For you seasoned NYC runners, where do you put your stuff in Central Park?

run au natural, use your shoelaces to secure your keys

that leaves much less to worry about and no one notices in NYC anyway

If it's water or gatorade I hide it in a bush. If you're running during the day you can stop and buy an overpriced poland spring from a vendor. Otherwise, i carry my keys, cash, ID, in a small pouch and don't find it bothersome.

I've never used it but I think you can store a bag at the New York Road Runners Club on 89th Street between 5th and Madison. There's a 10k on Sunday morning which will give you a tour of the full loop.

Kamikaze,

I'm going to be in NYC from Friday 4/1 to Friday 4/8 too. Wish I could run with you, but I'm just coming back from an injury (Piriformis/Sciatic) and haven't hit my stride yet. I'll be in Manhattan Fri-Sat and then in Staten Island Sun-Fri. Thinking about hitting up the Yankees home opener on Sunday night - no tickets yet, planning to scalp.

Have a good time.

If you give a bum 5 bucks he will stand there and hold your stuff until you come back and no one will bother it.

Kamikaze,

If you're not staying in Manhattan you may be able to find other, nicer places to run without travelling to Central Park. As another poster mentioned, you might consider touring the park at the NYRRC race on the weekend.

If you give the approximate place you'll be staying, either I or other NY area runners may be able to guide you.

Hope you have fun in the Big Apple!

I got the exact place where I will be staying at. It is in Manhattan but not close to Central Park.

It is up north on Bennet Ave north of Comubia Presbyterian and 95.

Where are good places to run from up there?

Still Central Park and any other suggestions about where to stash my bag.

Thanks

bump

How far up on Bennet ave? I'm assuming just north of Columbia Pres. and the Armory?

If so, you can work your way down the hill towards the Hudson and run in the extension of Riverside Park that heads up that way. It's tricky to get to, and I couldn't really give you great directions, other than that it exists. Perhaps someone one here like James Thie or some of the Columbia runners could help you out.

You could also head North and explore the trails that crisscross Fort Tryon Park around the Cloisters, and then head up to the grassy areas around Columbia's athletic complex.

If you are willing to just tuck your room key, metro card, and a couple of bucks into your shorts pocket, you can easily take the 1/9 to either Van Cortlandt or the 1,9, or A to 110 to hit Central. It will probably be equidistant for each one, and VCP will give you far more running options than basically every other park in NYC combined.

KevinM wrote:

How far up on Bennet ave? I'm assuming just north of Columbia Pres. and the Armory?

I will close to the corner of Bennett and West 181st.

It is my freinds place, and he works for Columbia Pres. so I know it was very close to his work.

VCP and Central sound good to me, he even mentioned the Cloisters to me also.

I won't be racing while I am there. I am not in good shape right now, just doing some miles.

Are you trust worth? Maybe I can let you leave your stuff inside my building.

Another option that just hit me may be best of all. You'll be very close to the GW bridge, which has a pedestrian walkway. Once you cross over to NJ, you can run on trails in Palisades Park heading north towards NY State. I'm not sure of the specifics once you get over the bridge, but I'll find out from some friends who regularly run there and post it. You wouldn't have to sweat public transport at all if this option is doable. You'd also get the bonus of running across the GWB, which has great views.

Kamikaze wrote:

Bennett and West 181st.

VCP and Central sound good to me, he even mentioned the Cloisters to me also.

The biggest problem with stashing as an out of towner is that you could become disoriented and forget which bush you hid your stuff under.

A couple options to consider. You are about 3 miles from Vanny so you should take the subway (1/9). All you need is a metrocard, keys and emergency money - a 20bill should suffice.

Once at vanny there is a convenience store at 243rd and broadway, just north of the Burger King where you can buy a small bottle of poland spring for $1. You could stop in mid-run and grab a bottle and not worry about stashing. Carry your house key, metrocard and cash in your short pocket. The loop on the famed VCP "flats" -- there is a dirt loop circumnavigating the flats - is 1.47 miles. You can also head into the back hills. Do so during the day and you won't be too disoriented.

There is a very cool race sunday morning in vanny called the urban environmental challenge, which is a trail race on some of the lesser known and lesser shod trails in vanny. Fun to do even as a easy run. It is put on by the Van Cortlandt Track Club and is a great scene.

VCP also meet at 8:00am saturdays in front of the handball courts at 242 if you're interested in people to run with. They are a great group, very friendly.

