Experience with the Manhattan Greenway

[jbrianc242]

Can you tell me about your experience riding the Manhattan Greenway?
What advice would you offer to someone whose experience is largely in
the suburbs and country? The web site shows some portion is along
busy streets. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

[Papa Tom]

JBrianc242:

Earlier today, I received a comment from an out-of-town rider whom I had
steered to the Greenway, somewhat hesitantly. Although I had warned of
heavy congestion and sometimes-not-so-nice riders on the path, he said it
was a GREAT ride.

I haven't ridden the portion of the path that hugs the east side of the
island, but I can tell you that the path along the Hudson River (west
side)is definitely worth riding.

My favorite route is to start in Brooklyn (you can find street parking if
you go early enough on a Sunday) and ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. From
the Manhattan side of the bridge, there's a pretty well-signed street route
to the west side. You'd be riding all crosstown streets here, so the
traffic is not too bad. My wife, who is a "casual rider" at best, does it
with me once or twice a year and loves it.

Once you get to the path on the west side, you've got Battery Park and
Battery Park City (with their great views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island) to ride through. Then you'll pass a marina filled with
multi-million dollar yachts and lined with outdoor restaurants that overlook
the water. You can also detour a couple of blocks from here and experience
Ground Zero. Back on the path, you'll get a glimpse of the Empire State
Building, ride right below the Intrepid battle ship, pass through Chelsea
Pier, etc.

Best of all, the entire path is reserved for cyclists, skaters, and
pedestrians, so there's no street riding at all. However, there are several
spots where cars will be turning into the piers and other waterfront
businesses. You will also come upon many tourists on foot, blindly crossing
the path without looking out for cyclists. Just be alert and you will be
OK. Be particularly mindful of whether the riders around you are obeying or
ignoring the many STOP signs on the path on the day you ride it. Users of
this path behave pretty erratically with regard to these signs. They fought
hard for them in the beginning, but now, many ignore them completely and
have been known to unintentionally ram newbie riders pretty hard from behind
when they stop or slow down.

I usually end my ride at the 79th Street Boat House Cafe, a very
bicycle-friendly outdoor restaurant that, in pre-recession days, had live
music on weekends in the mild weather seasons. You can also continue
further north and cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey.

There's a little more information on the "Manhattan" page of my website
www.geocities.com/nyrides . All in all, as a suburbanite myself, I enjoy
this ride a lot, but I have to be in the mood for it, as the other riders on
the path can test my verves a bit. It's not necessarily a "New York
Attitude" thing; it's just that many New Yorkers use this path as a means of
commuting or just getting from one place to another. Often, these riders
have little or no patience for a tourist cyclist who slows them down.

Have fun with your ride. Are you staying in Manhattan itself -- or in one
of the suburbs? There's some good riding in Brooklyn and Queens, too.

Papa Tom

[jbrianc242]

Post by Papa Tom
Earlier today, I received a comment from an out-of-town rider whom I had
steered to the Greenway, somewhat hesitantly.  Although I had warned of
heavy congestion and sometimes-not-so-nice riders on the path, he said it
was a GREAT ride.
I haven't ridden the portion of the path that hugs the east side of the
island, but I can tell you that the path along the Hudson River (west
side)is definitely worth riding.
My favorite route is to start in Brooklyn (you can find street parking if
you go early enough on a Sunday) and ride over the Brooklyn Bridge.  From
the Manhattan side of the bridge, there's a pretty well-signed street route
to the west side.  You'd be riding all crosstown streets here, so the
traffic is not too bad.  My wife, who is a "casual rider" at best, does it
with me once or twice a year and loves it.
Once you get to the path on the west side, you've got Battery Park and
Battery Park City (with their great views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis
Island) to ride through.  Then you'll pass a marina filled with
multi-million dollar yachts and lined with outdoor restaurants that overlook
the water.  You can also detour a couple of blocks from here and experience
Ground Zero.  Back on the path, you'll get a glimpse of the Empire State
Building, ride right below the Intrepid battle ship, pass through Chelsea
Pier, etc.
Best of all, the entire path is reserved for cyclists, skaters, and
pedestrians, so there's no street riding at all.  However, there are several
spots where cars will be turning into the piers and other waterfront
businesses.  You will also come upon many tourists on foot, blindly crossing
the path without looking out for cyclists.  Just be alert and you will be
OK.  Be particularly mindful of whether the riders around you are obeying or
ignoring the many STOP signs on the path on the day you ride it.  Users of
this path behave pretty erratically with regard to these signs.  They fought
hard for them in the beginning, but now, many ignore them completely and
have been known to unintentionally ram newbie riders pretty hard from behind
when they stop or slow down.
I usually end my ride at the 79th Street Boat House Cafe, a very
bicycle-friendly outdoor restaurant that, in pre-recession days, had live
music on weekends in the mild weather seasons.  You can also continue
further north and cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey.
There's a little more information on the "Manhattan" page of my websitewww.geocities.com/nyrides .  All in all, as a suburbanite myself, I enjoy
this ride a lot, but I have to be in the mood for it, as the other riders on
the path can test my verves a bit.  It's not necessarily a "New York
Attitude" thing; it's just that many New Yorkers use this path as a means of
commuting or just getting from one place to another.  Often, these riders
have little or no patience for a tourist cyclist who slows them down.
Have fun with your ride.  Are you staying in Manhattan itself -- or in one
of the suburbs?  There's some good riding in Brooklyn and Queens, too.
Papa Tom

