The other day, I was driving through the Inwood section of Manhattan (northern tip) and into the Bronx via Broadway, and I was looking at Riverdale out my car window. I see apartment buildings and what looks like a nice neighborhood perched atop the cliffs overlooking the Hudson and Harlem rivers, and wonder, how do people get all the way up there?

Well, today I took my bike there and found out... The hard way.

Went north on Broadway into the Bronx, turned left on 230th Street, and saw the zig-zag switchback road that goes up the escarpment to Riverdale on the clifftops-- Johnson Avenue.

Yeah, it's an anthill for those pros who attack up the Pyrenees in the Tour de France, but for a recreational rider like me it was one of those "why did I choose to do this?" moments. I estimate it to be around maybe 150 feet (vertically) from the bottom of the hill to the top. By the time I got up there, huffing and puffing and standing on my pedals and grinding my gears, I was about ready to have a heart attack. There is a small park at the very top of the hill called Henry Hudson Park, and fortunately for me it had a working water fountain (which probably saved my life, considering how hot it has been in NYC for the past several days.)

So for those of you looking for an interesting ride, something to check out!

(Note: You will be going through some rough neighborhood though, so if you go, stay street-smart).