Randall’s Island Park

As New Yorkers we are privileged to have something like this at our disposal. Dozens of soccer and baseball fields and it’s all for public use. I’ve been going for years to play soccer and now I take my son to play with his team. This generational passing of the torch is an amazing feeling.
There are some cons however. Let’s face it if you don’t own a car, and even then you have to be whiling to pay a hefty toll, it’s a pain in the you know what to go there. Bus service will take over an hour of you are lucky. This is the only reason why I’m giving it three stars. If it at least becomes free to drive to my review would be a solid 5 stars.
Signing up to use a field is easier than you think but website is not intuitive, and can be tricky the first time.

Place is a mud pit after a big event, but great for large music venues and big crowds. Had a great time at Electric Zoo here, ferries were easy use to get back after everything was over. Easy to get into the venue, no lines, but a bit of a hike to find the entrance.

A bunch of us recently came here for Urban Mudder. I, myself, did not participate but I spent the day to watch two of my friends run and jump and break their ankles (okay, they ran and jumped but no bones were broken!). We ended up taking an Über to and from Randall’s Island. While the event did have a drop-​off/​pick-​up point, it was difficult to find due to lack of signage. Also, you have to pay the toll to get here. I did see one bus that goes to the island from Harlem (the M35?!) but who wants to take that long ride? Whatever. I get it. It’s a small island so how many transportation options do they really need?
The park itself is okay. There are pretty water views along the path. The one thing that was constant was the stench of manure. Sometimes the smell would vanish, other times that’s all you would smell! Overall, it’s not a bad park by any means but definitely not one worth going out of the way for.

We scored some free tickets to the first Farm Borough concert, I don’t like country, but these were free. As a concert venue, the event field is pretty good. It’s expansive and in the city there really is no other place like it. However, when it rains it was easy to try and reenact Woodstock with the mud.
The island is kind of a pain in the ass to get too and is not that nice. You can take a cab, or take the foot bridges. We took the 103^rd street foot bridge. We were accosted only a couple times while walking thru Harlem, it was flat out scary at points, especially when people are yelling at you. We opted for cabs or ubers after that. They have a ferry but it only runs for special events, and for this one you had to buy the 3 day pass for $ 60, no thanks.
Take note, über is not allowed on the island after 9pm.
It is fairly easy to get a lost walking around, which we did and wound up in a constant state of construction under bridges with poor signage, no sidewalks or run down gravel paths. The whole island is just kinda sketchy. with a few nice athletic fields thrown in and of course the Pysch ward.
I think for me to come back here it would have to be one hell of a concert or event to make the trip.

I love Randall’s Island! It’s such a nice place to escape from the city during the summer. The park is really well maintained. I’ve also been here for several concerts and festivals. Randall’s Island is one of my favorite concert venues. It has a nice mix of open grassy areas, shade, and concrete.

I like getting away to Randall’s Island to hit up the golf range. It’s relatively cheap, peaceful and serene. You can also grab a drink at the bar there or some food and just have a relaxing time. I’ve been there for governors ball. If it rains, wear hiking boots you will be going through 5 inches of mud to get across the fields. The island has baseball courts, tennis facilities, psych ward, soccer fields and places for a nice picnic. There must be a sewage plant somewhere near there or I may have gone when they were using fertilizer but there are some winds that carry some very nasty smells.

The park is great the numerous fields, especially baseball are very well kept, however: The apparently random numbering of the fields is confusing at best, also the parking situation, at least on a weekday afternoon when many high school
teams are playing, is impossible. Many involved and interested parents and grand parents can’t find a space after many turns around the loop and either park illegally and get tickets from overly enthusiastic cops, or go home in disgust, missing rooting for the kid they came to see play.

Love this island because its calmer and its beautiful to watch the sublime of the Triboro bridge… I mean the RFK bridge and Manhattan during sunset. This island is better to bring your family for a cookout, play some soccer, and jog around the park. I usually go to this island every summer and it’s better than central park in my opinion.
To get to Randalls island: take the 6 train to 103^rd street. The same street, walk straight to 1^st ave and make a right to 102^nd street and there’s the Ward’s Island Bridge.
For people who live close to Randall’s island:
1) for those who live in Astoria, go to the RFK pedestrian side of the bridge, there’s a path to get to Randalls island or drive.
2) for those who live in Upper East Side like me and East Harlem, well you know the drill, walk to 102^nd street between 1^st ave and FDR drive to the Ward’s Island Bridge.
3) for those who lives in Mott haven, drive. Idk theres a pedestrian walk to Randall’s island.

I loved the park.
1) It is a beautiful park near the river.
2) It has something going on often, 5k marathon and The Electric Zoo, etc.
3) It is clean and well maintained.

This park is pretty quiet when we were there. Just few joggers & people riding their bike. It can be a pretty good place to exercise here. We took a walk on a RFK bridge to get here. It’s probably about a mile walk each way from Astoria.

