Where do I go from here?
August 26, 2022 1:24 PM   Subscribe

I am planning on bicycling around Manhattan Island on Sunday. According to this the NE corner of Manhattan is pretty much inaccessible. I know I can ride through most of Inwood Park. Is there an alternative route that would get me to Harlem River Drive without going through the middle of Inwood/Dyckman St.? Also, are there other current detours off the bike trails that I should be aware of?
posted by Xurando to Travel & Transportation around New York, NY (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 


Not sure why your original link wasn't working, I'm trying again here - it is the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway Bike Map in case it doesn't work for me either.

Are you saying you're trying to avoid Inwood Park altogether, or just avoid Dyckman street?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:48 PM on August 26, 2022


I can probably answer all your questions, but you haven't said where you're coming from. How are you getting to Inwood?

What do you mean by "the middle of Inwood/Dyckman St" and what do you think is the problem there? You can easily ride down Dyckman from Broadway to Harlem River Drive. Just take it slow and be careful.

10th Ave is mostly unrideable up there.

Broadway > 207th > Vermilya > Dyckman > Harlem River Drive is a pretty decent route.

Again, I don't know where you're coming from so I can't give you a more detailed answer. Feel free to MeMail me.

(The link in your post purportedly explains the problem, but the link doesn't work.)
posted by JimN2TAW at 2:08 PM on August 26, 2022


Response by poster: Here is a fixed link. I am riding clockwise from Battery Park up the West Side Trail and will return to Battery Park. My plan is to ride through Inwood Park. I want to stay off the streets and on trails as much as possible.
posted by Xurando at 2:30 PM on August 26, 2022


Best answer: OK, so I guess you're coming north on the west side greenway (the heavy green line on your map). I'll refer to the landmarks on your map. Continue north from the heavy green line past Inwood Canoe Club, and follow the zigzag green line, which is a zigzag ramp down from the greenway to Dyckman. Feel free to use the restrooms at that point. Jog left and then right into Inwood Hill Park on the green line past "Dyckman Fields".

The white blob shaped like a baseball bat by "Overlook Meadow" is a pedestrian bridge. You'll climb the stairs on the west side of the bridge, and cross over the RR tracks. The stairs down on the east side are easier. Turn left on the park paths. Stay left and follow the paths around clockwise. For reference, you'll be riding around the TBTA Building, and passing under the West Side Hwy (9A). You'll see my apartment from there.

Continuing to stay left, you'll exit the park by the Inwood Farm restaurant. It's good, if you're looking for a lunch stop.

Alternatively, the map indicates you can exit the park near the Inwood Hill Baseball Park. There are actually several exits from the park. If you're lost, you can always ask someone "Where's Seaman Ave?"

No matter how you get to Seaman Ave, follow the blue line southbound on Seaman Ave. After about Academy St, the pavement on Seaman is terrible, but it's the go-to route.

Then, as indicated on your map, turn left on Dyckman near Tread Bike Shop. You may run into a pedestrian area, but you can walk through it. Ride carefully eastbound on Dyckman, using the bike lanes when available, and join up with the heavy green line along the Harlem River Drive.

I hope that helps.
posted by JimN2TAW at 3:16 PM on August 26, 2022 [5 favorites]


I also live in the neighborhood, and I endorse JimN2TAW’s take. You can’t really avoid being on bad streets for biking, but it’s a short distance from Inwood Hill Park to the entrance to the East Side path.
posted by LizardBreath at 3:29 PM on August 26, 2022


I never managed to get from the south end of the east side bike path to where you're starting from without going through streets if you're planning to complete a full circle.
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:29 PM on August 26, 2022


Best answer: JimN2TAW's route is definitely a good choice, and yeah, the pavement on Seaman was terrible last time I did the full Manhattan loop. My wife and I have ended up going through Inwood Park, following the more outer bike paths as much as possible. When we exited at Inwood Farm restaurant, we took 218th street to 10th avenue, down to Harlem River drive. It wasn't the prettiest or most relaxing route, but it is doable and not that long. The split with Nagle Avenue was a pain, if I remember right, and be careful when you switch over to Harlem River Drive.

Farther south, once you reach 155th street, the official path sticks to the center of the city, and basically avoids Harlem until 125th street. When we both walked the entire perimeter and biked it, we tried to stick closer to the edge of the island. If you want to do it, either figure it out carefully before hand (there are a lot of dead ends and partial paths along the river) or trust your instincts about the neighborhoods as you approach them. Some areas can be pretty devoid of people and sketchy. If you are there in the evening can be interesting, to say the least.

Have fun!
posted by rambling wanderlust at 7:34 AM on August 27, 2022


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