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Cycling on The Edge: A Loop Ride Around Manhattan Island One of four guides for East Coast Greenway Alliance, published March 2009 Length: 28 miles, round trip. You’ll take a fascinating trip past East Harlem’s beautiful brownstones and along the Harlem River. Travel the city grid through Washington Heights and Inwood and along the west side of Manhattan on the Hudson River Greenway, passing Fort Tryon Park, The Cloisters, the George Washington Bridge with the Little Red Lighthouse nestled underneath, Fort Washington Park, Riverside Park, and more portions of Hudson River Park. Morning Loop Half: Approximately 12 miles, 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours, including lunch. Start at Bike and Roll, located on 43rd Street and the Hudson River Greenway, west of the West Side Highway. Cycle south along the Hudson River Greenway, taking the marked bike path. This generous pathway system consists of paired pedestrian and cycle paths for most if its length. The pathways and plantings were beautifully integrated by the NYC transportation planners when adjacent West Street was developed almost 20 years ago to replace the old West Side Highway. As you head south through Hudson River Park to Chambers Street, you may want to walk your bike through some of the park’s delightful sections close to the water. Hudson River Park is being completed incrementally as part of a vast change in land use along the New York waterfront; land once devoted to port-related activities is being transformed to give the public access to the water. Dilapidated yet captivating relics of the working waterfront era can still be found. Pass the New York Waterways Ferry terminal at 39th Street and Pier 66 at 26th Street, a long pier jutting into the river with benches, a water wheel at the end, telescopes, and with kayaks and sailboats to rent. For more information: www.pier66nyc.org and www.WorkingHarbor.org. You’ll be passing working and converted warehouses through the 20’s. Inland is Chelsea, where some of the most prestigious galleries are located. At 23rd Street, the sports and entertainment facility, Chelsea Piers, offers activities ranging from bowling and golf to yoga and rock climbing. For more information: www.chelseapiers.com. To the east is the undulating, glass IAC Headquarters Building, designed by architect Frank Gehry. Just before arriving at the elevated pedestrian footbridge over West Street, turn right to enter Battery Park City. Because you will be mixing with walkers and other trail users, slow down or walk your bike. This substantial addition to Manhattan Island is composed of landfill from the creation of the World Trade Center in the 1960s. After passing Stuyvesant High School, the city’s most elite public high school, continue straight, then bear left, hugging the water. The Battery Park City enclave is one of the most peaceful areas along the West Side, with lush gardens and lawns. Rockefeller Park on the left has a broad lawn, popular for both active recreation and passive uses like sunbathing. The beautifully landscaped parkland is filled with handball and basketball courts, creative playgrounds, restrooms, water fountains, and benches. At Vesey Street, you’ll see an unusual stone structure with a sod roof, the Irish Hunger Memorial, designed by artist Brian Tolle. Ferries to New Jersey depart from a white tent-like terminal just north of the World Financial Center, providing a link to New Jersey and points south for the East Coast Greenway—and for thousands of commuters. Continue to the North Cove Marina where the path opens up to the World Financial Center Plaza. Here you will find a selection of restaurants with indoor/outdoor seating and shops. Corporate offices are clustered around the Winter Garden, a spectacular enclosed, palm tree-filled public space where free concerts are often held at lunchtime for the downtown office crowd. Lock your bike and take time to enter the Winter Garden where you can climb the polished marble steps for a moving view over Ground Zero, site of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. A transportation center is being built where city subways and PATH trains from New Jersey meet and new office towers are rising. A memorial to those who lost their lives on 9/11 will be built on this spot. As you continue south, enjoy the huge yachts docked in the North Cove Marina. A sailing school is also located here. For more information: www.sailmanhattan.com. Continuing along the waterfront path, apartment buildings tower to the left, and public art is scattered within the public open spaces. Gazing south across the harbor, you’ll see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, an especially exciting view in the evening as the sun sets to the west. Music may be heard, filtering in from one of the party boats on the Hudson. South Cove offers a more natural setting, landscaped with sea grass, willows, and pine trees. Heading south, you’ll pass the Museum of Jewish Heritage, which is nestled in beautiful gardens. For more information: www.mjhnyc.org. Around the bend, you’ll find people sprawled on the lawn of Robert Wagner Jr. Park with its great views of the harbor. Note the former fireboat pier (Pier A) dating from the early twentieth century. You’ll venture into a bit of chaos when you head into Battery