Manhattan Waterfront Greenway

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Hudson River Greenway in the West 40s

The narrowest bit of East River Greenway, on the Lower East Side

The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway is a walking and cycle path, 32 miles long, around the island of Manhattan. The largest portions are operated by the New York City Department of Parks. It is separated from motor traffic, and many sections also separate pedestrians from cyclists.

There are three principal parts:

Hudson River Greenway is the longest, running along the West Side, from Dyckman Street in the north to Battery Park in the south, mostly through Riverside Park and Hudson River Park, with a small gap in West Harlem where users must use streets. Construction was underway in 2008 to close the gap. This is the most heavily used bikeway in the United States.^[1] Most is near Hudson River water level, except the portion north of George Washington Bridge where it climbs steeply, to approximately 160 feet (50 meters) and includes Inspiration Point. Travelers use [[Chambers Street (Manhattan}|Chambers Street]] or nearby streets to connect to the Brooklyn Bridge. Ongoing renovation work on the South Ferry subway station is to result in a connection through Battery Park to the East River Greenway.
East River Greenway runs along the East Side from The Battery and past South Street Seaport to East Harlem with a 2.5 mile (4 km) gap from 34th to 83rd streets in Midtown where cyclists use bike lanes in busy streets to get around United Nations Headquarters between the Upper East Side and Kips Bay portions of the Greenway. Intermediate access points at 63rd Street and elsewhere are suitable to walking but not bicycling. Some places are narrow due to sinkholes being blocked off by protective fencing, and one part squeezes between the highway and a power station's dock, requiring slower speeds. Other parts are shared space with motor access to Waterside Plaza or a filling station. Approximately a mile near the southwest end is in the shadow of the elevated FDR Drive.
Harlem River Greenway, also known as Harlem River Speedway, is the shortest, and is completely uninterrupted, running northward from 155th Street at the north end of Central Harlem to Dyckman Street in northern Manhattan, between the Harlem River and Harlem River Drive. Users of the East River Greenway must use ordinary streets through East Harlem to reach this portion, but a bike lane in Dyckman Street connects across Inwood to Inwood Hill Park and the Hudson River Greenway.