GUIDE FOR HUDSON RIVER LOOP WALK Hudson River Loop Walk Exchange Pl to World Trade Center Sat June 7, 2014 Starts: at plaza outside PATH station entrance near Katyn Statue - Exchange Pl - 8:00 am. Expected finish 8:00 pm in Word Trade Center, New York, NY. BE THERE BY 7:30 for Sign Up, coffee&, group picture and rundown of day s activities. There will be a 2nd start at 8:30 as we wait for NYC ferry service in place of PATH trains which are under construction on the weekends.. Contacts: Paul Kiczek paul@freewalkers.org and cell# 973-214-1811 Nancy Jonap 602-743-0620. This will be a minimally supported walk. Be prepared and self-sufficient. Support will generally NOT be available after initial start. Starting/Ending at Other Points There are two rail stations between the start and end points, i.e., Hoboken and Penn Station NYC. There are also Ferry stops running from Hoboken, Weehawken and Port Imperial connecting to the Mid Town Ferry Service at 39 th St. There are also buses and light rail that run between. We encourage joining in on the walk at any time, or dropping off if you would like to limit your day to a shorter distance. Start Exchange Place Exchange Place is the heart of the commercial district in downtown Jersey City. There is a large plaza with a notable statue outside the PATH station. PARKING FACILITIES: Check Google, also map of lots on hudsonloop.30.org Blogs section. End World Trade Center this is the official ending point and where you can catch a PATH train back to Exchange Place.catch the PATH sponsored ferry near WTC back to Exchange Place (ferries end at 10:00 p.m.). But our suggested option, if you have time, is to join the remaining walkers at Woodrow's 43 Murray St, NYC just a couple short blocks away from WTC to re-fuel and share stories. Walk most of the walk on the Jersey side (about 15 miles) will follow signs for the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway trail, you will aslo notice signs for the East Coast Greenway which mostly parallels the same trail. After crossing the George Washington Bridge, we connect to the Hudson River Greenway the well-used pedestrian and bike trail that follows the river downtown. There will be guides and/or maps provided the day of the event. Detours & NOTES: New minor detour at Port Imperial construction follow signs away from water toward River Rd. The Walkway has some incomplete sections for the last few miles in Edgewater so rely on the maps provided or follow River Road, if lost. Look for the Wild Parrots of Edgewater when walking River Road. Check out Burdett s Landing for a short detour and great views of the bridge and river. Follow the map/directions when exiting the GWB to the NY Greenway. Once on the Greenway, take the short detour after the bridge for the Little Red Lighthouse - worth it! Also, highly recommended is taking the High Line detour (if its not too crowded). It s a special place for a walk. Support Stops/Breaks/Lunch We are planning a few stops around certain locations as scheduled. You can join us or go on your own. There are plenty of businesses for short rest stops. Main stops are LUNCH City Place (Edgewater) shopping strip with Panera & Chipolte or go another 2 miles further to Whole Foods or Mitsuwa. Take afternoon/restroom break at Fairway Market (Riverside Dr at 133 rd ). Weather a steady hard rain will cancel the walk. Check either the event at http://freewalkers.org or the http://hudsonloop30.org website for any cancellation or other plan. There is no rain date. Keep Up to Date - For any further up-to-the-minute details on the walk at http://hudsonloop30.org and http://freewalkers.org/events/the-hudson-river-loop-walk-2014.