Park. One of the city’s oldest parks, it is always teeming with tourists, waiting to catch boats to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. There are many street vendors and mobile food carts wooing out-of-towners. Note the massive World War II, the more modest Korean War memorials, and the brass sphere that once stood on the World Trade Center plaza, now a memorial to 9/11. The large circular stone structure, Castle Clinton, was built to foil an anticipated British invasion of 1812, later used as an immigrant reception area. It then housed the New York Aquarium, which is now in Coney Island. Under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, it is a concert venue today. Leaving Battery Park can be a little confusing, but just keep the water on your right and continue to the glass enclosed Whitehall Ferry Terminal, serving 60,000 daily Staten Island commuters. Looking north across to 7 State Street, you’ll see a small Federal Style brick and white columned building next to gleaming high-rise office buildings. It is a Shrine to Elizabeth Ann Seton, America’s first canonized saint, and was her childhood home. Beyond the Whitehall Ferry Terminal, through a maze of construction, you will encounter the old, green Battery Maritime Building where you can catch a ferry to Governors Island. This former island Coast Guard base, now owned by the City, is being transformed into a public park. To return to the pathway, go past the ferry terminals,
and head northeast. The East River Esplanade hugs the East River. While
not offering the generous width and green parkland of the Hudson River
pathway system, it still provides an interesting travel experience. Because
it can be narrow and crowded with walkers, go slower here. If time allows, take an inland detour at Maiden Lane into the Financial District to see some of New York City’s best-known public sculpture and Financial District icons. Where Maiden Lane intersects William and Liberty Streets, only a few short blocks off the esplanade, you’ll be at the Louise Nevelson Plaza where her largest display of outdoor pieces, Shadows and Flags, was installed in 1975. To the west is the elevated Chase Manhattan Bank Plaza with impressive sculptures by Isamu Noguchi in the sunken garden and a tall tree-like sculpture, Group of Four Trees, by Jean Dubuffet. The stately Federal Reserve Building is just to the north of Chase Manhattan Plaza on famed Wall Street, and further west on Wall Street at Nassau is Federal Hall where George Washington was sworn in as our first President. The New York Stock Exchange can be seen from the steps of Federal Hall, to the south along Nassau Street. Return via Wall Street to the East River Esplanade and continue north. You’ll soon spot the masts of old sailing vessels docked at the South Street Seaport, a popular tourist destination. The South Street Seaport Museum is home to the Ambrose Light and other historic sailing vessels. For more information: www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org. The Pier 17 building is an urban mall developed in the 1980s that houses stores and restaurants. Walk around the edge of the pier for great views of the river and Brooklyn Bridge. To the north side of the South Street Seaport is the former home of the historic Fulton Fish Market. It was recently moved to the Bronx after having been in continual operation on Fulton Street since 1822. The old brick market buildings and warehouses, once full of life, are now empty and boarded up. The future of this space is undetermined. Next we journey past the three suspension bridges that cross the lower East River: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg. (Thinking BMW will help you remember the sequence.) There are wonderful views of each from the pathway that runs for quite a stretch under the hum of the FDR Drive. There’s a gritty, industrial feeling to this area at the edge of Chinatown. Use of the path in this area can be quite low during the week, so it is best to travel with friends. Historic East River Park starts at Montgomery Street. This large neighborhood park dates back to the early 20th century and is lush with mature trees and other greenery. Joseph Papp started his Public (Shakespeare) Theatre here in the 1950s, and an old bandshell surrounded by looming trees may be a remnant of that era. The park is full of active recreational facilities, including playgrounds, playing fields, basketball, and tennis courts, as well as a new track facility. They are heavily used by school groups during the week and by families on the weekends. Follow the path close to the Highway when biking under the Williamsburg Bridge. Inland to the west are the Lower East Side and the East
Village, once a vibrant Jewish community and famous for housing immigrants,
especially from Eastern Europe. Today this neighborhood consists of many
ethnic groups, including immigrants from China, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican
Republic, along with a new influx of artists. Use caution when passing the massive Con Ed plant at 14th
Street where the path narrows. It becomes a brick pathway for a stretch,
lined with benches and fishermen against a stunning skyline view. In the
20s is one of the newest sections of the Esplanade, Stuyvesant Cove Park
with native plantings, inviting benches, and a solar-powered Arts Building.
