Low-Key Spots To Spend Time Outside In Harlem This Memorial Day

HARLEM, NY — This Memorial Day in New York City will look a lot different from years past due to social distancing measures in place to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. City beaches are closed, NYPD officers are being deployed to crack down on large gatherings and everyone outside should be wearing a mask.

With warm weather and partly cloudy skies in the forecast for Memorial Day, many New Yorkers will likely want to spend the holiday outside. Spending time outdoors is a good way to ward off cabin fever, but going outside can also be stressful with the looming threat of the coronavirus.

Hotspots such as Central Park and the Brooklyn Promenade are mobbed with New Yorkers trying to escape the confines of their apartments, making it difficult to maintain a safe social distance. Patch compiled a list of low-key places in Harlem where it may be easier to enjoy the outdoors this Memorial Day without running into large crowds.

Check some of Patch's suggestions out below:

St. Nicholas and Morningside Parks

Both St. Nicholas Park and Morningside Park are beloved local green spaces, but may be a little less crowded than usual thanks to New York State's mandated school shutdown. Morningside Park is bordered by Columbia University and St. Nicholas is basically incorporated into the City College campus.

A lack of college students in the green spaces means local residents may have plenty of space to spread out. Both parks stretch more than 10 city blocks long, and likely provide a much more low-key environment than Central Park.

Colonel Charles Young Triangle

If you're just looking for a nice place to sit outside, Colonel Charles Young Triangle is a good option toward the northern end of Harlem. Located near the approach to the Macombs Dam Bridge by West 153rd Street, Colonel Charles Young Triangle is equipped with numerous park benches shaded by nearby trees.

Dream Street Park and Harlem River Park

These parks represent two of the lesser-known green spaces in East Harlem.

Dream Street Park is one of Harlem's few true pocket parks. Located between two buildings on East 124th Street between Second and Third avenues, the park features a small lawn and seating options. The park's best feature: Views of a spectacular mural that takes up the entire exterior wall of a nearby building.

Harlem River Park is more of a standard park, but less heralded than nearby Marcus Garvey Park and Thomas Jefferson Park. Harlem River Park is also uniquely suited for social distancing because of its sprawling sports lawn, which has enough space for a baseball diamond and two soccer fields.

Randalls and Wards Islands

It's a bit of a hike to get to these East River islands from Harlem, but the results are worth it if you're looking to spend much of the day outdoors. Randalls and Wards islands are pretty big, and the vast majority of the islands are used for parkland.

Randall's Island is accessible by walking or biking on the East 103rd Street Footbridge or the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough Bridge) at East 125th Street. Once you get to the island, there are lots of sports fields to spread out on. Runners and bikers can also take on the island loop route, which is about 5 miles long.

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