Low Impact Bicycle Rides in the New York / Long Island / Hudson Valley Region

QUEENS BIKEWAYS

1. Cross Island / Joe Michaels Bikeway

Douglaston to Bayside, Queens

LAST RIDE: Summer 2004 (but I drive by it all the time!)

This is one of those paths that many people think about riding, but never seem to find the time to.  After whizzing by hundreds of times on my way to the Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge, I finally decided to check it out a few years ago.  At first, I wasn't overly impressed.  It was noisy and smelly (from parkway traffic) and wasn't really long enough (~2 miles) to be worth more than a 10-15 minute drive.  Then, as I continued to explore, I discovered new and cool things about it each time; a well-kept park just off the path, a great snack bar on the pier, and even an old military fort just adjacent to the parking lot.  Details of these attractions are listed below.  As I've ridden this path a few times, I've learned to tune out the traffic noise and the pollution and have developed more of an appreciation for the sites and vibe the path provides.  

From the LIE or Northern State Parkway, take the Cross Island Parkway NORTH to Exit 32 (Bell Blvd.) This is the last exit before the Throgs Neck Bridge. At the end of the exit ramp, make a right onto Fort Totten Road and a quick left into the public parking lot.  This was the starting point of the path until it was extended further north in 1999.  Now, you have to decide whether to ride north or south!  I say, start by heading south and do the short northern extension later on.  You should easily be able to find the southbound trail from here. Just follow the people.

Although I don't have an official mileage count, my best guesstimate is that the entire trail, from the end of the new extension beneath the Throgs Neck Bridge to Northern Blvd., is approximately 3.5 miles.  NOTE 1: There is a trail entrance off Northern Blvd., just across from the Alley Pond Environmental Center, but no parking is provided at this end.  NOTE 2:  On your way back from Northern Blvd., I'd suggest walking your bike up the pedestrian overpass that leads to Crocheron Park. The well-kept, very peaceful grounds here make for a pleasant "side trip." When you get back to the parking lot later on, you may want to take the northern extension of the path under the Throgs Neck Bridge to the end.  Or maybe you won't.  NOTE 3:  Another good place to stop, in season (May through October), is the Bayside Marina, which has a great snack bar, rest rooms, fishing pier, and seating area at the end of a long dock that extends out into Little Neck Bay.  This is an excellent place to get a cold drink. NOTE 4: Adjacent to the parking lot off the Bell Blvd. exit is the old Fort Totten, a recently decommissioned military facility with a rich history dating back to the Civil War era, when it housed massive cannons to deter invasions of New York Harbor.  Ironically, part of the fort was designed for the Union Army by then Captain Robert E. Lee, who later fought against the Union as a Confederate general. The fort is now under the care of the NYC Parks Department and houses a museum I hear is really worth checking out.  Word has it that bicycles are welcomed here, too.  

An interesting story about Fort Totten:  In the late 19th and early 20th Century, any ship entering New York Harbor had to first stop at City Island in the Bronx to pick up an escort who would guide the ship past Fort Totten and Fort Schuyler, just across Little Neck Bay, in the Bronx.  In 1917, a freighter steamed into the Bay and failed to halt at City Island to take on the escort. Artillerymen were alerted and the gunners at Ft. Totten fired a warning shot across the bow. The shell ricocheted off the water and hit Fort Schuyler, where it exploded. The damaged wall can still be seen at Fort Schuyler!

2. Flushing Meadow /

Corona Park

Including the 1939/1964 World's Fair Grounds, Meadow Lake, 
CitiField, The Flushing Bay Promenade, Arthur Ashe Stadium & LaGuardia Airport

LAST RIDE: June, 2009

Baby Boomers who grew up in New York should especially enjoy this very simple roll around the beautifully-refurbished grounds of the 1964 World's Fair and its peripheral attractions.

The story of the 1939 and 1964 fairs, both held at this location, is one that is documented comprehensively on other websites.  Before setting out on this ride, I would suggest taking a moment to do some research to prepare yourself for the things you will see.  If you were fortunate enough to be at either of the fairs, you might even remember many of the sites firsthand.

