Sledders in Riverside Park. Photo by Ernie Fritz.
The first good snowstorm of the year is upon us, and it’s time to get out those sleds! Luckily, Upper West Siders live near some excellent sledding hills, as well as some good spots for coffee and hot chocolate once you’re soaked and exhausted. Not all of these hills are appropriate for kids — or even for some adults — so be careful and use your judgment. Also, not all of these hills may be open for sledding.
Central Park has lots of good sledding hills, with the most famous being Pilgrim Hill just North of 72nd Street off of Fifth Avenue. Another well-known spot is Cedar Hill, just south of the Metropolitan Museum, also on the East side of the park. There’s also decent sledding just inside the entrance to the park on the West side of 72nd Street, South of the transverse road. Another spot just off of Central Park West is just South of Tavern on the Green around 66th Street. There’s also Frog Hill. Enter Central Park at the 77th Street and CPW, head toward Shakespeare Theater, but then veer right toward the Ramble, Cindy Stern tells us.
There are also lots of other hills throughout the park. Parks employees tend to set up hay bales in front of trees to keep kids from hurting themselves. Of course, kids will always find some way to hurt themselves.
In Riverside Park, there’s a hill around 103rd Street, one around the entrance to the park at 108th, and a popular one near the Hippo Playground at about 91st Street.
On Riverside Drive at 91st Street is a slope known as “Suicide Hill”. Parents, be sure to keep an eye out, because there are pretty steep spots and older kids can come hurtling down (no dawdling on the cell phone!). One person on yelp also offers this advice: “As long as you brace yourself, you won’t get too banged up. It gets pretty crowded after a lot of snow has stuck, so it’s best experienced earlier in the day.”
In Morningside Park, there’s a hill just below the Cathedral of St. John the Divine around 114th Street that’s pretty popular and offers a really nice view of the Cathedral.
Have fun! Send us your snow pictures and if you know of any other good spots email us at info at westsiderag dot com!
I love this newsletter, but — I guess I’m a
grouch — I’m finally having to say that every time you write “off of,” I shudder. Whoever edits the Rag needs to know — I’ve been patient for over a year — that “off of” is just plain wrong. It’s just “off,” never “off of.” Do me and others a favor. It is “off Fifth Avenue” and not “off of Fifth Avenue.”
“Do me a favor.” Is that correct English? I think it should be “Do a favor for me….”
What about:
Write me a letter?
Send me your email address?
LOVE Martha’s comment. I cannot stand incorrect grammar either. Thanks girl!
I too value and appreciate this West Side Rag … but I agree with Martha about this particular grammar error … Martha sounds like a Martha I went to school with … Martha, did you perhaps learn your grammar on the East Side, on 83rd Street overlooking the East River? — — My school was a grand school indeed, but I find that some of its most marvelous graduates are Upper West Siders through and through.
As long as we’re ganging up on the writer, there is no reason directions should be capitalized, but Central Park West should be.
Great sledding hill on Frog Field. Enter at the 77th Street and CPW, head toward Shakespeare Theater, but veer right, toward the Ramble.
Thank you! I was hoping for at least one Central Park example as I live off CPW
The hill at Riverside Drive and 91st was called “Dead Man’s Hill” years ago. The danger was that one had chances of slamming into the chain link fence that surrounded the playground at the bottom of the hill, leading to bruised bodies.
Absolutely right about the glorious runs down Dead Man’s Hill! To avoid the chain-link fence, we always made a sharp left at a point near the bottom, winding up slowing down parallel to the fence. (I remember the every detail because in my tomboy days, I did that often, including the time my new winter coat–my jacket was at the cleaner–got caught under the runner, leaving a large squarish flap dangling from the hem. I walked home dragging myself as well as the sled, and pretended not to’ve noticed. My mom was relieved about me, angry about the coat–which she skillfully mended!
I’ve lived here 19 years and taken my kids sledding there dozens of times, but didn’t know that our favorite spot was called ‘Frog Hill’. Does anyone know how or why it got that name?