Hudson River Loop Walk Itinerary (as of June 7, 2014) Paul s Cell# 973-214-1811 Nancy's Cell# 602-743-0620 ARRIVE @ Exchange Place PATH Station - 7:30 am Arrive at PATH subway station or Park car in nearby commercial lots. E.g., Central Parking at 135 Greene St has an online coupon and is a block or so away. See site links or Google Parking Exchange Place. We gather in plaza outside station. Be sure to sign up and get your pin number. Group photo and press. Enjoy free coffee, water and donuts. There will be a 2nd start at 8:30 as we wait for NYC ferry service in place of PATH trains which are under construction on the weekends. START @ Exchange Place - Katyn Statue 8:00 am. Main starting time. NYC ferry will arrive after 8:00 and we expect to start that group at ~8:30. From there you may walk at your own pace. Coffee + will be available. Register and hear about day's trail conditions. (2 miles) Hoboken Station 14 th St - ETA 8:45 am We walk thru the station and out to Walkway parallel to Sinatra Drive. (restrooms in station) (4.25 miles) Liberty Harbor (Weehawken) ETA 9:45 am commercial area follow waterfront and walkway. (restroom in hotel) (6.5 miles) Port Imperial (Weehawken) ETA 10:15 am major Ferry stop. (restrooms available) (9.5 miles) City Place (Edgewater) ETA 11:30 am RESTROOMS/EARLY LUNCH Shops at City Place with Panera and Chipotle near each other as best options. There is also McDonalds nearby. (11.5 miles) Whole Foods (Edgewater) ETA 12:15 pm LUNCH Good lunch spot. Mitsuwa also nearby. (Allow 30-45 minutes for lunch - end at 1:00pm) (12.5 miles) Wild Parrots of Edgewater ETA 1:30 pm Cross over to side of River Road continue walking on west side of road until Annett Ave. (14.5 miles) Burdett s Landing (ETA 2:00) Take right on to Annett Ave down the hill toward the water and go thru cozy community with a great view. Continue to take Annett back up to River Road (or detour further into park closer to bridge and look for more difficult trail climb back up.) (16.5 miles GWB Terminal (ETA 3:00) Fort Washington St & 173rd After crossing over bridge go straight down 173 rd st and left on Fort Washington (Terminal has restrooms). Continue to 181 st St and turn left heading to the river where you can follow signs to pick up Hudson River Walkway. NOTE: If you have time stop at the Little Red Lighthouse off Greenway, near bridge. (19 Miles Fairway Market (ETA 4:00) At 133 rd st look for Fairway Market across Riverside Dr and take a break and rest stop. There s plenty to buy there and a restroom. (25 Miles) Midtown Ferry Terminal (ETA 6:00) 39 th St. - restrooms, Ferry access (25.5 Miles) Start High Line (ETA 6:15) 30 th St (optional detour) (26.5 miles) End High Line (ETA 7:00) Gansevoort St. (optional detour) (28.5 miles) World Trade Center (ETA 8:000) take PATH ferry service back to Exchange Place. Meeting Option: (28.25 Miles) Woodrow's - 43 Murray St. A few blocks before the WTC come join the Get Together. Celebrate and share stories. Dutch treat.
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway Walk Details by Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy 1. Overview 2. The New Jersey Hudson River Walkway from Exchange Place in Jersey City to the George Washington Bridge is about 10.5 linear miles and has two distinctly different segments. The initial ~ 7 mile segment is a largely contiguous, completed Walkway from Exchange Place in Jersey City to the Edgewater border. The succeeding 3.5 mile segment through Edgewater and Ft Lee to the GW Bridge is interrupted with sections that are not completed and will require walking on River Road to bypass these unfinished segments. The walk will also be about 20 miles long as the Walkway winds in and out of coves, piers and marinas. 3. Jersey City The Walkway is complete throughout Jersey City from Exchange Place to the Hoboken Train Station. You will pass mostly commercial office buildings and piers. In Newport, at the northern end of Jersey City, the Walkway goes around a marina, through a small park and along the street for a short distance. Look for the large brass Walkway plaques in the sidewalk. The Jersey City segment ends at a Walkway bridge that connects The Walkway with Hoboken. 4. Hoboken After crossing the Walkway Bridge from Jersey City to Hoboken, the Walkway continues directly through the Hoboken Train Station. Look for the green and black Walkway signs within the station and emerge on the other side of the station on the Walkway. 5. The Walkway passes two large parks on adjacent piers and proceeds along Sinatra Drive past the Stevens Institute educational complex. The Walkway leads to Sinatra Drive directly around Union Dry Dock, the last industrial facility of the Hoboken waterfront. After passing the dry dock, stay right and return back to the Walkway. Here again the Walkway passes a large park on a pier at the Maxwell Place condominium complex and the Shipyard. The Walkway then takes a left turn to go around Weehawken Cove. Keep right and close to the water and follow the Walkway behind the massive Hudson Tea condominium. This leads directly to the Walkway segment that connects Hoboken with Weehawken. 6. Weehawken The Walkway is complete through Weehawken. This is one of the best places to see the Manhattan skyline and take pictures. Pass the Chart House Restaurant at the end of a pier and the Walkway leads to a very small segment of roadway. Stay right toward the river to enter Weehawken Park and rejoin the Walkway. Follow the Walkway through Weehawken Park, past the Weehawken 9/11 Memorial, some high-end condominiums under construction, the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal and into West New York. 7. West New York/Guttenberg - The Walkway is completed through West New York and Guttenberg and ends at River Road. This entire segment of the Walkway is fully compliant with all design requirements of the Walkway legislation. It borders expensive condominiums with magnificent views of Manhattan and is a tribute to the teamwork of West New York, the major condominium developers and the public that planned and built the Walkway. The Walkway leads to River Road. Turn right on River Road, walk past the Guttenberg/North Bergen Park which is under construction and small area of a fenced-in gas pipeline connection and immediately turn right toward the river at the end of the fencing. Rejoin the Walkway in North Bergen behind Hudson Pointe condominiums.
