Play Soccer New York City 🍏‍

A Blog Series Highlighting the Best Field Spaces Across the Big Apple‍

⚽ Randall's Island Park Fields ⚽

11v11 synthetic fields under Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.

Address: 40.7844795 -73.9277848, Wards Meadow Loop, New York, NY 10035
Website: Randall's Island Park Page

Hours Of Operation:
6 am to 1 am, 7 days a week

Overview:‍

There’s nothing quite like soccer in the Big Apple. That’s why we’ve partnered with multiple pickup leagues across New York City to bring you all more field options! These leagues host their matches year-round on dozens of unique pitches across NYC, and as part of this partnership, we are bringing Plei App games to their spaces in order to fill in on days that the leagues aren’t running.

That being said, these blogs will answer all the questions that you usually ask before you head out to play some ball, like…

Is it a 6v6, 7v7, 8v8 or 9v9 field? Artificial grass or natural? What are the exact measurements? Where should I park? What subway train do I take and where do I get off? Are there good food/drink options nearby? Are there any other cool things to do or see in the surrounding area?

Fear not: all these questions and more will be answered within each blog, so you can confidently suit up, head out and have fun playing some pickup footy, New York style. 🗽😎

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If you’ve ever imagined what sports heaven would look like, you can stop imagining.

If you’re a passionate athlete in New York City and have yet to pay a visit to the Randalls and Wards Islands, are you really a passionate athlete in New York City?

In all seriousness, this place is incredible. The conjoined islands, originally formerly separated, have been New York’s premier destination for sports & recreation for decades, attracting over 4 million visitors annually.

Randall’s Island has it all: you’ll find full-fledged golf and tennis centers, a 5,000-seat stadium, a playground, a 40,000 sq. ft. farm, gardens, a waterfront & natural areas and a grand total of 91 sports fields!

There’s so much to talk about when it comes to all the services and amenities available at Randall’s Island Park, and we can’t cover everything!

Keep reading to learn more about the soccer fields that the Plei App currently hosts games at, updated as we expand our reach across the 30 soccer fields available in this sports heaven. We also include helpful tips and recommendations, so click below to navigate to any particular section that you’re interested in! 👇

Field basics
Parking/bus/subway
How to access field
Cool things to do in the area
Food and drink

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What are the basics about these fields?

Randall’s Island Field #70 - One of the park’s four full-size (120 x 75 yards) soccer fields, and the first of six located in the Wards Meadows zone.

The turf here is fully synthetic, and also doubles for boy’s lacrosse use. Lighting is available, so don’t hesitate to catch a pickup game here after the sun goes down.

If you took a look at the photos, you already know about the spectacular setting that these find themselves in. The Wards Meadows Fields (#70-#75) are located at the bottom right corner of the island, with the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge hovering above, which connects to Astoria in Queens.

On these soccer fields, you’ll be playing not only on high-quality turf (either natural grass or synthetic), but you’ll also be accompanied by stunning views of the overhead bridge as well as the Manhattan skyline that never seems to get old.

The Plei App first hosted a pickup game at Randall's Island Fields on July 11, 2023, and we continue to play here weekly.

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Where do I park/what subway/bus stop do I get off at?

Plenty of parking is available if you’re driving your car to Randall’s Island Park. If you’re looking to play in the Wards Meadow Fields (70-75), you’ll get here by heading towards Queens on Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and taking Exit 46A.

Keep in mind that MTA bridges charge an $8.50 toll to access Randall’s Island, so you may want to consider public transportation.

Once you take the exit, make a right at Hell Gate Circle, followed by another right onto Wards Meadow Loop. Make your way down this one-way road until you find yourself below the bridge.

Feel free to park in this large lot (Lot J), but more parking is available facing the fields #72 and #73 if you continue down Wards Meadow Loop. This is the way you’d get back to Hell Gate Circle, too.

Four Citi Bike docking locations are available around the island: Sunken Meadow, Wards Meadow, Bronx Shore Road and Icahn Stadium.

Your last transportation option is via the M35 bus, which you can get to by making your way to the Lexington Avenue 4, 5 or 6 subway station at 125th Street. This will take you onto the island and has multiple stops.

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What’s the best/easiest way to access the field?

There are various access points for the Wards Meadow Fields. and you’ll find them all along Wards Meadow Loop. Make your way around and you’ll see gate openings that take you directly onto the turf.

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Any cool things to see or do near the field?

Yes, and there may be more than we can fit into this section! Randall’s Island has all the entertainment and recreational enjoyment you need for a day’s worth, so a Citi Bike will come in handy here.

Your first stop may be the Robert Moses Building, located near the top left of the island. If you’re not much of a history guru, this may be of little meaning to you, but Robert Moses is one of New York’s most legendary city planners, responsible for most of NYC’s urban development from 1946 to 1954. In this time, he built “13 bridges, 416 miles of parkways, 658 playgrounds, and 150,000 housing units”. Although this specific building is one of his lesser-known projects, it still proudly stands today.

If you’re more into nature, you’re in luck. There are numerous natural areas available for your viewing, including gardens, wetlands and an urban farm.

Another landmark worth stopping by is the Icahn Stadium, which opened in 2005 and features a 400-meter running track and circles a full-size synthetic soccer field. It’s fully equipped with a scoreboard, fencing, lighting and bleachers that seat up to 5,000 people.

Finally, you can always just find yourself a bench or set up a picnic in the many designated picnic areas around the island and enjoy the wide-open space and incredible views of the Manhattan skyline.

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Where can I go to grab some food or drink around here?

There are a few food and drink options available on the island, but they do the trick!

The Untamed Sport Café inside of the Sportime Tennis Center serves healthy food, snacks and drinks and is open from 8 am to 9 pm daily. Look for sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads, as well as an assortment of smoothies and protein shakes.

If you don’t want to make this trek, no worries! The designated public restrooms at Bronx Shore Fields, the Wards Island Fields and the Sunken Meadow Fields all have cafés as well, where you can grab hot dogs, chips and beverages.

Thanks for reading Pitchside by Plei, a blog series highlighting the best field spaces in your city! ⚽

If you want to get familiar with other unique soccer fields from the Lower East Side all the way up to Washington Heights and beyond, don’t hesitate to click the following links below! 👇