Northeast - Manhattan East Side Routes...

So... I've achieved escape velocity and have actually left Astoria and am now taking Metro North into the city. Picked up a Brompton so I can get around town as I'm accustomed to, and now mulling over whether to ditch Metro North at 125th and ride south down the East Side to 70th and York, or should I travel from GCT up.

I've ridden it all before, it's definitely shorter from GCT uptown, but it's certainly not the most pleasant of experiences. I'm thinking about heading over to the East Side Greenway from 125th, but it's certainly not a convenient route either. Granted, a car-free concrete "greenway" is more enjoyable than 2nd Ave.

Not entirely sure what I'll take Tuesday, I'll probably head to GCT in the evening anyway.

Just mulling things over.

I take 1st ave from the Manhattan Bridge All the way up to 47th and then 2nd ave all the way back down every day i commute. its really not that bad. Quite a few bikes around.

1st ave & 2nd ave make sense frm GCT or 2nd Ave from Metro/125th South.

For extra mileage maybe you can bail at Marble hill and get to the Westside Greenway then cross over at 72nd. The Eastside Greenway is a constant on and off from 130th North

There's stairs on the east side MUP around 81st or so. Second Ave. is snarled due to 2nd Ave subway construction and is pot hole and steel plate central. From 125th, I'd head west to Lenox, turn south and ride through the park on the east side path against traffic to 72nd. You could also go south on 5th and just go through or around (to the right) Mt. Morris Park to continue on 5th.

Well, this being my 2nd day of multi-mode commuting out of GCT, I'll say that taking Park Ave north from GCT yesterday was better than heading east out of the Grand Concourse area of GCT like I did today.

I'm just hoping to keep my Brompton from disappearing in one of those potholes on the cross-town streets...

How'd you like those expansion joints on Park? Park's also 2 way so instead of synchronized lights that let you ride pretty far between reds, you have to stop every few blocks. I'd avoid Madison cuz it's paved with potholes.

I haven't done it during rush hour but I felt Fifth Avenue, from around Marcus Garvey Park and down along Central Park, wasn't a bad way to get downtown. Since it doesn't have the usual cross streets it seems a bit more pleasant and you may not have to stop quite as often as you might on other southbound avenues.

Going north you could swing west, once again, and just take the Park Drive East up to 110th Street. Riding through Harlem is always so much more pleasant than Midtown.