...

Papa Tom:

Great info. I like the idea of parking in Brooklyn vs. Manhattan and
riding over the bridge. The I'm staying in Brooklyn (Bay Ridge),
however one of my sons is a student in Manhattan.

Your reply prompted me to look at your web site -- very useful
information.

I'll let you know how it goes.

--jBrianc242

[Papa Tom]

I'm staying in Brooklyn (Bay Ridge)<<<<

I'm not sure what time of year you'll be in, but if it's summer or late
spring, you might enjoy a ride along the Brooklyn waterfront. Check the
Brooklyn page of my site for the Belt Parkway (Leif Erickson) Bikeway. If
you pick that up near Bay Ridge, you can ride it all the way out to a place
called Canarsie Pier, which is a nice waterside park in the summer time.

Regarding directions from Bay Ridge to the Brooklyn Bridge, you'll need to
ask some Brooklyn residents. They've done a nice job improving bike and
pedestrian access to the bridge itself, but negotiating the streets in
Brooklyn on your way there can be a bit of a challenge.

I've never ridden there myself, but Prospect Park in Brooklyn is also
supposed to be a nice ride. They may have even closed off some of the roads
to automobiles in recent years.

Back to the Manhattan ride: As I said in my earlier post, I haven't really
explored the East Side Greenway yet, as I'm always hearing that this part or
that part is closed or unfinished. I rode a few pieces several years ago,
before the city really started putting work into it. Back then, there were
way too many sections that came too close to traffic or passed through some
secluded sections populated by scary-looking characters. If you find out
that there's a complete, uninterrupted run from, say, 59th Street down to
the City Hall area, you'd be able to put together a loop that starts in
Brooklyn, takes in a good chunk of the West Side Greenway, a good chunk of
the East Side Greenway, then dumps you back out at the foot of the Brooklyn
Bridge.

Anybody out there have anything to add?

[dgk]

Post by jbrianc242
Can you tell me about your experience riding the Manhattan Greenway?
What advice would you offer to someone whose experience is largely in
the suburbs and country? The web site shows some portion is along
busy streets. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

I can add info about the East side. Not nearly as nice as the west
side. Apparently former Deputy Mayor (and bike rider) Dan Doctoroff
didn't ride on the East side so the big money went west. Anyway, the
east side bike/ped path starts around 34 street and heads down to
Battery Park where you pick up the west side path. It's a little
chaotic down there trying to figure out where to pick up the west side
but just stay by the water as much as possible and you'll get there.

From 34th to around 25th street the path goes by a heliport, floating
restauraunt, a big housing development, and the UN school. Then comes
a nice little park (Stuyvesant Cove Park I think). SolarOne, an
information and community resource, is there.

The path sort of deteriorates from there but a section was just
repaved and is pretty nice. You're traveling between the FDR drive and
the East River and it's just about all parkland till you get pretty
much downtown. It's a nice ride.

Then you pass some Sanitation buildings and come to a nicely paved
route under the FDR. Watch out for walkers who seem fairly oblivious
to the BIKE signs. You'll cross South Street Seaport - worth a stop
and maybe a bite to eat. There's a decent food court (but my standards
are fairly low). After that you'll pass some commuter ferry docks and
I think another heliport. Then you're trying to figure out how to get
in to Battery Park and get to the west side path. Well, head west and
you get there.

The part above 34th street isn't built yet because the UN is in the
way, but it's in the plans. For now, I commute over the 59th Street
Bridge and head down 2nd ave and come back up 1st. Not very pleasant
but not really dangerous.

