New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [312]
The 3.3-mi circular drive in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is closed to cars year-round except from 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm on weekdays except holidays. It has a long, gradual uphill that tops off near the Grand Army Plaza entrance. (Biking around Manhattan streets next to the dense traffic is best left to messengers and seasoned cyclists.)
Bike Rentals Bicycle Rentals at Loeb Boathouse (Midpark near E. 74th St., Central Park | 10128 | 212/517–2233) | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College). Bicycles NYC (1400 3rd Ave., between E. 79th and E. 80th Sts., Upper East Side | 10128 | 212/794–2929 | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St. | www.bicyclesnyc.com). Pedal Pusher (1306 2nd Ave., at E. 69th St., Upper East Side | 10065 | 212/288–5592 | www.pedalpusherbikeshop.com | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College). Toga Bike Shop (110 West End Ave., at W. 64th St., Upper West Side | 10023 | 212/799–9625 | www.togabikes.com | Subway: 1 to 66th St.).
Group Bike Rides
For organized rides with other cyclists, call or email before you come to New York. Bike New York runs a five-borough bike ride in May. The Five Borough Bicycle Club organizes day and weekend rides. The New York Cycle Club sponsors weekend rides for every level of ability. Time’s Up!, a nonprofit environmental group, leads free recreational rides at least twice a month for cyclists as well as skaters; the Central Park Moonlight Ride, departing from Columbus Circle at 10 pm the first Friday of every month, is a favorite.
Contact Information Bike New York (891 Amsterdam Ave., at W. 103rd St., Upper West Side | 10025 | 212/932–2453 | www.bikenewyork.org). Five Borough Bicycle Club (891 Amsterdam Ave., at W. 103rd St., Upper West Side | 10025 | 347/688–2925 | www.5bbc.org). New York Cycle Club ( Box 4474, Grand Central Station, | 10163 | 212/828–5711 | www.nycc.org).
BOATING AND KAYAKING
Central Park has rowboats (plus one Venetian gondola for glides in the moonlight) on the 22-acre Central Park Lake. Rent your rowboat at Loeb Boathouse, near East 74th Street, from March through October; gondola rides are available only in summer. In summer at the Pier 96 Boathouse in Midtown West, you can take a sturdy kayak out for a paddle for free on weekends and weekday evenings from mid-May through mid-October. Beginners learn to paddle in the calmer embayment area closest to shore until they feel ready to venture farther out into open water. More experienced kayakers can partake in the three-hour trips conducted every weekend and on holiday mornings. Sign-ups for these popular tours end at 8 am. Because of high demand, names are entered into a lottery to see who gets to go out each morning. No reservations are taken in advance. Manhattan Kayak Company runs trips (these are not free) and gives lessons for all levels.
Contact Information Loeb Boathouse (Midpark near E. 74th St., Central Park | 10128 | 212/517–2233 | www.thecentralparkboathouse.com) | Subway: 6 to 68th St./Hunter College). Manhattan Kayak Company (The Boathouse, Pier 66, W. 26th St. at 12th Ave., Chelsea | 10001 | 212/924–1788 | www.manhattankayak.com | Subway: C, E to 23rd St.). Pier 96 Boathouse (56th St. at the Hudson River, Midtown West | www.downtownboathouse.org | Subway: 1, A, C, E to 59th St.).
FOOTBALL
The football season runs from September through December. The enormously popular New York Giants play at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Most seats for Giants games are sold on a season-ticket basis—and there’s a long waiting list for those. However, single tickets are occasionally available at the stadium box office. The New York Jets also play at New Meadowlands Stadium. Although Jets tickets are not as scarce