On August 8th, 15th, and the 22nd was the 2nd Annual Summer Streets, where Park Avenue from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street (including a road to Central Park) was closed to traffic and opened to bikers, walkers, skaters, joggers, rollerbladers…anyone not in a motorized vehicle!
I was always nervous about riding my bike over the bridge and into crazy traffic in Manhattan, so I was excited for a chance where I didn’t have to worry about maneuvering through traffic. I was even happier when I found out that Transportation Alternatives was leading rides to guide people to Summer Streets, from Queens, the Bronx, Inwood in Manhattan, and at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. So, at 8:30am I rode my bike on August 8th and the 15th to Grand Army Plaza, by Prospect Park, only a 15 minute bike ride from my apartment. I was going to try to go today, the last day, but I guess I needed sleep, because I overslept. It looked like rain anyways (which I found out canceled the group ride this morning), so I was happy I stayed in bed!
On August 8th, I got to Grand Army Plaza around 8:30am to start the ride. About 15-20 people met for the group ride, including a videographer from Streetfilms. I was very impressed with her, as she was bike riding and videoing with a decent size and fancy looking camera, with no problem at all. Footage taken by Streetfilms can be seen here.
It was a great day for the ride- not cold, but not too hot. The ride over the bridge…I had walked over it before, but it was a different experience riding over it. Looking around, I saw so many things I wanted to take photos of…I had my camera with me, but wasn’t able to pull over on the bridge to take it out (though I had it around my neck on the way back over the bridge).
When we got over the bridge, the group ride ended and would meet up again at 12pm for the ride back. I met 2 people from the group and we rode up to 72nd street, stopped for food along the way, even venturing over to streets that were not car free, and then rode back to the meeting place. Though we missed the group ride back, fortunately one of the people I met rides from Brooklyn to Manhattan all the time. This time over the bridge I had my camera over my neck so I was able to take photos, though they were not well composed as I was trying to keep my bike straight, so I was basically holding my camera up and just pushing the button. After my first ride, I wanted to make a camera mount for my bike for the 2nd ride. I found instructions how to online, but I did not have time to put it together, though I will figure it out one of these days.
I met the group at Grand Army Plaza again on August 15th, though it turned out to be a much hotter day. Riding over to Manhattan I rode a little slower, passing some of the tents set up. I stopped for some free coffee and then met up with the woman who I met during the first ride. I rode with her, her sister, and her boyfriend to 72nd Street, but this time we rode into Central Park and rode the loop once.
It was a bit harder and longer than the one in Prospect Park, but was a beautiful ride through the park. We rode back to the meeting place at 244 Lafayette, between Spring and Prince Street by the Bicycle Habitat store. On the way back over the bridge, I had my camera over my neck again, but this time it was twice as hot. Once reaching Prospect Park, I was very happy to be back in Park Slope, because I was very tired and a bit sweaty!
Check out more of my photos in my NYC Summer Streets 2009 set on Flickr.
