Uptown Space

In two decades of living in Harlem, countless times I have walked to the three main parks closest to my apartment: Central Park, Morningside Park and Riverside Park. My favorite one is not the largest nor the closest but it gives me the greatest amount of peace and space. Riverside Park is for me the most special of the three.

They each have their positives and negatives. Central Park is bigger but it is now relentlessly more crowded including with tourists. It is overrun with joggers and bicycle riders, especially racers using it for a workout who have a strong sense of entitlement and belief in the superiority of their personal purpose.

Morningside Park is the People's Park of Harlem, the smallest of the three and used more heavily by blacks. Neighborhood residents have a different sense of entitlement from many years before nearby blocks began to be gentrified. It's theirs, they believe, to create sometimes loud music, barbecue (in spots where it is actually prohibited) and claim general ownership, for good or bad.

The residents of the elegant old apartment buildings and co-ops on Riverside Drive have their own sense of entitlement but it is less on display since the park and the people who literally overlook it are almost invariably white. They are secure that it is theirs although they don't seem to contribute to its upkeep, judging from the spots that are in need of greater care and repair.

above and below, view from mid-level promenade

Riverside Park

Upper West Side

Manhattan

The extra beauty that I am drawn to when I walk west to Riverside Park comes from its terrain, which descends through forested areas down to a sort of mezzanine level and further down to a pedestrian and bicycle path that borders the river itself. There it reveals its true raison d'être, the wide river and wider sky that offer real breadth and light. There are no buildings too close and instead there is always the possibility of blue skies, golden sunshine and warm orange/red sunsets.

Unfortunately, as always in New York City, there are still people, in this case bicyclists, who see any pedestrians along the riverfront as inferior, annoying obstacles, something I never felt when I was bicycle riding along that same path. This reality requires that pedestrians must be constantly aware of the danger of those speeding on two wheels. I have seen bicyclists curse at pedestrians for getting in their way. So it is not a perfect environment because of mankind.

Nevertheless, Riverside Park has spots where one can find peace and quiet. You can visit its recreational areas (skateboarding, soccer, basketball, tennis, handball) and find benches that allow you to watch the games yet be invisible, enjoying the trees and exploring your own thoughts.

Riverside Park is my uptown space, where you can find me through the years.