Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BIKING
Off-road biking isn't permitted; stay on Central Park
Drive or your bike may be confiscated by park police.
You can rent 3- and 10-speed bikes as well as tandems in Central
Park at the
Loeb Boathouse,
midpark near 72nd Street and Park
Drive North, just in from Fifth Avenue (
&
212/517-2233
or 212/
517-3623), for $9 to $15 an hour, with a complete selection of kids'
bikes, cruisers, tandems, and the like ($200 deposit required); at
Metro Bicycles,
1311 Lexington Ave., at 88th Street (
&
212/427-
4450
), for about $7 an hour, or $35 a day; and at
Toga Bike Shop,
110 West End Ave., at 64th Street (
&
212/799-9625;
www.toga
bikes.com), for $30 a day. No matter where you rent, be prepared to
leave a credit card deposit.
BOATING
From March through November, gondola rides and
rowboat rentals are available at the
Loeb Boathouse,
midpark near
74th Street and Park Drive North, just in from Fifth Avenue
(
&
212/517-2233
or 212/517-3623). Rowboats cost $10 for the
first hour, $2.50 for every 15 minutes thereafter, and a $30 deposit
is required; reservations are accepted. (Note that rates were not set
for the summer season at press time, so these may change.)
HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES
At the entrance to the
park at 59th Street and Central Park South, you'll see a line of
horse-
drawn carriages
waiting to take passengers through the park or
along certain city streets. Horses belong on city streets as much as
chamber pots belong in our homes. You won't need me to tell you
how forlorn most of these horses look; if you insist, a ride is about
$50 for two for a half-hour, but I suggest skipping it.
ICE-SKATING
Central Park's
Wollman Rink
, on the east side
of the park between 62nd and 63rd streets (
&
212/439-6900;
www.
wollmanskatingrink.com), is the city's best outdoor skating spot, more
spacious than the rink at Rockefeller Center. It's open for skating from
mid-October to mid-April, depending on the weather. Rates are $9.50
for adults ($12 on weekends), $4.75 for seniors and kids under 12
($8.25 on weekends), and skate rental is $5; lockers are available (locks
are $3.75).
Lasker Rink
&
212/534-7639,
on the east side around
106th Street, is a less expensive alternative to the more crowded Woll-
man Rink. Open November through March, rates are $4.50 for
adults, $2.25 for kids under 12, and skate rental is $4.75.
IN-LINE SKATING
Central Park is the city's most popular place
for blading. See the beginning of this section for details on Central
Park Drive, the main drag for skaters. On weekends, head to West
