New York City is without a doubt America’s most iconic city. Some of the best actors and musicians in the world have come from there, including Al Pacino and Jay Z. In spite of everything it has going for it, New York is not a beautiful city by any means; it is rough around the edges.
The city’s waterfront truly is beautiful however and is one of its most spectacular parts; it is therefore the ideal place to go for a bicycle ride. Unless you are familiar with it, however, you will likely have no idea where to go. This post will tell you about some great cycling routes for you to consider:
Moving to the City
New York is not just a fun place to explore it is also a great place to live. Every year people from around the world move to the Big Apple to experience the unrivalled nightlife, a fantastic culinary scene and a unique way of living; while the city has experienced rising crime rates over the last few years those have been drawn back and it is safe again for tourism and people looking for somewhere to start new lives for themselves.
Securing Property In New York
Moving to the city is not easy, however. New York’s realty market is notoriously overpriced. Buying a house there can be very difficult. You can pick up affordable property on the city’s outskirts or in peripheral townships but why would you want to? The heart of New York City is where it’s at. Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are the city’s most popular boroughs. Securing property is not just difficult from a financial standpoint as it can also be hard making offers since properties are swept off the market shortly after they are listed.
If you want to bicycle around New York then it is likely because you already live there or because you are a tourist. If you already live there then why not upsize and get yourself a better property? If you are comfortable with where you already are then move to the next section. Individuals who do not live there and who are financially able to should consider buying property there. There are many perks to living in New York beyond the bicycle tracks that stretch around the city. As already mentioned though securing property can be extremely difficult, especially if you are not already an experienced investor.
The easiest way to secure property in New York is by downloading a property app. These apps give you the chance to set instant alerts on New York real estate so if anything comes up in your search area you will be the first to know about it. It is best to work with smaller, independent apps; some of the larger property apps have gotten themselves into a lot of trouble over the last few years for selling people’s personal data to marketing companies. Avoid such organisations by conducting extensive research and shopping around.
Visiting for Tourism
Before exploring some of the city’s best riding tracks it is important to spend some time discussing visiting the city as a tourist. Until you know everything you need to there is no way you are going to be able to make your trip as seamless as it could potentially be. As the city is immensely popular with people all over the world visiting can be a lot of work; the city’s airports teem with travellers on a daily basis. Experts advise booking your flights as early as you can so you can ensure that you get seats on a plane.
The most important consideration you can make is your hotel. Where do you plan on staying while you are in the city? As thousands visit each year hotel rooms tend to sell out very fast. Unless you book your rooms several weeks or even a few months in advance it is very unlikely that you will be able to get a room; it is especially important to book early if you are going away with family members as you will likely need multiple rooms. Securing one room on short notice is sometimes possible but securing more than one can be an impossible task.
When you are booking hotel rooms you should spend some time doing your research and try to find a hotel with good reviews. A hotel’s reviews can tell you a lot about it. A lot of people overlook them when they are looking for somewhere to stay. Unless you have a lot of experience travelling to New York reading reviews is highly recommended. Just because a hotel has a good star rating or looks nice does not mean it is worth staying in. A hotel’s reviews should tell you everything that you need to know about it.
If you are going to be bringing your own bicycle to the city with you then you need to make sure that the hotel you are staying in accommodates them. Some of the higher-end, luxury hotels are likely to turn you away if you arrive with a bicycle and ask them to store it somewhere for you. Before booking ring the hotel you are staying in and ask them if they have storage facilities that you can use; some hotels may ask you to store your bicycle downstairs in their parking garage.
Booking A Bicycle
Not everybody is fortunate enough to own their own bicycle. If you are one such individual then you will be pleased to know that you can easily rent one in the city. In addition to there being bicycle rental services you can use you will be pleased to know that dotted around at various points there are electric bicycles you can use for a small fee; these bicycles are a much more affordable way of seeing the city’s cycling tracks than renting a bicycle from a private company. Private companies tend to charge obscene amounts of money for their hourly or daily rates.
- The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway
Without a doubt New York’s best cycling track is the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Tens of thousands of the city’s residents descend on it each day to see the waterfront and various parks dotted along the route. Joggers, walkers and explorers also frequent this track. Watch out for dogs as it is common for them to run around off their leashes on it. More than one unaware cyclist has ended up running into a dog and going headfirst over the handlebars of their bike on this track!
