Brooklyn

Although we've lived in New York for over 20 years, we've only lived in two boroughs, Manhattan and Brooklyn. 

Although we prefer to live in Manhattan, we love Brookyn too.

I took a bike ride to Red Hook this morning.  It was a beautiful day for a ride. 

Probably the best part of the ride is the Brooklyn Bridge.  It is an amazement to me.  When it was built, it was an engineering feat.  Today, it is simply one of the most fantastic looking structures in the world.

The views on the Brooklyn Bridge were amazing.

The bridge is actually a fun ride.  It starts with a pretty steep uphill ride, then its flat, where the views are best, and then you get a great downhill ride off the bridge.

I took the opportunity to ride into Brookyln Heights where we lived when the girls were babies and Josh wasn't even born.  We lived at 60 Sydney Place.

Seeing that building brought back a lot of memories.

Then I crossed Atlantic Avenue, full of Middle Eastern spice shops, and rode through Cobble Hil.  I love Cobble Hill.  My all time favorite butcher sop is on Court Street in Cobble Hill.  It's called Staubitz Market.

Then I rode down the hill through Carroll Gardens, under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, and into Red Hook.  When we lived in Brooklyn, Red Hook was not a place you wanted to go.  Today it is supposedly getting a lot better.  I didn't see much sign of that, but I have heard that there are going to build a Greenway in Red Hook and that would be very cool.  The views of the Harbor from that Greenway will be amazing.

I turned around and rode back through Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens on Clinton Street.  It was a quiet Sunday morning and there weren't many cars on the streets.  In Brooklyn Heights, I rode along the promenade.  This is one of the nicest urban views in the world.

 

The whole ride only took an hour and a half door to door.

I am going to start exploring Brooklyn by bike.  My next two rides are going to be Prospect Park and Coney Island.

Comments

[om]

now you are making me all nostalgic and stuff. god .... i did not need to see this first thing in the morning. i miss new york

[scott partee]

I've been obsessed with Brooklyn ever since I saw "Saturday Night Fever". ALthough I love Manhattan, to me, Brooklyn is 'real" New York. Even though I've never lived in NYC, I feel a total sense of being at home when I stroll the Avenues of Brooklyn. To me, Brooklyn is the perfect urban scale: dense enough to offer just about everything, yet owning your own row home, brownstone or town house is a total possibility for somebody who earns sub seven figures in a year.

I'm going to NYC for eight days in two weeks, and I'll be suprised if I make it to Manhattan more than once (to meet up and have drinks with friends in the East or West Village, probably). Having only a limited number of days, and family in Park Slope, I'll probably keep it very local and explore my true love as much as possible. And after reading your post, I may try to do so on a bicycle.

[jim]

I really dig these ride journals. Maybe you should start organizing rides. You seem to have a tour guide's knack.

[jackson]

I've been in love with Brooklyn since 'Welcome Back Kotter'. I hope to own a home in Brooklyn someday, most likely Coney Island or Bay Ridge.