Henry Hudson Parkway
Encyclopedia
The Henry Hudson Parkway is an 11.05 miles (17.78 km) long parkway
in New York City
. The southern terminus is at West 72nd Street
in Manhattan
, where the parkway continues south as the West Side Highway
. It is often erroneously referred to as the West Side Highway throughout its entire course in Manhattan. The northern terminus is at the Bronx-Westchester County
boundary, where it continues north as the Saw Mill River Parkway
. All of the parkway is designated New York State Route 907V, an unsigned reference route; however, all but the northernmost mile of the road is also designated as part of the signed New York State Route 9A.
The owners of the parkway are the New York State Department of Transportation
, New York City Department of Transportation
, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
, Amtrak
, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
. The Henry Hudson Parkway was created by the Henry Hudson Parkway Authority, which was run by "master builder" Robert Moses
. The highway itself was constructed from 1934–1937.
The Henry Hudson Parkway begins at an interchange with West 72nd Street in Riverside Park
. It is connected by a short remnant of the Miller Highway
to the West Side Highway
, heading in a northward direction along the west side of Manhattan. It has a large interchange with West 79th Street, with more intermittent exits onto surface streets along the way. The parkway continues in a northerly direction, running almost parallel to Riverside Drive north of West 158th Street. It passes under I-95
and the George Washington Bridge
as it continues its progression through Fort Washington Park
, Fort Tryon Park
, and Inwood Hill Park
. It is in Inwood Hill Park that the parkway meets NY 9A
and runs concurrently with it northward across the Henry Hudson Bridge
into the Bronx.
Upon entering the Bronx, the parkway passes through Spuyten Duyvil
and Riverdale
as it continues northward, edging slightly to the northeast. At exit 23, NY 9A leaves the parkway for US 9
while the parkway enters Van Cortlandt Park
. Soon after it enters the park, the parkway has an interchange with the Mosholu Parkway
, which connects it to I-87
. Less than a mile further, the parkway merges with the Saw Mill Parkway and terminates at this point.
The Parkway was completed on October 12, 1937, under New York master builder Robert Moses
. It cost $109 million, twice as expensive as the $49 million Hoover Dam
that was built in the same period. The Parkway was part of Moses's "West Side Improvement" and included covering the New York Central Railroad
's West Side Line
, creating the Freedom Tunnel
. The covered portion is partially used for the highway and also expands the Riverside Park
designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
.
On May 12, 2005 part of a retaining wall at Castle Village
collapsed onto the northbound lanes of the parkway, just north of the George Washington Bridge
, shutting it down shortly before rush hour. The clean-up began quickly, and the road re-opened on May 15.
, the first in New York City. At the request of the Henry Hudson Parkway Task Force, in 2005 the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council approved funding to develop a comprehensive corridor management plan, a requirement for its designation.
|rowspan=10|New York
|rowspan=5|Riverside Park
|0.00
|9
|West 72nd Street
, Riverside Drive
|Northbound entrance only; the former northbound exit was permanently closed on July 8, 2007
|-
|0.35
|10
|West 79th Street
- Boat Basin
|Signed as exit 10A (West 79th Street) and exit 10B (Boat Basin) on northbound; Signed as 79th Street on southbound parkway
|-
|1.29
|
|West 95th Street (south) / West 96th Street
(north)
|
|-
|2.47
|12
|West 125th Street
|Signed as 125th Street on northbound parkway
|-
|4.22
|13
|West 158th Street
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Fort Washington Park
|4.92
|14
|
|West 178th Street not signed on southbound parkway
|-
|
|15
|Riverside Drive
|No access to northbound Riverside Drive from northbound parkway
|-
|
|16
|Fort Tryon Park
, Cloisters
|At-grade intersection; Access from northbound parkway only
|-
|rowspan=2|Inwood Hill Park
|6.78
|17
|Dyckman Street
|
|-
|colspan=4 align="center" rowspan=2|Henry Hudson Bridge
over the Harlem River
- Toll: $4.00 in both directions
|-
|rowspan=10|Bronx
|rowspan=3|Spuyten Duyvil
|-
|
|18
|Kappock Street
|No entrance ramps
|-
|
|19
|West 232nd Street
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Riverdale
|-
|
|20
|West 237th Street (south) / West 239th Street (north)
|
|-
|
|21
|West 246th Street / West 250th Street
|No southbound entrance; no access to West 250th Street from southbound parkway
|-
|9.64
|22
|West 254th Street (south) / West 253rd Street (north) / Riverdale Avenue
|
|-
|10.05
|23
|
|North end of NY 9A overlap; signed as exits 23A (south) and 23B (north) northbound; NY 9A not signed
|-