Have fun. If you're coming over the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, go
down the east side rather than cut across Manhattan. This way you'll
start at the beginning of the west side route.

[Papa Tom]

Post by dgk
If you're coming over the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, go

down the east side rather than cut across Manhattan. This way you'll
start at the beginning of the west side route.<<<<

dgk:

How would you do that? When I cut across Manhattan to the west side, I
always end up having to ride a little bit south to reach the beginning (and
one of the nicest parts) of the Hudson River path.

Can you suggest a route from where the Brooklyn Bridge dumps you off?

Also, thanks for the info on the East Side. I haven't made an effort to get
into the city and over to that side in several years.

TM

[dgk]

On Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:24:10 -0400, "Papa Tom"

Post by dgk

Post by dgk
If you're coming over the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, go

down the east side rather than cut across Manhattan. This way you'll
start at the beginning of the west side route.<<<<
How would you do that? When I cut across Manhattan to the west side, I
always end up having to ride a little bit south to reach the beginning (and
one of the nicest parts) of the Hudson River path.
Can you suggest a route from where the Brooklyn Bridge dumps you off?
Also, thanks for the info on the East Side. I haven't made an effort to get
into the city and over to that side in several years.
TM

...

The Brooklyn Bridge bike path ends at City Hall. Whenever I come over
that bridge I usually just turn left and ride past J&R (Park Row) and
take Broadway down to Fulton, make a left on Fulton, and I'm at the
Seaport. To avoid Broadway, you could take Park Row east instead of
south which should take you around Peck Slip (home of the famous Peck
Slip Station Post Office) and through to the bike path. But Peck Slip
(and most roads near the Seaport) are cobblestones - not my favorite
biking surface.

The south end of the West side path actually begins where the FDR
drive comes out of the ground off of Battery Park, but it is much
nicer to ride through Battery Park City and pick up the path a few
blocks further north. If you come down the East side and go around the
ferry terminal and into Battery park, you circle Castle Clinton and
then as you come out of the park you run right into the start of the
bike path.

I work by the Seaport, so if I have to head up the west side after
work I usually do the south to north route unless I'm in a hurry, then
I cut across.

[Papa Tom]

What about this?

Frankfort to Dover to South Street to Battery Park.

I believe I've gone the way you described and found Broadway too busy for my
wife (whom, I mentioned, did not grow up on a bicycle). I was also thinking
the route above might provide more of a "view," at least when it gets to
South Street and skirts the water.

So can Frankfort be accessed from where the bridge dumps you off?

PS: I also prefer to start the west side ride along the Battery Park City
promenade, rather than the actual path. I only use the southernmost part of
the path when I want to show someone the Twin Towers location.

TM

[George]

Post by Papa Tom
What about this?
Frankfort to Dover to South Street to Battery Park.
I believe I've gone the way you described and found Broadway too busy for my
wife (whom, I mentioned, did not grow up on a bicycle). I was also thinking
the route above might provide more of a "view," at least when it gets to
South Street and skirts the water.
So can Frankfort be accessed from where the bridge dumps you off?
PS: I also prefer to start the west side ride along the Battery Park City
promenade, rather than the actual path. I only use the southernmost part of
the path when I want to show someone the Twin Towers location.
TM

...

I will add my experience. We start on the Jersey side of the GWB and
then go south on the west side and then up the east side. It only gets a
little messy around the UN where you need to ride on 1st Ave. Traffic
isn't heavy and usually you just end up dueling with a bus. There is
very little traffic on 120th going crosstown and St Nicholas is wide and
not typically busy.

We have done this numerous times. Usually we stop for lunch in
Chinatown. On the last ride last year we extended the trip by riding
over the Brooklyn Bridge and around DUMBO and then back over on the
Manhattan Bridge.

The other variation we use is to ride down Riverside Drive instead of
getting directly on the Greenway above the GWB. Nice view and almost no
traffic on a Sunday morning.

[Papa Tom]

It seems there is always SOMETHING you can add to any ride in Manhattan,
whether it's into Brooklyn or Queens, over the George into Jersey, up to
Bear Mountain...whatever.

I propose that we begin piecing together the ultimate bicycle cue sheet that
begins, say, on Eastern Long Island, takes in a few boros, then continues up
into the mountainous regions of NY State, the New Jersey Shoreline, or the
coast of Connecticut up to Rhode Island!

