South Brooklyn Route

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.