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    The Little Red Lighthouse

    4.7 (43 reviews)

    The Little Red Lighthouse Photos

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    The Little Red Lighthouse, New York
    Bruce K.

    For as many times as I have driven over the George Washington Bridge, I did not know that there was a lighthouse underneath it until I started researching sites to visit while I was nearby at the Met Cloisters. Officially, Jeffrey's Hook Light, the current Little Red Lighthouse was built in Sandy Hook New Jersey where it stood until 1917, when it became obsolete. It was reconstructed at its current location in 1921 by the United States Lighthouse Establishment as part of a project to improve Hudson River navigational aids. Construction on the George Washington Bridge, immediately above the lighthouse, started in 1927. When the George Washington Bridge was completed in 1931, the lighthouse was considered to be obsoleted by the bridge's navigational lights, and the Coast Guard decommissioned it and put out its light in 1948, with the intention of auctioning it off. After a public outcry, the Coast Guard deeded it to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation on July 23, 1951. If you've not read "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge", I suggest you do so. It is a cute story about how even the small are important. There is a summary on the Wikipedia page, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Lighthouse Public access to the lighthouse is by the Hudson River Greenway, reachable north of the George Washington Bridge by a footbridge across the Henry Hudson Parkway at West 182nd Street and Riverside Drive, and south of the bridge by a footbridge at West 158th Street. The northern path is very steep immediately north of the bridge, while the southern path is flat. There is also a very obscure pedestrian underpass at Riverside Drive parallel to 177th Street, just south of the George Washington Bridge. It empties out on the other side of the Henry Hudson Parkway and it's a dirt path down to the lighthouse. There are a number of picnic tables and some shade near the lighthouse. [Review 15646 overall - 243 in New York - 1150 of 2021.]

    Gatangalie S.

    Highly recommend taking some time in the warmer months in NYC to visit the Little Red Lighthouse. Such a cute lighthouse under the George Washington bridge. If you didn't know the children book "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge" was written about their friendship and journey. This time around I couldn't go into the lighthouse. Honestly I don't know if it's closed because of COVID. Anyhow just hanging by the rocks, benches or even on the grass is beautiful. I see lots of cyclists enjoying the breeze and taking in the view. It's a great spot to have a picnic or read a book. It's a bit of a walk from the train station if you are taking public transportation. So take the A or C train to 181st street then follow the George Washington bridge. I personally think you'll enjoy each and every moment of your walk to the lighthouse. The scenery is mystic! Very impressive!

    Alec G.

    Amazing views, easy to get to, parking across the parkway also relatively easy. Construction equipment under the GWB tucked away, not really a factor in experience. Cool place to picnic, take in view of downtown, or start a run along the Hudson river parkway.

    Ling C.

    This lighthouse is a sight to behold. It looks out of place under the bridge. The trek to get here is an adventure itself. This is the direction I took: Take the train to 181st St. and walk west to Plaza Lafayette. Cross the footbridge and take a left down the path under the overpass. Cross over the railroad tracks and follow the path to the left (south). The lighthouse is almost directly under the George Washington Bridge. Good luck!

    Sarah B.

    My daughter lives in this neighborhood and is getting ready to move out so we went for a walk to The Little Ted Lighthouse. It's a sweet little spot and a peaceful walk under the GW bridge.

    Patrice M.

    Idk if I've been in an information coma but I only learned about this lighthouse from an episode of God Friended Me and,appaled at my la k of NYC knowledge DH made it his mission to get me here. Well here we are. After walking the GWB 2 days ago I was intrigued by the park below. Turns out its quite a large park and beautiful. If you get the chance go visit. It's quite a historical landmark.

    Jing K.

    A historic lighthouse underneath the George Washington bridge but not much else here and in a state of disrepair

    Randall M.

    The Little Red Lighthouse is the subject of a children's book that I read many years ago. It was my delight when I accidentally discovered that The Little Red Lighthouse was real. I was on the Hudson River Greenway bicycling north when I noticed a little red lighthouse underneath the George Washington Bridge. In the 1970's NYC wanted to remove The Little Red Lighthouse, and a grass roots effort to save the lighthouse was created. Proceeds from the sale of the book helped to save the lighthouse. It is quite a nice find if you bicycle or run in the upper part of Manhattan.

    Edward M.

