East River Esplanade

Great long path along the East River from 63^rd to 125^th Street. It has views of the Queensborough Bridge, Roosevelt Island, and Queens and as you near the upper end: Ward’s Island, Randall’s Island, and the Triborough Bridge. Entrances and exits can be found on 63^rd, 70^th, 78^th, 81^st-​88^th, 96^th and 111^th Streets although it merges with Carl Schurz Park in the 80s.
You’ll always find people jogging or biking here during the day and evening. Make sure to have earphones in since it’s right next to the busy FDR Drive.

Great views, good place for dogs and families. If you live on the East Side this is a great path to run on, bike on or just walk on.

You get such a great view when you come on over here! A lot of people were working out around here as well. You can see the Roosevelt Tram traveling over your head, and there is a spacious dog park inside. It can get dirty inside, but they have a hose to clean up your dog before you leave. I liked their bone shaped mini pool, hehe.

I always bring my doggie here! We love it!
The dog run is big, usually clean and the view is amazing!
I love that there is a dog run near the water, the breeze is always nice.
The walk path is a few blocks long, great for exercising.

Now that I am training to get back in shape for an upcoming Warrior Dash I have been incorporating running as part of my fitness plan. I hate running. Hate it. I used to be on the track team in high school too, and rugby in college — go figure.
Anyway, this is a great path to run along up on the UES close to where I live. Picturesque views of the East River. Sun shining off the water in the morning. Clean well paved paths. Small parks along the way with benches located throughout. It’s a great spot to get a run in if bored of jogging the loop in Central Park with half the city’s other thousands of runners. Just have to deal with the FDR traffic noise and fumes at times, but if running during non-​peak rush hour times it’s not that bad.
Sometimes I have just walked along the Esplanade to gather my thoughts, get some fresh air, and chat with some of the guys fishing along the way. What’s great is that there are virtually no tourists up here, and this runs from 60^th street all the way up to 125^th street with crossovers every 8 – 10 blocks or so to gain access to it.
It is really nice to get a different view and run along the water with a slight breeze coming off it.

This is the place where I go for a run every morning! Such a well-​paved, beautiful esplanade with great views towards Queens and Roosevelt Island and Queensboro Bridge! You’ll also find small parks along the way that you never knew they existed. So far, I haven’t seen many tourists here but mostly locals living nearby who are usually running, doing morning exercise, or walking their dog.
Definitely a great place to take a walk, sit at one of the benches and read or listen to music on your ipod and unwind. On weekends, you’ll see more people than during the weekdays. Some even try fishing here but I have yet to see someone catch something… do they really want to eat fish out of East River? (yuck!!)

So I’m in love.
You know that feeling when your heart swells up into a big air balloon? And you find yourself suddenly light-​headed enough to float above ground?
Yes, I am talking about that four letter word that we use too much and seldom mean enough.
There is something magical about crossing that ramp on 63^rd Street. Perhaps it’s the white railings against the gray of NYC. Or the expansive promenade that runs off into the horizon. Maybe it’s the whiff of the East River teasing your nostrils reminding you of days far away where there are less things but more meaning.
Regardless of the time of day or year, you’re bound to be enchanted here. Give the breeze permission to carry you for a bit. Listen to the waves crash against the cement wall as the birds chirp in harmony. Let your feet dance upon the pavement. Don’t be afraid to be seduced by the open air – yes, that is the sky your eyes are indulging in.
Don’t think. Just be.
Leave yourself behind. Come only as you are.
Allow yourself the vulnerability to fall in love.

I love that they list the closest subway stop as Roosevelt Island. Just a quick swim across the East River from the park! The real closest station to the entrance at E 60^th is the N/​Q/​R at Lex/​59^th (really 3^rd and 60^th). No one is going to come to the park unless they’re walking though, so I don’t know why I bothered.
I have tried running and/​or rollerblading along the esplanade here. It’s a nice stretch with a decent number of trees, benches, and even tables and seats good for an outdoor chess game or two. There can be a few drawbacks to getting your exercise here. On the one side you have the never ending car fumes from the FDR Drive. On the opposite side you have the «natural» smell of the East River. The path is good for running/​walking or biking, but can be tricky for rollerblading (it’s cool again now! I swear!) because the pavement is uneven in many spots. Also, in the warm weather, you will come across a number of people who have made certain benches their «home». This is NYC and a public place, so this is not a surprise. I tend to find the people who hang out on this stretch to be quiet and non-​crazy, though, so they’re not going to yell anything at you as you run by all sweaty. The path can get a little crowded at times, and groups walking together or 2 moms with giant strollers may make it hard for you to pass on one side.
It’s still a very useful path, where you can walk or etc without having to worry about traffic or red lights. There’s also a dog park at the southern end of the park for nearby dog owners. There are quite a few ramps over the FDR if you need to exit anywhere along the path. The esplanade ends in the low 80s so the path that most people stick to isn’t that long. There are markers along the pavement every 5 blocks or so to let you know where you are approximately streetwise.

If you live on the East side this is a great place for running! Call this your little getaway from the tourists over on 5^th ave into the open air along the water. Surprisingly, it doesn’t get too crowded with people (on good weekend days that changes) and you can run about 6 miles with out having to stop to pass the slow poke in front of you.
60^th Street to 125^th Street
60^th Street ramp along York Avenue (right near the 59^th Street Bridge) is the start of the 62-​block path. From there you just run straight/​uptown. As you head north you’ll get a nice view of Roosevelt Island and Queens. This path is pretty straight forward so don’t expect a change of scenery on your way back. You’ll get a nice view of the 59^th Street Bridge and the Air Tram crossing the river to Roosevelt Island.
The path is paved well– there are no pot holes or elevated patches where you have the possibility to trip. There are steep flights of stairs you must hurdle to continue along the route and the blare and pollution from the traffic isn’t all that pleasant– but the breeze from the water and the views of the river make it worth the while.
John Finley Walk– From 81^st St. to 90^th St., the Esplanade rises above the FDR Drive and merges with Carl Schurz Park. The paved promenade lined with benches along the river includes small flower gardens and a dog run.
The Esplanade can be reached via 63^rd, 70^th, 78^th, 81^st-​88^th, 96^th and 111^th Streets and the path links up with several parks along the way, including John Jay Park (76^th St.), Carl Schurz Park (84^th St.) and Thomas Jefferson Park (111^th St.-144^th St.)