New York City, despite its massive population, skyscrapers, traffic, and congestion, has some surprisingly good running options. Great Runs has developed running guides for the island of Manhattan and the other four NYC Boroughs: Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, & Staten Island. We also have some 200+ great runs in locations within 75 miles of NYC, including Newark/Hoboken/Jersey City, the Jersey Shore, Princeton, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, Long Island, the Hamptons, and southern Connecticut.

Here are some of the best runs in New York City’s five boroughs, organized by theme:

Iconic Manhattan Runs: Central Park, Hudson River Greenway, Brooklyn Bridge

Best Parks: Central Park (Manhattan); Prospect Park (Brooklyn); Cloves Park & Silver Lake Park (Staten Island); Pelham Bay Park (Bronx)

Best Waterfront Runs: Hudson River Greenway & East River Greenway (Manhattan); Roosevelt Island, Governors Island, Randall’s Island (Manhattan); Staten Island Boardwalk; Coney Island Boardwalk (Brooklyn); Hoboken & Jersey City Waterfront

Best Runs with Skyline Views: Reservoir @Central Park; Hudson River Greenway (headed south); Governors Island, Randall’s Island; Hoboken & Jersey City Waterfront

Best Runs at Sunrise: East River Greenway; The High Line

Best Run at Sunset: Hudson River Greenway

Bridge Runs: Two Bridge Loop (Brooklyn Bridge); High Bridge (Bronx)

Best Trail Running: Van Cortlandt Park (Bronx); Staten Island Greenbelt

Best Runs in Spring: Central Park (Manhattan); Botanical Gardens (Bronx)

Best Runs in Fall: Central Park (Manhattan); Van Cortlandt Park (Bronx)