Introduction. 1 Chapter head photo: The East River trail in Lower Manhattan.

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1 1 Introduction N ew York City and its surrounds are a delight for those of us who like to get outdoors to run, jog, or walk. Thanks to the extensive coastline and rivers, and to the generous park and trail systems, there are many excellent places to exercise on-foot. A good public transit system helps us get around the region, opening up a variety of options for places to run on different days. However, because of the massive road traffic volumes and the crowding of people in certain places, not all on-foot routes are equal. They range from outstanding in quality and pleasantness to noisy, ugly, and dull. A goal of this book is to spell out the respective qualities of different routes, removing the uncertainties for runners and walkers. 1 1 Chapter head photo: The East River trail in Lower Manhattan.

2 fun on foot in New YORK We do not limit our coverage to just the city. We extend it to a number of population centers throughout New York State and New Jersey that have good running and walking trails nearby. If you are a runner, jogger, or athletic walker and either visit this region or are moving to live here, we believe you will find this book invaluable. If you already live in this region, and are seeking ideas to make your runs or walks more interesting or to motivate you to get out more, this book is also for you. Whether you are a committed athlete in training, an occasional jogger, or someone struggling to gain fitness and lose weight, you will appreciate this book. It will help to remove the barriers to your spending more time outdoors and building fitness while enjoying the region. Motivation If you feel you sometimes lack motivation to get outdoors on foot, read this section. (Committed athletes can skip to the next section.) One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep fit and control weight is to run, jog, or walk in attractive, comfortable, and interesting environments. There are too many excuses for skipping exercise, which is frequently considered a chore, if not downright unpleasant. Exercise must be easy and enjoyable if we are to regularly get off our butts. On-foot exercise running, jogging, or walking is an excellent way to keep fit, but doing it in a gym does not pass the ease and enjoyment test (not to mention the budget test) with many people. Outdoor on-foot exercise, on the other hand, can definitely be easy and enjoyable. However, one is often unsure of where to go and what to expect on the way. Many people hesitate to head out on a new route they do not know intimately. All too often, this leads to a convenient excuse for staying indoors or in-vehicle. We help you get out on foot by leading you to the very best outdoor exercise routes in your region of interest. My wife and running partner, Nola, and I have both suffered at times from a lack of motivation to get out running. However, since taking the approach of always seeking new, attractive, and interesting places to run, we have kept the motivation alive and succeeded in keeping fit. Our Fun-on-Foot books do not generally distinguish between running, jogging, and walking as forms of exercise. While faster exercise builds fitness and burns calories more quickly, all forms are

3 introduction good. Before Nola and I started serious training, on a typical outing we always started out jogging. If either of our bodies started to protest loudly enough along the way, we would fall back to walking later. However, we always finished the route. We believe that is most important. One thing that surprises me is the number of people who are reluctant to try our routes saying, I can t walk three miles, and certainly not ten! When pressed to try, they usually retract those preconceptions. Almost anyone without serious disabilities can walk three miles without pain in under an hour and ten miles in three hours or so. If you are prepared to do some walking but cannot or will not run or jog, this book is still for you. You might be surprised at how rapidly your distances and times improve. When I say walking, I mean walking at a good pace not strolling. One of the main impediments we on-foot exercisers face is the person who strolls along at a snail s pace, blocking the sidewalk or pedestrian trail and making no attempt to get his or her blood pumping. While slow pedestrians are a pain, there is one other entity that really is our Public Enemy Number 1: the automobile. The more we can tame our urge to get into that metal box, the more walking, jogging, or running we shall inevitably do. Therefore, we try to exclude or minimize automobile dependence throughout our travels in the Funon-Foot books. Where to Go? When seeking information or ideas on running routes in any locality, there is ample commentary to be found on websites, in local publications, or from your friendly hotel concierge or visitor information booth. However, in my experience, that information too often proves to be sketchy, out-of-date, rose-tinted, or otherwise unreliable or inaccurate. Nola and I continue to be surprised at how frequently the ideas from these sources leave us disappointed when we follow them up in practice. That is why this book is needed. We always try to be objective. We have a well-defined model for assessing routes and we endeavor to apply a consistent standard everywhere. For every region covered, we try to find the very best outdoor exercise routes and describe them in detail as featured routes. We

