New York City is full of great dog walks, runs and parks. City parks
have four designations for dogs: no dogs allowed, dogs on leash,
off-leash and dog runs. There also are many great running
courses for you and your best friend. Nevertheless, given all the different types of dogs and dog owners, preferences vary widely.
By Jessica Allen.
Tompkins Square Park Dog Run
East 9th Street and Avenue A
New York,
NY
Tompkins Square Park Dog Run offers man’s – and woman’s – best
friend’s 18,500 square feet of open space, bone-shaped doggie pools, a
“puppy patch” for the little guys, and even a dog wash. It also stands
as a symbol of the neighborhood’s regeneration. In fact, the dog run,
the city’s first, helped the park transition from the site of several
violent riots and a large homeless encampment into its peaceful present.
Now the most chilling creatures come out on Halloween, when this East
Village institution hosts its annual dog parade and costume party,
featuring crazy get-ups like the Hulk at right.
Washington Square Park Dog Runs
West Fourth Street
New York,
NY
A recent redesign has seen the dog runs in Washington Square Park
shifted eastward. That’s plural: a big dog run for big dogs, and a small
dog run for smaller ones. Now both boast a beautiful view of the arch
and the fountain. On any given day you can see Yorkshire terriers and
poodles, labs and
golden retrievers,
some of the city’s most popular (pupular?) breeds, in addition to NYU
students, buskers, tourists, actors, kids, teenagers, office workers,
and everyone else who flocks to this popular park in Greenwich Village.
Hillside Dog Park & Run
Middagh Street, Vine Street and Columbia Heights
Brooklyn,
NY
At two acres, the Hillside Dog Park & Run gives pooches of all
sizes enough room to roam. The park was created with leftover land
donated by the city after finishing the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in
the 1940s. Created in 2000, its dog park is cut into a hill (hence the
name), and is full of trees and woodsy ephemera, including wood chips
made from recycled Christmas trees. In the winter, the dogs often share
the space with kids, who sled down the hills. And unlike many parks,
this one is upon 24-7-365.
Canine Court at Van Cortlandt Park
West 252nd Street and Broadway
Bronx,
NY
We love this dog park first for its alliteration: Canine Court at Van
Cortlandt Park is just plain fun to say. But it also has its own canine
agility playground, including a teeter-totter, hurdles, tunnels, and
hanging tire specially designed for
puppies,
as well as a big open field. On leash, dogs might also enjoy wandering
around the other 1,000 acres that make up this park in the Bronx. As one
of the largest parks in New York City, it includes playgrounds, a
freshwater lake, a brook, a forest, the oldest house in the Bronx, and
the first public golf course in the United States.
105th Street Dog Run
105th Street
New York,
NY
Of course, dog runs are for dogs, but dogs generally mean people, and
people aren’t always as impressed with sandy, soft-on-the-paws gravel
and squeaky toys. Dog Run 105 on the Upper West Side caters to dogs’
two-legged companions with various meetups and
volunteer
opportunities (the dog run is publicly owned but privately maintained).
During the summer, the bi-level Hudson Beach Cafe nearby offers
hamburgers, frothy drinks, and great sunsets. For more information about
ongoing renovations, follow the dog run on Twitter.
Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City,
NY
While not technically a dog run, this Queens park has given us many a
happy hour playing with new-found dog friends. In 1986, a group of Long
Island City artists got together and transformed an illegal landfill
next to the East River into an outdoor museum. Today, Socrates Sculpture
Park hosts frequent events, including movies and concerts, and offers
residencies to artists. But it’s also a favorite of picnickers and
daytrippers and dog owners, whose charges often run unfettered among the
large outdoor pieces, a practice that’s not technically allowed by the
park, as most dogs can’t tell the difference between a fire hydrant and
an art installation.
