Running: New York Running in the fall...

Friday, October 27, 2006 - 11:45 PM

Could there be a better place to run...?





One of our readers at MyNextRace.com, heading into town at the start of the 2005 New York City Marathon....

My New Favorite Run...

I recently had the chance to explore upper Manhattan which is an area that most people for some reason choose not to go. It was an incredible mix of city streets and landscaped parks accompanied by steep hills and a rich history. Running uphill most of the time we passed beautiful architecture that used to a wooded area that played
an important role in the American Revolution. After running under the George Washington Bridge we run past Bennett Park which is the highest natural
elevation in Manhattan and was the sight of Fort Washington an important stand for the confederate army against the British.

Just north we reached the entrance of the beautifully landscaped Fort Tryon Park. As day was turning into dusk the well lit path led us to an amazing view of the Hudson River to see the sun set. We eventually made our way back out to the streets and an found ourselves going back in time as we traveled up the Belgian block road past
the old row houses along Sylvan Terrace that led us to the oldest residence in Manhattan. The Morris-Jumel Mansion built in 1765 and served as a
residence and headquarters for a few weeks to George Washington. From this point we head west back to the starting point of the run and end up in the garden of Columbian Presbyterian Hospital where there is a bronze plaque in the shape of a home plate commemorating the original spot of home plate in Hilltop Park. Hilltop Park was where the New York Highlanders first played baseball in the early 1900’s.
The Highlanders later became the Yankees. The run was about 6 miles, but can be altered to accommodate a specific mileage. So as you can see this run was filled with enough diversity and history to make you forget that you were running.


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Did You Know.... ?
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Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Most people concentrate on the breathtaking view but do not realize the secret that lies beneath their stride. Below the elevated asphalt is the Freedom Tunnel.

The Freedom Tunnel is home to a legendary series of graffiti murals painted in the Amtrak tunnel under Riverside Park in Manhattan, New York City. The tunnel is named after the graffiti artist called "Freedom" — Chris Pape, who painted the "Coca-Cola" mural. The tunnel was built by Robert Moses in the 1930s so that the trains could
run along the Hudson River while still allowing riverside access for nearby residents. Oddly, the expansion of highways in the same area by Robert Moses effectively block easy access to the river. Thus the tunnel serves to extend the park area over
the former rail yards but falls short of the original goal of easy access to the waterfront.

After it was completed, the train tunnel was not used for long. It was abandoned. With the automobile and trucking taking over more of the city's transport needs, trains no longer ran along the West Side and the giant, man-made caverns became
a haven for homeless people. At its height, hundreds of people lived in the tunnel. On April 4, 1991 the tunnel was reopened for trains and a massive eviction followed. The shantytowns were bulldozed and the tunnel was chained off.

To this day, however, graffiti artists and a new, more secretive, population of homeless people continue to visit the tunnel creating artwork and maintaining a
network of secret homes and entrances. The entrances to the tunnel are quite intimidating. Those who love and wish to preserve the graffiti have asked that the entrance remain secret in the interest of preventing Amtrak or the the city from
panicking and installing more effective means of security. There have been requests for historic landmark status, and for the creation of safe pathways. The greatest issue for Amtrak has been liability. The tunnel is dangerous because there is
nothing separating one from the speeding trains. While preservation is probably the best route to save the artworks, graffiti purists criticize the institutionalization of such a sacred place. They feel it would kill the energy of the artwork and turn yet
another corner of Manhattan into a theme park. For more information read the book "Mole People" by Jennifer Toth or watch the documentary "Dark Days".


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