30 mile intermediate/advanced route.
Starts Williamsburg, Brooklyn ends in LES, Manhattan. Destinations: A- Continental Army Plaza B- Manhattan Little Italy C- Bronx Little Italy D- Shore Blvd E- HighBridge F- The Baylander G- Kings County Imperial Co. This 30 mile route intermediate/advanced route takes you on a variety of bicycle infrastructure around Manhattan and the Bronx, including some protected bike lanes, some completely separated bike paths, and some unprotected bike lanes. The variety of infrastructure and the length of the ride makes this ride more suitable for someone who is familiar with city riding! This ride starts at the Williamsbridge Bridge on the Brooklyn side, but if you wanted to cut out the bridge portion and start in Manhattan, you could take the JMZ line to Essex Street or Delancey, or even just start right over at the first Little Italy in Manhattan. A good starting point would be Grand Street and Mulberry Street, which is the real beginning of Manhattan's Little Italy. Before the pandemic, I never saw Manhattan's Little Italy as a place that I wanted to visit, it seemed so crowded and full of tourists, all crammed on tiny sidewalks! Though it is supposed to be pedestrianized during the summer, usually there was still enough cars driving through that made you not want to walk in the middle of the street. Now that it has been turned into an Open Restaurant Street, I found the experience of exploring Little Italy to be much more enjoyable, and it actually felt like I was in Italy! Once you get to the beginning of Little Italy, I would recommend disembarking from your bicycle and strolling down Mulberry Street. It is fun to check out all the outdoor restaurants, and the restaurant purveyors are there to entice you to come to their restaurant, sometimes offering free drinks or discounted food! Since this was the beginning of a long ride, I had some espresso and stuffed mushrooms at Caffe Napoli, which was a tasty and filling snack to fuel up and energize for the rest of the ride, with a plan to have dinner in Bronx's Little Italy. After you explore and fuel up, it's off to the rest of the ride! The best way up to Bronx's Little Italy at Arthur Avenue is to take 1st Avenue all the way up until you reach the Willis Avenue Bridge. 1st Avenue is a parking protected bike lane with separated bicycle signal timing, so it is generally a pretty good route for riders of any skill level. The only thing to watch out for here is drivers taking the right turn, which they will often do without checking for cyclists, even if you have the green bicycle signal. To avoid this, sometimes I go into the turn lane to go around the turning car, and still are able to ride through with the green. Another trick is to just ring your bell a bunch and wave your arms! (I'm not even joking) 1st Avenue can be taken at a pretty easy pace because of all the lights, so just take your time and watch for turning cars and soon you'll be at the tip of Manhattan!! The 1st Avenue bike lane will take you right to the Willis Avenue Bridge.
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14 mile intermediate/advanced route.
Starts LIC, Queens, ends in Soundview, Bronx. Destinations: A- Hunters Point Park B- Queensbridge Park C- Socrates Sculpture Park D- Shore Blvd E- Mombar F- Randall's Island G- Bronx Brewery H- Soundview Park This 14 mile intermediate/advanced ride starts on the waterfront of Queens, and takes you up to Soundview Park in the Bronx, where you can catch the ferry back to your home. If you wanted to adjust this ride to make it a shorter beginner ride, you could cut out the Bronx section, because then it is mostly on two-way protected bike paths and on a mostly car free island! This ride starts at Hunters Point Park, and if you don't want to bike there, it is easily accessible by train, Court Square, Queensboro Plaza, 21 St-Queensbridge Station are all close by, or you could take the ferry to the LIC stop. Once you get over to Hunters Point Park, you can take Center Boulevard to Vernon Boulevard, which has a two way protected bike lane starting at 46th Street. Once you get onto the protected bike lane, its a nice and easy ride from there. I find this route to be really enjoyable because of the way the bike lane loops you through the different waterfront parks, so make sure to heed the turns into the parks to get the whole experience! First you will bike through Queensbridge Park, then option to bike through Rainey Park, and lastly Socrates Sculpture Park. Definitely stop at Socrates Sculpture Park to see if they have any exhibits going on, but either way its a beautiful spot with lots of shade and a great vantage point. And if you are lucky like me, you might stumble into a farmers market! From Socrates, continue on Vernon Boulevard, then a few turns until you end up at Astoria Park. I included this park so you can check out the open street at Shore Boulevard, which seems to be working so well that it seems crazy that it was ever opened to car traffic. When I biked by I saw families walking, little kids riding their bikes, and everyone having a great time. I definitely suggest taking the ride! From there, the map suggests turning back around, or you can head up on Ditmars Boulevard and turn onto Steinway Street (just be warned if you take the Ditmars route- it is a steep hill!) Steinway Street is home to a wide variety of types of food, and the stretch of Steinway where Mombar is located is aptly named Little Egypt. I didn't actually get to eat at Mombar because it was closed when I stopped by, but it has great ratings and looks delicious! Either way, this stretch of Little Egypt is worth checking out and some tasty food shall be yours! After you fuel up at Little Egypt, head over to the pedestrian entrance of the RFK bridge at Hoyt Avenue North and 27th Street. The RFK doesn't have a bike lane, so use this pedestrian path to get across to Randall's Island. While the path suggests walking your bike over the bridge, many people ride over it, so if you are going to ride, just go slowly! Once you arrive at Randall's Island, you can bike around and enjoy the park. If you are doing the beginner ride, this might be a nice place to end! If you want to keep going to the Bronx, follow the path for the Randall's Island Connector, which will drop you right off in the Bronx. You can head right over to the Bronx Brewery, which is only a few minute ride from the connector, and support a local brewery with a delicious selection! To enjoy a nice, leisurely ferry ride home, ride on over Southern Boulevard to the beautiful Soundview Park. Southern Boulevard doesn't have any bike infrastructure and cars do move relatively quickly, so probably best for a more advanced rider. It will be worth it when you get to the beautiful Soundview Park, a former marshland that has been converted into a lovely park space with bike paths, kayak launches, and baseball diamonds! From here, catch the NYC Ferry and enjoy the view from the water!
