How about a beautiful day to get you off of your couch and into the sunlight for a run?! There are no excuses when the sun is shining, my friend!
Yesterday John and I decided to look up places other than the boardwalk to run- don’t mistake my desire to traverse other locations as scandalous, I’m still loyal to my OG, but I needed something new. We decided to hit up Norman J. Levy Park for a longer run since I have been slacking hard. Unfortunately, my knee has been severely inflamed and it has limited my long runs.
When we arrived at the park I was confused- why are there hills?! That may seem like an odd question, but in Long Island, there are no hills. Here is what I’ve learned while living in Long Island: hills can only mean one thing around this parts, it’s a landfill. And yes, that’s exactly what the Norman J. Levy Park was! A dump! And it has since been converted to a park and conservation area.
John and I looped the area twice because it isn’t that large of a park. We made sure to do the uphill trails which was a nice challenge and made me feel severely out of shape. There was also a great view (once you got past the industrial nastiness that can exist around here) of the manhattan skyline.
The park also provides workout stations that we stopped at a few times, but mostly just to make fun of ourselves… Chin-ups are not in my immediately future.
The park even has Nigerian Dwarf goats that are used to naturally keep the area hedged and trimmed nicely, as opposed to using gas guzzling mowers. This was and added bonus for me because I got to attempt to make friends for a good half hour.
While this might all sound bizarre, the park was actually quite nice. Other sweet perks include my farmers tan that I acquired over the course of an hour. The best part of the tan is the mark from the arm band for my iPod- it’s like a badge of pride. Oh, this tan, yeah, I ran outside… No big deal. And with marathon day quickly approaching, it was nice to get in a slightly longer run of 6.5 miles.
I loved the park for another reason too, it was as though new life has been given to waste. Under our feet were the forgotten memories, like a garbage graveyard that was able to have a rebirth in the way we all hope our memory lives on and is given a sense of purpose. And suddenly, that phrase has some more meaning behind it, one persons trash is another persons treasure, or, at least it can become that way!
Please learn more about the park and their conservation efforts by clicking here! And if you live in Long Island, be sure to check out a dump near you!
52 Miles per Month 
OMG the goats!! I would have tried to take one home – they’re so cute!! That sounds like a nice little place for a run.
I agree with you. Those goats are the cutest!
I. Am. Jealous. Good for you!!
The first “goat” pic with the big rock looks like you’re squatting and talking to giant sewer rats.
Ha! Those were guinea fowl! They were rolling around in the dust and had zero interest in me!
Awesome! We’re thinking of getting four guineas this Summer. 🙂
Wow, I can’t believe they made the dump into a park! That is creative, though. I had to chuckle at your assumption that the hills had to mean it was a dump. I’ve never been to New York, so I know nothing about the landscape. Oh, I like the goats, too! That would’ve been the end of my exercise 🙂
New York is a great state because it’s so diverse! Where I grew up we didn’t need to create mountains with garbage- they just existed. New York can be a city, a rural landscape, a beach, vineyards, rolling hills and mountains. I’m absolutely bias because I live here, but it’s an amazing city. We focus too often on New York City as what New York is, but it’s so much more! If you have the opportunity, you have to have to come!