The NYC Soccer Neighborhood Guide: Riverbank State Park (Hamilton Heights)

There's Something in the Air at Riverbank State Park

It's a picture perfect spot to ping a long diagonal pass - but there's something truly special in the air at Riverbank State Park.

Located on the rooftop of the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant in Hamilton Heights just north of West Harlem Piers, it draws inspiration from rooftop park facilities in Tokyo - where public green space is built directly on top of working industrial infrastructure. There's nowhere quite like it on this side of the planet, let alone the city, and you would simply never know you were strutting your stuff with 125 million gallons of sewage per day being pumped underfoot.

Cross the pedestrian bridge from 145th Street and Riverside Drive and take in the view. You'll be looking out onto 28 acres of park sitting above the Hudson River: the sweep of the Palisades on one side, upper Manhattan on the other. What a backdrop for a game of soccer.

Getting There

The 1 train drops you at 145th Street, one block from the park entrance and the bridge crossing. The A, B, C, and D trains all stop at 145th Street as well, a few blocks further east - meaning that from almost anywhere in the city, the connections are clean and the journey is straightforward.

If you're coming by bike, the Hudson River Greenway runs at water level along the park's western edge - one of the more pleasurable pre-game rides in the city. From Midtown, around thirty minutes up the Hudson, flat and scenic. Just note that bikes aren't permitted inside the park itself, so lock up before you cross the bridge.

The Destination

Riverbank's pitch sits within a 2,500-seat athletic complex that has recently been renovated, and the freshly relaid turf is up there with the best NYC Footy has to offer.

The broader facility is something else entirely: an Olympic-sized pool, an ice rink that doubles as a roller rink in summer, an 800-seat cultural theatre, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a carousel - all sitting on top of a treatment plant processing 125 million gallons of wastewater every day. How did this happen, we hear you cry.

In the 1960s, the city needed a treatment plant for Manhattan's west side. The original site at 72nd Street - a predominantly white, affluent neighbourhood - was quietly moved north to West Harlem, whose residents only found out when construction was already underway in 1968. The community fought hard, and when it became clear the plant would be built regardless, the fight shifted: if it was coming, they would at least get something in return. After years of battles over odour problems, design flaws, and broken promises, Riverbank State Park finally opened in 1993. Nearly four million people visit every year. Most of them have no idea what lies underneath.

Pre-Game

Mofongo del Valle on Broadway is the move - one of the best Dominican restaurants in Hamilton Heights. Order some rotisserie chicken, crispy pork chicharrón, fried sweet plantains, and a side of rice and beans. Eating all of this before a match will indeed impact your performance so pace yourself!

Post-Game

Sofrito on the Hudson is right there inside the park - a Puerto Rican restaurant and bar with outdoor seating and Hudson River views. Hard to beat for convenience, harder still to argue with the margaritas.

A block or two into the neighbourhood, At the Wallace on Broadway is the go-to - cheap drinks, a vintage jukebox, giant Jenga, and shuffleboard. The kind of place where a post-game debrief can quickly morph into a full-on session.

For sweet teeth: Sugar Hill Creamery's West Harlem location makes small-batch ice cream with flavours rooted in Caribbean culture and Harlem history. A good scoop and a good story.

Team Bonding

Riverside Park is right there at the foot of the bridge - 511 acres of parkland running along the Hudson, quieter up here at the northern end than the stretches further downtown. After a game, on a warm evening, a walk along the river with the Palisades across the water and the George Washington Bridge in the distance is about as good as New York gets. No plan required. Just walk. If you need a photo opp, pay your respects to The Little Red Lighthouse

Stoppage Time

We're not the gambling type, but if we were, we'd wager you've never had a pint on an aircraft carrier. Down at the West Harlem Piers on 125th Street, moored in the Hudson, sits The Baylander.

Originally a US Navy harbour vessel in the Vietnam War, it was later converted into a helicopter landing trainer, earning the unlikely distinction of being the world's smallest aircraft carrier. Decommissioned in 2011, it has operated as a bar and restaurant since 2020 and is well worth a visit.