15 mile beginner/intermediate route.
Starts Coney Island, ends Clinton Hill Destinations: A- Coney Island B-Tacos El Bronco C-Bush Terminal Piers Park D- Miss Ada E- Willoughby Avenue Open Street This 15 miles route explores South Brooklyn, starting in Coney Island. How you get to Coney Island is up to you, if you are a beginner cyclist, hop on the Q or the F train and take it to the end of the line. If you are coming from Brooklyn, Ocean Parkway is a nice bike path that is separated from car traffic that will lead you right to Coney Island. I took Parkway on the way down, and it was quite nice, just watch out for some of the uprooted cement on parts of the path, it can make for a bumpy ride! Once you make it to Coney Island, the fun can begin! Definitely take the time to check out the Coney Island boardwalk, where there are a variety of vendors selling beachside food and drinks. Coney Island is also home to Luna Park, which is an adventure in itself, but we are here for biking! So fuel up with a quick snack, walk the boardwalk, check out the ocean and hop back on your bike seat for the rest of the ride. This ride was my first time exploring some of the bike infrastructure in South Brooklyn, and I have to say, I was quite impressed! The bike path that follows Gravesend Bay by the Belt Parkway is nice and wide, with room enough for both pedestrians and cyclists to exist comfortably together. Follow this path for a while, and enjoy your view of the Verrazano Bridge. Unfortunately, the Verrazano doesn't have any bike infrastructure yet, despite years of cyclist advocacy, so don't get any ideas about riding over to Staten Island! By the time you finish the Shore Parkway portion of the ride, if you are anything like me, it will be time for a snack (or second lunch). Take 4th Avenue to Tacos El Bronco in Sunset Park, a restaurant that is known around NYC for being one of the best taco spots in the city. Currently, they have outdoor seating available on both the sidewalk and an adorable covered tent spot set up in one of the parking spots on 44th Street (which is a nicer reprieve from traffic than sitting on 4th Avenue). You can also take your food to go and eat it on the rocks at Bush Terminal Piers Park, which is what I recommend! Bush Terminal Park was opened in 2014, providing much needed park space to Sunset Park. It is a beautiful park with piers that will take you out to the water, and a lovely bike path running through it. It was my first time ever being there on this ride, and I definitely recommend checking it out. It's a pretty straight shot up the new 2-way protected bicycle path on 4th Avenue into Central Brooklyn. If you are feeling the need for some refreshment at this point, I recommend Miss Ada's for a margarita. And since I was heading back to Ridgewood, I strolled down the Willoughby Avenue Open Street. Willoughby Avenue seems to be pretty well maintained as an Open Street (or at least it was when I was there), so it makes for a nice stroll or car free bike ride back to your final destination.
15 mile intermediate/advanced route.
Starts Elmhurst, ends Glendale. Destinations: A- Ayada Thai B- Benfaremo- The Lemon Ice King of Corona C-World Fair's Marina D-Flushing Main Street E- Unisphere F-Forest Park G-Finback Brewery H-Metropolitan Avenue Get ready to explore Eastern Queens! I rated this ride intermediate/advanced, because Eastern Queens could definitely still use some improvement in the bike facilities arena. Some of these streets don't have bike lanes, and others have nice protected bike paths, but just something to be aware of when you embark on this journey. If you don't want to bike to the start, you can take the train to either Elmhurst Ave (E, M, R) or Roosevelt Ave/Jackson Heights (7, E, F, M, R) to start. I have had Ayada on my list of restaurants to try for awhile, and I was happy to see that they are still open and operating as an Open Restaurant.
