There is a 28-acre state park sitting on a rooftop over the Hudson River between 137th and 145th Streets in West Harlem. It has a free outdoor running track. It has an Olympic-sized indoor pool open most of the year. It has a fitness center that costs less in six months than most Manhattan gyms charge in three weeks. And most people who live three blocks away have never set foot in it.
This is Riverbank State Park — officially Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park — and if you live in Upper Manhattan, the Bronx, or anywhere within reach of the 1 train, it is the single best free fitness asset the city offers.
Why It Exists on a Roof
Riverbank is built on top of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The state built the park in 1993 as part of the deal that brought the treatment plant to West Harlem. The result is a multi-level recreation complex 69 feet above the Hudson, with views straight across to the Palisades.
The Free Stuff
The Outdoor 440-Meter Running Track
This is the headline. A real, marked, multi-lane outdoor track — rare in Manhattan — wrapping the southern end of the rooftop with the river to your west. Free to use during park hours. Mornings before 9:00 AM are quiet. The track is part of general park admission, which is free.
General Park Access
Open daily 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Walking paths, athletic fields, courts you can shoot baskets on, and benches with what may be the best skyline-and-river view of any free park in Manhattan.
The Cheap Stuff
The 50-Meter Indoor Pool
Olympic-distance, indoors, open October through Labor Day. Modest admission fee for daily use. There’s also a 25-meter outdoor pool that runs from July 4th through Labor Day.
The Fitness Center
Cardio machines, weights, classes. The fitness room runs roughly $100 for a six-month membership at last published rates — call ahead to confirm current pricing. Even at twice that, it’s the cheapest gym membership with a Hudson River view you will ever find.
The Skating Rink
Becomes a roller rink in summer, ice rink in winter. Modest hourly fee plus skate rental.
How to Get There
Subway: Take the 1 train to 137th Street-City College. Walk west on 137th to Riverside Drive, then north a few blocks to the pedestrian bridge entrance at 145th Street. About a 10-minute walk.
Bus: The M11 stops at Riverside Drive and 145th. The Bx6 SBS runs along 155th Street and connects from the Bronx.
Car: Henry Hudson Parkway, exit 138th Street. There’s a parking lot inside the park with a daily fee.
This Week’s Workout Plan
The forecast is brutal in the middle of the week — Tuesday and Wednesday topping into the low-to-mid 90s before crashing to the 60s for Thursday and the weekend. Here’s how to use Riverbank around that swing:
- Monday (today): Track workout outdoors. Mid-60s and mild — perfect.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: Indoor pool. The 50-meter pool is open and the building is climate-controlled. This is your heat-emergency option.
- Thursday and Friday: Track is open again as temperatures drop. Bring a layer.
- Weekend: Mix — pool in the morning, walking paths in the afternoon, sunset over the Palisades from the western edge of the rooftop.
What to Bring
- Photo ID — required for some facility access.
- Lock — for the locker rooms.
- Swim cap — many pools require them; check at the front desk.
- Water — there are fountains, but bring your own for long sessions.
- Cash or card — for facility fees.
Safety and Heat Notes
The forecast spike into the 90s on Tuesday and Wednesday makes outdoor exercise risky for anyone over 65, with cardiovascular conditions, or unaccustomed to heat. The pool is the right answer on those days. If you have to be outside, exercise before 9:00 AM or after 7:00 PM, drink water before you feel thirsty, and stop if you feel dizzy or stop sweating.
NYC’s official cooling resources are open during designated heat events — call 311 or check the city’s heat advisory page if a heat emergency is declared.
Why So Few People Know
Riverbank is run by New York State, not New York City. It doesn’t show up in most NYC parks listings, doesn’t get covered in the same blogs, and doesn’t have the brand recognition of Central or Prospect Park. That obscurity is its gift to the people who live nearby — and to anyone willing to ride the 1 train a few stops past where they normally get off.
The city is your gym. Riverbank is the rooftop version with a river view.
