While New York’s Central Park is one of the best places to go around on your bike in the city, it limits your bike tour within the park’s few bike paths. What if you want to ride your bike while seeing the other equally noteworthy spots in the city? If that is the case, then the Hudson River Greenway bike path is the best way to go.
The Hudson River Greenway was created in 1991 by the NYS Department of Transportation to initiate a scheme that connects the different multi-use trails around the area of the Hudson River. Today, the whole trail system includes both land trails and even water trails for boating and paddling.
The two-lane bike waterfront bike path borders the west side of Manhattan and is built to run just beside the Hudson River. It comprises the whole length of the Hudson River Park, from Battery Park and the George Washington Bridge to W59th St. It is actually one of the most popular bike paths in the city, making it a very busy one. It is closed to motorists and cars, but bikers and on-foot tourists flock to this 11-mile long bike path to see some of New York City’s favorite landmarks. In between the two endpoints, bikers, skateboarders, rollerbladers and other tourists will be greeted by landmarks such as the Hudson River and Riverside Parks, the Chelsea Piers and the World Trade Center. There will also be the interesting sights of Lower Manhattan and Midtown that riders will pass by.
What’s great about this trail is that riders will be subjected to zero street riding. It is fully a car-free bike route and being in New York City makes this perk a huge deal. You can ride the whole 11 miles without jumping off your bike, but then again, there will be stops that you’ll want to make as this route has scenery you would surely want to explore more.
Bikes are available for rent at Battery Park and bike racks are provided throughout the route which is marked every 0.5 miles. There are also a number of public restrooms available in nearby spots. For safety, remember to bike on the right side and stay in single file and be off your saddle when passing through pedestrian walkways. The flat path is perfect for bikers of all shapes and sizes but there will be a couple of bumps along the road, from the tree roots pushing against the concrete so watch out for those. Lastly, start early so you can get a headstart and avoid the crowd.
