BBR_NewYork-14

Start: The northwest corner of Battery Park, at the intersection of West Street and Battery Place

Length: 18.9 miles out and back (partial)

Approximate riding time: 2.5 hours

Best bike: Hybrid, road, or mountain bike

Terrain and trail surface: The trail is paved throughout. There’s one major uphill climb after leaving the West Harlem Piers to get to Grant’s Tomb. It then goes downhill from Grant’s Tomb to the water along Riverside Drive.

Traffic and hazards: This route travels almost exclusively along the Hudson River Greenway and is thus mostly car-free. On your return journey, a 1-mile stretch toward Grant’s Tomb leads along Riverside Drive, with light traffic. Stay especially alert at the top of the hill, when you cross to the left side of Riverside Drive to make a U-turn, following the road southward. Also, the greenway you follow along most of this ride is often crowded on weekend with cyclists, joggers, and inline skaters. (The earlier in the day you go, the lighter the crowds.) Stay alert and yield to pedestrians. Stick to the right side of the Hudson River Greenway, allowing faster cyclists to pass on your left, and stay alert and heed the traffic signal when traversing crossroads along the greenway.

Things to see: Battery Park, North Cove Marina, Hudson River, Hudson River Park, Chelsea Piers Park, Jean Nouvel architecture, Frank Gehry architecture, West Harlem Piers, Grant’s Tomb, Riverside Church, Riverside Park, New York City Marina

Map: New York City Bike Map

Getting there: By public transportation: Take the 4 or 5 subway to the Bowling Green stop. Go west along the northern edge of Battery Park on Battery Place until you reach the park’s northwestern corner at West Street. By car: From the West Side: Take the West Side Highway/West Street south to the Battery Place exit. From the East Side: Take the FDR Drive south to exit 1 at Whitehall Street. Check the Battery Conservancy’s map (at www.thebattery.org) for parking garages in the area. GPS coordinates: N40 42.278’ / W74 01.006’

THE RIDE

Battery Park offers much to explore—early relics like Castle Clinton and monuments honoring significant New York figures—but save the park for the end of your journey. To start your ride, catch the Hudson River Greenway along the west edge of West Street, going northward toward Battery Park City. You’ll soon veer away from the greenway along Albany Street to reach the North Cove Marina, where yachts and motor boats are moored offshore on your left and the gleaming World Financial Center rises on your right. On fair-weather days, the eateries that surround the marina provide outdoor seating, turning the wharf into a bustling enclave where locals and tourists gather. A right onto North End Avenue (next to PJ Clarke’s) then returns you to the greenway.

On your left, hug the edge of Hudson River Park, with ball courts, dog runs, and sculpted recreational piers. Farther north on your right, starting at West 14th Street, you can catch glimpses of the Highline, an elevated promenade with sculpted greens that used to be a railway line. The recreational complex of Chelsea Piers soon appears on your left and two architectural gems rise on your right—the rounded glass IAC Building by Frank Gehry and a glittery Jean Nouvel-designed apartment complex of angular glass panes. At the north end of Chelsea Piers, you can explore an elaborate parks complex sprawled across multiple piers. Dismount and walk your bike to explore the piers. (Biking is prohibited.) At Pier 66, check out the historic fireboat John J. Harvey, built in 1931.

Continuing northward, you’ll traverse a major tourist hub at Pier 79, where several tour boat companies house their headquarters. Just beyond, the Intrepid Museum attracts similar throngs. Stay alert for pedestrians as tourists scouting the area often wander onto the greenway. At West 59th Street, as you enter Riverside Park South, the bikeway veers right to run underneath (parallel) the highway overhead. Return to the water’s edge next to ball fields and head north along a pleasant promenade of benches. Ship masts moored offshore in the New York City Marina can be heard as you approach the Boat Basin Cafe on your right. Continue north along the waterfront Cherry Walk (especially stunning when trees are in bloom) and gaze ahead for views of the George Washington Bridge. When you reach the West Harlem Piers, bike to West 130th Street, where you can grab a snack at the Fairway Market for a short break on the piers.

To continue, head south a short stretch to turn left onto Saint Clair Place, leaving the waterfront behind. Riverside Drive takes you uphill to the right (steep!). There’s no marked bike lane on this road, so stay alert. At the top of the hill, make a near U-turn to your right, continuing with the flow of traffic along Riverside Drive. Follow the drive as it veers left again (to head south) toward Grant’s Tomb. The site’s visitor center is on your right (accessible via stairs going downhill) and the monument itself, with the remains of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is on your left. To explore, lock up your bike and enter on foot.

To proceed en route, continue south along Riverside Drive, passing Riverside Church on your left. Cruise gently downhill along Riverside Drive to reenter Riverside Park along a path veering to your right (and into the park) after crossing West 95th Street. Yield to pedestrians throughout Riverside Park, where joggers, dog-walkers, and families abound, and handsomely maintained gardens line the way. Return to the bikeway along the Hudson River up ahead to retrace your route back to Hudson River Park.

