From Brooklyn, through the Battery, to the tip of Manhattan and back again.
Date(s): May 26, 2008. Album by Deborah Kosnett. Photos by Deborah Kosnett. 1 - 40 of 40 Total. 2178 Visits.
1 We started our ride by parking and unloading our bikes at the DUMBO Starbucks. (That stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.)
2 The bike/pedestrian approach to the Brooklyn Bridge.
3 On the bridge . . . that's a shot of the nearby Manhattan Bridge.
4 Looking back at Brooklyn . . .
5 Looking ahead at the very, very empty path (filled to capacity on the return trip, believe me).
6 And a forward look at the lower tip of Manhattan.
7 Rest stop at Battery Park. Lady Liberty provides a photo opportunity for two young tourists.
Yes, there are public restrooms in NYC's parks, they are not locked, and some of them actually have toilet paper.
8 This is part of the Greenway path along the Hudson . . . actually, this part is in the Battery.
9 North of South Street Seaport (more bathrooms available), the Greenway path turned inward for a while. Not all parts were well marked; some were under construction. Overall, though, it was pretty cool.
10 Part of the path along the Hudson.
11 In the park; tourist boat rides.
12 The Chelsea Pier shops.
13 Another one of my dextrous shots from my bike. This is what it looks like to bike through Central Park, when it's closed to auto traffic. We biked it from the bottom to the top, at 110th St.
14 Why did we leave the path for the park? The crowds around the Navy Pier were HUGE, owing to the fact that it was Fleet Week. Yes, there were cute sailors all over town. (But boy, they sure did look young; some seemed hardly more than kids.)
15 Another Central Park shot, from the saddle of my bike. Am I good, or what?? That's Jeff, on the left.
16 There were plenty of bikes in the Park, but also a lot of sunbathers. It was an absolutely perfect day.
17 Out of the Park, and looking west on 110th St. I have never been in this part of NYC before.
18 The Hungarian Pastry Shop, where we had a snack: tea and pastry. That held us until lunch.
19 Dining al fresco . . . a perfect way to spend a morning. (And watch the bikes, as well -- NYC bike thieves are notorious.)
20 View from our table.
21 The bathroom was tiny, and covered with graffiti in all languages. Seriously. How many can you count, in this pic and the next two?
22 "Who watches me here?" Well, the whole world, now . . .
23 Japanese graffiti. I hope it doesn't say something nasty. Most of the scrawls were either literary or political, tho' as you can see, some were more scatological.
24 Statue of Samuel J. Tilden, in Riverside Park, along the Greenway. We returned to it around 137th St. or so.
25 A very empty section of the Greenway. Perfect for 'blading. I saw quite a few 'bladers, but far, far more bicycles.
26 Distant shot of the George Washington Bridge -- the Greenway path ends there - you go up some stairs and a steep ramp, and follow street signs to the East River path (which is, unfortunately, rougher and not nearly as complete as the West side path).
27 Q: Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
A: General Grant AND his wife.
And technically, they are not buried, as this is a masoleum.
28 Getting closer to the GW Bridge.
29 NYC has numerous parks, large and small. This is an extension of Riverside Park, I think. A lot of the time, we biked on Riverside Drive, which is a designated bike route -- no bike lanes, but wide and fast. It's a clear favorite of cyclists, judging by the many expensive bikes we saw whizzing by.
30 The GW Bridge, in all its majesty.
31 Shades of Rome! This pillared trellis just showed up along the path, no sign, no nearby building. Nice views from it, too.
32 Looking up at the cliffs (natural and otherwise) on the other side of the Henry Hudson Parkway. We were still on the path at this point, but it was about to run out.
33 View from the East side path. As you can see, not nearly as finished, nor marked.
34 The east side path ran out at 155th Street, and we went back to city streets. View from the ramp off the path.
35 Biking back down Riverside Drive. We moved over and got on Columbus Avenue, on or about 95th St.
36 We had a delightful late lunch at Bella Luna . . .
37 . . . and ice cream at Sundaes and Cones, in the East Village.
38 Heading back to the East River path.
39 This part of the path was lined with parks - as it was Memorial day, there were many BBQs and picnics. Smelled wonderful.
We eventually made our way back to the Brooklyn Bridge path. I could not take pictures because I was too busy screaming at the pedestrians, who were spilling over from the walking path onto the biking path. I truly didn't want to run anyone down, but there were several close calls. Yikes. We'll not be doing that again on a weekend or holiday . . . we'll take the subway back to Brooklyn.
Total miles: 41
40 And finally . . . yes, there really is an intersection of President and Clinton Streets, in Brooklyn.