    Sometimes in New York, what you see is what you get. No hidden allusions to something deeper or under the surface, some things are explained exactly as they're called. Case in point is the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge. Is it little? You bet! Is it red? Bright as a fire engine! Is it a lighthouse? Obviously. Is it under the George Washington Bridge? I'll let you look at a map and decide. While most people see the lighthouse as a passing glimpse as they make the trip into New Jersey, coming upon in on the ground is even more fun, doubly so when you're allowed to climb up to the top of it! Only 4 stories high and narrow on the top, the lighthouse is not a climb that will exhaust many, but still well worth the climb to survey the Hudson River and see the Palisades from across the river. Usually closed, coming by on Open House New York or the Little Red Lighthouse festival at the end of the summer lets you climb to the top. For all other days, when the lighthouse is closed, there is still a lovely park nearby that allows you to bask in the splendor of the lighthouse under the bridge

    Nadia Z.

    When I would tell my friends I want to see Little Red Lighthouse, they had no idea where or what it was. Personally, I've seen photos and scaled models at NY train shows, but never in person. It was about time I made a trip. To tell you the truth, finding a way to cross that darn highway on foot was an adventure on it's own... Google maps would direct you across GWB - may be they think you can climb down from there? Not sure. But after finding wayfinding blog with pictures, crossing multiple bridges & underground tunnels with bums, dranks, and just weird people, I finally made it to the clearing. (Park itself is pretty safe, unlike getting there) It is most unusual scene, simply little red lighthouse under the bridge. Is this there trolls live? Did they strike a deal with red riding hood for rental property? It's so tiny and so strange, with span of the bridge overshadowing it and spectacular views of Hudson opening up in both directions. Enjoying a great summer day on a bench by the tree is relaxing. But It was time for me to get back to my truck and on the road again. ...Want to guess what happened next?.. Yep, I got lost crossing that crazy highway again. Seriously, visit, but find that blog with instructions how to get there and follow it to the end. That is the end of my adventure here, yours is next.

    A sailboat crosses under the George Washington Bridge near the Little Red Lighthouse on a crisp autumn day.
    Ed L.

    So peaceful, whether for sightseeing away from tourist-packed areas or for a quiet picnic near the Hudson River. (And yes, there are several picnic tables to choose from.) There is no signage directing bike or foot traffic there, but it's easily accessible from 182nd St. down a steep hill, or you can take the Hudson River Greenway from the south if you're allergic to walking down a few hundred feet from civilization (a.k.a. the western part of Washington Heights). The Little Red Lighthouse is a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.

    Rita E.

    Manhattan's only remaining lighthouse sits beneath the George Washington Bridge, an adorable little beacon pluckily standing ground against the big grey behemoth above it. Incongruous and so very cute, this is the basis of the 1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. There are several picnic benches nearby, so it's quite easy to make a day of it and stroll along the Hudson greenway, have a leisurely picnic, play some tennis in the nearby courts, watch the sailboats pass. Bring the kids, they'll love it. To get here, take the A to 181st St, walk toward the Hudson River, cross over the West Side Highway on the footbridge at 181st St & Cabrini Blvd and follow the walkway under the George Washington Bridge. Each October it's open to the public during Open House New York and you can climb up to the observation deck. Fun!

    The Little Red Light House
    Pinky And The B.

    The Tourists and hipsters can have the High Line , this is for real New Yorkers! It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse in 1979. The trail getting there is pretty long and it is half the adventure. It looks like a rustic New England trail and it feels like it is worlds away from the city! There are clean bath rooms that are maintained. They have running hot water and the bathrooms are heated. The trail goes all the way to Battery Park City. Going back up to the street level you have to go the way you came. Otherwise it is another half mile to the street at least. Walk here and you'll get buns of steel!

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    I haven't been here but it seems like a magical place. Can't wait to see it in person soon.

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    I can't help but remember the story everytime I think about this lighthouse. I like to think of it welcoming me home after a good ride.

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    Ask the Community - The Little Red Lighthouse

    Review Highlights - The Little Red Lighthouse

    So peaceful, whether for sightseeing away from tourist-packed areas or for a quiet picnic near the Hudson River.

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    Grand Central Terminal - Inside terminal

    Grand Central Terminal

    4.6(1.7k reviews)
    6.9 miMidtown East

    Architecturally, Grand Central is gorgeous. Inside you're…read moretreated to a massive lobby with iconic steps and balcony. It's a marvel to behold when you're in it. It's a big station so it can be a bit daunting at first but you have signs and proper directions to get you where you need to go. I'd suggest for first-timers to arrive early and take your time. You don't want to rush through here.

