Highbridge Park

This is a great little park leading up to the High Bridge. You can get some views of the Harlem River and walk through a lovely little tree lined walk on your way to the High Bridge. It’s a nice little respite from the hustle and bustle. Near the pool, there was some sculpture pieces of local artists. I don’t know if this is typical but it was a lovely addition to the park!

The pedestrian bridge for which the park is named is now reopened, offering amazing views, cool breezes, and a geeky outing for all you civil engineers and local history buffs.
Highbridge was an engineering marvel when it opened in the 19^th century, part of a system designed to bring much-​needed fresh water into a growing Manhattan. Those pipes are no longer part of our water supply, but the paved walkway above them remains, just as much of a draw for shoppers, bikers, skateboarders, joggers, and tourists as it once was for genteel folks in their hoop skirts and top hats.
The reno comes complete with accessible ramps at both ends, benches, and round markers embedded in the bricks illustrating Highbridge’s history. The view is half gritty transportation network (the GWB, the Deegan, a MetroNorth train yard, a spaghetti bowl of interlocking on– and off-​ramps) and half placid Harlem River boat traffic (the Circle Line, mostly). It’s not lovely, but it sure is interesting.
The approach from the Bronx side is via 170^th Street (an uphill walk from the 4 train); the entrance is right in front of Samaritan Village, through a small park.
There’s much more to see on the Manhattan side: the (locked-​tight) water tower and a steep staircase to the park above (there’s also a pathway that takes longer but is easier on the legs). Close to the 1, A, and C trains, that park is somewhat bedraggled, but features a massive Robert Moses-​built public pool (the repurposed 19^th-​century reservoir!), a couple of benches, and some (mostly) baffling modern sculpture.

There is a solid pool scene in this park. The entrance to pool is on 173^rd street. There is someone that checks your bag before you can enter. No food or beverages other than water is allowed in.
Once you’ve cleared bag check there is an outdoor locker area when you must lock up EVERYTHING except your towel. No cellphones, tablets, magazines allowed in the pool area. Then you’re asked to «rinse off» in the showers before entered the pool.
There are two Olympic sized pools and concrete step seating along the north side for laying out. What the pool is lacking is chaise lounge chairs. In summary it’s a good place to cool off on a cool day, but they run a tight ship.

Cool park that will be helped immensely given the reopening of the namesake bridge to pedestrians.
FYI featured on PBS city concealed

After hearing (and seeing) such good reviews and photos for the newly re-​opened high bridge park, I knew I had to visit. We went on the late morning of a nice Saturday. Getting there was straight forward. There are a few entrances to the park, but the main one is about 173^rd street and Amsterdam avenue. Parking there is an absolute nightmare. Lots of apartment buildings in the area, so all of the street parking spots are gone. I would imagine this is the case throughout the day, no matter what time you decide to visit. We were lucky and park on a «No Parking M-​F» street, after circling around for about 10 minutes or so. There were some events going on at the park on the day we went. I think it was sponsored by some insurance company who were promoting healthcare insurance options for NYC residents. The park itself has a few play areas as well as a large pool. We did not get to enjoy the pool, from from what it looks like, the pool seemed very well kept and clean. To get the high bridge itself, you go behind the park and down quite a few steep stairs. It took a while for people to get up and down, especially children and older people. The steps were quite steep, but had two 6×8′ ish landings. I also saw that bikers took a path with a hill which makes you avoid the steps all together, but the path a good distance. At the bottom of the steps you walk a bit to the left and there you see the bridge. It was a beautiful site. High bridge tower um… towers over you. Lovely views of the east river both looking north and south. Looking north you can see the highways including 95, harlem river drive on the left and the Metro North railroad tracks to the right. There are fences along the full length of the bridge, which was god to see. Midway through the bridge it a sign that reads «Welcome To.» either Manhattan or The Bronx. The other side of the bridge of course was The Bronx which seemed to be like a small park, though I didn’t explore too much on that side. I would highly recommend anyone to visit the park and the bridge. Breathtaking views and no fees. Public transportation might be a good option though due to the parking difficulty. I know the A, C, and 1 trains stop at 168^th street at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, which is about 6 – 8 blocks from the entrance to the park. Lastly be careful, the park is lovely, but the area is not the best at times. I was pretty comfortable in the middle of the day on Saturday, surrounded by police (probably for the events taking place there that day), but I would not feel comfortable returning in the dark. I mean my camera screams «steal me», so as much as I would love to return for some evening photos of the beautiful city light reflecting off the water, I would very very hesitant. Having a finance who was raised in the area who also gave me a heads up on the dangers. Don’t be deterred, just cautious and use a little common sense.

