Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
giveaways along the shore. The East River, Hudson, and Gowanus are all available for seaworthy (or at least sea-
curious) New Yorkers. If you can swim, you're eligible to take advantage.
Brooklyn Bridge Park
The landscaping along Brooklyn's new East River parkways holds its own against
the spectacular Manhattan skyline across the water. To take in the sights by kayak, check out the free program
offered by the boathouse here. The voyages are first-come, first-served, aboard 20 recently purchased kayaks,
from early June to mid-September. In addition to all-day Saturday, every other Thursday provides an opportun-
ity for some after-work paddling.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, near Pier 2, Orange St. and the East River.
718/802-0603.
www.bbpboathouse.org
.
Subway: 2/3 to Clark St.; A/C to High
St.
Downtown Boathouse
Out of the goodness of their hearts (and a desire to promote the Hudson as a re-
creational outlet), this group loans out kayaks and equipment all summer long. Some 50,000 people get out on
the river between mid-May and mid-October. The trips are limited to 20 minutes in protected areas near three
west-side piers, but if you show up a few times and get into shape, you'll be eligible for an extended paddle
from Pier 96 into New York Harbor. This spectacular field trip lasts 3 hours, with unbelievable views all the way.
Potential paddlers gather before 8am and wait to have names picked from a hat. On a nice day you've got about
a 50/50 chance of going, though you can increase your odds by arriving on a day with cloud cover. The long-trip
season runs mid-June to mid-September (call
646/613-0740
to check the daily status; in really lousy weather
the kayaks stay docked). The Hudson is cleaner than it's been for decades, so getting splashed here and there no
longer requires immediate hospitalization. Yay.
Pier96,
Clinton Cove Park, West Side Hwy., at 56th St.
www.downtownboathouse.org
.
Sat-Sun and holidays 9am-6pm; July-Aug Mon-Fri 5-7pm.
Subway: A/B/C/D/1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle.
Pier40,
at Houston St. and the Hudson. Sat-Sun and holidays 9am-6pm; Thurs 5-7pm. Subway:
1 to Houston St.; A/C/E to Canal St.
Riverside Park,
72nd St., at the Hudson. Sat-Sun and holidays 10am-5pm. Subway: 1/2/3 to 72nd St.
The Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club
The Gowanus Canal is in a transitional phase between being the
butt of jokes and serving as a genteel Brooklyn natural resource. A canoe trip here still leans toward the former,
providing a surreal float through what is mostly a forgotten industrial wasteland. Self-guided map tours and
boats to take them with are available from late March through the end of October. Pick up is near 2nd Street and
Bond Street in Brooklyn, but check the calendar for availability details first. For landlubbers, the Dredgers also
offer free bike tours. There's no charge for any of these programs, but as this is a grassroots organization, every
little bit of generosity helps.
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.
718/243-0849.
www.gowanuscanal.org
. Wed 6-8pm; Sat 1-5pm. Subway: F/G to Smith/9th St.
Inwood Canoe Club
The oldest club of its kind in NYC, with seven Olympians among its alumni, the ICC kindly
opens its doors on summer Sundays to neophyte paddlers. Public sessions run from 10am to noon, with kayaks,
life vests, and paddles included. The setting near the George Washington Bridge is spectacular and the cost is
minimal ($4, which goes straight to the insurance company).
Just south of the Dyckman Marina, walk west from Dyckman St.
212/463-7740.
www.inwoodcanoeclub.com
.
Sun 10am-noon. Subway: A or 1
to Dyckman St.
LIC Community Boathouse
The East River (it's not really a river; it's a tidal strait) is open to experienced
and newbie paddlers alike. A walk-up program runs Saturdays from 1 to 5pm or so (depending on the tides),
providing 20 minutes of skyline and water admiring on the Queens waterfront at Halletts Cove. Making a request
online (space permitting) will get you onto a more elaborate trip, say a sunset tour, or a visit to Brooklyn Bridge
Park or Hellgate. The shore may be industrial, but as a tidal strait the possibilities of porpoise and whale sight-
ings are greater than they are on the Hudson. The walk-up season runs select Saturdays from late May to early
October, weather permitting.
HalletsCovewalk-upprogram,
31-05 Vernon Blvd., at 31st Ave., Astoria, Queens.
718/228-9214.
www.licboathouse.org
. Check the calendar
for trip schedules. Subway: N/Q to Broadway.