    I guess the first thing you'll want to know is how I ended up dragging myself out of bed to catch…read morethe damn F train to 47 Rockefeller Plaza almost in the middle of the night, sure felt like it at 4:45AM. It was freezing, or maybe it was warm, maybe it was my cold, but it felt cold as hell anyway because who the hell wants to be awake when the sun isn't even trying yet? ​So I walk all the way over to Lexington Ave and 42nd Street which is a hell of a walk when you're half asleep and your feet feel like two sacks of wet sand, just to get to Grand Central and catch the 6:18 AM train to Scarsdale. I have this part-time paralegal job up there. It depresses the hell out of me, strictly speaking, but a person's got to keep a job or people start looking at you like you're a total crook or crackhead or something. ​Grand Central at six in the morning is actually pretty grand, if you want to know the truth. It really is. It's not full of all these phony tourists snapping pictures of every single thing like they've never seen a ceiling before. The main concourse is just vast and quiet, with that big greenish ceiling with all the stars painted on it, even though the stars are drawn totally backward, which is just like people, if you think about it. Nobody even notices. ​There's that big clock right in the middle sitting on top of the information booth. It just sits there, looking very old and very expensive and not giving a damn about anybody's problems. I stood there for a second looking up at it, and for a minute it almost made me feel less miserable about going all the way to Scarsdale to look at legal briefs or whatever the hell I was going to do. ​The guys working the tracks at that hour don't yell at you, which is a nice change. You just walk down the ramp to your track, get on the Metro-North, and sit by the window. It's almost nice, except you know as soon as the train starts moving that you're actually on your way to work, which ruins the whole thing. ​If you have to go to work at six in the morning, Grand Central is about the only place in New York that doesn't make you feel like a complete loser for doing it. I mean it. It really doesn't. ​

    Photos
    Grand Central Terminal - Free magnet

    Free magnet

    Grand Central Terminal - 10/10/2025

    10/10/2025

    Grand Central Terminal - Restaurant inside the train station

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    Restaurant inside the train station

    Bowery Savings Bank Building

    Bowery Savings Bank Building

    5.0(3 reviews)
    7.0 miMidtown East, Murray Hill

    Tour historic buildings and designated landmarks of New York. Bowery Savings Bank building is one…read moreof many historic. Any history buff or avid amateur architecture enthusiasts would have a full appreciation and admiration of this stone building as old world architectural craft is no longer in use. This building still stands with the passage of time and nature's elements. The correct location of Bowery Savings Bank Building is in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan- NOT Midtown East, Murray Hill. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=132531

    You might find a few Bowery Bums in the doorway of the Bowery Savings Bank Building, but it's New…read moreYork, and more to the point it's the USA, and that goes with the territory. This building is very special to me because when I needed to get my citizenship it was here that my awesome lawyer (whose office is in the upper reaches of this magnificent building) helped me through the process and got me over the line - and I will always be grateful for that. He's David Gottfried of Gottfried & Gottfried, by the way. I would recommend him to anyone as the perfect immigration lawyer for my situation and I wish nothing but the best for him. As for the building it's a typical old rustic early 20th century New York stunner, and it seems haunted. They do make you go through a security check to get up inside here but then so does Barbie with her clients.

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    Bowery Savings Bank Building - Exterior

    Exterior

    Bowery Savings Bank Building - Lil Bowery Wow

    Lil Bowery Wow

    Bowery Savings Bank Building

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    Van Gogh's Ear - Van Gogh's Ear, a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset

    Van Gogh's Ear

    5.0(3 reviews)
    6.6 miMidtown East, Midtown West

    Don't look for this work of art. It's not there. If you were lucky enough to see it, write a…read morereview. It's pretty cool if you stare and stare. Then all of a sudden you realize what you're looking at! My photos are from April 14, 2016. It was a beautiful Spring Day. I am enjoying reminiciing about today during the Arctic Blast!

    "Van Gogh's Ear", a public art sculpture by Elmgreen & Dragset, is in place at 30 Rockefeller…read morePlaza, right across the street from the entrance to Sak's 5th Ave. The sculpture, by the same duo that brought us the Prada Marfa Store in the middle of the Texas desert, is a tribute to the ready-made style of Marcel Duchamp. The sculpture is a 30 foot tall swimming pool, taken out of its normal context and displayed in its side with a diving board built in at the top. One of my favorite elements are the working lights on the inside left and right of the pool sculpture. Being that it's out of context - a recreational object in the middle of a commercial center - it creates a sense of longing and desire for recreation over industry and gives you an off-kilter feeling (why am I going to work when I could be swimming!). Overall a great piece of colorful public art at placed I a great spot for the perfect season. The piece is on display from April 13th though June 3rd, 2016. Catch it while you can!