One of the best things about this track is that there is no traffic whatsoever; it is therefore the best place in the city to go for a relaxing ride. You do not have to worry about dodging cars or running into the side of taxis. The route stretches for a staggering 26 miles and runs through the Red Hook, Sunset Park and Bay Ridge neighbourhoods. Along the route are the Naval Cemetery Landscape, Brooklyn Bride Park, Bush Terminal Park, Erie Basin Park, Owl’s Head Park, Plumb Beach and Shore Parkway parks. You also get great views of Manhattan’s skyline and the city’s famous waterfront.
- Crotona Park
Not everybody going cycling likes following linear routes or wants to see the waterfront. In terms of waterfront cycle tracks, the aforementioned is without a doubt the best and there are not many others worth noting. One park that has cycle tracks running through it that does need to be mentioned is Crotona Park, famous for the many different species of trees it has in it. Crotona Park is popular with tourists and locals although locals tend to frequent it more due to the fact it is out of the way and doesn’t get as much attention as Central Park.
There are dedicated cycle routes for you to follow in Crotona Park; veering off of them and making your own track is not allowed. Some tracks are for pedestrians and others are for cyclists. Making a nuisance of yourself and using footpaths as cycle tracks can get you into a lot of trouble. The park’s security guards may ask you to leave if you are caught breaking the rules more than once. You can hire a bicycle from one of the many companies situated around the park or pick up an electric bicycle in or outside of the park.
- East River Waterfront Esplanade
The East River Waterfront Esplanade stretches for 10 miles and is a greenway like the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. However, it is a much more popular track with walkers than it is cyclists. Some of the areas along the route are also dangerous so make sure that you stick to the track and do not venture off into the neighbourhoods that you will inevitably pass through. Without a doubt the best thing about the track is that it takes you past some of the city’s most interesting and beautifully designed bridges; you also get great views of the city’s skyline and waterfront.
As with the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, you can find all manner of walkers, travellers and tourists. As such it is important to ride carefully. Make sure that you never ride dangerously and pay attention to what is going on around you. Riding unsafely could cause harm to dogs or other walkers. It is not advised to follow this route after dark because of the neighbourhoods that it passes through. That being said it is very well lit and if you are confident on your own you should have no trouble following it at night.
- Fort Tilden Beach
Fort Tilden Beach isn’t the largest of parks. At the same time, it is still a good place to go for a leisurely ride or even walk. Bear in mind most of the parks in New York are just as accommodating to walkers as they are cyclists. If you are not somebody who is particularly enthusiastic about cycling then you could always just walk through the parks that have been mentioned here. As a former military base, there are echoes of Fort Tilden’s past situated all around it making it a great place to explore and learn about the U.S. Army.
- The Queens Cemetery Belt
The Queens Cemetery Belt is an underappreciated and little-known gem outside of the city’s bustling cycling community. Those in the know frequent it on an almost daily basis. You will not find anywhere as interesting or unique as the Cemetery Belt. At the same time, you need to remember that as you pass through it there will be people visiting deceased loved ones and mourning. As such you need to behave responsibly and maturely and should never act recklessly on your bicycle. Be respectful and kind to any of the people that you come across along the route.
- Fort Wadsworth
The last site worth mentioning is the derelict Fort Wadsworth which you can explore on your bicycle. Bear in mind you are not allowed to go inside. This park is located on Staten Island so it is far away from Brooklyn or Manhattan. If you are staying in either of these boroughs then you might want to hire a taxi and get them to take you there. It is unlikely you will be able to get there yourself if you are unfamiliar with the city and have not travelled there much before.
Riding Safely
New York is a big city. It is one of the most densely populated cities in all the United States. Because of this, there is a lot of traffic that passes through there on a daily basis. If you are unfamiliar with the city then you need to make sure that you ride as safely as you can; do not make the mistake of getting overconfident and riding recklessly as this is a surefire way to get yourself hurt or ride into the side of a taxi or oncoming traffic. A good way of keeping yourself safe is wearing a helmet, high-vis jacket and shinpads. This kind of equipment will prevent you from injuring yourself if you fall off of your bike or do collide with a car (which is unlikely at any rate).
New York is a fantastic place to go for a ride; if you have never been out there on your bicycle before, researching cycle tracks is the best way to find one that is right for you. Do not ride recklessly or dangerously and avoid certain tracks after dark. While New York is a safe city for the most part danger still lurks around every corner so if you are unfamiliar with the city don't take any chances.