A native manhattanite here and visited this park for the first time today. BEAUTIFUL!!!

This park was a gem in a urban concrete jungle. It had graffiti in the skate park but it was not just graffiti. It was street art which i loved. They told stories and were pieces of art. Its a great place for the locals to hang out in. The downside is that its too dark and no security!

A small hidden gem of a park in Washington Heights. You can catch several free Summerstage concerts here featuring Latin artists and enjoy a night of singing and dancing. It’s not quite the setup in Central Park, but there are vendors on site selling foods popular in the neighborhood. Coming here for a show is great way to get a sense of the neighborhood and its people!

This park is very dangerous! Was walking along the path behind the playground from 187^th to 190^th streets taking pics of the view from the ‘rock’ on the Washington Heights show. When I I left heading up path I stumbled upon a crowd of guys (dealers or a gang), teenagers to about early 20’s who were doing drugs on a lower path that connects there, I hurried as they yelled and one of them picked up a big stick and chased me out of the park! No one was around and when I called the police they never showed up in time. I was really scared, I’d be really careful, this park hasn’t changed much. It was always really bad when we lived on 172^nd & Amsterdam, I’m glad we moved up to Inwood.

The Highbridge Tower is a New York gem. Find out when it is open to climb to the top, and GO! The views are just magnificent! Go, be a real New Yorker, climb the Highbridge Tower!
And soon we will be able to walk the Highbridge!

***REVIEW FOR SWIMMING POOL***
It’s August. And even though the days are still long and hotter than ever, there’s a feeling of time catapulting towards the end of the season just as sure as a dried leaf falls towards the ground. This inevitability puts a nostalgic and romantic sepia filter over everything… the perfect conditions under which to visit this park and pool.
Any outsider to the Washington Heights area will notice a general feeling of quiet and safety that might not always have graced the streets. The only neighborhood-​specific novelties a visitor may find ’round these parts are slow stares from stoops, Latin music blaring from boomboxes that never went out of style, and busted fire hydrants blasting thick arcs of water over, down, and across the hot city streets.
As you head East, the flat grids of gum-​spotted concrete yield to rolling green hills of an historic and aristocratic air. But planted on the uphill entrance of Highbridge Park is one of the most egalitarian institutions of New York City: the public pool.
The castle-​like building is essentially a façade. Pool goers are admitted via gender segregated lines (probably more because of the location of the locker facilities than because of any bias, but still surprising). The path then leads not into the castle, but to an annex that has the classic shoebox sized metal lockers (but magically fits an LL Bean Backpack with a 15.4 inch laptop in it), and then two giant, shaded changing areas with hooks on the walls and absolutely nowhere to lay your stuff or your ass down on anything other than a dry gravel floor.
This design is actually genius, because it means there’s no conflict over space whatsoever. People just line up by the walls, wriggle out of their clothes and into suits, spray or slather their babies with sunblock, and hightail it towards the lockers rather than sitting around, talking, or spreading out their wet or dirty possessions, swimgear, or other miscellaneous human residue all over the place. Since no one wants to set anything on the dusty ass ground, that surface is whistle clean, and psychologically soothing.
People pretty much use the indoor space only to take their requisite shower in the dank, tiled area and then rapidly advance towards the two giant pools with concrete bleachers of Roman proportions off to the side. A park employee was cleaning the first pool, but the second pool was in full swing.
As the 5^th WPA pool built by Robert Moses and company in 1936, this one is appropriately gigantic. What makes it really stand out, though, other than a bird’s eye view over North Manhattan and the presence of a fancy tower overhead, is the magnificent DEEP END.
This deep end is 10 or more feet deep, and is as long and wide as an Olympic sized pool… or larger. I couldn’t get over the fact that there was this humumgous deep end, and that anyone and everyone was allowed to cannonball into it… with no one stopping them, which means less shrieking of the lifeguards’ redundant (but oh-​so-​necessary) whistles. I’m not sure this exists anywhere, let alone in a public facility.
The metal rail around the perimeter of the deep section was probably put up there to deter running approaches by kids wanting to get more air before plunging in over people’s heads. But everyone jumps anyway. Somehow, kids, teens, and even adults of all shapes and sizes find ways to sit on the tiny space between the metal rail and the pool’s edge, spectating, socializing, and sporadically jumping in as the fancy strikes.
Underwater, one can escape from virtually all sound and heat, observing other kids doing the same thing (see, kids aren’t ALL loud…), suspended in the liquid at neutral buoyancy as if in a stasis. Far overhead, packs of boys spontaneously race like teams of fish across the width of the pool while onlookers cheer.
Of course, collisions happened a couple times, but it wasn’t until I found a couple bruises and scratches later that I even really noticed. Compared to other pools, there weren’t many people in the water at all; most of the attendees chose to dwell in the even larger roped off shallow session, wading with toddlers, chickenfighting, and pushing off the reassurance provided by the solid pool floor four feet below the surface.
Additional things to note about this pool are the clearness of the water and, judging by an accidental taste, low salt and chlorine content. Huge plus, even if you don’t plan on sipping the water.
I went to this pool as a part of my «go to every pool — and I mean every pool» project… but unlike the case with many others, I would gladly go out of my way on the surprisingly fast A-​train to just escape into the fantasmagorical deep end again in this ideal public pool in an idyllic setting. From what I could see, the park would also be worth checking out when the pool shuts and the weather cools.

