New York, New Jersey & Pennsylvania - Eastern USA - page 150

the Bloomberg administration launched Citi Bike ( www.citibikenyc.com ; 24hr/7 days $11/27) ,
its long awaited and semi-contentious bike-sharing program - the largest in the country -
in the summer of 2013. Hundreds of kiosks in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn house
the almost instantly iconic bright blue and very sturdy bicycles available for rides of
30-minutes or less. However, unless you're an experienced urban cyclist, pedaling
through the streets can be a risky activity, as bike lanes are often blocked by trucks, taxis
and double-parked cars. More than 28-miles, mostly riverfront, have been integrated into
the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway , a patchwork of park pathways, overpasses and a
few city streets that circle the entire island of Manhattan. The mostly uninterrupted
10-mile stretch from the GW Bridge to Battery Park, including Hudson River Park
MAP GOOGLE MAP , is perhaps the most spectacular. Of course Central Park MAP
GOOGLE MAP and Brooklyn's Prospect Park have lovely cycling paths.
For cycling tips and weekend trips, contact Five Borough Bicycle Club MAP
GOOGLE MAP ( www.5bbc.org ; 891 Amsterdam Ave at 103rd St; 1 to 103rd St) . Transporta-
tion Alternatives ( www.transalt.org ) , a nonprofit bicycle-lobbying group, is also a good
source of information. Gay cycling enthusiasts should check the website of Fast & Fab-
ulous ( www.fastnfab.org ) , a gay cycling club that organizes long weekend rides. For bike
rentals (other than Citi Bike), try Central Park's Loeb Boathouse MAP

GOOGLE MAP

or locate a rental shop on the comprehensive website Bike New York
( www.bikenewyork.org ) .

Water Sports
This is an island, after all, and as such there are plenty of opportunities for boating and
kayaking. The Downtown Boathouse MAP GOOGLE MAP
( www.downtownboathouse.org ; Pier 40, near Houston St; tours free; 10am-6pm Sat & Sun,
5-7pm Thu Jun-Sep; 1 to Houston St) offers free 20-minute kayaking (including equip-
ment) in the protected embayment of the Hudson River. Other locations include Pier 96
and 72nd St.
In Central Park, Loeb Boathouse MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 212-517-2233;
www.thecentralparkboathouse.com ; Central Park btwn 74th & 75th Sts; boating per hr $12, bike rent-
als per hr $9-15; 10am-dusk Apr-Nov; ; B, C to 72nd St, 6 to 77th St) rents rowboats for
romantic trysts, and even fills Venice-style gondolas in summer ($30 for 30 minutes). For
a sailing adventure, hop aboard the Schooner Adirondack at Chelsea Piers .
Surfers may be surprised to find a tight group of wave worshippers within city limits,
at Queens' Rockaway Beach at 90th St, where you can hang ten after only a 45-minute
ride on the A train from Midtown.