After passing Pier 25, turn right to take the waterfront promenade route around Battery Park City. To stay on the bikeway, hug the water’s edge (don’t go “inland” into Battery Park City proper) and follow the esplanade as it passes the ferry terminal, circles the North Cove Marina, and continues south with views of New Jersey across the water and the Statue of Liberty in the distance. At the southern end of the waterfront esplanade, veer left through Robert Wagner Park to end up on the sidewalk next to Battery Park. Turn right to arrive at your starting point. Now, explore Battery Park at your leisure.

Battery Park

Battery Park is where New York City began. In 1624, thirty families traveling with the Dutch West India Company founded a settlement just near your starting point at Battery Park. Within a year, the Dutch constructed Fort Amsterdam (later named Fort George) at the southern tip of Manhattan, marking the official founding of New York City. After ceding the stronghold to British rule, the fort was later demolished shortly after the American Revolution. Debris from the bastion was subsequently used to expand the landmass at the island’s southern tip. Then, in the early 1800s, a new battery was built 200 feet offshore. This fortress, now known as Castle Clinton, was later connected to the mainland through additional landfills. You can visit it at the park’s southern tip at the end of your journey.

MILES AND DIRECTIONS

0.0From the northwest corner of Battery Park, use the traffic signal to cross to the north side of Battery Place and catch the Hudson River Greenway, heading north along the west edge of West Street.

0.4Turn left onto Albany Street, followed by a quick right onto South End Avenue.

0.6Turn left at Liberty Street and follow the bike path toward the marina. Veer right to go north along the water’s edge.

0.7After passing PJ Clarke’s on your right (and before reaching the Hudson River), turn right onto North End Avenue, followed by a right onto Vesey Street.

0.9Before crossing West Street, glance behind you before turning left to cross to the north side of Vesey Street and catch the greenway northward.

5.3Enter Riverside Park South and veer right to continue along the greenway (the waterfront path is for pedestrians). The bikeway runs parallel to Henry Hudson Parkway overhead.

7.4Continue north along the Cherry Walk.

9.1Take a break at the West Harlem Piers at 131st Street. To continue, make a U-turn to return southward on the greenway.

9.3At Saint Clair Place, use caution as you turn left, crossing the parkway access road. Veer right up ahead, going steeply uphill along Riverside Drive.

9.6At the top of the hill, cross Riverside Drive, turning right (a near U-turn) to follow Riverside Drive northward (with the flow of traffic). Follow Riverside Drive as it makes a left turn, heading south again.

10.1Grant’s Tomb is on your left.

10.2Riverside Church is on your left.

11.5After crossing West 95th Street, veer right into Riverside Park. Yield to pedestrians.

11.7The bikeway leads slightly downhill before veering left and uphill to access the Riverside Park promenade, continuing south.

12.0Veer right, going downhill and under the parkway to continue south along the water.

12.7After the baseball fields, veer left, continuing south along the bikeway.

17.4At the southern edge of Hudson River Park (before the pedestrian overpass at Chambers Street), turn right onto the waterfront route. Yield to pedestrians.

18.8Bike through the garden to exit the waterfront route. Turn right along the sidewalk (and bikeway) to return to Battery Park.

18.9Arrive at starting point and explore the park’s sites at your leisure.

RIDE INFORMATION

Local Events/Attractions

General Grant National Memorial: Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, lie in an open crypt in red granite coffins at this memorial overlooking the Hudson River. 122nd Street and Riverside Drive; (212) 666-1640; www.nps.gov/gegr

The Riverside Church: 490 Riverside Dr.; (212) 870-6700; www.theriversidechurchny.org

Restrooms

Mile 2.3/16.4: There are restrooms in the park building in Hudson River Park and water fountains along Hudson River Greenway. Dismount your bike when entering the park area.

Mile 6.2/12.6: There are restrooms in the stone park building in Riverside Park.

In the early twentieth century, Christian churches and churchgoers in New York City founded Riverside Church amid heated debates concerning the future character and role of their religion. The church was established as an institution that would take a more modern approach to Christianity by becoming more actively involved in the world at large. The cathedral-like establishment was grounded by three core principles—it was to be a large church in a significant New York City neighborhood; the church was to exist in an interdenominational context; the church was to welcome all who believed in Christ.

For the church to be erected, John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased a swath of land overlooking the Hudson River and contracted architects to travel across Spain and France to gather ideas for the church’s design. In the end, multiple cathedrals served as inspiration for the architects’ work including the thirteenth-century Cathedral of Chartres, France, for the nave, and the twelfth-century Laon Cathedral, of Spain, for the soaring twenty-two-story spire. Work on the church was started in 1926, but it wasn’t completed until 4 years later due, in part, to a fire that destroyed much of the original wooden framework.

In keeping with the church’s mission of active engagement in the world, the institution was furnished with classrooms, a library, a gym, and a nursery. Today, Riverside Church continues to have a role in numerous movements for social justice including LGBT support, anti-torture campaigning, HIV-AIDS ministry, and immigrant rights advocacy. The church also continues as a significant center for political and social discourse with noteworthy speakers over the years including Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton, and Fidel Castro.