It’s a nice neighborhood park, perfect for recreation, and it makes for a very nice walk up or down Edgecombe.

This is a review for the pool, not the park.
The pool is great! It’s huge, which means there’s lots more space to stretch out or swim.
Pros:
huge
plenty of shade if you don’t want to sunbathe
plenty of lockers
a few lounge chairs if you’re lucky enough to get one!
we got in for free, for some reason
Cons:
there aren’t actual locker rooms… just a changing area
no grass– must lay on concrete, which is not particularly comfy

I moved here two years ago and live down the street from the pool. This is the nicest neighborhood I’ve ever lived in for the 45 years I’ve been here. The Dominicans are warm, friendly people and the pool is now meticulously cared for, as is the whole park. They just installed two canopies for shade and renovated the whole exterior. Next year they will begin renovations on High Bridge itself — to the tune of $ 65 million. The whole neighborhood will change even more. I don’t know what white folks have against Dominicans — you couldn’t ask for better neighbors!

I love the park! It is very beautiful and you will see a lot of greenery. Not crowded. So if you want peace of mind go there and take a walk. It has a running track also, if you want to exercise. There is pool facility too.

great memories growing up in washington heights and sledding in the park, would love to visit soon

Amazing huge outdoor pool! Great for tanning and swimming. Come early before the neighborhood teenagers show up and its gets really packed. Make sure to bring a lock for the lockers. However, later on in the day the pool water does get contaminated with large amounts of hair which is kind of gross. Also the paint on the bottom of the pool cracks off so I would not suggest walking on it.
The reason I like the pool is mostly for its size and its location outdoors which I am used to being from California and it allows me to gain some color while exercising: D

I came to this park early on Easter Sunday for a little stroll/​exercise, and it was empty except for one person and a forest full of creatures. Among the blossoming trees and flowers were cardinals, woodpeckers, hawks, little bright yellow birds, snakes, snails and squirrels. It really was a beautiful day.

This is, well was, my neighborhood park. Growing up in Washington Heights was a lot of fun and very dangerous. Being a child of the late 80’s and early 90’s meant that I was just in time for the crack epidemic AND the influx of Dominican immigrants to the neighborhood and Highbridge pool is where we all came together.
It used to be total chaos, being the only respite from a NYC Summer, people would stand in line for nearly an hour trying to get in. Hooligans would break into your lockers to steal your sneakers so some carried their clothes out to the pool area. Some people would walk right into the pool area w/​all of their clothes on and jump in w/​sneakers and all. There would be floating diapers in the children’s pool and fights would break out while waiting to use the diving board in the 10 feet area. People would have radios blasting the latest rap song or Salsa.
But that was then… now the park is all cleaned up, the pool is opened only in sessions: morning and afternoon. It is still very popular with the local teenagers but the bathrooms are clean, the lockers are secure, everyone has to wear bathing suits (they check to make sure there is a lining in all suits). People picnic, play and smoke blunts in the park. A good time is had by all. Behind the pool there’s this area where teenagers can be found puffing an L, making out and you can too, all while enjoying the view of the East River and the Highbridge Tower (which my mom said is haunted by the ghost of a woman who killed herself by jumping off the bridge and if you look closely you can see her looking at you… spooooky.)
It’s come a long way but that’s a testament to the neighborhood, it’s come a loooooooong way from what it once was and while some people like to talk smack about it being ghetto… in comparison to what it used to be… it’s almost suburb like!