In central park - again 1/9 to 110st street - be sure that if you stash, to bury your items (in a plastic bag) under a pile of leaves. The Central Park Conservancy is very vigilant in picking up trash - so much so that I once had my favorite race t-shirt disappaer which I'd stuck in a rock crevase. Also, when stashing, use the enumerated lamposts on the main drive to mark your spot: they will say "E96" or somesuch which means east 96th street. The central park track club has a good map of running distances on their website.

Less interesting than the VCTC race on Sunday is the Road Runner's club race on Saturday in Central Park. It is a 10k I believe very corporate, no style, lots of penguins. Still you'll get a good tour of CP I guess.

The gwb/palisades run is also excellent - the hill in cliffside descending to the palisades park from the Bridge is alone worth the trip - it's a cracker.

Regarding going to Van Cortlandt via the 1/9, I have this description of a nice trail loop used by the VCTC. It is not the X-C course.

Fort Tryon Park, where the Cloisters are, is very nice, with some challenging hills. Immediately north, across where Riverside Drive curves inland, is Inwood Hill Park, which is much more wild (Manhattan's only old-growth forest). From there you can get onto the sidewalk of the Henry Hudson Bridge and run into Riverdale, then down the hill to Van Cortlandt Park.

But come to think of it, I like the idea of crossing the GW Bridge and hitting the trails on the palisades.

the GW Bridge/Palisades is a great option from 181st street - one of my favorite runs when I live on the Upper West Side. Run on the south sidewalk of the bridge, then turn left when you get to the NJ side. You'll pass Fort Lee park on the left (nice views if you choose to run a loop up into it), then descend the hill to the Palisades entrance (first road left after Fort Lee) and continue down, circling back under the bridge. You'll find quiet rolling roads that go for about 10 miles -- even bathrooms to stop at if needed.

You can also run up to Van Cortland across the Broadway bridge if you'd prefer -- or take the subway up, do a run and run back so you don't have to ride the subway wet and cold.

Enjoy.

Is the Palisades paved or a trail?

Munson wrote:

From there you can get onto the sidewalk of the Henry Hudson Bridge and run into Riverdale, then down the hill to Van Cortlandt Park.

Yes, you may enjoy running to vanny rather than taking the train; in which case, you would want to travel through the neighborhood known as Fieldston, which lies between 246th and 253rd and east of the Henry Hudson parkway and west of broadway. You will be amazed at the mansions in Fieldston - it is simply impossible to believe you are in the New York City, let alone the Bronx.

To do so: take the running path across the Henry Hudson bridge (on the W side of the Bridge, lower span) into Riverdale. You can grab this path by running under the Bridge ,westbound from Inwood Hill park. There are alot of cool trails in Inwood you can run before heading into Riverdale

Once in Riverdale, follow the frontage road adjacent to the Henry Hudson up to 246th street intersection - there is a traffic light. Make a right - this will take you over the Henry Hudson parkway. As you continue West make a left onto fieldston road and gaze in amazement at the homes around you. Continue north to 253rd street, make a right and descend a long winding road - snake road as locals call it - to Post Rd. make a right (the only direction available), then a quick left onto lakeview road and you'll be at Broadway and the Northwest corner of the flats in vanny.

An alternative Riverdale course to consider is Palisades Avenue / Riverdale Park / Wave Hill. To access, take the HH frontage road to W231st, make a left, go down the hill to Palisades (T intersection), make a right. You can stay on Palisades all the way to to W 249th/Wave Hill, or you can dodge into Riverdale Park and poke around on the trails in there -- nice morning views of Hudson River. Riverdale Park runs all the way along Palisades. Lots of baby boomers with dogs though, so be prepared to kick some golden retriever ass. Once at end of Palisades make a right and you'll head up an half mile long very steep hill. Wave Hill is on your left. Go in and check it out - very cool.

You can then continue west to 246th and head thru fieldston and to vanny. About 6 miles from 181st to Vanny by this route.

leave your stuff with some homeless in front of Plaza

The one that I have run is paved. There are some unpaved trails listed on the website, but the lower one I know is useless. I haven't tried the upper one. Lots of really big hills in that park. Check out the website at:

http://www.njpalisades.org/

Click on the maps section on the left and it gives some good pdf maps of each section. The entrance to the park just south of the GWB is right by a truck that sells hotdogs and soda.