|rowspan=2|Van Cortlandt Park
|10.62
|24
|
|I-87 not signed on northbound parkway
|-
|11.05
|
|
|Continuation into Westchester County
Parkway
The term parkway has several distinct principal meanings and numerous synonyms around the world, for either a type of landscaped area or a type of road.Type of landscaped area:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The southern terminus is at West 72nd Street
72nd Street (Manhattan)
72nd Street is one of the major bi-directional crosstown streets in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Where the west end of 72nd Street curves into the south end of Riverside Drive, the memorial to Eleanor Roosevelt stands in Riverside Park. At this end of the street is the landmarked...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, where the parkway continues south as the West Side Highway
West Side Highway
The West Side Highway is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A that runs from West 72nd Street along the Hudson River to the southern tip of Manhattan. It replaced the West Side Elevated Highway, built between 1929 and 1951, which was shut down in 1973 due to neglect and lack of...
. It is often erroneously referred to as the West Side Highway throughout its entire course in Manhattan. The northern terminus is at the Bronx-Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
boundary, where it continues north as the Saw Mill River Parkway
Saw Mill River Parkway
The Saw Mill River Parkway is a north–south parkway that extends for through Westchester County, New York, in the United States. It begins at the border between Westchester County and the Bronx, where it continues into New York City as the Henry Hudson Parkway, and heads generally...
. All of the parkway is designated New York State Route 907V, an unsigned reference route; however, all but the northernmost mile of the road is also designated as part of the signed New York State Route 9A.
The owners of the parkway are the New York State Department of Transportation
New York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
, New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure...
, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
The City of New York Department of Parks & Recreation is the department of government of the City of New York responsible for maintaining the city's parks system, preserving and maintaining the ecological diversity of the city's natural areas, and furnishing recreational opportunities for city's...
, Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
. The Henry Hudson Parkway was created by the Henry Hudson Parkway Authority, which was run by "master builder" Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
. The highway itself was constructed from 1934–1937.
Route description
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
. It is connected by a short remnant of the Miller Highway
West Side Elevated Highway
The West Side Elevated Highway was an elevated section of Route NY-9A running along the Hudson River in the New York City borough of Manhattan to the tip of the island.It was an elevated highway, one of the first urban freeways in the world, and served as a...
to the West Side Highway
West Side Highway
The West Side Highway is a mostly surface section of New York State Route 9A that runs from West 72nd Street along the Hudson River to the southern tip of Manhattan. It replaced the West Side Elevated Highway, built between 1929 and 1951, which was shut down in 1973 due to neglect and lack of...
, heading in a northward direction along the west side of Manhattan. It has a large interchange with West 79th Street, with more intermittent exits onto surface streets along the way. The parkway continues in a northerly direction, running almost parallel to Riverside Drive north of West 158th Street. It passes under I-95
Interstate 95 in New York
Interstate 95 is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Canada – United States border near Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of New York, I-95 extends from the George Washington Bridge in New York City to the Connecticut state line at Port Chester...
and the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
as it continues its progression through Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, USA, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was named Fort Warburton...
, Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA. It is situated on a 67 acre ridge in Upper Manhattan, with a commanding view of the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, the New Jersey Palisades and the Harlem River...
, and Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park is a city-owned and maintained public park in Inwood, Upper Manhattan, New York City, operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It stretches along the Hudson River from Dyckman Street to the northern tip of the island. Inwood Hill Park's densely folded,...