3 stars = A-​OK, and that pretty much sums it up… overall not spectacular, but also not terrible.
i’ve been to randall’s island a few times… mostly for ezoo. ezoo is awesome.(don’t judge me).
getting to randall’s island isn’t the best. but it’s also not the worst.
there are fun events here, which is probably the best part.
maybe i’m just spoiled by better parks in new jersey.

I went here last month for the phish concert. It was a decent venue with a decent view of the stage from pretty much everywhere. The only real negative to this place is it is a little out of reach from the city and requires about an hour to get there. That said, this is NYC where there are not a ton of outdoor concert venues.

For the second year in a row, I had the opportunity of volunteering for this years Mark Griffin, 7^th Annual Play Rugby USA Cup held on Randall’s Islands. This review is for the park itself as well as the competition that is Play Rugby USA.
The driving directions to Randall’s Island Park are fairly easy as are directions to your respective fields, well at least I had no problems finding our fields. You pay one toll, at least from the Manhattan-​Bronx side, to get in and no toll on the return. These fields 70 – 75, where the event is played, are located directly under the span of the RFK Bridge, PKA Tri-​Boro Bridge, directly next to the river. The fields to me seem vast and with the span of the bridge overhead and the river nearly surrounding these fields it adds to the already beautiful early morning, cool sunlit summer breezes. Ah, perfect!
The grounds are astroturf and are very clean and well maintained. I’ve been told that Randall’s Island Park has gone through a major renovation so I have no reference to the before, only the after. The bathroom area is located directly outside of our fields and on my first trip very early in the a.m., the bathroom was spotless. And on my second visit before heading off to work, the ladies room was exactly how I saw it earlier that morning. How is that possible with all of these people in the park? Either there’s some really impressive maintanence upkeep or some really clean kids.
There’s a concession stand directly by the restroom area that sells your typical ball park fare at average prices. After a hard day of play and coaching Play Rugby USA feeds all the kids and volunteers well rounded healthy snacks plus a whole wheat PBandJ sandwich; so I had no time or willingness to try out the parks fare.
There are 75 Rugby Teams in this competition consisting of Elementary and Middle School aged children. Uncertain what the count was but there had to be over 150 – 200 kids out that day competing for trophies in their divisions. My kiddie count might be off, but nonetheless all those kids were out there getting their Rugby on. With that many kids you think you would find a rambunctious set here and there, not with any of the groups that I interacted with. All were so respectful and well behaved for their years, which was a delight to experience.
So I say, kudos Mark Griffin for quitting your day job to invest all of your time to a sport that I wish I had when I was in school. Thanks to Mark Griffin with his vision of a ‘Better world Through Rugby’ and his expanding network of organizations and supporters ‘Developing Youth Through Rugby’. Thanks Mark Griffin for Play Rugby USA which teaches these kids respect, values and teamwork, amongst other things. And also a thank you to you and your team and supporters for requesting volunteers to assist as Pitch Managers and other areas and most importantly teaching me a new sport and instilling in me Rugby’s motto of, ‘Go Forward’!
I am indeed happy that I initially volunteered for this event as it has given me a chance to experience and learn what so many others have experienced as well.

Not a bad place to watch a concert, provided the weather is nice. I think this place would be an uncomfortable place to watch a concert in the rain as there is no covered area.
We went to Randall’s Island to watch Phish. Imagine thousands of unwashed hippies, smoking pot and running around barefooted under the pleasant summer sky. There was some good people watching, to be sure. Acoustics were actually pretty darned good, but I suppose that’d be specific to the band, not to the park.
Getting there was super easy, just a trip on the 4 or 5, then a quick bus ride.
The main negative of this place as a concert venue was the bathroom situation. Port-​a-​Potties aren’t my favorite, and after the sun sets, the unlight bathroom area was super sketchy.

This place is seriously so far away… but good if you have a car! Or, you can opt to take public transportation which takes forever and a day.
I’ve only experienced playing sports here — multiple courts with decent astroturf. Nice, wide open spaces for everything recreational.
The bathroom is out of the way… you basically have to walk around fences and what not to get there, but they are decent (no port-​a-​potties here).
Overall a nice getaway for some outdoor fun.

Ah randalls, what a pleasant park. Signed up to play football on weekends and this park has been pretty goof for it. Fields are kept in decent shape considering many different sports are being played on it throughout the season. Played during the fall and spring and conditions can obviously be treacherous when mother nature gets involved (hurricane sandy, torrential rain storms, snow storms), but other than that they seem to patch the fields up pretty well. The fields in the 50’s are my favorite since from my experience have been the best kept.
Besides the sporting activities, the island also hosts other events such as concerts, festivals of sorts and much more. Its a great way to attract all kinds of people to the park.
Unfortunately, i’m not a big fan of heading to Randalls by public transportation (no subway stop). Good thing, if you are driiving there is only one toll to pay and thats going into the park (none on the way out). Other than that getting there is pretty easy. As others have mentioned you can walk across the 103^rd bridge or take the bus from 125^th street.
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On hot days, you can go to their mini beer garden located at the golf center. Great way to end a long day of activities.