[dgk]

On Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:45:01 -0400, "Papa Tom"

Post by Papa Tom
It seems there is always SOMETHING you can add to any ride in Manhattan,
whether it's into Brooklyn or Queens, over the George into Jersey, up to
Bear Mountain...whatever.
I propose that we begin piecing together the ultimate bicycle cue sheet that
begins, say, on Eastern Long Island, takes in a few boros, then continues up
into the mountainous regions of NY State, the New Jersey Shoreline, or the
coast of Connecticut up to Rhode Island!

Ah, no thank you. I draw the line at mountainous regions.

When I first started bike commuting the bike lane on the 59th Street
Bridge was closed for repair, so a bus took folks with bikes across
the bridge and back. We'd wait for the bus, everyone piles on (with
their bikes of course) and we disembark on the other side.

Naturally I complained bitterly. Right up until the lane was opened
and I had to bike up the bridge. Then I started complaining that we
needed the bus back.

[Papa Tom]

Ah, no thank you. I draw the line at mountainous regions.<<<<

Yeah, me too. I'm just a lot of talk.

[Papa Tom]

Also, you never got back to me about my proposed alternate route from the
Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park (Frankfort to Dover to South Street to
Battery Park). Do you think this is feasible?

[dgk]

On Thu, 2 Apr 2009 08:57:09 -0400, "Papa Tom"

Post by Papa Tom
Also, you never got back to me about my proposed alternate route from the
Brooklyn Bridge to Battery Park (Frankfort to Dover to South Street to
Battery Park). Do you think this is feasible?

I see what you mean from the map. There's a lot of construction just
now and I'm not sure which of those roads is blocked. But it's only
three blocks or so from Park Row to the bike path so any route that
comes off the bridge and heads east is going to be ok.

[Papa Tom]

I see what you mean from the map. There's a lot of construction just now
and I'm not sure which of those roads is blocked. But it's only

three blocks or so from Park Row to the bike path so any route that
comes off the bridge and heads east is going to be ok.<<<<

If anybody can shed any light on this, let me know!

[jbrianc242]

Post by dgk

Post by jbrianc242
Can you tell me about your experience riding the Manhattan Greenway?
What advice would you offer to someone whose experience is largely in
the suburbs and country?  The web site shows some portion is along
busy streets.  Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Have fun. If you're coming over the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, go
down the east side rather than cut across Manhattan. This way you'll
start at the beginning of the west side route.

All:

Many thanks for the advice and insights. I was in NYC last weekend so
I did the ride on Sunday morning. The weather was fine once the
clouds cleared up. I made a U-shaped circuit starting at South Street
Seaport north along the east side to the UN, then back around through
Battery Park and along the west side to Riverside Church and Grant’s
Tomb, then returning to the Seaport. It was about 32 miles with not
too much pedestrian traffic until late morning.

Generally the route is well signed and easy to follow. A map helped
in a couple of places when construction caused a diversion.
Construction around the World Financial Center was confusing, so I
started following other cyclists. Same for up around Riverside Park.
Battery Park late Sunday morning is pretty much impassible isn’t it?

Given the favorable reports about 120th and St. Nicholas, next time I
will ride the complete circle.

Thanks again for all the helpful information. This was a great
experience. That NYC Century in September is looking really
attractive.

[dgk]

Post by jbrianc242

Post by dgk

Post by jbrianc242
Can you tell me about your experience riding the Manhattan Greenway?
What advice would you offer to someone whose experience is largely in
the suburbs and country?  The web site shows some portion is along
busy streets.  Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Have fun. If you're coming over the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridge, go
down the east side rather than cut across Manhattan. This way you'll
start at the beginning of the west side route.

Many thanks for the advice and insights. I was in NYC last weekend so
I did the ride on Sunday morning. The weather was fine once the
clouds cleared up. I made a U-shaped circuit starting at South Street
Seaport north along the east side to the UN, then back around through
Battery Park and along the west side to Riverside Church and Grant’s
Tomb, then returning to the Seaport. It was about 32 miles with not
too much pedestrian traffic until late morning.
Generally the route is well signed and easy to follow. A map helped
in a couple of places when construction caused a diversion.
Construction around the World Financial Center was confusing, so I
started following other cyclists. Same for up around Riverside Park.
Battery Park late Sunday morning is pretty much impassible isn’t it?
Given the favorable reports about 120th and St. Nicholas, next time I
will ride the complete circle.
Thanks again for all the helpful information. This was a great
experience. That NYC Century in September is looking really
attractive.

...

I'm glad you had fun. It's a great way to see the city.

Yes, BP on late Sunday mornings is pretty impassible.

I'm thinking of going to Governer's Island sometime soon. That should
be nice.