    Photos
    Van Gogh's Ear - The sign for Elmgreen & Dragset's piece "Van Gogh's Ear"

    The sign for Elmgreen & Dragset's piece "Van Gogh's Ear"

    Van Gogh's Ear - Van Gogh's Ear beautifully backlit by NYC last night.

    Van Gogh's Ear beautifully backlit by NYC last night.

    Van Gogh's Ear - They removed the street-side barricades.

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    They removed the street-side barricades.

    Bryant Park - Carousel rules

    Bryant Park

    4.6(1.4k reviews)
    6.9 miMidtown West

    Just blocks from Times Square and the Theater district in Midtown Manhattan, Bryant Park is…read moredirectly next to the main branch of the New York Public Library. It's a park that my wife and I have passed by during the day on visits to New York City. But we finally saw it come alive as a community gathering place at night, with its many tables to talk or eat, permanent and temporary food trucks and carts, and a large greenspace lawn that was cordoned off this night, but can be the location for free summer movies on the lawn and an ice skating rink in the winter. On a warm summer night, the night atmosphere was magical, especially walking through the walkways with the London plane trees, after a great Broadway show. The current park is 9.6 acres and is located on two city blocks (5th and 6th avenue on the NW/SE, 40th and 42nd street on the NE/SW). The western half of the park contains a lawn, walkways, and a french-inspired carousel. Down below are the repository/stacks of the public library, located on the eastern half of the park. It opened in 1847 as Reservoir Square, later renamed for abolitionist William Cullen Bryant in 1884. It fell into disrepair in the 1960s. In 1980, the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation was formed as a non-profit, to try to create a long term solution for the maintainability of the park. Massive renovation was planned and implemented, with a complete rebuilding of the park (after the library stacks had been first built underneath). It reopened in 1992, to great acclaim. Since then, the value of the real estate around the park has greatly increased, attracting new development. The reclamation of the park has been often used a model for a successful urban renewal.

    If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you notice about Bryant Park is how everybody…read moreis trying so damn hard to act like they're having the time of their life. I walk by there on my way to Grand Central Terminal to get Metro North to my goddamn job at the law firm whichbis 45 minutes away, its so far,I think im gonna quit. It's right behind the New York Public Library on 42nd Street, trapped right in the middle of all these massive, skyscrapers looming over the trees like giant glass monsters. ​During the warmer months, they've got this giant green lawn laid out, and people sit around in these little green metal folding chairs looking like they're in some kind of advertisement for happy urban living. You see all these tourists and families sprawling out on the grass, taking pictures of each other with their fancy phones and fancy shopping bags and laughing at what seems to me like absolutely nothing. They sit there eating overpriced sandwiches and pretending they aren't surrounded by millions of tons of steel and exhaust fumes. It depresses hell out of me, it really does. Every single one of them acts like they just discovered nature because someone put a patch of sod between 5th and 6th Avenue. ​Then in the winter, the whole place transforms into this "Winter Village" deal. They put up a big ice skating rink right in the middle and surround it with all these tiny wooden kiosks selling fifty dollar scarves and gourmet hot chocolate whichbis pricd probably at about ten bucks. The tourists go completely crazy for it. You watch these parents pushing their little kids out onto the ice in those goofy plastic skate aids. Half the grownups are wobbling around like they're about to break a leg, but they keep smiling for the cameras because they want everyone back home in Ohio Belgium or wherever they are from to think they're having a marvelous time in New York. ​I mean, the kids are alright, it's actually kind of nice seeing a little kid who hasn't been ruined by everything corporate yet having fun on the ice, but the whole commercial spectacle of it kills me. Everybody's acting, and everybody knows everybody else is acting, but they just keep on doing it anyway. ​It's not the worst place in the city, I guess. If you need to sit down for ten minutes and watch a bunch of outta towners pretend to be relaxed, you could do worse. Just don't buy the hot chocolate unless you want to spend your last ten bucks on hot water and cocoa powder.

