At the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park - getting ready to bike.
My new-found friend and co-biker, Alan, and I decided to meet at the start point: The Loeb Boathouse in Central Park at 10 am. I left with my bike at 8 AM, got on the subway at Brighton Beach and headed into Manhattan. My figuring was a little innacurate: 8 AM is rush hour (I thought I would be a little early) and the train soon filled up with people rubbing against my bike. It wasn't sardine-like yet but I would have been a little more comfortable (and less embarrassed) had I started 15-30 minutes earlier. The ticklish problem is: leaving at 7:30 gets you to the destination (74th Street) at 8:30. What do you do for an hour and a half? No easy solution to that as the Weeday Cyclists always leave on their trips at 10.
There were about 20 or so bikers at the start point, some of whom I'd met on other rides. And, of course, our intrepid trip-leaders, Trudy and Ann.
Wave Hill is an open-to-the public botanical gardens in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The ride takes you north, through Central Park, then through Harlem and north to Washington Heights and then across the Broadway Bridge into the Bronx. One passes through very interesting neighborhoods on the way: smack through the middle of City College and its lovely,old ivy-covered buildings; a wonderfully, quaint "town" of Sugar Hill (just north of CCNY) with picturesque row houses that can make you believe you're not in Manhattan any longer. Of course, if you want to feel you've really left the city then a visit to Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale is a must-see! Perched high above the Hudson and smothered with lush greenery the apartment houses and mansions and town houses situated on curving, country roads somehow don't jibe with the street signs like "W 239 St."
Higher and higher (pant, pant) we push our bikes until we reach the summit and the entrance to Wave Hill. This belonged to some Perkins family and is a spectacular stone mansion situated on many acres of wonderful gardens with views down to the Hudson. Admission is $4.00 and is well worth it. Highly recommended for a great day out of town, but it's in town! There's a good cafe with nice sandwiches and soup and Illy espresso.
The Weekday Cyclists at Wave Hill.
After lunch we wander the grounds and, in a while, head back to the "city." Anne, our leader, announces that we were not really at the summit but still had to go up to go down (where's the logic in that I want to know).
Now we're passing through Fieldston, another beautiful part of Riverdale and the houses and manicured lawns are stunning. What a contrast to the bottom of the hill: Broadway and the poor, huddled masses are down below.
Returning to the city via the Greenway in
Inwood Park at Manhattan's northern tip.
We're taking another route back, this time using the West Side Greenway that runs all the way down the west side of Manhattan and its right along the banks of the Hudson. A hot, muggy day is now delicious with cool breezes coming off the river. Altogether, a fabulous ride: about 25 miles round trip with a nice group of people. As we get lower and lower in Manhattan, the group gets smaller and smaller. People are bailing out at 79th, 59th, 23rd streets until I'm left all alone in the Village. I headed over to Bob's restaurant again to say hello before boarding the B train back to Brooklyn. After all, I have to get home, shower, and take the train in again to meet Alan (who I biked with today), his wife Micki, Stacey (who drove directly to Manhattan from her part-time teaching job in Queens) for a theater date. A day that sounds like I competed in a triathalon: subway, bike, subway, theater, dinner and, ah yes, sleep!
For more pictures of this trip check out my post on Smugmug here.
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