Atlantic Highlands to New York City

May 29, 2015

Another early morning. Jerry has been a good influence. Of course, Happy always rises early, but Jerry has more influence on me — or maybe the odds are stronger. Either way, we easily made the 8:40 ferry to New York, New York.

Today's ride to New York

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The NY Waterway Ferry has more and better departure options than Seastreak and is also more convenient (depending, of course, on where you stay). They gladly secured our bikes and gear, and we took front row seats for the 40-minute ride, in part to watch our bikes (a perennial habit) and just for the sightseeing pleasure. I've been to New York many times but have never taken a harbor tour, and this is as close as I will likely ever get!

The NY Waterway Terminal in Belford, NJ.

Our ferry arriving at the terminal. It's a 40-minute ride to Manhattan.

My stowed bike. We were not allowed outside, but we had front-row seats.

New York City skyline with a bicycle motif!

We landed without incident and made our way to the Hudson River Greenway, a biker/hiker trail that runs the length of New York along the Hudson River. Even on a Friday morning, it was being heavily used. Parts are shared use (peds and bikes), but for much of its length, the two modes are separated. Pedestrians beware: crossing this trail, even at crosswalks, is tricky, as the cyclists rarely yield! We tooled along at about 12 mph or so, neither the slowest nor the fastest, and we enjoyed it immensely.

The Hudson River Greenway. I can't say it's this pretty all the way up, but most of it is.

But before heading north, we stopped for some quick pics of the new World Trade Center.

Jerry and I on the Hudson River Greenway near the ferry terminal at World Financial Center.

So we headed north. Our plan was to check into our lodging, clean up and change into real "tourist" clothes, and head out for the afternoon. Our destination: Hostel International New York, located on Amsterdam Avenue at 103rd Street.

HI New York, their flagship facility (per Jerry).

Staying at a hostel is sort of like camping indoors. Plus, you get to meet interesting people. I hadn't stayed in one in years (on a trip through Italy in the 90s), but I was game, especially given how bike-friendly they are.

After cleaning up, we took the No. 1 line south to Chambers Street (we were also smart enough to switch to a No. 2 express) and visited the 9-11 Memorial before heading over to the High Line.

The south pool, which is close to if not the same size as the original tower that collapsed in 2001. The names of the deceased victims are displayed on the panels surrounding the pool.

In my mind, the inverted tower at the bottom of the pool reflects the collapse, and the water flowing to and into it represents the lives that flowed away from us when that happened. There is an identical pool for the north tower. To the east is the new transportation hub nearing completion, a very impressive piece of engineering.

This picture does not do the structure much justice. It's still under construction and will look better when complete.

New York is desperate for open space. It was interesting to see schoolchildren playing along the Hudson River Greenway in areas that in other parts of the country would be considered collateral land takings due to a transportation project (i.e., that vacant land you see in the middle of interchanges). The High Line is a rails-to-trails project that converted an elevated freight rail line, long abandoned, into an urban park and walkway above the noise and fuss of the city.

The High Line near its beginning in Greenwich Village.

As you can see, it is an extremely popular walk. Bikes and other wheeled recreational items are prohibited.

An interesting feature is this viewing stand over 10th Avenue.

The only criticism is the large number of trip hazards one is likely to encounter, so tread carefully.

We walked the entire length of the High Line, a little over two miles. This put us back at 34th Street and near the C line, which is a straight shot back to Hostel International New York. We arrived about 4:30, completed our check-in, and rested a bit before going out for dinner. Tomorrow we head upstate!

Today's ride: 10 miles (16 km)
Total: 2,068 miles (3,328 km)

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