stopping at every intersection would have driven us crazy!).

On weekends, Central Park’s roads are closed to traffic, and the big loop is exactly six miles around, which was perfect for our needs. There are all kinds of other loops measured out, too: you can pick up a map at the Road Runners stand at the entrance around 90th St, on the east side. There are also lots of other runners out here, so you can pace yourself, and get silent encouragement from the local running community!

We also used the running/walking path along the East River north of the 59th St bridge, too: just past the bridge, there’s a concrete path leading uphill for a short distance, then it leads down to the river’s edge, and the track continues until at least 125th St, which was the furthest our runs along there ever required (that distance is a good three miles one way). Parts of the track in the mid-80s are very popular with dog walkers (there are lots of access points), and this part of the track was featured at the beginning and end of the Spike Lee movie ‘25th Hour’ if you’re interested in seeing what it looks like!

There’s also another track that leads south from about 34th St along the East River, and which, one way or another, goes almost all of the way around the tip of Manhattan back up to 34th St on the west side. There are one or two interruptions, and it can be crowded in Battery Park, but if you really need to put in the miles, and don’t want to be doing multiple loops of the Park, try this option.

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.nyrrc.org

The Bronx Bombers in action Baseball Review

Let's face it, most visitors to New York are more interested in the Yankees than in the Mets, and it helps that the Yankees have the better stadium by far. Even if you're an 'anyone-but-the-Yankees' sports fan, it's worth a trip out to the Bronx to see 'the house that Ruth built', where all kinds of baseball history has been made.

Unlike some other old stadiums - Boston's Fenway Park springs to mind - Yankee Stadium is very attractive behind the decks, with plenty of space to move around. The views from most of the park are also excellent, too, and the on-field action is nearly always guaranteed to be pretty exciting.

There are also tours of the stadium, but really, who wants to hear about baseball instead of watching it when you're at the stadium?!

Address: 161st St and River Ave, Bronx

Directions: Subway 4 or D to Yankee Stadium

Phone: 718-293-6000

Theme: Sports Watching

Website: http://www.yankees.mlb.com for tickets