Hoping to avoid the irritation of traveling 3000+ miles and having some know-it-all tell me that I did not really cross the US since I did not start at the Atlantic Ocean, I made a 20 mile trip today to Brighton Beach in Brooklyn. Nicknamed "Little Odessa" as home for a large immigrant community from the old Soviet Union, I might have stood out but for the fact that no one really stands out in New York City.
Distance - 18.8 miles
Vertical Elevation - 400 feet
The presence of bike lanes makes cycling in Brooklyn and Manhattan somewhat easier but often provides a false sense of security. Dedicated bike paths may seem safer by separating bicycles from other vehicles but often suffer from poor design and the presence of meandering pedestrians. Bike lanes that are not separated from traffic are also narrow and situated too closely to parked cars, raising the risk of getting doored. However, for a city of 8 million, New York seems to be fairly bike friendly.
A highlight of any bike ride from Brooklyn into Manhattan is crossing the East River over the Brooklyn Bridge with its great views of the lower Manhattan skyline.
Though lacking the density of the midtown Manhattan skyline, lower Manhattan has its share of impressive buildings, some of which have been built since September 11th. With the completion of the spire at 1 WTC, the highest point in the Manhattan skyline returns downtown. While much of the press coverage has focused on the 12-year delay in resurrecting the WTC site, the construction of 1776 foot Freedom Tower proceeded quickly and impressively from my perspective. Between today's ride and ride through Chicago, my cross-country route will take me past 9 of the 10 largest skyscrapers in the US.
STAGE SUMMARY:
Starting Point - Brighton Beach, NY
Ending Point - Morningside Heights, NYDistance - 18.8 miles
Vertical Elevation - 400 feet
Counties - Kings and New York, NY