Essentially, Flushing Meadow/Corona Park is the result of a deal in which Robert Moses (legendary architect of the New York roadscape and park system) converted the "Valley of Ashes," made famous in The Great Gatsby, into a lively, yet peaceful retreat in the middle of Queens.  Although most of the grand pavilions of the fairs were torn down the day the last fair ended, enough remains to remind us of the spectacular magnitude of these events.  The 12-story stainless steel unisphere (made famous in several movies and TV commercials), the NY State Pavilion's Tent of Tomorrow & Observation Towers (now Theatre in the Park), the Top of the Fair (now Terrace On The Park, where the Beatles' helicopter landed prior to their 1965 Shea Stadium concert) the New York City Pavilion (where the United Nations met in 1947 to vote on the creation of the state of Israel) and scores of other buildings, statues, and landmarks make this a ride full of photo ops and nostalgic moments.  As you pedal along, keep in mind that the pavement beneath you was once trod upon by the likes of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, the King & Queen of England, and scores of other historical figures.

There's really no way to establish a starting and ending point for this ride.  However, it is worthwhile to make sure you see all there is to see.  Be aware that there are several overpasses that will bring you to various attractions in the park.  When in doubt, take a chance and explore.  If you park at the Ice Skating Ring, which you can reach from the Grand Central Parkway by following signs, you will be right in the middle of it all.  Adjacent to the rink parking lot is the NY City Pavilion, which now houses the Queens Museum and an awesome panorama of New York City.  Outside, you'll see a plaque dedicated to two police officers who died in July 1940 diffusing a bomb at the British Pavilion, a reminder that the original fair opened on the eve of WWII.

Take an overpass to the area where you'll get a close-up look at the NY State Pavilion, now operating as Theatre In The Park.  Don't miss the Hall of Science and the space ship replicas that wowwed fair attendees at the peak of the 1960s Space Race.  For the kids, there's a petting zoo and various playgrounds.  Then there's the Terrace On The Park, which served as the Port Authority Building during the 1964-65 fair and had a helicopter pad on the roof for shuttling in presidents, ambassadors, and other dignitaries from around the world.

Another overpass will take you to Meadow Lake, the sight of various water shows during the fair.  This was also New York City's ace-in-the-hole for capturing the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, or at least we thought.  The lake got a face lift prior to an Olympic Committee inspection in 2004.  NY City lost the bid, but gained a revamped boathouse and a clean bicycle path that skirts the entire lake.  Don't miss this part of the park.  There's even an outdoor snack bar on the lake in the warm weather months. The photo to the right shows the far end of the lake, with the World's Fair grounds in the background.  It looks like a great distance, but trust me, this is an easy ride.  You can also rent a boat or take a spin around the lake on a funky four-wheeler or trike.  CLICK HERE for info!

Finally, while you're in the area, take a ride down the lightly-trafficked road in front of the ice rink, toward Arthur Ashe and CitiField.  There's a bike path for part of the way, but you'll have to ride on the road for a bit.  There will likely be many other cyclists, so don't worry about being invisible to cars.  When in doubt, follow signs to "Marina & Promenade."

Seeing CitiField and Arthur Ashe by bicycle is pretty cool, quite different than driving by in an automobile.  However, the highlight of this little side-trip will be the Flushing Bay Promenade, which runs along the Flushing Bay just across from CitiField all the way to LaGuardia Airport.  When you reach a traffic circle right in front of CitiField's Parking Lot #8 entrance, make a left and head toward the water.  Be careful crossing the roads here.  From here, the directions to the promenade are self explanatory.  You will see the art-deco bus stop canopies from the 1964 Fair here.  Although the promenade  extends a short distance to the right, make a left here and head toward LaGuardia Airport.

The Flushing Bay Promenade is often empty, as not many people know how to get here from any of the highways in the area.  This was a mistake on the part of the planners, as this could have been a great destination on its own. 