For more information: www.solar1.org. Continue north until reaching Carl Schurz Park. Gracie Mansion, the official residence for New York City’s mayor although Mr. Bloomberg does not reside here, is a handsome 1799 Federal-style mansion located in the northern portion of the park. For house-tour information: Gracie Mansion. This is a good spot for lunch. You can picnic in the park overlooking the Hells Gate section of the East River. There are delis on York Avenue or if you would rather sit down, try one of restaurants also on York Avenue. If you wish to leave the tour here, cycle back to 86th Street to catch the 4, 5, and 6 subway at 86th Street and Lexington. Afternoon Half-Loop: Approximately 16 miles, 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours. Heading north again on the Esplanade, note the lighthouse on the northern tip of Roosevelt Island, located in the middle of the East River. At 103rd Street, you’ll see the pedestrian lift bridge to Ward’s and Randall’s Islands to the east. This provides another route for the East Coast Greenway, connecting to trails being developed through the South Bronx and along the Bronx River. At 120th Street, cross the 120th Street Bridge over the FDR Drive and enter East Harlem, once an Italian neighborhood (former Mayor LaGuardia was born here) and more recently Hispanic. Going west on 119th Street, follow the path. The architecture along Lenox Avenue (Malcolm X. Blvd.) is especially attractive. Dominican, Puerto Rican, and African restaurants are along this route. Continue west on 119th street to the intersection of Frederick Douglass Blvd. (8th Ave.) and St. Nicholas Avenue. Take a slight right onto St. Nicholas and head north. When you cross 125th Street, a lively commercial center, look right to see the famous Apollo Theater. Tours available: Apollo Theater. Traffic is chaotic around 125th street, but otherwise St. Nicholas, a broad avenue, feels comfortable. Pedaling north, you’ll pass lovely churches and
grand old mansions, many in need of refurbishment and others recently
renovated. To the left is the dramatic escarpment of St. Nicholas Park
at 135th Street. At 149th Street, veer right following signs to St. Nicholas
Place, and cycle along it. Crossing 155th Street, follow signs onto a
makeshift bike path with barricades to guard against street traffic. Go
down the hill and follow the signs, turning left before the path ends. This path is surprisingly dramatic with the cliffs and water tower of Highbridge Park to the left and the Harlem River to the right. It funnels through a maze of roads, highways, viaducts, and Bronx-bound bridges over the Harlem River, on your right. You might hear the yelling of crew teams practicing their rowing. Farther along is Swindler Cove Park, a lush, five-acre garden nook. The nonprofit New York Restoration Project founded by Bette Midler was instrumental in restoring this area. It contains the Peter Sharp Boathouse, a neighborhood rowing facility. Follow Greenway signs to Dyckman Street, veering left (avoid 10th Ave.). You’ll be on both city streets, some with bike lanes. Continue along Dyckman Street through a busy commercial center. At Seaman Avenue you’ll discover a row of restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating, perfect for a snack. Next, take a left on Seaman Avenue and then a right on Riverside Drive. Follow signs, making a U-turn and wheeling your bike up the stairs to your right. The route follows a path along the west side of the Henry Hudson Parkway. The Hudson River can be seen far below to your right, barely visible through the thicket of trees. Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters rise high above you to your left. Stop at the columned overlook on the right with impressive views over the Hudson and the Palisades in New Jersey. Continuing along the pathway, the George Washington Bridge becomes visible. Follow Greenway signs, passing the 181st Street footbridge over the Henry Hudson. The path descends a very steep hill, so carefully walk your bicycle. You’ll see the Little Red Lighthouse nestled under one foot of the bridge. Tours are given spring through fall. For tour information, call 212-304-2365. You are now in the northern portion of historic Fort Washington Park, much used by Washington Heights residents, an interesting ethnic mix of Hispanic residents, young professionals, and musicians lured by the more affordable apartments. As you ravel south, the area is usually lively with groups picnicking, partying, fishing or playing sporting games. At 150th Street, there is usually a cluster of mobile food carts. Mind the crowds and slow down for the small children playing. At 145th Street, you’ll be steered inland around a colossal structure, Riverbank State Park, for about 10 blocks. This 28-acre park was built on top of a city Water Pollution Control plant 25 years ago and is very popular with the Harlem community. Farther along, you’ll be under the hulking steel viaduct that carries Riverside Drive high above, a magnificent arched structure. Continue south on the pathway, past the new West Harlem Piers. Traveling south, Morningside Heights with campuses for Columbia University and Barnard College are to the left, and Grant’s Tomb and Riverside Church are visible. At 91st Street, the path is pinched by the highway and being rebuilt on a boardwalk over the water, due to open in 2009. A clearly-marked detour guides you inland and up to a splendid broad esplanade lined with trees and benches. There is a playground at 89th Street, and beyond, barely visible through the thick leaves, the white-columned Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, commemorating the Union Army’s forces who served during the Civil War. At 84th Street, you’ll return to the edge of the Hudson, soon to pass the intriguing 79th Street Boat Basin, home to many eccentric houseboats. Year-round dwellers are tenants of the city Parks Department. Continuing south, you’ll pass newly renovated Pier I at 70th Street. Just south are the fragile remains of the blackened steel 69th Street Transfer Bridge, built in 1910. Free movies are screened in the summer months. For more information: www.nycgovparks.org. The bike path continues through the recently completed
Riverside Park South to 59th Street where you’ll emerge into Clinton
Cove Park. Pier 96 juts out from a boathouse, one of three places on Manhattan’s
west side that offer free kayaking in the summer months. For more information:
www.downtownboathouse.com. End at Bike and Roll on 43rd Street. |
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