. It is in Inwood Hill Park that the parkway meets NY 9A
New York State Route 9A
New York State Route 9A is a state highway in the vicinity of New York City, New York, United States. Its southern terminus is at the northern end of the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel in New York City, where it intersects with both Interstate 478 and FDR Drive. The northern terminus of...
and runs concurrently with it northward across the Henry Hudson Bridge
Henry Hudson Bridge
The Henry Hudson Bridge is a steel arch toll bridge in New York City across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. It connects the Spuyten Duyvil section of The Bronx with the northern end of Manhattan to the south. On the Manhattan side, it touches Inwood Hill Park. The bridge was designed by David B. Steinman...
into the Bronx.
Upon entering the Bronx, the parkway passes through Spuyten Duyvil
Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx
Spuyten Duyvil is the name of a subsection of the Riverdale section of the Bronx in New York City. The area is named after Spuyten Duyvil Creek, a Dutch name with various historical spellings and meanings, the most plausible of which is "Spinning Devil", "Devil's Whirlpool", or "Devil's Spate"...
and Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
as it continues northward, edging slightly to the northeast. At exit 23, NY 9A leaves the parkway for US 9
U.S. Route 9
U.S. Route 9 is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the United States. It is one of only two U.S. highways with a ferry connection ; the other being US 10. US 9 is signed east–west in Delaware and north–south on the rest of...
while the parkway enters Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
. Soon after it enters the park, the parkway has an interchange with the Mosholu Parkway
Mosholu Parkway
The Mosholu Parkway is a hybrid freeway-standard parkway and grade-level roadway in the New York City borough of the Bronx, constructed from 1935 to 1937 as part of the roadway network created under Robert Moses...
, which connects it to I-87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
. Less than a mile further, the parkway merges with the Saw Mill Parkway and terminates at this point.
History
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
. It cost $109 million, twice as expensive as the $49 million Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
that was built in the same period. The Parkway was part of Moses's "West Side Improvement" and included covering the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
's West Side Line
West Side Line (NYCRR)
The West Side Line, also called the West Side Freight Line, is a railroad line on the west side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. North of Penn Station, from 34th Street, the line is used by Amtrak passenger service heading north via Albany to Toronto, Montreal and Chicago...
, creating the Freedom Tunnel
Freedom Tunnel
The Freedom Tunnel is the name given to the Amtrak tunnel under Riverside Park in Manhattan, New York City. It got its name because the graffiti artist Chris "Freedom" Pape used the tunnel walls to create some of his most notable artwork...
. The covered portion is partially used for the highway and also expands the Riverside Park
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
.
On May 12, 2005 part of a retaining wall at Castle Village
Castle Village
Castle Village is a cooperative apartment complex located in the Hudson Heights neighborhood of the Washington Heights area of New York City. The buildings are among the many resident-owned apartment buildings in Hudson Heights...
collapsed onto the northbound lanes of the parkway, just north of the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
, shutting it down shortly before rush hour. The clean-up began quickly, and the road re-opened on May 15.
Future
The Henry Hudson Parkway is a candidate for designation as a New York State Scenic BywayScenic route
A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty...
, the first in New York City. At the request of the Henry Hudson Parkway Task Force, in 2005 the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council approved funding to develop a comprehensive corridor management plan, a requirement for its designation.
Exit list
|-|rowspan=10|New York
|rowspan=5|Riverside Park
Riverside Park (Manhattan)
Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...
|0.00
|9
|West 72nd Street
72nd Street (Manhattan)
72nd Street is one of the major bi-directional crosstown streets in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Where the west end of 72nd Street curves into the south end of Riverside Drive, the memorial to Eleanor Roosevelt stands in Riverside Park. At this end of the street is the landmarked...
, Riverside Drive
Riverside Drive (Manhattan)
Riverside Drive is a scenic north-south thoroughfare in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The boulevard runs on the west side of Manhattan, generally parallel to the Hudson River from 72nd Street to near the George Washington Bridge at 181st Street...
|Northbound entrance only; the former northbound exit was permanently closed on July 8, 2007
|-
|0.35
|10
|West 79th Street
79th Street (Manhattan)
79th Street is a major two-way street in the Upper East Side and Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan. East 79th Street stretches from East End Avenue to Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side, where it enters Central Park through Miners' Gate...
