Bike New York, to be held on Sunday, May 3, 2020, is a ride event that will take cyclists around the five boroughs(boro) of New York State: Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. This is why it is called the “Five Boro Bike Tour” in the U.S. mainland.
Although little known to the Japanese, the event is of a very large scale with more than 30,000 participants from all over the world. The course is 40 miles (about 64 km). The course is closed to traffic, allowing visitors to drive at a leisurely pace.
This article introduces the highlights of the course, which is full of attractions that New York City has to offer.
*This article is a reprint of a February 2020 article.
For a bird’s eye view of the course, watch the video!
The trip begins in the Soho area (south of Houston Street), where more than 30,000 bicycles fill the streets, a spectacular sight!
Breakfast service for VIP entry participants. You can enjoy coffee, muffins, and other New York-style breakfast items.
Finally, the race is about to begin!
You will start running from the gate located at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Canal Street.
The fashionable 6th Avenue, lined with brick buildings, is usually busy with cabs and cars. Only today, the atmosphere is relaxed and emission-free.
Midtown buildings are in the background. The clock tower in the foreground is the Jefferson Market Library.
As skyscrapers rise on both sides of the street, you finally begin to feel that you are in the heart of Manhattan. One block ahead is West 34th Street, which intersects with Broadway. It is the location of Macy’s, the department store where one of the world’s most famous Christmas movies, “Miracle on 34th Street,” is set.
Incidentally, if you turn right at this intersection, you will see the Empire State Building, one of the most famous skyscrapers in New York City, looming right in front of you. The 102-story building, completed in 1931, has been featured in such famous films as “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “King Kong,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “Independence Day.
Continue for another 15 blocks and Radio City Music Hall is on the right. Built in 1932 by oil tycoon Rockefeller, the theater is still used for concerts by famous artists and the Tony Awards ceremony.
The graceful art deco style architecture and red neon sign are photogenic!
As you approach the intersection of West 55th Street and 6th Avenue, you will see the “LOVE” monument on our right.
American pop artist Robert Indiana’s sculpture “Love Sculpture” is a classic New York City photo spot.
Soon, the atmosphere changes dramatically as you turn off 6th Avenue into the verdant Central Park. The largest park in the middle of a major city is a popular running and walking course. Cross the park by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.
Leaving the Park and heading north, you will soon be in Harlem. Head east on West 135th Street, cross the 3rd Avenue Bridge and Madison Avenue Bridge, and climb the Harlem River to the Queensboro Bridge, which connects Manhattan and Queens.
The bridge, used in “Home Alone 2” and “The Dark Knight,” was built in 1909. Riders are greeted by the delicate shadows cast by the mesh-like structure.
Once you get off the bridge, you are in Queensland. Go around Silvercup Studios, a drama and movie studio, to Brooklyn.
From the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, with its impressive brickwork, head south along the East River to the highway.
Finish across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which crosses from the highway overlooking Brooklyn to Staten Island!
At the finish area, Battery Park, relax on the grass while listening to a band.
A catered lunch will be available in the area for VIP entry participants.
*Bonus
Many riders cycle further into the northern area of Staten Island to catch the ferry back to Manhattan Island. The Statue of Liberty seen from the ship and the Manhattan skyscrapers round out the day’s ride in New York City.
How was the Bike New York course?
Although still unfamiliar to the Japanese, there is no other fun-ride event of this scale or concentrated course in the world.
The day is a special annual occasion for New York City itself, which attracts the world’s attention as “Bicycle City”.
In just one day, visitors can experience firsthand the many facets of New York City, from the global center of business and tourism to the increasingly popular fashionable neighborhoods. The 2020 Bike New York will be held on Sunday, May 3.
Click here for route map.
*Courses are available for 2019. Courses are subject to change.
*Images used for introduction in this article and video are taken from past years’ events.
