www.citybikerblog.com » ny roads

West Point to Cornwall

Leo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:11:18 +0000

We don’t have canyons in the North East. Not even close. But we do have some nice scenic rides. If you can get up there this weekend, it looks like it’s worth a ride through… A little google map after the jump.

For some reason you have to move the map a little to center the route on 218. Cheers!

View Larger Map

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Scooter in the City

Leo — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:58:08 +0000

Or an alternate title could be “My Morning Commute – Scooter version.” I don’t know the guy who made this video but I’m going to keep an eye out for an old white Honda cub because I know this route well (the later parts going into Manhattan anyway – he should have taken the upper level). The beginning is slow – and the production values are O so seventies, so you might want to just let it load and then jump 2/3’s of the way thru…

This is something that you absolutely cannot do on a motorcycle (or even any of the bigger scooters). I’ve tried. The lanes are too small and the trucks too big here. Even though the speed is nothing like the guy on the last YouTube video – I think this guy is his scooter alter ego.

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30 Minute Rides: Good Eats in Queens

Leo — Tue, 08 May 2007 02:56:38 +0000

“If all else fails, we’ll just go tear it up in Queens like we always have…” - Vince (fictional character), Entourage

Every time I mention one of these places (to guys) the response seems to be, “My girlfriend’s been trying to get me there…” or “My wife has been wanting to try that place.” The secret is out, you don’t need to travel the world to sample try all the food, you just need to ride out to Queens. Now from a motorcycle perspective there’s not much to enjoy riding in Queens. There’s lots of traffic (which you can get past by lane splitting) and loads of traffic lights. You might even catch a little of the local biker culture: squids riding up on one wheel with their feet in front of the handlebars…or the leather and tattoo biker guys having a BBQ at the LIC Harley dealership. So why would I want to go there? Freedom. Riding’s about the freedom the move about the city, and two wheels is the fastest way to get around. Scooters are fine in Manhattan, but leave your Vespa at home, they’ll run you over in Queens.

To get to Queens you take the 59th Street Bridge… It’s easier to take the lower level when you’re heading to Queens, but on the way back you MUST take the Upper Level – the view going back into Manhattan by itself is worth the ride out. But pay attention, some of the turns getting to the upper level are pretty tight.

Once you get to Queens, your first stop is Long Island City (LIC)… It’s where the Pepsi sign stands on the East River, and Silver Cup Studios (famous for filming Sex and the City, or the end fight scene of Highlander, depending on your taste…) LIC was the Detroit before Detroit…the industrial center of the US before highways meant you could build factories in the mid-west. If you want to stage a mob hit-scene, or film a gritty urban drama (e.g., the Black Donnelly’s – or some scenes from Spider Man, Raising Helen, etc…), this is the place to be. So here are some hip stops on the (other) island…

“Natural Tofu” 40-06 Queens Boulevard (by 40th Street) in LIC - REVIEW, MAP

This place became well known when MOMA opened up a temporary gallery down the street. The menu is small, the food is cheap, and service is good (the waiters won’t come to you unless you call them, but when you call they get to you pretty quick). Their main dish is a spicy tofu casserole Korean dish called “Soon Dubu.” They also serve Pho and Kalbi (Korean shortribs with rice). For some reason I see a lot of bikers stop there… It could be because it’s so close to Manhattan, with enough decent parking… There’s Muni-Parking for cars on Queens Boulevard and a couple of spots that are too small for cars (there’s one across from Burger King on 41st) where motorcycles can park for free. As always, you can park between cars if there’s enough space – but I wouldn’t recommend hopping up on the sidewalk there unless you go a couple of blocks north on a side street.

The area around Natural Tofu is called “Sunnyside” – it has some good Romanian and Turkish food as well as great Irish pubs, a $4 movie theater, and too many other things to mention here…

Donovan’s, 57-24 Roosevelt Ave., Woodside, (at 58th St.) REVIEW, MAP

If a hamburger is more your speed you can follow the 7-train a little further and try “the best hamburger in NY.” You can get some Shepherd’s Pie and a pint while you’re at it… Donovans is a good ole Irish Pub you can take your family to – it’s not Corporate ala Applebees, this is the real thing. Last I recall it’s cash only.

Sripraphai, 6413 39th Ave, Woodside – REVIEW, MAP

If you want the best French food in the city, you’ll probably stick to Manhattan. But if you want the best Thai food in the city, you need to come out to Queens… Come any day of the week for authentic Thai – any day except Wednesday (when they’re closed). As for parking, I usually park on the side walk near a meter…so far the meter maids have left me alone.
Jackson Diner (Indian Cuisine), 37-47 74th St., Jackson Heights – WEBSITE, REVIEW, MAP

If you welcome globalization for its good curry, the last stop on our Queens eating tour (for now, there’s too much on the island to cover!) is in Jackson Heights. Jackson Diner used to be a neighborhood diner until an Indian cook bought the place and started making authentic dishes…they never changed the name. They used to make the best authentic Indian food in the city! Now that mantle has passed on, but what Jackson Diner still does well is good Indian food to suit a variety of pallets. Indians and non-Indians both make up a large portion of its clientèle’s. Many come for the lunch buffet… Once again, cash only.

Motorcycle parking can be tricky – the metered spots are pretty close together. If you don’t find something right out front, you can find a little safer parking in the residential area around 35th Ave.

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30-Minute Rides: Saw Mill River Parkway

Leo — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:57:00 +0000

A big part of city riding is having the freedom to venture to parts of Queens for great Thai or Romanian, or Brooklyn for Russian… But when the weather’s this good a biker’s mind starts to wander to curvier roads further out of the city. The good news is there are some great rides just 30 minutes from Manhattan with nice views and restaurants perfect for an afternoon out , yet close enough that you can be back in the city to meet your non-biker friends for dinner.

For today’s 30-Minute Ride, I present to you the Saw Mill River Parkway. These are about as curvy as two lane roads get in the NY area (looking at the map some are about as curvy, but the traffic doesn’t move as quickly), reasonably uncongested, but with some tricky on and off ramps to local exits. To get there take the West Side Highway (not a bad ride in itself) aka the Henry Hudson Parkway, to Riverdale and stay on course…in a few miles the Henry Hudson turns into the Saw Mill. There are a couple of Parkway stop lights early on in the Saw Mill, but after that it’s smooth sailing up into Westchester. Be careful at night! The parkway isn’t lit – I’ve seen cars run off the road in the dark. Traffic moves rather briskly as those familiar with its twists and turns like to take advantage of it.

You might want to stop by Sleepy Hollow by taking exit 20 to I-87 North (to the Tappanzee Bridge) and take the last exit before the bridge: hang a left after the exit, and a right at the T (onto Rt9), go one mile or so and you’ll hit Main Street. Park your bike and take a walk around. Main street goes all the way down to the Metro North station by the river and there’s a seafood restaurant all the way at the end…or try some of the other shops nearby. Then get back on I-87 (going “south” this time), pick up the Saw Mill going North and keep riding. Take a look at a map. Read more about the Parkway.

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