NY cycling

[echappist]

Originally Posted by fuzzalow

Really? HAHa! Murray Hill still costs Manhattan so does that mean these boys are sharing a 1BR piled in 6 deep? Um, bromance innuendoes aside, that didn't sound quite right.

Well, there was a recent nyt story on four people splitting a 1-br, $40000 apartment. So you arent too far off.

[sashae]

I previously lived on the UWS and bailed to Northern Westchester after getting sick of fighting schooling and realizing i was driving out to the area on weekends regardless for riding. UWS is super accsssible for getting out over the GWB or (my preference) over the Broadway bridge into Westchester, where endless fab riding lies. Best of luck with the move either way...

...adampaiva just roll up for some weekend rides sometime instead of moving

[htwoopup]

commuting/riding in Manhattan is not a problem once you have done it. The situational awareness comes pretty quickly if you don't have it (I know you said you have commuted in DC but NY Ubers are a special breed of crazy).

The biggest issue is the shower/ locker part. Unlike more bike friendly (in number of years they have been bike friendly) cities, there aren't a lot of offices with showers and the gyms/ health clubs here don't get the "shower membership" thing. They want to charge (at least in my experience) like if you are going to work out and take classes and monthly gym cost are way over the top in Manhattan. Do, in order to answer the question you need to do some due diligence on your company and building facilities and all the NYSC, Health and Racquet, Crunch, etc near your office.

[adampaiva]

I have no shower facilities at work and my nearest gym is about 20 streets or 7 avenues away and I have never really felt like I would use that even if I did. Would just add another 20+ minutes to my routine and I'm already bad at not being late every single morning. Pretty easy for me to just cycle in 8 miles in work appropriate pants and a t shirt, throw on a button down when I get there're if it's summer, otherwise I just cycle in pants and a button up shirt and just cycle chill enough for that I don't work up too much of a sweat.

But I can bring my bike in and would be pretty sore about it if I didn't have that. Would not want to park a niceish commuter outside every day. But some people do. Today saw a beautiful Johnny Coast rando locked up on 49th St.

Anyways, cycle commuting in nyc is very doable and enjoyable and I think anyone into bikes enough to be on this forum will handle it just fine.

[adampaiva]

And sashae yea lets do some rides this year. I get up there often enough, we just need to plan it.

[thegunner]

Originally Posted by flydhest

Is there anyone on the forum who regularly commutes by bike in Manhattan? I do not yet have a sense of facilities at the new office, but was curious about people's experiences. I am an almost 20-year bike commuter through downtown D.C., but I have only ridden a bike in Manhattan on weekends on a Citibike doing touristy things. No real sense for what a commute would be like.

i do, but i also cheat because my office has a few dedicated bike rooms. for the most part, if you avoid the stupid hours it's pretty cathartic.

[jeffcon0]

I spent most of my adult life/the last 15 years in NYC before finally beating it up to VT a bit over a year ago. Cycling in NYC isn't bad at all, just different. There's a certain joy to grabbing your cheap single speed and bombing around the city. It's obviously much harder to gear up in your full cycling regalia and head out for a long scenic ride but its very easy to integrate cycling into your daily life whether that means commuting, running errands, doing loops in the park, or riding on the multiple greenways. I found it to be quite a social activity and easy to find a little clique of cyclists to ride with.

The constantly changing scenery and neighborhoods make riding there eminently interesting and there's no better way to explore the city than to hop on your bike and go. Riding empty country roads where I am now is a beautiful experience but there's still a special something about riding in NYC that I'm sure OP will discover.

Oh...and also throwing my hat in on the UWS recommendation. If I could live anywhere in the city it'd be Riverside Dr across from the park. Beautiful there and a very family friendly area.

[54ny77]

I generally felt safer riding in NYC when I lived there than I do on PCH in SoCal.

Seriously.

[dumbod]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

I generally felt safer riding in NYC when I lived there than I do on PCH in SoCal.

