Rockaways Ride

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. 

Once you make it over the bridge, you should enjoy the beautiful Jamaica Bay Greenway before having to turn onto Cross Bay Boulevard. Cross Bay Boulevard has a bike lane, but it also has two lanes of fast moving traffic and the bike lane isn't protected. Again, this is where I would recommend less experienced riders heading out earlier in the morning for lighter car traffic. Once you've reached the end of Cross Bay Boulevard and before the Cross Bay Boulevard bridge, you are very close to the end of your journey! I usually celebrate making it this far and fuel up for the rest of the day by stopping at All American Bagel and Barista for a bagel sandwich. This is especially key if you are going to head right over to the Community Boat house for some kayaking.  

​After fueling up, it's time to tackle the Cross Bay Boulevard bridge. Following the signs for the bridge entrance, there is a separated path that cyclists and pedestrians can take. Once over the bridge, you can go across on the pedestrian path and cycle down Beach Channel Drive to get to the boat house (Google maps doesn't like this, so just ignore their work around). The Community Boat house is one of the gems of the Rockaways, providing free community kayaking and open paddles every Saturday and Sunday throughout the summer season. Just make sure to get there early! 

After you do some paddling, it might be time to head to the Rockaway Beach Bakery for a coffee and one of their insanely delicious treats. Last time I was there I had a lox sandwich on a croissant, and it was amazing! Take your coffee and treat to the beach and enjoy some wave action.

After you've gotten your fair share of beach time (for me, again, around 5 minutes) I recommend biking over to the Rockaway Beach Brewing Co for some of their delicious beers and tacos from their taco truck. They are currently open for outdoor dining in their outside dining area. Alternatively, if you were still enjoying that beach lifestyle, you could bike over to Caracas Arepas Bar for some amazing stuffed arepas on the boardwalk. Either one would be a great choice for some fuel for your ride (or subway ride) home.