Highbridge Park is one of Manhattan's most underused big parks - it runs for dozens of blocks along the ridge above the Harlem River, holds the High Bridge, a mountain-bike trail and a pool, and is almost never crowded. A free outdoor movie on one of its ballfields is exactly the kind of thing that makes uptown parks better than the famous ones. If you have never walked the High Bridge, come early and do that first.
What to expect
Expect an inflatable screen on the ballfield, a local crowd arriving with folding chairs, and the park's steep wooded slopes closing in the field on one side. The High Bridge and its river views are a short walk within the same park if you arrive before dark. Bring your own seating; the field has no fixed stands for screenings.
Good to know
- Highbridge Park runs along Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights; the 1 to 168th Street and the A/C to 168th Street both put you at its edge.
- Free and open to the public — it is a permitted public event, so no ticket or RSVP is involved.
- Come early and walk the High Bridge, the city's oldest standing bridge, in the same park.
- Bring a blanket or low chair, plus bug spray for a wooded park at dusk.
- The park is hilly — the ballfield areas are the flat parts.
- Best reached before dark; the wooded sections are dimly lit at night.
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Common questions
Where is the screening?
On a softball field inside Highbridge Park in Washington Heights.
Is it free?
Yes, Movies Under the Stars screenings are free and unticketed.
What else is in the park?
The High Bridge, a large public pool, mountain-bike trails and long Harlem River views.
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