Where should we start? We love New York City, and the city loves us. Our love affair with New York goes beyond expectations. We just sometimes need to get way, but without leaving the city. Here you can check 7 free places to exercise in New York for runs, yoga, or pilates. Maybe they could be a nice and easy breathing spot in the city. Bonus: None of them is Central Park, and you will feel far way without leaving the city.
This is our list. You can make your own list. Maybe ours might inspire your own to exercise in New York. We know we are leaving out some great places. We cannot just include them all. Just we are avoiding mentioning Central Park as it is one of the most photographed and known places in the world. So you do not need us to remember you that it is right there in the middle of Manhattan between the Upper West and Upper East Side.
The High Line
Where: It runs from Hudson Yards to the northern edge of Chelsea.
How to get here: Take the 1 or C train to 23rd Street and walk up to Tenth Avenue.
Hours: 7:00am-8:00pm
It is a great place for a nice walk workout and exercise if you like doing it while looking at the New York landscape. Go in the morning, and you can stop for your yoga routine for not very challenging poses along the way. It is true that is very popular in the summer months when the crowd takes over.
Bryant Park
Where: Bryant Park is situated behind the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
How to get here: Take the B, D, F, or M train to 42nd Street/Bryant Park. Take the 7 train to 5th Avenue.
Hours:
January – April
Daily, 7am-10pm
May – September
Daily, 7am-11pm
October
Daily, 7am-10pm
November-December
Monday-Wednesday: 7am-10pm
Thursday-Sunday: 7am-midnight
You can go to yoga classes in the summer. There is boot camp too. You can exercise on your own too. It is a nice spot in the middle of New York to work out or just to stop to take a break from the city. There is a nice place to grab some coffee or tea.
Washington Square Park
Where: It is in the heart of Greenwich Village. It is located at the base of Fifth Avenue between MacDougal Street and University Place.
How to get here: Take the A/C/E, B/D/F trains to West 4th/Washington Square, the N/R to 8th Street or the Q to Union Square, or the 4/5/6 to Union Square or the 6 to Astor Place.
Hours: 6am-12am
There are many events in this park, like many others in the city. Mostly during spring, summer and fall. It is a great place to do your own work-out or morning run. A battleground for chess enthusiasts, Washington Square Park has served various roles. Well-known for its arch, honoring George Washington.
Madison Square Park
Where: Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan.
How to get here:
Hours: Limited lawns are open daily for public use starting at 10am through 5pm, weather permitting for the fall/winter season to allow for reseeding.
Winter Hours: 6am-11pm from November 1-May 31
Summer Hours: 6am-12am from June 1-October 31
The square was named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States. It is a public space since 1686. Also, it is a public art exhibition space. It is a great place for morning work-outs and yoga and pilates in the afternnons.
Union Square Park
Where: It is on 14th St. to 17th St., between Broadway and University Place.
How to get here: The Union Square/14th Street subway station is the third-largest transportation hub in New York City. Eight subway lines converge at Union Square, the 4, 5, 6, L, N, R, and Q trains. Other subway lines are just two blocks west of Union Square Park.
Hours: 8:00am-10:00pm
This former burial ground has transitioned from a town square to a city park. It is the home of statues depicting George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Mohandas Gandhi, and Marquis de Lafayette. It is a great place for morning runs, yoga or pilates.