St. Nicholas Park

St Nic Park is a constant go-​to for the pup and I seeing as how they have enormous open grassy lawns overlooking the city, picnic areas and shade trees along with a huge dog park with separate areas for upset pups and friendly ones alike.
It’s a few blocks from my house, and while Riverside may be closer it wasn’t until recently we got a dog park on Riverside Park (which is only one block away[also Jennifer and I helped build it with the community]).
The park is kept pretty clean, actually and offers some lovely vantage points to sit and soak it all in, while being large enough in size to insulate you from the noise of traffic, sirens, etc. There are also several handball and basketball courts in it, and it’s multi-​leveled so the stairs offer a great excuse to burn some calories.

From Hamilton Heights, the Photog, SamTheDog and I have access to Central Park, Riverside Park, Morningside Park and St. Nicholas Park. St. Nicholas is probably one of the stranger layouts (basically a steep hill that’s several blocks long), but it’s always filled with plenty of nice people w/​their kids and dogs. Good sledding in the winter, decent dog park, and plenty of history. Unfortunately also a fair amount of litter and broken glass, esp in the summer. Nice trees and flowers, great subway access.

great place to workout in the morning. Be careful of the steep steps and dog poop

Such a long block. There is a lot of space and a good alternative to central park. It is great for BBQs as well or playing with your dog. I enjoy it for long walks. There are always people there enjoying themselves and lively. There are basketball games going on by 135^th street and City College is right by it.

Just fine, but could really use a cash infusion for renovations.

The park looks nice– I’m not disputing that. However, if you enter the park then you’ll likely end up as a victim of a felony. It is a seedy park. I attended CCNY. Most students avoided the park like the bubonic plague. The only time I entered the park was when I was doing a project for a geology class and it was with a group of students. If you want to commit suicide then enter the park after dark.

My favorite park in NYC. Having gone to A. phillip Randolph and City College, this park has been a refuge on stressful days, an escape from the outside walls.
The Hamilton house is gorgeous i stumbled by it one day as I walked with my dog, now its one of my favorite places to go. Great scenery. There are swings, basketball courts, bbq designated areas and places to feel one with Nature while still being close with your city.

This park is a breath of fresh air. Plenty of stairs and trees and scenic views, perfect for a morning walk or a midday stroll. The stairs provide good exercise and varied pathways, which makes the trip more interesting. Also, there are also other facilities, like tennis courts and a playground (and a neighboring bathroom) to keep you busy.
Evidently, St. Nick’s is especially attractive for dog lovers, since I always see people taking their pups out for a walk. I noticed there’s a dog park (I guess that’s what’s it is? More like a tiny gated box) that owners visit with their best friends.
Very pleasant, unless you’re afraid of dogs or unable to climb stairs. I haven’t visited the park in the dark, so I don’t know about the level safety at night… But during the daytime I feel totally at ease.

It’s no Central Park but it gets the job done! Nice place to lay out and enjoy the sun if you get a good spot. Great for kids and a walk. Could be cleaner but that is the fault of park goers. Bathrooms are usually locked or out of service which is ok since Im not too far away.

This park could be wonderful if it weren’t for all the trash (saw a neighborhood boy take his burger out of the bag and toss the whole back 3 feet from the trash can) the dog crap (saw a girl make her dog crap on the side walk without stopping, looked down and left it there), the GLASS there is broken glass EVERYWHERE which is so hazardous as I have to walk in the grass with the dogs I walk. RUDE people I get heckled all the time I had a guy approach me and offered to pay me to walk his ‘pit bull’ and be his secret lover.
This park could be something wonderful because it is pretty but the residents in the area need to RESPECT themselves, their neighbors and their neighborhood. For that I would rather stay away.

Hey Runners! Two laps around Saint Nick will give you a nice 3.5 miles which includes an amazingly KILLER incline near the Hamilton House. Working on your speed? Do this hill!
Also, keep you eyes peeled for Harlem Week in the summer. Saint Nick usually holds a series of family friendly summer events and concerts there. It’s always been good clean fun.
My only con is that I wish the grounds were better kept. St. Nick can get pretty gross due to heavy foot traffic and trifling locals.

This is a handy little park to walk through as a shortcut to get up/​down the hill to the drastically differing levels of that area. I thought that was all it was. But one day I took a minute, sat, and observed. It can actually be a nice, chill spot. Now, after dark? There can be some choice characters. But, during the day, it can be a cool spot, at the very least for a nice rest on a day’s walk.

