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Orchard Beach and City Island

This ride travels along greenways through New York City’s largest park system, Pelham Bay Park. At three times the size of Central Park, the park contains miles of walking trails and bridle paths, golf courses, an architectural landmark, and 13 miles of shorefront along the Long Island Sound that includes Orchard Beach. Conceived as the “Riviera of New York” by Robert Moses in the 1930s, Orchard Beach continues as Pelham Bay Park’s most popular attraction, with a beachfront esplanade. On this ride, you’ll skirt the edge of all of these sites before heading to the historical seaport community of City Island, surrounded by the waters of the Longs Island Sound on all sides. This ride is a great, mostly car-free, city getaway. Head out early, before the crowds.

Start: Senator Abraham Bernstein Square, at the intersection of Pelham Parkway and White Plains Road

Length: 17.5 miles out and back

Approximate riding time: 2.5 hours

Best bike: Hybrid, road, or mountain bike

Terrain and trail surface: The trail is paved throughout and relatively flat. The eastbound journey to the beach goes slightly downhill. The westbound journey goes slightly uphill. There are a few small hills in Pelham Bay Park.

Traffic and hazards: Most of this route travels on the NYC Greenway, which is car-free. The greenway crosses multiple access roads along Pelham Parkway, though, so stay alert. Come to a complete stop and check for oncoming traffic before crossing. City Island Avenue, on City Island, is the only route section that’s on-road without a bike lane. It’s a popular cycling route and traffic is light, but stay alert. (To avoid this on-road section, make City Island’s northern end your turnaround spot at Catherine Scott Promenade. Don’t head to the southern tip.)

Things to see: Orchard Beach, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx Victory Memorial, Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, City Island, City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum

Maps: New York City Bike Map, Department of City Planning Bike the Bronx map, New York City Parks Map of Pelham Bay Park: www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_pelham_bay_park/images/Pelham%20map-rev2005.pdf

Getting there: By public transportation: Take the 2 subway to the Pelham Parkway station. Senator Abraham Bernstein Square is at the north edge of Pelham Parkway. GPS coordinates: N40 51.455’ / W73 52.040’

THE RIDE

The Bronx is often overlooked when it comes to recreational biking, but the borough has an ever-increasing number of greenway miles, including along Pelham Parkway (officially called the Bronx and Pelham Parkway) leading out to Orchard Beach. When the parkway was constructed over a century ago, a series of rules governed what could be built along its borders: no buildings within 150 feet and no bars along the route. For years on Sunday mornings, the central lane was closed to cars and used for professional bicycle racing.

Today, a greenway leads along the north edge of the westbound lane from White Plains Road eastward toward Orchard Beach. When cycling along the greenway, more than 100 feet of green space still separate you from the houses that flank the northern parkway edge. Going slightly downhill as you head eastward, check out the residence that’s popularly referred to as the “Christmas House” at 1601 Pelham Pkwy. on your left. This pink-hued home, with year-round life-size reindeer out front, is hard to miss.

At Stillwell Avenue, the greenway switches parkway sides. Use the pedestrian signal to cross Pelham Parkway and continue eastward. This soon leads you across a series of access roads. While there’s a designated bike- and pedestrian-crossing at each, there’s no traffic signal, so come to a complete stop before crossing. After crossing the Bruckner Expressway, the greenway crosses its final access road to deposit you at Pelham Bay Park. To your right stands the Bronx Victory Column (which honors Bronx soldiers killed during World War I) and a labyrinthine web of pathways extends into the park, snaking around ball fields, playgrounds, picnic spots, and more. You could spend a whole day exploring this part of the park alone, but our route presses onward toward the beach.

Follow the greenway northeastward, across the Hutchinson River and toward the north section of Pelham Bay Park. When you hit the first intersection, cross to the north side City Island Road. Then swivel left to cross Shore Road and follow the greenway northward along its west flank. You’ll pass the park’s equestrian center on your left, glide through wooded terrain, and swerve along the edge of two pristine golf courses. Just beyond, after crossing to the east side of the road, you can access the entrance to the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, a nineteenth-century landmark building made of local stone and equipped with sculpted gardens. Explore the mansion at your leisure and then retrace your route past the golf courses and equestrian center to City Island Road, where you’ll stick to the greenway along the north edge of the road to continue toward Orchard Beach.

City Island boats moored offshore at Catherine Scott Promenade on City Island.

You’ll traverse sloping woodlands and come to clearings that provide bay-water views on both sides of the road. You’ll then veer left, cross to the east side of Park Drive, and continue northward toward Orchard Beach. You can then access the beachfront just past the bus terminal, where a mile-long bay-side esplanade extends northward. (If required, dismount and walk your bike along this esplanade.) Playgrounds, ball courts, and food stands (during summer months) line the esplanade, which offers sweeping views of Pelham Bay, and a nature center sits at its northern end. From there, you can access the Kazimiroff Nature Trail if you wish. Short and long loop paths lead around Hunter Island, just north of here, where you can wander alongside the island’s wetlands and rocky shoreline.