8. North Bergen- In North Bergen, the Walkway will pass the Hudson Pointe condos and the parking lots for the Harborage and Palisades Medical Center. This stretch of the Walkway also has unobstructed magnificent views of the NYC skyline. The Harborage and Medical Center Walkway is one of the oldest sections of the Walkway and is asphalt instead of concrete or pavers. Continue on the Walkway that runs behind the Waterside restaurant's outdoor café. This is the official and legal pathway for the Walkway in this area. The Walkway then turns left at the northern end of the restaurant that leads to an unmarked parking lot. Walk straight past the rear of a small cluster of the condominiums on your left. Turn left at the end of the condominiums and right after a short distance and take an immediate right onto the Walkway adjacent to the PSE&G electric sub-station. Continue through Roc Harbor and the Watermark Condominiums which leads you back to River Road. 9. Edgewater/Fort Lee - There are two long segments of completed Walkway in Edgewater and several uncompleted areas. 10. From the Watermark, proceed on River Road for about.8 miles past areas under construction, the Edgewater Municipal Building, a large commercial building called 115 River Road, a Superfund Site and a large Commercial/Condominium complex called City Place. Immediately after City Place, take a right through the Multiplex Cinema movie theater parking lot and proceed toward the river where you will rejoin the Walkway. 11. Stay on the Walkway for about a mile where it again will bring you back to River Road at the Hess Oil Terminal. From here you will need to stay on River Road for about 2 miles. This is necessary as a segment of Walkway in Edgewater which was destroyed by Super Storm Sandy has not been reopened. Cross River Road to the West side of the street where there is a contiguous sidewalk. Continue on River Road up the hill to Annette Ave on the right passing Edgewater Veteran s Park (under construction), The Moorings, Vela Homes and the Caribbean House. At this point you have two choices. 12. 1. You can stay on the west side of River Road for.8 miles through Ft. Lee and cross River Road to the east side at the entrance to the South Walkway of the GW Bridge. (The North Walkway is closed). This is an unattractive area for the walk and parts of River Road have no sidewalks and can be dangerous. 13. OR 14. 2. Cross River Road to the east side and proceed down Annette Ave toward the river. This is the entrance to the Edgewater Colony, a private community. (Some of the residents are not happy that the Walkway runs through their private community). Walk down Annette Ave staying left around a bend until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left fork up hill. (The right fork, which has a Walkway sign, will take you down to the river and the Palisades Interstate Park toward Ross Dock with no access to the GW Bridge). Go up the hill and return to River Road at the Fort Lee border where there is a wide sidewalk for the final ½ mile to the entrance to the GW Bridge South Walkway
15. At Guttenberg Walkway ends and Edgewater begins. Continue on sidewalk on River Road to City Place Shopping area. Luch is planned in City Place shops area Panera or Chipolte other choices are nearby.
Continue following walkway again until the Hess Oil and Gas pipeline need to walk around that.
When you get to the Edgewater Waterway Ferry Terminal area, the Walkway breaks and you need to reconnect to River Road. Cross River Road to walk on the west side sidewalk which is complete for the next mile or two. Note that you should disregard the isolated walkway loop due to time constraints. And continue walking River Road.
As you get nearer the GWB, there River Road will start to incline and cross over to the other side at Annett Ave where you turn right to go down into Burdett s Landing for a short detour near the houses in This isolated colony. Great views and interesting contrast. Continue on Annett back up the hill to reconnect To River Road. Look for friends of the FreeWalkers to provide some Verve Energy Drink to get you over the Bridge at least that s the plan. If you continue up River Road you will see an pedestrian/bicyclist entry point on upper deck. Be careful of cyclist on the bridge many go by fast. Be aware. We share this walkway.
Now that you ve gotten to the other side, the last challege is getting off. Follow the pedestrian path. Look at The direction of cyclists. The path will loop and come back so that you are placed on 173 rd st. Continue to Fort Washington Ave and the GWB Terminal building. Make left at Fort Washington Ave and left at 181 st. Go down 181 st to Riverside and look for signs to cross over to the Hudson River Greenway Head downtown.
High Line Detour Option You can continue on the Hudson River Greenway or take the The High Line detour at about 30 th st. The High Line is special. Especially nice at sunset. It will take you a few short blocks away but its worth it. The only problem may be crowds. My advice is to check it out and see. END Exit High Line at end on Gansevort St exit turn right and head to water and pick up Greenway trail again. Continue to Murray St and make left heading toward World Trade Center. You are welcome to stop by Woodrows' 43 Murray St for the post walk refueling party BYO. Otherwise take right @ Church St WTC is 2 blocks away.