I’m a student at City College, which is basically right across the street from this park. When I have breaks in-​between classes, I sometimes take walks around here.
A lot of people walk their dogs in this park, and regrettably, many people do not clean up after their pets. Near the basketball courts, in particular, you will see so many dog feces on the ground.
The park has some staircases that are broken down and cracked up; a repair job would really help the park’s appearance.
Some of the areas are dark and depressing because the trees block off sunlight and the overgrown bushes make you feel closed in.

First of all all the comments about the park and Harlem disturb me a bit. As for aggressive dogs — Most people treat their dogs like people WRONG… Cesar Milan 101 owners must be the alpha. As to the crackheads comments you have them on Wall Street/​I know tons of detectives and plainclothes cops who tell me this all the time HARLEM WAS AND HAS BEEN AROUND FOR EVER — the only reason people keep making these snide passive remarks is because they want it sanitized I don’t want it sanitized By
The way we had people visiting Harlem for our cultural institutions SINCE THE 1920“S NO ONE DISCOVERED THIS AREA.
we always accept all folks new comers. but please refrain from he nice nasty remarks.
The dog run is fabulous!

On their way to the dog run,
run down a large flight of stone stairs,
into the playground,
with one sprinkler.
Vacant benches, paint peeling, in the shade of the Hamilton Grange,
In the shade of City College, between churches and rehabs,
run by beggars and neighbors.
Eat your Devin’s fish sandwich,
on the great green lawn,
before taking the B/​C back to reality.

This is a refreshing park for a neighborhood that is desperately lacking places for refuge. Located on a steep hill, the park acts as a barrier between Central Harlem and Hamilton Heights. The rolling hills and lush green trees are picturesque. The view of Harlem and City College is nice. Some beautiful old brownstones on nearby Convent Avenue are unexpected for the neighborhood. The Hamilton Grange is located in the park which is actually a National Memorial and according to Wikipedia the oldest surviving structure in Manhattan.
I’ve walked through on several occasions and even had a picnic on one occasion. I haven’t run into any crackheads as some have claimed roam around here. When I have come, I’ve seen families, people walking their dogs and school students sneaking off to smoke pot and make out. It’s relatively empty which makes it an even nicer escape in the crowded city.
The bad… as beautiful as the park could be, it’s littered with trash. Dime bags, papers, plastic cups, graffiti on rocks, you name it. Why people choose out of ignorance or apathy to spoil their own surroundings will forever remain a mystery to me. I live in the neighborhood, and in general there are some sketchy residents… You will hear sirens blasting continuously. I wouldn’t say it’s dangerous but I wouldn’t come here after dark.

The park is on a huge schist hill. Several levels of stairs. A dog run with a smaller section for small or aggressive dogs. If you use the dog park, you might want to bring your own poop bags, and some water. The dog run has a wood chip surface, and is maintained by volunteers. During the summer they meet from 9 – 11 am on the first Saturday of the month.
There are basketball and handball courts, chess tables, and picnic tables. The Alexander Hamilton Grange is located on the north side of the property, having been recently moved there. The building is still under renovation, but should be open next year. We’ve never had problems in the park, but I wouldn’t go there alone at night, as it isn’t all that well lit. The upper part of the park is frequented by down-​low, druggies, and rough trade at night.
Alicia Keys filmed her first video in this park. The views of Manhattan are spectacular at the top of the park. Above the park is a NYC Public School and the main City College campus. The 135^th street B and C stop is at the bottom of the park.

The dog park at St Nicks is awful! It’s half on a hill and filled with aggressive dogs who’s owners apparently think it’s ok for them to be around friendly pups.
There is a small dog area sectioned off but it was filled with large dogs seeking refuge from the nasty pit bulls in the big dog section.
It’s a shame because the neighborhood has changed a lot but this dog park is still truly ghetto. DO BETTER!

Could be a great park if not for the crack addicts and homeless who wander around in the daytime. At night it is basically the uptown Brambles (if you know what I mean).
The only saving grace it has is the newly positioned Hamilton Grange. I personally think the National Park Service is nuts and may find a homeless couple in Alexander Hamilton’s bed, but I’m looking forward to seeing the completed renovations.

Eddie (Chad) was in the house again. Earl made a valiant effort, hope to see them again during the next snow storm. The kids are loving the new snowboards, love St Nick Park on Snow days