- Boat Basin
79th Street Boat Basin
The 79th Street Boat Basin is a marina located in the Hudson River on the Upper West Side of the New York City borough of Manhattan, on Riverside Park at the foot of West 79th Street...
|Signed as exit 10A (West 79th Street) and exit 10B (Boat Basin) on northbound; Signed as 79th Street on southbound parkway
|-
|1.29
|
|West 95th Street (south) / West 96th Street
96th Street (Manhattan)
96th Street is a major two-way street in East Harlem and the Upper West Side, which is a part of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running from the East River at the FDR Drive to the Henry Hudson Parkway at the Hudson River...
(north)
|
|-
|2.47
|12
|West 125th Street
125th Street (Manhattan)
125th Street is a two-way street that runs east-west in the New York City borough of Manhattan, considered the "Main Street" of Harlem; It is also called Martin Luther King, Jr...
|Signed as 125th Street on northbound parkway
|-
|4.22
|13
|West 158th Street
|
|-
|rowspan=3|Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington Park
Fort Washington, located near the community of Fort Washington, Maryland, USA, was for many decades the only defensive fort protecting Washington D.C. The original fort, overlooking the Potomac River, was completed in 1809, and was named Fort Warburton...
|4.92
|14
|
|West 178th Street not signed on southbound parkway
|-
|
|15
|Riverside Drive
Riverside Drive (Manhattan)
Riverside Drive is a scenic north-south thoroughfare in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The boulevard runs on the west side of Manhattan, generally parallel to the Hudson River from 72nd Street to near the George Washington Bridge at 181st Street...
|No access to northbound Riverside Drive from northbound parkway
|-
|
|16
|Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park
Fort Tryon Park is a public park located in the Washington Heights section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, USA. It is situated on a 67 acre ridge in Upper Manhattan, with a commanding view of the Hudson River, the George Washington Bridge, the New Jersey Palisades and the Harlem River...
, Cloisters
The Cloisters
The Cloisters is a museum located in Fort Tryon Park, New York City. The building, which is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was reconstructed in the 1930s from the architectural elements of several European medieval abbeys...
|At-grade intersection; Access from northbound parkway only
|-
|rowspan=2|Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park
Inwood Hill Park is a city-owned and maintained public park in Inwood, Upper Manhattan, New York City, operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. It stretches along the Hudson River from Dyckman Street to the northern tip of the island. Inwood Hill Park's densely folded,...
|6.78
|17
|Dyckman Street
Dyckman Street
Dyckman Street is a street in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It is commonly considered to be a crosstown street because it runs from the Hudson River to the Harlem River and intersects Broadway...
|
|-
|colspan=4 align="center" rowspan=2|Henry Hudson Bridge
Henry Hudson Bridge
The Henry Hudson Bridge is a steel arch toll bridge in New York City across the Spuyten Duyvil Creek. It connects the Spuyten Duyvil section of The Bronx with the northern end of Manhattan to the south. On the Manhattan side, it touches Inwood Hill Park. The bridge was designed by David B. Steinman...
over the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
- Toll: $4.00 in both directions
|-
|rowspan=10|Bronx
|rowspan=3|Spuyten Duyvil
Spuyten Duyvil, Bronx
Spuyten Duyvil is the name of a subsection of the Riverdale section of the Bronx in New York City. The area is named after Spuyten Duyvil Creek, a Dutch name with various historical spellings and meanings, the most plausible of which is "Spinning Devil", "Devil's Whirlpool", or "Devil's Spate"...
|-
|
|18
|Kappock Street
|No entrance ramps
|-
|
|19
|West 232nd Street
|
|-
|rowspan=5|Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
|-
|
|20
|West 237th Street (south) / West 239th Street (north)
|
|-
|
|21
|West 246th Street / West 250th Street
|No southbound entrance; no access to West 250th Street from southbound parkway
|-
|9.64
|22
|West 254th Street (south) / West 253rd Street (north) / Riverdale Avenue
|
|-
|10.05
|23
|
|North end of NY 9A overlap; signed as exits 23A (south) and 23B (north) northbound; NY 9A not signed
|-
|rowspan=2|Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
|10.62
|24
|
|I-87 not signed on northbound parkway
|-
|11.05
|
|
|Continuation into Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...