The Best Route to the Beach

13 mile intermediate route 
Starts at Maria Hernandez Park ends at Jacob Riis Beach

Destinations:
A- Maria Hernandez Park
B- Rudy's Bake Shop
C-Jacob Riis Beach 

It's summertime, and there is no better place to ride your bike on a hot day than the beach! For me, the joy of the beach bike ride is more about the ride to the beach than it is about the beach itself. Either way, the goal is a bike trip to the beach that leaves you refreshed instead of frazzled! The Best Route to the Beach route avoids multi-lanes roads, ensuring a relaxing, meandering route to the beach. You will travel 13-miles North Brooklyn to Jacob Riis Beach on the Jamaica Bay Greenway. The Jamaica Bay Greenway is a New York City gem, and riding on it is by far one of my favorite summer activities. Biking on the greenway during the peak of summer, I always feel transported to a small coastal beach town. The leaves and wildflowers in full bloom on the path create an experience unmatched in NYC. (It usually helps if you ignore the Belt Parkway to your left!) Pack up that pannier with a beach towel and some sunscreen, because it's time to bike to the beach! ​

Jamaica Bay Greenway

This route starts at Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick. If you haven't been here before, the center of the park is generally a great place to gather a biking crew! From the park, head down Irving Street, up Himrod Street, and then take a left on Seneca Ave. If your crew is hungry, stop at Rudy's Bakery and Cafe to pick up an egg sandwich. There aren't too many other food options until you get to the beach, and they have a great egg and cheese! Once you get past Myrtle Avenue, Seneca Ave is a calm biking experience. Head down Seneca Ave until St. Felix Ave. Turn right here, and take St. Felix straight to the entrance of Evergreen Cemetery. (Full disclosure: A few weeks ago I got stopped trying to take this shortcut back from the beach. , If you go early enough in the morning you should be able to still take this cut-through.)

After you exit the cemetery, take a left onto Bushwick Avenue, which connects you to Pennsylvania Avenue. This part of the route is my least favorite. I recommend taking the whole lane, as drivers go pretty fast on this stretch of road! Once you get past this stretch, turn left onto Blake Avenue, a one-way street with a bike lane. Google suggests taking Pennsylvania Avenue all the way down, but I find this way to be much calmer. Once on Blake Ave, take a right onto Hendrix Avenue, a one-way bike lane with sharrows, and then a quick jog onto Van Siclen Avenue. Van Siclen Avenue will take you to Seaview Avenue. From there, cross Pennsylvania Avenue to the entrance to the Jamaica Bay Greenway. Take the sidewalk to the entrance.

Van Siclen Avenue

Once you've reached the Greenway, it's pretty much a straight shot from there. Once you reach Floyd Bennett Field, cross the street and head over the Gil Hodges bridge. This bridge is pretty narrow, and while signs warn to dismount your bicycle and walk across, no one does! Most cyclists are respectful and go slow over the bridge, we're all trying to get to the beach! Once you cross over the bridge, head straight and the entrance to Jacob Riis beach will be right in front of you. If you want to head off the beaten path a little bit, you can take a right here and head to Fort Tilden beach instead! There are no bathrooms or refreshments over there, so make sure to pack your pannier full of snacks if you want to venture that way. My favorite thing to do at Jacob Riis is go to the food bazaar, so I usually head there. Enjoy your relaxing day at the beach and rest up for your ride back! ​