Ride the promenade to its termination at LaGuardia Airport, stopping at the roadside Dunkin' Donuts along the way (if you need coffee, a sugar fix, or a bathroom) then turn around and head back to wherever your car is parked.  This will have been a great day.

3. Motor Parkway Bike Path

Fresh Meadows to Douglaston, Queens  

Until late 1999, this was a broken-up series of paths connected by way of grassy fields and wooded areas.  The surface was mostly dirt until you reached the main strip that leads into Alley Pond Park.  It wasn't a very easy trail to follow, nor was it worth the trouble.  Now that it has been re-routed a bit and paved over, it's better, but it's not one of the best rides on this site. 

William Vanderbilt was an eccentric multi-millionaire who, in the very early 1900s converted a good part of Long Island, from Suffolk County to Queens, into his own private auto raceway.  It's hard to believe, but in those days, they actually had cars that could reach speeds above 90 mph!  Each year, from around 1903 to 1910 (check a Motor Parkway historical site for more accurate details) Vanderbilt hosted a "World Cup" race on this road, a part of which remains here in Queens and was converted into a bikeway in 1938. 

The part that got a makeover in 1999 begins in Fresh Meadows, right beside Public School # 179 and runs about 4.5 to 5 miles to Alley Pond Park in Douglaston.  Of course, the path is much narrower than the original race course and the only remnants of Vanderbilt's original road are a few hundred-year-old guard rails buried in the brush.  But, if you use your imagination, you can almost hear the roar of the engines and the cheers of early 20th century Queens aristocrats as you make your way around the curves and up the hills of this blacktopped stretch.  It must have been awesome!

Anyway, to get here from Nassau or Suffolk County, take the LIE West to Exit 26.  At the light, make a left and another left so you're on the eastbound service road (Horace Harding Parkway).  If you're coming from further west in Queens, I guess you need to use the Utopia Parkway exit and just continue eastbound on the service road.  Just before you reach an overpass, bear right onto Peck Avenue.  Shortly after Public School 179 on your left, you'll see a playground.  Park here and look for the path that goes off into the woods.  It's at the south end of the playground, not far from the sidewalk.   

I'd suggest warming up a bit before you get started, as the trail begins with a pretty decent climb.  From here, just follow the path all the way to Alley Pond Park.  NOTE:  At the baseball fields, bear right and ride parallel to the first base line.  When you reach the tunnel in the outfield, go through it and bear right onto the continuation of the trail.  At a certain point, the trail begins a long, but gradual uphill climb which may turn some riders off.  If you breathe naturally and don't over-exert yourself, you should be able to make it.  Just think about the great coasting you'll be able to do on the way back!  

Alley Pond Park has a few mountain bike trails and other small paths, as well as plenty of room for a picnic, but there isn't much else to do there, so I'd say turn back here.  If you still want to ride, you can cross the park toward Creedmore Psychiatric Hospital (to the right) and take Douglaston Parkway north (big uphill and big downhill) about a mile until you reach the LIE service road.  There, you bear right, pass the Douglaston Shopping Center, and follow Douglaston Parkway across the LIE.  Once you've crossed the LIE, take Douglaston Parkway about 1/2 mile to Northern Boulevard (25A) and make a left.  Go another 1/2 mile and, right at the entrance to the Cross Island Parkway, you'll see a bike path on your right.  This is the beginning of the Joe Michaels trail.  For more info on this trail, click on the "Cross Island Parkway" button to the left. 

HOT LINKS:

Denis Byrne is a Long Island cyclist who has been working tirelessly to rile politicians and planners into converting other remaining sections of the Motor Parkway into a multi-use rail trail.  To see what Denis is up to, visit his Motor Parkway site at http://www.geocities.com/denisbyrne/motorpk.html .

Denis also has a site dedicated to saving the Commack Road  Pedestrian Bridge and a site outlining a plan to build a rail trail along the old Mt. Sinai to Wading River LIRR right-of-way.