Sacred City: Fort Tryon Park in Northern Manhattan, New York City

Everyone has heard of Central Park in Manhattan, it's one of New York City's premiere tourist destinations. Most New Yorkers even have a favorite corner of Manhattan's biggest and most famous green. But how many of them have their own favorite spot in Fort Tryon Park? Have you ever even heard of Fort Tryon Park? It is secretly one of the most beautiful places on the island of Manhattan! Containing some of the most amazing views of the Hudson River, the New Jersey Palisades, the George Washington Bridge and for me, it is the site of the absolute most beautiful place to be for a late Summer or Autumn sunset. For those of you who have never heard of it, here is a bit of an introduction. If you are lucky enough to be able to visit, I will even provide walking directions to my favorite place to set down your blanket and picnic basket.

Chances are, if you live in New York City, or have read a guidebook or two about it when you were visiting, you have heard of the Cloisters. The Cloisters, an extension of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, houses an extensive collection of medieval art from the European Middle Ages. The building and grounds are actually also part of the collection, as they were constructed from several medieval buildings that were purchased in Europe and transported to America to be rebuilt, stone by stone. To get there, you have to go to Fort Tryon Park, located near the border of the Washington Heights and Inwood neighborhoods, which are up at the very northern tip of Manhattan.

Many people come to the Cloisters to view the impressive collection, including the famous Unicorn Tapestries. And yet, most people are in and out of the Museum, without bothering to exploring the amazing park all around it. Big mistake! This amazing park has its own impressive history and is worth exploring just as much the museum there.

Fort Tryon was the actual site of the Battle of Fort Washington, fought in the American Revolutionary Way on November 16, 1776. The park sits at the end of Fort Washington Avenue, named to commemorate the battle. The fort itself was renamed for the last British Governor of the New York Colony, Sir William Tryon. However, the most interesting bit of history is present in the name of the entrance to the park - Margaret Corbin Circle - as the Battle of Fort Washington was actually led by Margaret Corbin, the first woman soldier to fight in the war for American independence. She was wounded and died in battle there. Many people feel that the park should have been named for her, but alas, she only gets to be the namesake for the entrance and the driving road that leads into the park to the Cloisters.

Before it was completed as a park in the 1930's, parts of the fort were turned into an estate that was home to a number of wealthy people. Later in that century, the park fell into disrepair and became dangerous and crime-ridden as parts of the neighborhoods surrounding it were notorious for drugs and illegal activity. It has come a long way since then, as the neighborhoods have also improved and become much safer. Today, Washington Heights and Inwood are very residential busy neighborhoods and on any given Summer day, Fort Tryon is filled with children playing at the playgrounds, riding bikes or families walking dogs and just hanging out.

The park itself is clean and well taken care of. Restoration projects in the 1980's cleaned up the landscape and continue to contribute to the upkeep of the 67 acres of paths, meadows and a sprawling Heather Garden. Several original pieces of fort walls were maintained, as well as parts of the estates' paved walkways, trails, staircases, arches and several scenic spots perched high over the Henry Hudson Parkway and overlooking the lovely Hudson River. Its really an extraordinary place to go and stroll any time of year. Although, for an incomparable view, I would recommend going in the Fall. When you are strolling up and down these sloped paths and trails, looking around at the bright warm tones of Autumn foliage of the park or across the Hudson at the New Jersey Palisades, there are moments when you feel like you must be hiking in the Northeast somewhere. Certainly not in Manhattan, only a 35 minute subway ride to the center of the busiest Metropolis in America!

As promised, here are walking directions for the most direct route, to find the very best spot for a sunset picnic:

When you enter the park at Margaret Corbin Circle, walk straight along the small walking path instead of along the driving road that leads to the Cloisters. You will pass the lovely Heather Garden, which would be worth a detour for leisurely exploring if you have some extra time. Keeping walking straight and you will come to a raised area with steps, with a large flagpole in the center. This is one of the highest points in Fort Tryon Park. Its lovely and provides stellar views from one of the benches along the west wall, to your left. It is also one of the most pleasant places to sit with a book or a friend to have a long chat. However, it is concrete and therefore is not so comfortable to have a picnic on. So, you will continue walking straight across this raised area and notice that off to the right, near the back wall, is a staircase that descends down onto a lower area of the park. Walk down and face the river, do not follow the path off to the right where it winds around. Right across the path from where you are standing is a small clearing of grass and trees. It slopes down, somewhat sharply and yet still provides somewhat level ground for a picnic. Pick a spot under a nice tree where you have a clear view of the water and the top tower of the Cloisters to your left. Unpack delicious food and beverages and voila! Amazing sunset picnic. Highly recommended for romantic outings, a stop for a long walk with your dog, or even just a casual lazy Sunday afternoon with some good friends and a frisbee.

How to get to Fort Tryon Park:

Take the A Train to 190th Street. Exit via the elevators and walk up the stairs. The main entrance to the park will be on your right. If you are driving, there is a Cloisters/Fort Tryon Park exit directly from the Henry Hudson Parkway (The West Side Highway) and it comes up just after passing the exit for the George Washington Bridge.