Pleasantly surprised by the other* other** OTHER*** Manhattan island. Randall’s Island should just be known as «The Fun Island!»
Your first view of the island will be … unimpressive. I didn’t even know we were on it; I guess I expected more fanfare? A sign maybe? Oh well. I was a little turned off by the area we drove through on the way to the Golf Center: it looked like a retired police car depository? A lot of chain-​link fencing, weaving roads, & dusty cars. The roadway seemed temporary; ONE WAY signs brought me this way & that way to find the parking lot. It felt a little sketch — until we pulled into the parking lot & the lovely Golf Center opened up before us. But the rest of it seems like so much wasted space!
The actual park looked very pretty from what we could see (it was dusk by the time we left the driving range). There was a large stage with flashing lights — a nice looking place for concerts! I loved all of the well-​lit baseball and soccer fields we passed. Who wouldn’t want to play a softball game with a sparkling NYC skyline as the backdrop?
We did a slow & thorough drive-​by of all of the recreational areas. I really wanted to wander the grounds, but I’ll probably save that for another sunny day. We can bring our gloves, and some picnic food, and tennis racquets, and some lawn chairs, and a soccer ball, and …
… but forreal, Randall’s Island Park is a really great place to go if you want to get some activity in your life. So easy to get to (seriously; I never realized how easy/​close it is), and so many things to do once you get there! I think this may become our go-​to summer spot.
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* not Ellis (at least the part that doesn’t belong to NJ)
** … or Governors
*** … or Roosevelt

I’m sure this park is an OASIS for people living in the Upper East Side and you probably don’t need a backyard or garden if you live near the island too! There are soccer fields, recreational facilities, baseball fields, tennis courts, bike paths, places to do BBQ and picnicing, and grassy areas for those that want to do some outdoor tanning (like myself). Views toward Upper East Side and parts of Manhattan and Queens (Astoria) are peaceful. People come to do BBQ near the river, for a date, to play sports, exercise, to fish, hang-​out with their loved ones and family, or just to plain relax. I like the fact that the park isn’t touristy like Central Park and most people that come here are locals living nearby.
In order to get to the park, you take the 6 and get off at 103^rd Street and walk east towards East River. There is a pedestrian bridge «Wards Island Bridge» that will get you across to the island from Manhattan. The entrance is at 102^nd Street between 1^st Avenue and FDR

Not too long ago this whole place went through a renovation and there is a lot more to do here now. Concerts, athletic events, sports & recreational facilities, golf center, bbq & picnic grounds, dog runs, soccer fields, tennis courts, bike paths, baseball fields, and more. Icahn Stadium, an IAAF-​certified track & field facility, was built here back in 2005 and hosts many competitions.
As I live on the UES it’s really easy to get to and have been there a bunch of times just to use the driving range/​golf center and mini-​golf course. Just take the Triborough/​RFK Bridge over by car, or use the shuttle service that pics up in spots around the UES for a small fee. There is also a pedestrian bridge on 103^rd street that goes from from 103^rd & FDR to Randall’s Island Park making it a nice walk on a sunny day.
I have attended a few Cirque du Soleil shows here and the island has hosted major events including Lollapalooza, the Vans Warped Tour, Gov Ball, and the Electric Zoo.
The park has definitely come a long way from it’s dilapidated state of disrepair in the 1980’s to an urban oasis nowadays. It’s a hidden gem of a spot for UES’ers. Worth a visit if looking for an alternative spot from Central Park to get your outdoors fix or workout in.

I actually like this park. They’ve, and when I say «they» I mean the government, revamped, reconstructed, and given this park a FACE LIFT. I remember the days we saw creepy old men camping out in the woods. Well, they’ve relocated the campers elsewhere (I think Central Park) and have chopped down TOO much wood; they added cool, eccentric, artsy sculptures, and have used some space for community gardens. The gardens are my favorite!
Do you live in the Upper East Side? If so, this park is super accessible for you– with a pedestrian bridge on 103^rd street that goes STRAIGHT from 103^rd & FDR to Randall’s Island Park. This is pretty ideal on a nice summer day.
HOWEVER, this bridge is currently closed (again) for construction so don’t try to venture over there now. I’m sure they’ll open it again soon.
HOWEVER (#2), once you can walk to this park you’ll initially be filled with such JOY because it’s seemingly a hidden gem where you can jog/​yoga/​picnic/​walk/​skip to your heart’s content. BUT (and yes there’s a «but»), this park is seemingly FULL of creepers lurking in the bushes. In all seriousness– there’s an all-​male homeless shelter on the island and apparently they like to wander around the park staring at you instead of doing something productive. It’s creepy and I assume quite dangerous too– so I refuse to visit the park alone.
Still an aesthetically appealing park though probably not the safest for a sole jogger.
P. S. Don’t review a park based on a damn concert you saw AT it. Doesn’t make any sense. –_​_​–