Seriously.

I ride 1,000s of miles in the city every year and the only accident that I've had was entirely my fault. You can ride safely as long as you remember that you are invisible to both drivers and pedestrians and ride accordingly.

[flydhest]

Start spreading the news ...

Things are looking more and more likely that we will make the move. Going to head up next weekend with the fam to check out the feel of some neighborhoods. No doubt, I will have many question for this esteemed group, so many thanks for the info so far and thanks in advance for future help.

[timnem70]

Originally Posted by dumbod

I ride 1,000s of miles in the city every year and the only accident that I've had was entirely my fault. You can ride safely as long as you remember that you are invisible to both drivers and pedestrians and ride accordingly.

The only problem I've ever had is that cycling, other than use for commuting, should be about enjoyment, beauty of the outdoors and that feeli.g you get when your body is at peak that day and all is well with the world. I find that watching out for my life riding in the city the size of NYC detracts from all of those. I won't matter though. New York city is the greatest on Earth, just be careful and have fun.

Galaxy S7 Edge

[fuzzalow]

Yes! Way to go. Big moves...big goals... are achieved one step at a time...maintain course and speed.

NYC now possesses some of the finest neighborhoods and it is very true the vibe & vibrancy is uniquely different across neighborhoods. IMO deciding which is purely a right-brain decision. And the quality of life is fairly consistent because all of prime Manhattan exhibits the same underlying cost structures. Which is great from a "living inside the bubble" perspective but not so desirable from a plurality & socioeconomic diversity perspective, at least in theory. But NYC has the advantage of drawing all forms of diversity into its epicenter even if the cost of residency drives a certain homogeneity via its economics.

The good thing is that in throughout all of prime areas in Manhattan, you cannot go wrong because almost everywhere is walkable.

Also, I love cycling, and love is a word I use very sparingly. But I knew that living here would not diminish the ardor but certainly change the form of how cycling weaves through the fabric of my life. I don't chase saddle time on the bike, I'd rather live my life in a city that could never be relegated even by a sport I have done for a lifetime. I'm slower than you and I'm OK with that.

[timnem70]

Originally Posted by fuzzalow

Yes! Way to go. Big moves...big goals... are achieved one step at a time...maintain course and speed.

NYC now possesses some of the finest neighborhoods and it is very true the vibe & vibrancy is uniquely different across neighborhoods. IMO deciding which is purely a right-brain decision. And the quality of life is fairly consistent because all of prime Manhattan exhibits the same underlying cost structures. Which is great from a "living inside the bubble" perspective but not so desirable from a plurality & socioeconomic diversity perspective, at least in theory. But NYC has the advantage of drawing all forms of diversity into its epicenter even if the cost of residency drives a certain homogeneity via its economics.

The good thing is that in throughout all of prime areas in Manhattan, you cannot go wrong because almost everywhere is walkable.

Also, I love cycling, and love is a word I use very sparingly. But I knew that living here would not diminish the ardor but certainly change the form of how cycling weaves through the fabric of my life. I don't chase saddle time on the bike, I'd rather live my life in a city that could never be relegated even by a sport I have done for a lifetime. I'm slower than you and I'm OK with that.

Beautiful.

Galaxy S7 Edge

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by timnem70

The only problem I've ever had is that cycling, other than use for commuting, should be about enjoyment, beauty of the outdoors and that feeli.g you get when your body is at peak that day and all is well with the world. I find that watching out for my life riding in the city the size of NYC detracts from all of those. I won't matter though. New York city is the greatest on Earth, just be careful and have fun.

Galaxy S7 Edge

its true but sometimes there is nothing like ridding through the city. Its a different kind of beauty and its amazing.

[velofinds]

I spend part of the summer in Colorado, and while the riding out there is amazing, I do end up missing - much like I miss the city itself - the rhythm and vibrancy of riding in the city.