4 fun on foot in New YORK mainly seek routes in the three-to-ten mile range distances that are not too long for a half-day walk and long enough for a nice run for all but the serious distance runner. In some cases you can link up multiple routes to increase the distance substantially. Routes are assessed in terms of four attributes: (1) comfort; (2) attractions; (3) convenience; and (4) a destination. Comfort, which is the most essential attribute, has several elements. First, there should be minimal safety concerns. There should be a reasonable expectation that there will not be a nasty surprise around the next corner. 1 The number of other people around should be in your comfort zone (not too many and not too few). Underfoot conditions should also be good and there should be a minimum of encounters with vehicular traffic. Attractions are what make a route environmentally pleasant and interesting. It helps enormously if a route has points of historic or cultural interest, scenic beauty, or people activities on the day. To be interesting, variety is also desirable. Any route can become boring with time, so it is good to have some elements to vary each time. Also, we prefer to avoid out-and-back routes. Repeating everything you saw in the first half of a route on the way back can be less satisfying than having something new to see all the way. Therefore, we try to create loop routes or find ways to return to the start of a one-way route using another form of transportation. Convenience means ease of getting to the start of a route from a nearby population center or areas where visitors tend to stay. Similarly, getting back from the end of a route should be easy. Given our belief that the number one enemy of on-foot fitness is the automobile, we try to avoid the need for automobiles in getting to, from, or along our routes. If other forms of transportation are required to close a loop, we look mainly to public transit, so as to minimize costs, hassle, and automobile dependence. Destination is an important factor for some people. Serious runners frequently gain their on-foot satisfaction from successfully meeting their own time and distance goals, and are then content to get straight back to their home or hotel for a shower. However, many people struggle to get out on foot and to complete a route of sufficient distance. Having a clear destination in mind helps make a route motivating See the subsequent section on Are These Routes Safe?.

5 introduction and also reduces the temptation to quit early. If you are mentally on a mission to go somewhere enjoyable, then odds are you will make it there. Therefore, we consider it valuable for routes to finish in places where there is something interesting to see or do afterwards. One aspect of a destination that helps many people is having a good food/beverage break available at the end. Nola and I have found this works for us. When we first started pushing ourselves to run more, it became apparent that Nola was way more likely to start and complete an eight-mile weekend jog if there was a tasty brunch at the end. I was way more likely to do the same if there was a glass of cold beer where we finished. Consequently, one theme you will find in this book is the idea of ending routes near good eating and drinking establishments, where you can wind down if you so choose. We tend to look for pub-restaurants informal places that will happily accept people in running gear and a little untidy. Running, Walking, and Losing Weight On-foot exercise burns many calories, with the following table giving a rough guide. 2 Body Weight: 110 lb. 150 lb. 190 lb. (50 Kg.) (68 Kg.) (86 Kg.) Walking 5 miles Jogging 5 miles Running 5 miles Walking 10 miles 760 1,000 1,300 Jogging 10 miles 783 1,060 1,348 Running 10 miles 864 1,134 1,416 Estimated Calories Burned in a 5- or 10-mile Route Assumed speeds: Walking 3.0 mph, Jogging 5.2 mph, Running 7.5 mph 2 Figures computed from data in: Maria Adams, MS, MPH, RD, The Benefits and Risks of Walking Versus Running, HealthGate somersetmedicalcenter.com/ cfm. Note, however, that calorie burn rate depends on many factors including, but not limited to, amount of skeletal muscle, running efficiency, speed, surface type, incline, resting metabolism, level of fitness, and outside temperature. (Thanks to Ayesha Rollinson for explaining this.)

6 fun on foot in New YORK If you are concerned about using a food or beverage destination for motivation in completing an on-foot exercise excursion, be sure to take this factor into account. Since we believe there is a correlation between the set of people who really relish a good meal or drink and the set of people who most need more exercise, we do not shy away from the food-and-drink motivation angle. A little extra indulgence in the food and drink department is a perfectly reasonable inducement to exercise, but only if you do the exercise first. Why Not Just Follow the Bike Map? New York City publishes an excellent, free bike map. Cycling is a fine fitness activity and we on-foot exercisers often share trails with cyclists, but choosing a good on-foot route can be very different to choosing a good cycling route. In fact, we on-footers have many advantages over cyclists that allow us to find more interesting and attractive routes. Many places that are ideal for running or walking do not permit cycling or are just not suitable for cycling (think of steps, for example). Especially when away from the home scene, the cyclist is faced with such problems as obtaining a bike, leaving it somewhere safe when going into a restaurant or shop, storing it in the evening, and getting it onto public transit (if that is even possible). On-footers face none of those problems. We therefore decided not to limit our routes to paths suitable for cycling and, as a consequence, can frequently offer on-footers a superior experience. Inline skating is closer to on-foot exercise. Some but not all of our routes are suitable for inline skating. In each route description, we try to assess the extent to which inline skating will work. Are These Routes Safe? Nola and I have personally checked out all the featured routes. We make a point of avoiding routes through areas where we feel uncomfortable especially areas where we have observed questionable characters hanging about, where there are overt crime concerns, where there is a