    Photos
    Bryant Park - Fountain view

    Fountain view

    Bryant Park - Skating rink

    Skating rink

    Bryant Park - First snow of the season

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    First snow of the season

    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

    5.0(1 review)
    6.9 miMidtown East

    "Don't know much about history Don't know much biology…read moreDon't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took" (Sam Cooke) I guess you can call me a history nerd. After all, I did major in history and rarely walk past a plaque or memorial or marker that I don't stop to read and more than likely Yelp. So when we were walking out to the street from Grand Central Station's Park Avenue/East 42nd Street entry and saw a wall plaque with the portrait of a familiar woman, I just had to stop and check it out. The portrait was of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Those of my generation will always remember the traumatic and terribly sad photographs of her from Dallas on November 22, 1963 with her pink pill box hat and her blood splattered pink dress. Twelve years after JFK's assassination the former First lady was engaged in a high stakes 1975 battle to save one of her hometown's iconic landmarks. At issue was a plan to take the wrecking ball to New York City's Grand Station Terminal and demolish it, just as Penn Station has been demolished and rebuilt in 1964. She became outraged when she learned of the plan and led a coalition of New Yorkers and the the Municipal Art Society to stop it. She was the star of a famous press conference from Grand Central and declared "If we don't care about our past we can't have very much hope for our future, we've all heard that it's too late, or that it has to happen, that it's inevitable. But I don't think that's true. Because I think if there is a great effort, even if it's the eleventh hour, then you can succeed and I know that's what we'll do." She also wrote an eloquent letter to NYC 's Mayor Beame and asked him "...is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud moments, until there is nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future? Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters..." The plaque was dedicated on June 24, 2014 to mark renovations to the station's main entrance. The renovations honor her legacy with photographs, a video display, and the plaque. The entry itself was renamed "The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer".

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    Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Plaque

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    Empire State Building - Photo opportunity with King Kong himself

    Empire State Building

    4.0(2.4k reviews)
    7.3 miKoreatown, Midtown West

    Wow! What an amazing and immersive experience! The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco…read moreskyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, famous for its iconic design, rapid construction, and its status as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years. My wife was a bit reluctant to go on this tour (she's scared of heights, obviously), but somehow I managed to convince her (with my charm of course). And she was so happy I did. The Empire State Building remains a defining global symbol of New York City. Its total height reaches 1,454 feet (now that's tall). I'd be lying if I didn't say that was a bit intimidating. But when we got to the 86th floor (observation deck), there was an apparent stillness and quietness in the air. Kind of peaceful! Looking down from above, everything seemed minuscule- like the world below us was built with little tiny Legos. It truly was quite the experience!

    This is a review of purchasing your tickets online ahead of time. DO NOT get scammed by the Empire…read moreState Building. Let me explain. DO NOT book in advance unless you know all the conditions of NYC, the Empire State building and whatever else the DAY OF your visit while you are standing in NYC. Better to wait in line because you know that you are able to go to observation deck. Or call them if they are opened before making the trek to get into a line. I have wanted to go here and see the building. It has a wonderful history. I had my day in NYC. Check. I had my flight to NYC. Check. I saw the weather the day of good. Check. I got my ticket to Empire State Building. Check. My problem, I do not live in NYC. The day before getting to NYC, there were severe flooding and possible tornado. My flight got canceled, I was stuck in DC. I called the Empire State Building to ask about a refund and the employee on the phone said they had to cancel tickets for all the people that day due to bad views and storms! She said contact the sales and maybe they will give me a refund. I emailed and immediate reply.. no refunds per our website. I explained that my flight was cancelled and that it was not myself that was causing the issue. No response. I even asked for a voucher for a future visit since I go to NYC for work in a few months. No response. Yes, the website warns you "Tickets are non-refundable. No refunds due to weather conditions, length of lines, or wait times at the building. The Empire State Building reserves the right to close the Observatory early on very busy." So not only myself but potentially hundreds of people were denied entry to Empire State Building because of the storms and lost $57 (cheapest ticket). Do yourself a favor and don't book in advance and wait till the day of so you can assess the situation, call them to confirm if they are letting people up to the observation deck and then go purchase a ticket. No desire to go on a tour in the future. Off my list. There are many other cool things to see/do in NYC.

    Photos
    Empire State Building - King Kong poster

    King Kong poster

    Empire State Building - Ahhhh godzilla got me

    Ahhhh godzilla got me

    Empire State Building - Empire State Building image 2023

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    Empire State Building image 2023

    The Little Red Lighthouse - landmarks - Updated August 2026

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