To continue en route, return to the greenway to retrace your route a short jaunt before veering left to follow the greenway across City Island Bridge and onto City Island, a seaport community with a New England feel. As you descend the bridge, you’ll pass Catherine Scott Promenade on your left, where benches look out toward Eastchester Bay.

From here, to reach the south end of the island, you’ll have to do some on-road cycling along City Island Avenue. Stay alert as the road is narrow. Along the way, you’ll pass emblematic island establishments like Jack’s Bait and Tackle, the Lickety Split ice creamery, and the Black Whale restaurant. The narrow mile-long avenue culminates at the island’s southern tip next to bay-side restaurants with classic waterfront fare. If you glance to the east, you can catch sight of Hart Island, just a mile long and a quarter-mile wide.

Make a U-turn at the island’s southern tip to retrace your route northward. If you wish, check out the quirky Nautical Museum to your right on Fordham Street to learn some island history. Then, to proceed en route, continue northward to leave City Island via the bikeway on the southern side of City Island Bridge. This soon brings you via greenway back to Shore Road, where a left-hand turn returns you to Pelham Parkway’s greenway. Retrace your route from here to your starting point.

Hart Island

Sitting on just 130 acres in the Long Island Sound, Hart Island served as prisoner of war camp for four months in 1865. The City of New York then purchased the island to serve as potter’s field, burial grounds for unidentified or indigent people. Today, with up to one million people buried in Hart Island Cemetery, the island holds the nation’s largest potter’s field. Prison labor has been used to perform these burials.

MILES AND DIRECTIONS

0.0Catch the greenway eastward along the north edge of Pelham Parkway’s westbound lane.

1.7At Stillwell Avenue, use the pedestrian signal to cross to the south side of Pelham Parkway. Continue east along the greenway.

1.8Come to a complete stop before crossing the access ramps at the Hutchinson River Parkway and the Bruckner Expressway just beyond.

2.6Stop at the end of Pelham Parkway to cross to the south side of the parkway at Pelham Bay Park. Turn right along the greenway to reach the Bronx Victory Column.

2.7Make a U-turn around the monument to return to the park entrance and continue northeastward along Shore Road, crossing the Pelham Bridge toward Orchard Beach.

3.6Cross City Island Road. Then swivel left to cross Shore Road and catch the greenway along its western flank, heading north.

4.5Turn right to cross Shore Road and access the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum across the road.

4.6Check out the mansion if you wish. Then make a U-turn and return to Shore Road, cross back to the greenway along its western flank, and return south to City Island Road.

5.6After passing the equestrian center, cross to the east edge of Shore Road and follow the greenway along the north edge of City Island Road, heading east.

6.1Follow the greenway as it veers left and then switches to the east side of Park Drive. Continue north.

6.5Enter the gate to Orchard Beach and follow the greenway to the right toward the waterfront.

6.8After passing the bus terminal, turn right into the park space and follow the path to the beach esplanade.

7.0Turn left along the promenade and bike to the end. (Walk your bike if required.)

7.7Make a U-turn to retrace your route along the promenade.

8.5Turn right, exiting the promenade through the park area and past the bus terminal.

8.6After the bus terminal, turn left onto the greenway and follow the bikeway as it veers left. Cross City Island Bridge onto City Island.

10.0Catherine Scott Promenade is on your right. To continue, head south along City Island Avenue.

11.3When you reach the water, make a U-turn to bike north along City Island Avenue.

12.0Turn right onto Fordham Street to reach the Historical Society and Nautical Museum.

12.1The museum is on your right. To continue, backtrack to City Island Avenue and continue north.

12.9Turn left, crossing City Island Avenue, to access the bikeway along the south side of City Island Bridge, leading west.

13.4Follow the bikeway around the traffic circle, continuing west.

14.2At Shore Road, turn left along the greenway (east side of the road) to return toward Pelham Bay Park.

15.0After crossing Pelham Bridge, turn right to cross the road and continue westward along the Pelham Parkway greenway (south side of the road).

15.8The greenway switches parkway sides. Use the pedestrian signal to cross to the north side and continue westward.

17.5Arrive at your starting point.

RIDE INFORMATION

Local Events/Attractions

Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum: Pelham Bay used to be peppered with grand mansions, but today this nineteenth-century landmark mansion is the only one still standing. 895 Shore Rd.; (718) 885-1461; www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org

City Island Historical Society & Nautical Museum: This landmark building houses a quirky collection of artifacts and exhibits that shed light on the community’s nautical history. 190 Fordham St.; (718) 885-0008; www.cityislandmuseum.org

Restrooms

Mile 7.0/8.5: There are restrooms and water fountains along the promenade at Orchard Beach.

The City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum sheds light on the island’s maritime roots.