7 introduction dearth of respectable outdoor exercisers, or where locals have warned us of risks. However, this does not guarantee that you will not encounter trouble on our featured routes, or anywhere else. Always use good street-sense. On routes where other pedestrians are scarce, going with a partner is highly recommended. Even with such precautions, there is some residual risk of problems. The publisher and we authors disclaim all liability for problems encountered on the routes discussed in this book. When in an unfamiliar place, a useful yardstick for safety expectations is its past record for violent crime as published by the FBI in its annual Crime in the United States report. To help you gain quick access to that report s data, we have distilled out a figure for violent crimes per head of population for various cities/towns in New York and New Jersey. The following tables list the number of reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents in 2006 (the latest year available at publication time). If concerned about safety, you might use extra caution in any place with an index over New York City has a comparatively modest figure of 6.38, among the best for large U.S. cities. This provides us some reassurance that the Big Apple is not the dangerous place it once was. Certainly, I am amazed how safe it now feels in areas that I would not have ventured into alone 30 years ago. On-Foot Conditions in New York City Visitors or newcomers to New York City might find this section helpful. (City residents can skip to the next section.) Running and jogging are popular in New York City, although they are largely limited to parks and trails along the rivers or the shore. In the high-density areas, including most of Manhattan, running through the streets can be questionable because of the many intersections encountered and the halts caused by the heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 3 The FBI cautions against using its data for ranking communities and says: Valid assessments are possible only with careful study and analysis of the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction.

8 fun on foot in New YORK City/Town Population in 2006 Violent Crimes per 1,000 Inhabitants Albany 93, Amherst Town 112, Beacon 14, Binghamton 45, Buffalo 280, Cheektowaga Town 80, Clarkstown Town Clay Town 54, Colonie Town 77, Dobbs Ferry Village 11, East Hampton Town 18, Greece Town 94, Hastings-on-Hudson 7, Hempstead Village 52, Hyde Park Town 20, Ithaca 29, Kingston 23, Mount Vernon 68, New Paltz 14, New Rochelle 73, New York 8,165, Newburgh 28, Niagara Falls 53, Poughkeepsie 30, Poughkeepsie Town 43, Ramapo Town 74, Rochester 211, Rome 34, Saratoga Springs 28, Schenectady 61, Southampton Town 50, Syracuse 142, Tonawanda Town 58, Troy 48, Utica 59, Watertown 27, White Plains 56, Yonkers 196, Violent Crime Rates for New York Cities in 2006 Source: FBI Crime in the United States Report 2006

9 introduction City/Town Population in 2006 Violent Crimes per 1,000 Inhabitants Alpine 2, Asbury Park 16, Atlantic City 40, Bayonne 60, Belmar 5, Brick Twp 78, Camden 80, Cherry Hill Twp 71, Clifton 79, East Orange 68, Edison Twp 100, Elizabeth 125, Englewood 26, Fort Lee 37, Franklin Twp 58, Gloucester Twp 66, Hamilton Twp 90, Hoboken 39, Irvington 58, Jersey City 239, Lakewood Twp 68, Long Branch 32, Manasquan 6, Middletown Twp 67, Morristown 18, New Brunswick 50, Newark 280, Old Bridge Twp 64, Passaic 68, Paterson 149, Princeton 13, Sea Girt 2, Toms River Twp 94, Trenton 84, Union City 65, Ventnor City 12, Vineland 58, Woodbridge Twp 100, Violent Crime Rates for New Jersey Cities in 2006 Source: FBI Crime in the United States Report 2006

