Sledders in Riverside Park. Photo by Ernie Fritz.
A storm is expected to hit New York late Saturday and could drop several inches of snow on the city. To prepare, we’ve listed some of the area’s most popular sledding spots below. (There’s a chance too that this will all melt before you get your sleds out.)
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!
Huh? I haven’t seen one weather report calling for snow this weekend
It doesn’t seem like there should be, but there is a winter storm watch beginning tomorrow night:
Issued by: New York City – NY, US, National Weather Service,
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING… * WHAT…HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. * WHERE…NEW YORK CITY, SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT, NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY, LONG ISLAND, AND ROCKLAND AS WELL AS WESTCHESTER COUNTIES IN NEW YORK. * WHEN…FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS…PLAN ON DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW, SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
As a kid I used all three riverside park HILLS, starting at 103rd,moving up to 108 and as we all got older it was the hill at 91st which was next to the soldiers and sailors monument. I hope all the kids now can have just as much fun as my friends
and I had.
“Suicide Hill” , , , this hill goes back to the old Upper West Side Days. At least 1940’s.
Thanks! Are “Suicide Hill” and the one mentioned by Hippo one and the same? Or is there another hill there I’m not thinking of. We live further down so enjoy the hill by the big rock next to River Run – not nearly as big as the one by Hippo but still fun.
Got a lot of great images at the 103rd St. RSP hill. I remember when it was not policed (guarenteed if I went there shooting these days, I’d attrack a few cops, already happened to me just out shooting pictures one fine day) but a while back I also thought it was cool that the Park’s Dept. sent a truck, put up some cones and signage to direct traffic but most of all, brought a big urn of hot chocolate for the kids.
On the first snow day after I retired, I walked over to the hill on 103rd in Riverside Park. I was astonished. It was such a lovely wholesome environment, and it seemed pretty safe. But those cups of hot chocolate for the kids? I almost wept. I had no idea the city did anything so sweet.
……but get there within the first 12 hours; after that it’s all covered with soot. Ah, the romance of snow in NYC.
The forecast for the next 24 hours isn’t even supposed to be below freezing. Sledding? Good luck sledding on water. :-D. Slow news day on the UWS I guess.
Can u tell me where the snow is please?