Bike Crawls: Manhattan Rides
Updated: September 16, 2009
New York is a great city to bike in, despite the hordes of pedestrians and angry cabbies. From riverside paths to wooded park roads, the city has tons of fantastic places to ride your bike, with the added benefit of cool pit stops like museums, hip cafes and healthy restaurants. Take a look at these Manhattan bike rides perfect for the casual bicyclist looking for a fun day out.
On this page:West Side Culture Ride (10.9 Miles), Eclectic East Side Ride (9.75 Miles).
West Side Culture Ride (10.9 Miles)
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Cafe Cluny
Read Reviews284 W 12th St, New York, NY 10014 (map)
Energy bars? Please, this is New York. We fuel up at stylish West Village restaurants with an order of homemade granola mixed with Old Chatham yogurt and fruit, or steel-cut Irish oatmeal with nuts and fruit. After breakfast at Cafe Cluny, ride up West 4th Street, make a left on Jane Street and you’re ready to cruise up the scenic bike path along the West Side Highway.
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Chelsea Art Museum
Read Reviews556 W 22nd St, New York, NY 10011 (map)
Exercise your culture muscle along with your calves by stopping into the 30,000 square-foot Chelsea Art Museum, right off the West Side Highway at 22nd Street. Despite sporting a stellar international modern art collection, nobody seems to know about this place, so you can browse in peace before hopping back on your ride.
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Grant's Tomb
Write a review122ND St & Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10027 (map)
Nothing says fresh air and exercise quite like a mausoleum. History buffs will be glad to know that Grant’s Tomb, which, of course, houses Civil War hero and 18th President of the United Sates Ulysses S. Grant, is located right off the bike path in Riverside Park (at Riverside Drive and West 122nd Street).
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The Cloisters
Read ReviewsFort Tryon Park, New York, NY 10040 (map)
There really isn’t a better way to relax after a strenuous bike ride than by spending an afternoon at The Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gorgeous museum of medieval art and architecture, which overlooks the Hudson River in verdant Fort Tyron Park.
Eclectic East Side Ride (9.75 Miles)
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Battery Park
Read ReviewsBattery Pl to South St, New York, NY 10004 (map)
Start your New York bike ride off right with a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. Then head east, ride through historic Stone Street and hop on the FDR Drive Greenway for an amazing bicycle ride.
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Recycle-A-Bicycle Inc
Read Reviews75 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009 (map)
Make a quick detour over to Avenue C near 6th Street and stop into this unique Alphabet City bike shop, a non-profit that takes in old bicycles and teaches young people how to repair them in after-school programs. You just might find something you like, or you can always sign up to volunteer or donate some cash.
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Pinetree Lodge
Read Reviews326 E 35th St, New York, NY 10016 (map)
We don’t encourage drinking and biking, but if you must, at least do it in style. This kooky Murray Hill bar (just turn left on 35th Street and pass 1st Avenue), with its kitschy faux-cabin charm and sunny patio, is the perfect place to enjoy a cold beer before heading back out on the road.
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La Fonda Boricua
Read Reviews169 E 106th St, New York, NY 10029 (map)
So, you’ve biked almost 10 miles from Battery Park to East Harlem. You must be hungry. Turn left on 106th Street until you pass 3rd Avenue and you’ll find La Fonda Boricua, one of the best Puerto Rican restaurants in the city. We recommend the mofongo, mashed plantain served with your choice of crackling pork, chicken or shrimp.
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