10 fun on foot in New YORK New York City s climate is very good for on-foot exercise. The average daily maximum is in the Fun-on-Foot preferred 40-to-80 degrees range every month except January, when it dips a little lower. There is precipitation on average 121 days of the year, so there is some risk of a shower dampening your day. The biggest challenges that on-foot exercisers in New York City face relate to the massive road traffic volumes and the in-your-face vehicle presence almost everywhere. New York City drivers are generally both very assertive and alert. That is the only way to survive as a driver in city traffic. Note, however, that many drivers give little consideration to pedestrians. This attitude is vastly different to that in many smaller centers and some other major cities. If you are crossing against a light in New York City, be prepared for vehicles to plough straight through a pedestrian crossing with the inevitable horn blast the only warning. A big benefit for the on-foot exerciser in New York City is the ease of getting from almost anywhere to the best exercise routes, thanks to the excellent public transit system. The New York Subway system provides good coverage of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and some parts of Queens. Its frequency is generally good. The subway network is augmented by bus, ferry, and regional rail services. In our route descriptions we point out the public transit services near the start and finish points of the routes. When necessary, you can always fall back to use of a taxi. The New York taxi system has been very good for many years, and the only recent complaint is that it is starting to get as pricey as other cities. This is always a reasonable transport option, especially in Manhattan. There are many excellent restaurants and pubs throughout New York City that make for great food and beverage destinations. The dress codes that were once prevalent have largely gone out the window now, except for high-end restaurants. There is rarely a problem going into pubs or lower-end restaurants in running gear. Running Clubs Outdoor exercise becomes way easier if done in good company. Running with a personal buddy helps enormously. 10

11 introduction Running clubs provide an opportunity for finding suitable running company and meeting local people who share an interest in a healthy lifestyle. Clubs can also provide access to coaching advice if you are interested in serious competition. New York City and the surrounding regions are blessed with a number of excellent running clubs, many being open to everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, speed, or running experience. While some clubs are highly competitive, in most the emphasis is more on encouragement to get out on foot and have a good time socially, with races optional. In assembling this book, we have worked with members and officials of several clubs. For each region we cover, we have included a brief introduction to the major clubs there. The list is not exhaustive. We have focused on clubs with a broad following and an open membership policy, and limited our coverage to those clubs willing to contribute their information to us. If you do not find the club that best works for you in our list, please look beyond that list. The New York City Marathon The premier running event in New York City is the New York City Marathon, run every November, attracting more than 100,000 applicants and over two million spectators. The marathon, the product of the New York Road Runners Club, was first run in 1970 as multiple loops of Central Park. In 1976, it was moved to an on-street venue touching on all five boroughs of New York City. The current route starts at the Staten Island end of the Verrazano- Narrows Bridge, passes through Brooklyn and Queens, enters Manhattan via the Queensboro Bridge, circumnavigates the Upper East Side with a short diversion into the Bronx, and finishes in Central Park (see map following). If you are interested in participating, the main ways to gain an entry are to satisfy qualifying time criteria, win your entry in a lottery, or qualify by being a New York Road Runners member and finishing a specified number of qualifying races and volunteering in the preceding year. See the New York Road Runners website for full details. 11

12 fun on foot in New YORK New York City Marathon Route, First Nine Miles Copyright New York Road Runners. Reprinted with permission. 12

13 introduction New York City Marathon Route, Last 17 Miles Copyright New York Road Runners. Reprinted with permission. 13

14 fun on foot in New YORK Places Covered in this Book It would not be practical for us to catalog all nice outdoor routes in New York and New Jersey. We have focused on New York City and its immediate surrounds, plus some other major population centers in the two states. We have sought out the routes that meet our criteria best. We omit centers without sufficiently high quality routes. We have not generally targeted rural areas, so this book makes no claim to be a New York/New Jersey rural hiking guide. We love New York City and have spent many days and weeks exploring its on-foot trails over the past 10 or more years. We have also toured New York State and New Jersey cities extensively. We developed all the content of this book from our own on-foot experiences (with help from many local contacts). We only document those routes that meet our criteria reasonably well. A few routes that we felt were just too good to miss we have flagged as Fun on Foot Classic Routes. Some readers will likely enjoy following the exact routes we suggest. However, that is not essential and we expect many of you will take up some of the ideas presented and design your own enjoyable outings around them. In describing our featured routes, we try to provide helpful information for those readers who want to vary the routes with diversions, extensions, or shortcuts. You may not want to carry this book around while out on foot. Therefore, we have produced a collection of all the maps and made that available for download from for a nominal charge. You can therefore print your own copy of any map and carry it with you. We apologize if we missed your favorite route. Please us your ideas and we shall note them for use in future revisions of this book. Let us now conclude the lead-in and embark on our tour of the region, with the comfort/attractions/convenience/destination formula as our guiding light. We start in Manhattan, the region s epicenter, and work outward through the other New York City boroughs and the city s immediate surroundings, ending with some more remote centers in Upstate New York and New Jersey. Our main message: Get out on foot, get fit, see the best of New York and New Jersey, and most importantly have fun! 14

Perryville TOD and Greenway Plan

Perryville TOD and Greenway Plan Greenway Glossary Pathway: A bicycle and pedestrian path separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space, barrier or curb. Multi-use paths may be within the