“We’re not hidden in a 3,000-pound cage,” says Gersh Kuntzman. He’s an avid biker and the editor-in-chief of Streetsblog, a website “devoted to making the city’s streets and neighborhoods far more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly.” He touts the benefits of biking in New York City, including the community accessibility that driving in a car (or cage) does not afford. “Cycling is the best way to connect to the neighborhoods and your neighbors. Very few drivers ever stop along the way to shop or hang out, but cyclists always do.”
Emily Lipstein, the engagement editor at Streetsblog NYC, grew up on Long Island and learned how to bike on her parents’ front lawn when she was 7. “It gave me an early sense of freedom when I couldn’t drive in my car-dependent suburb,” she recalls.
She moved to Brooklyn in 2018 but did not start biking the city until 2020 to explore more of the city and cover more ground than doing it on foot. “Since then, I’ve ridden my bike all over the tri-state, done a 100-mile ride in eastern Long Island, and commute to work by bike every day.”
Kuntzman and Lipstein are just two of countless bikers in the city, but they don’t just bike themselves; they dedicate their time to advocating for NYC to be a safe and enjoyable city for other bikers and commuters.
Kuntzman says he’s been covering the “livable streets movement” for a decade as a reporter for various news outlets, including Newsweek and the New York Post. He’s been cycling since the early ‘90s and believes the city should bolster cycling to meet its goals for reducing car dependency.
Rollin Walther, the operations and education coordinator at Bike New York, works to combine biking with community outreach. He is the assistant instructor to Bike Path, Bike New York’s workforce development program that trains formerly incarcerated individuals to become bike mechanics who then work at Motivate, which maintains the CitiBike fleet across the city. “This year, the program was able to train and hire 45 people,” Walther says.
New York City has many opportunities for biking and the DOT outlines over a dozen self-guided bike rides in all five boroughs. Ahead, biking experts and enthusiasts from Streetsblog and Bike New York share some of their personal favorite routes.
Hudson River Greenway
“The part I love is the stretch north of [West 59th Street], all the way from the long ride under the West Side Highway to the George Washington Bridge, most of which is right on the Hudson River. [Below there] there are too many pedestrians spilling into it and too many cabs and buses crossing into it at various locations. It needs to be widened to accommodate the cycling demand it has induced.” – Gersh Kuntzman
Jamaica Bay Greenway
“Brave busy Neptune Avenue with double-parked cars in Coney Island before getting to the protected bike lane on Emmons Avenue, which leads directly into the Jamaica Bay Greenway. From there, you can go over the Gil Hodges Bridge right into the Rockaways. Or you can stay on the Greenway and bike to Shirley Chisholm State Park.” – Gersh Kuntzman
“My absolute favorite route in Brooklyn is from my apartment in Crown Heights to Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways. I start by going down Eastern Parkway through Prospect Park to Ocean Parkway (the oldest bike path in the States). Once I reach the end of Ocean Parkway I’ll take the Jamaica Bay Greenway to the Marine Parkway bridge which takes me right to the beach. The ride is beautiful and is a great tour of some of Brooklyn’s best neighborhoods and beaches.” – Rollin Walther
Brooklyn/Manhattan to the Rockaways
“There are a few different ways to ride to the Rockaways, but taking Rugby Road to Bedford Avenue to Emmons is the way I do it – and you get to stop at Roll n’ Roaster for a mid-ride snack. The Gil Hodges bridge is narrow, but once you get to the Rockaways, the views are gorgeous and the beach vibes are unbeatable.” – Emily Lipstein
Williamsburg Bridge
“I just love biking over the Williamsburg Bridge, which has the second-best bridge bike lane in town because it’s wider than the others, at least when it’s not under repair like it is now. (The best bridge lane is on the Willis Avenue Bridge). The Willy B offers amazing views of the still-developing Brooklyn waterfront, with the Domino residential project looming just off the bridge’s north side. There are also random dance … parties on the walkway between the bike and pedestrian paths, but that’s for the kids — mostly. I even ride it in winter.” – Gersh Kuntzman
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
“From my home base in Greenpoint, the Kosciuszko Bridge to the Queens Boulevard bike lane is a good route in itself and a great, fast way to access Flushing Meadows Corona Park and the necklace of parks and greenways east of Flushing. Both segments are relatively new: the K Bridge bikeway opened in 2019. The Queens Boulevard lane, reaching roughly 6 miles from Sunnyside to Jamaica, was created in stages between 2015 and 2023.” – Jon Orcutt, Advocacy Director at Bike New York
Van Cortlandt Park to Tarrytown
“This route takes you from the Bronx all the way to Westchester’s River Towns (and beyond) on a shared-use recreation path that’s free from cars. You get to ride through the woods on a nice, paved path and fun art installations along the way. It’s part of the Empire State Trail, so you can really start and end anywhere, but this route is a great introduction if you’ve never been.” – Emily Lipstein
Bronx Waterfront Ride
“I now spend a lot of time in the Bronx because this route is a favorite of mine. It takes you to Randall’s Island, over to Soundview Park and SUNY Maritime (you can pay to eat in their dining hall), up and over to City Island, on Pelham Parkway, and back to Manhattan mostly through greenways. This ride gives you a real sense of how big New York City really is, watching the scenery change from neighborhood to neighborhood.” – Emily Lipstein
George Washington Bridge to Nyack
“Ride with the roadies on 9W up to Nyack! The new-ish north path on the George Washington Bridge gives you great views of the Hudson before a pit stop at Strictly Bicycles in Fort Lee. (Route) 9W can be busy with lots of fast cars, but the road has fairly wide shoulders where cyclists can ride. Get a snack at the Market with all the other cyclists and bikers (it’s a popular motorcycle meetup spot too) and take a quick jaunt through the woods before emerging into Nyack.” – Emily Lipstein