15 mile beginner/intermediate route.
Starts Euclid Ave Subway station, ends Rockaways. Destinations: A-All American Bagel & Barista II B-Rockaway Community Boat House C-Rockaway Brewery D-Rockaway Beach Bakery E- Rockaway Surf Club F-Rockaway Beach G-Caracas Arepas Bar Everyone in NYC has their opinion about their favorite beach, but the Rockaway's is definitely mine! I am more of a sit on the beach for 5 minutes and then find other things to do person, so the Rockaway's livens up a beach trip with plenty to do and see in the neighborhood. This ride starts by the Euclid Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, mostly because it is a good central meeting point along the route to the Rockaways. I came upon this destination as a meet up spot when joining groups from Ridgewood and Crown Heights, but would be good for anyone coming from Central Brooklyn, and you could just hop on the train to get there if you want to cut some mileage off your route. The first leg of the route is about 7 miles, but don't worry, there are bagels at the end! It's a pretty low stress route that takes you through Lindenwood and Howard Beach, with the majority of the route on a bike lane on a one way residential street. Going over the Joseph P Adddabbo can be a little frightening for first timers, there is a bike lane but cars do go relatively quickly over this bridge. I find it's a bit easier to get over earlier in the morning, or if you are going on a good beach day, there will be plenty of other cyclists on the path to keep you company.
13 mile beginner route.
Starts Grand Army Plaza, ends Long Island City. Destinations: A- Grand Army Plaza B-Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie C-Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier D-Brooklyn Bridge Park E-Naval Cemetery Landscape F- WYNC Transmitter Park G-Hunters Point South Park Red Hook is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Brooklyn, and a super fun place to bike to. This ride starts by Grand Army Plaza for a nice central starting point, and you could take the train to Grand Army Plaza subway station to begin. Come hungry, because the first stop on your journey takes you to Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies! To get to Red Hook, first enjoy the two way protected bike lane on Prospect Park West (and if you get interested in bike infrastructure, please do google the drama that went on getting that bike lane installed) and then head down 9th Street. This should be a relatively low stress way to start the ride, and you get to bike over the Gowanus Canal, which is always a plus in my book. When you enter Red Hook, I recommend biking over to Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies and locking up your ride for a bit. The key lime pie dipped in chocolate on a stick is delectable! Steve's has been around for 23 years making key lime with fresh limes. It's definitely a New York staple! Then walk over to Louis Valentino, Jr Park and Pier and enjoy your key lime and take in the view of the Statue of Liberty. There is plenty to enjoy in Red Hook, from strolling down Van Brunt, checking out the Mary A. Whalen, and getting seafood at Brooklyn Crab. I would allot an hour or so to enjoy the Red Hook sites, but don't get too tired to enjoy the rest of your ride! Next up is riding through Brooklyn Bridge park. I definitely recommend taking Van Brunt Street to Columbia Street to enjoy the two-way separated bike path. This will take you right to Brooklyn Bridge Park (make sure you take the turn into the park right after Atlantic Ave), where you can bike on the path through the park to Old Fulton Street. At this intersection you will find the ferry stop, Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and Grimaldi's Pizza. I usually don't stop here because it is full of tourists/people, but you could pause here to check out some of the offerings. I recommend biking on through from Front Street to the 2 way bike path on Flushing Avenue and checking out the Naval Cemetery Landscape. Part of the Brooklyn Greenway, this former Naval Hospital Cemetery has been turned into an oasis of native plant life with a beautiful path to meander through. Continue on Flushing Avenue as it turns into Kent Avenue to continue your exploration of NYC's 2 way protected bike path infrastructure! Kent Avenue is lovely, but it is usually very busy with car drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike, so be careful and watch out for peds darting into your path. If you keep going down Kent Avenue it turns into Franklin Avenue, and you have entered Greenpoint. Stop by WNYC Transmitter Park to get a glimpse of the East River from the other side of the borough. Now, this has been a 2 way bike path tour of the waterfront of Brooklyn, so I would be remiss to include the 2 way bike path on the Pulaski Bridge! In order to get yourself over to the finale of this ride, you will take the Pulaski Bridge. Cyclists and pedestrians had been sharing a narrow bike path on this bridge for years until the city built a separated bike path in 2016, so get on up there and enjoy your extra space! Take it over to Hunters Point South, and enjoy the recently completed park. The south side of the park was completed in 2019 and has plenty of fun piers to walk on and rocks to dangle your feet over and enjoy the sunset. You deserve it! |
Hi! I'm Rachel.I'm creating curated bike routes in all 5 boroughs of NYC. Routes include downloadable route map, descriptions of the bicycle infrastructure, and suggestions on places to eat and things to see. Enjoy! |