The healthy pet parent’s guide to NYC’s Upper West Side

When you picture New York City, the images that quickly come to mind are of honking taxi cabs, endless stretches of packed sidewalks, and the flashing lights of Times Square. But despite its reputation as the concrete jungle, NYC is actually surprisingly dog-friendly.

We teamed up with Castor & Pollux to explore the Big Apple on the second stop of the Our City Guide series, AKA our search for the most pet-friendly cities in America (with an emphasis on our favorite good-for-you activities, of course). Because traveling to the buzziest wellness meccas is four times better when you can bring your four-legged friend along for the ride.

Traveling to the buzziest wellness meccas is four times better when you can bring your four-legged friend along for the ride.

For proof, Miranda Hammer of The Crunchy Radish and her pooch, Henry, gave us a tour of their neighborhood: The Upper West Side. As in secret spots in Central Park that only the most in-the-know dog owners know about, the pet-proof book store with a killer cookbook selection, and the best coffee-shop bench to people watch.

For her own healthy eats, Hammer turns to the 97th Street Greenmarket, her personal hub for organic produce. But when it comes to feeding Henry, she chooses Castor & Pollux ORGANIX®, the only complete line of USDA organically certified pet food. Made with organic free-range chicken or turkey, it’s pet food that actually meets the standards for your own healthy diet.

See all of Hammer’s (and Henry’s) go-to hangouts in NYC in the video above, and click below to launch an interactive map of all their picks.