For anyone who’s in NYC all the time, some of the time or just once, cycling is the best way to get around. With transportation costs seemingly increasing more rapidly even than property prices, the most efficient form of transport ever crated (energy put in versus energy given out) is the best way to see the city.
And in recent years the city seems to be trying to make the whole thing more pleasurable and less death-defying. Central to that is the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway that – more or less – circumnavigates the island.
In preparation for tackling it, today I cycled from home over 23rd st, up the east river, cutting in at 37th street and back out again at about 63rd st (up 1st Ave the rest of the time) and then up to 96th street on the East River path. From there I went across 96th street, into Central Park, ambled around a bit and back out at West 97th St.
From there to Riverside Park, were a nice “Park Greeter” guided me to the Cherry Walk part of the Waterfront bike path, headed south down the Hudson River, cutting in at the detour point and then black out again.
I saw a fly-past by five military jets of some sort, got snarled up in the end of Fleet Week and the detritus of a somewhat tacky Carnival cruise and then sped down to 24th st, where I cut inland, down to 23rd, right across to Lexington and then home. Phew. Only about 10 miles out of 32, but it’s a start.