| Back to the main page for this ride
Parking tips: NYC/Central Park
The meeting place is on the park loop road behind Tavern On the Green, on the west side of the park at 67th St. There is an entrance to the park there, but given that the park is only three miles long, it's easy to get there from any park entrance. Note that we do NOT meet on Central Park West... we meet inside the park itself, BEHIND the restaurant.
It's assumed you can find your way to central Manhattan, and that you'll be driving (you can carry bikes on the subway... use the N or R to 5 Avenue, 6 to 68 Street or 77 Street, B or Q to Lexington Avenue, 1 or 9 to 72 Street). You can carry bikes on commuter trains only if you have a permit. Metro-North passes are available at Grand Central Terminal, Window 27, for $5. For details, call 212 532 4900. For information on Long Island Railroad permits, call 718 990 8228. For PATH permit information call 800 234 7284. For NJ Transit permit information, call 973 491 9400.
Hauling a recumbent into the city on the train is a bit impractical, though... the logistics involved in taking a train into the city, then getting from the train station to the park mean that you'd have to leave VERY VERY early to get there for a ride if it starts before noon. Driving is easier.
Once in Manhattan, your choices are to park on the street or in a garage/lot. There is no parking in Central Park itself. The bad news is that lots and garages are very expensive. The good news is that street parking on the weekends is pretty easy to find early in the day, especially on Sundays when the laws are more relaxed. If you arrive at noon expect to have a lot more trouble finding parking. Be sure to check the street signs carefully.
The closer you are to Central Park itself, the harder it will be to find a place; this is because there are several thousand people who have come to the park for the same reason you're there. In general, parking on the upper West side (north end of the park, towards the Hudson) seems easiest to find, according to the locals. Laurel Douglas, who lives over near the river on the upper West side, says that she's never had to cruise for longer than 5 or 10 minutes to find a spot.
Unless you're lucky enough to find a spot on one of the streets that borders the park (forget it unless you get there pretty early in the morning), you'll have to get yourself and your bike over to the park. This is not a really big deal, but it's certainly not like the country. Lots of traffic... stay alert, and if you're on a low bike use extra caution.
|
