Northeast - NYC West Side Bike Path

Hi

Question to some of the New Yorkers - my friends want's to bike along the west side where there is a bike path. She wanted to start downtown does anybody know if that bike path starts at Battery Park ?
and where's the best place to park the car ? Thanks in advance ..

You can pick up that path at Battery Park, but it's crowded with pedestrians down there and you might be better off riding the street until you get a little farther north. Here's a link to the Greenway map: http://www.transalt.org/info/mapwaterfront.html

As for where the car...park it in NJ at the PATH station and then take the train in.

If you're in New Jersey, just ride to the park by the George Washington Bridge. The Manhattan bike path will absolutely frustrate any cyclist looking to go quickly. In New Jersey, you've got the Hudson Drive in the Palisades. Great ride, if a bit hilly at the end.

dodging pedestrians is part of the fun!

Sometimes it isn't about riding fast, or riding where there are no other people.

This sounds like the ride is about the path itself, so why try sending them somewhere else?

Yes the path starts at the Battery and runs about 12 or 13 miles up to Dyckman Street. It passes a whole bunch of interesting places including Ground Zero, Chelsea Piers, The Intrepid (whenever it finally returns), Riverside Park, Cherry Walk, The Little Red Lighthouse, etc. It has some nice views of The Empire State Building. There are several restaurants directly on the Bikeway, like at the 79th Street Boat Basin and Binosaur Barbeque near 125th Street. There are also several locations that offer free kayacking. Some nights there are movies and dances on the piers.

Can someone tell me where's the best place to park the car and start the ride along westside part of the city ?

Can someone tell me where's the best place to park the car and start the ride along westside part of the city ?

If you're planning to do this on a weekend, there should be plenty of parking along Greenwich St., where parking is normally prohibited Mon - Fri; at least in the vicinity of Chambers St.

On weekends I've usually parked on Riverside around 122nd street, next to Riverside church. Because it is church instead of apartments, there are plenty of spaces except during services.

It's a bit far up the path, but easy to get in and out of the city on the GW.
Riverside itself is a nice ride. South to 70ish and you can go right down to the WSGW thru the park. Or up to Broadway and take 125th to the WSGW.

It's a really fun sightseeing route, despite the crowds.

If you start uptown, around Dyckman Street, and ride downtown, then you can park almost anywhere.

Here's my west side ride; park near vestry st:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=135836&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=3771810

Here's the ride we did tonite:
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/invitation/email/accept.mb?senderPk.pkValue=135836&unitSystemPkValue=2&episodePk.pkValue=3859469

You should be able to park above Chambers St without too much problem. Below Chambers is the WTC site and it is hard to get around. This is on weekends. On Weekdays, fuhgeddaboudit.

since I'm coming from NJ and taking the Holland I'm looking something around downtown area. I did the other side Sunday and park by South St. Seaport. which there's also a bike path along FDR drive.

since I'm coming from NJ and taking the Holland I'm looking something around downtown area. I did the other side Sunday and park by South St. Seaport. which there's also a bike path along FDR drive.
It's easy - park free down one of the blocks near Vestry and West St., then you get easy access to the West Side path, which is better than the east path, though more crowded

It's easy - park free down one of the blocks near Vestry and West St., then you get easy access to the West Side path, which is better than the east path, though more crowded

cool I will try that, I'm going early anyway so I pretty sure traffic would be minimal and it's sunday too.

Yes the path starts at the Battery and runs about 12 or 13 miles up to Dyckman Street. It passes a whole bunch of interesting places including Ground Zero, Chelsea Piers, The Intrepid (whenever it finally returns), Riverside Park, Cherry Walk, The Little Red Lighthouse, etc. It has some nice views of The Empire State Building. There are several restaurants directly on the Bikeway, like at the 79th Street Boat Basin and Binosaur Barbeque near 125th Street. There are also several locations that offer free kayacking. Some nights there are movies and dances on the piers.

Thanks for all the input - We park at Old Slip St. by South St. Seaport. it was a great liesurely ride. And my friend tried the free kayaking also. That Sunday noon time at 79th they're setting up the movie nights.
We managed to go all the way up to 138th St. till a friend had a flat. Just wondering how's Riverside Road all the way to GWB ? Riverside is a nice ride not much traffic. and There were lots of Cyclist I mean Real Cyclist with High End Bikes. Great Ride I suggest it to everyone in the NY/NJ BF's. Bring the kids also.

We managed to go all the way up to 138th St. till a friend had a flat. Just wondering how's Riverside Road all the way to GWB ? Riverside is a nice ride not much traffic.

Although the path cuts out up around 125th (or is it 96th?), you can get back on after that. The re-entry point is under the highway overpass, right after the Fairway. You can take the path all the way up to the GWB. The time I rode it there it was pretty nice, smooth with not much bike or pedestrian traffic, but then again it was early morning.

You can check out the map of the Greenway here
http://www.nyc.gov/html/edc/pdf/greenway_mapside.pdf

I have no experience taking Riverside Drive all the way up there.

Riverside is where all the serious bikers ride. It runs from 72nd St up to 165th and you go up a short but steep hill one block to Ft. Wash. Ave, which takes you to the bridge. Just be careful. Going uptown, the cross streets will have traffic, and the cars are coming downhill at you. Going downtown you're alongside the park with only a few streets crossing, but I had a really bad accident there when a car decided to pull a u-turn right in front of me.

The upper part of Riverside is great for biking, from the 120's to the 160's. Heading south is more downhill than heading north.

Riverside is where all the serious bikers ride. It runs from 72nd St up to 165th and you go up a short but steep hill one block to Ft. Wash. Ave, which takes you to the bridge. Just be careful. Going uptown, the cross streets will have traffic, and the cars are coming downhill at you. Going downtown you're alongside the park with only a few streets crossing, but I had a really bad accident there when a car decided to pull a u-turn right in front of me.

Yeah I noticed that there were a lot of serious cyclist in groups sometimes single with high end road bikes and full jersey outfit.

Yeah I noticed that there were a lot of serious cyclist in groups sometimes single with high end road bikes and full jersey outfit.

almost all of them are heading up to the GW bridge to ride on 9w or elsewhere in Jersey (most are 9w though).

And Tim can vouch for my accident as he saw the result!

You guys should come with us on the rides we're doing - we're usually going down the East and up the West Side...check the NYC Rides thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=249306&page=9)

You guys should come with us on the rides we're doing - we're usually going down the East and up the West Side...check the NYC Rides thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=249306&page=9)

you guys start east side uptown down then to west side going up ?

The last few times we didn't do many miles and went clockwise. Next time we're thinking of going up the east side counterclockwise and stop off at Dinosaur BBQ at 122nd, probably ~ 20 miles.

and you guys do this during night time ? I wish i still live in jersey city ..

After work, 7 or 7:30ish. When are you free?