After cycling through Central Park and becoming impromptu New Yorkers, we had our next plan ready.
We decided to go shopping in SOHO by bike.
When traveling in an unfamiliar city, you often rely on the subway, buses, or Uber. However, this makes it difficult to take detours or get a good sense of the city as a whole. That’s why we decided to explore Manhattan by bike this time. I brought my Brompton from Japan, and my friends decided to rent Citi Bikes, a bike-sharing system with stations all over the city.
That aside, there was something we had to do as impromptu New Yorkers: Have bagels for breakfast. It has nothing to do with bicycles, haha.
New Yorkers and bagels go hand in hand, right? This is a rite of passage we had to follow. I woke up early and walked to a popular bagel shop near my hotel, “Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company.” I had the “BKBAGEL CLASSIC,” which had salmon and cream cheese inside. The bagel was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with plenty of salmon and cheese. It was incredibly delicious. It cost $15.95. Yikes. That’s easily over 2000 yen with the weak yen and U.S. inflation hitting me hard. Everything in New York is expensive. But it was so delicious that it was worth it.
The meeting time was 10 a.m. First, we aimed for New York’s most famous bookstore, “Strand Bookstore.”
Shortly after we set off, we had an unexpected encounter. It happened when we passed by the Chelsea Flea Market. A T-shirt with Warhol’s electric chair print caught my eye. I hurriedly stopped my bike and asked the seller for the price—it was $20. The T-shirt was in great condition, made by Calvin Klein, with thick fabric that would probably cost at least 10,000 yen if bought new. I decided to buy it on the spot. This is exactly the kind of experience that makes bike trips so great.
Manhattan is really easy to bike around. The bike paths are well-maintained, and bicycles have fully gained acceptance on the roads. The city is surprisingly compact; you can reach most places within a 30-minute ride. From Chelsea, where our hotel is located, to our first destination, Strand Bookstore in Greenwich Village, is just 1.5 kilometers, a mere five-minute ride by bike. Plus, there are no hills—just flat roads all the way. It’s easy to see why bicycle culture has thrived in this often congested city.
This area has a lot of interesting street-level shops. “Strand Bookstore” is probably one of the most famous bookstores in the world. It sells both new and used books, and its original totes, pouches, and sweatshirts are extremely popular.
Next, we headed to “Greenwich Letterpress,” a favorite among New York women. Originally, as the name suggests, it specialized in letterpress greeting cards, but now it’s filled with an array of intriguing goods.
For lunch that day, I met up with NHK senior colleague Miyamoto-san, who lives in New York. He had made a reservation at a cozy Italian restaurant in the East Village. While searching for the restaurant, we stumbled upon a Brompton shop! I couldn’t resist going in. The staff smiled when they saw my bike.
“Your Brompton is a P-LINE, right? Lovely color.”
“I came from Japan to participate in tomorrow’s Bike New York event.”
“Oh, really! We also have a booth for Brompton there. Come by and visit us!”
They welcomed me as if we were old friends. Brompton not only has shops all over the world but also a community of enthusiasts. While cycling through New York, I was approached several times. Brompton, innovative enough to be engraved in cycling history, continues to be cherished globally, connecting users. It’s a unique bicycle like no other.
The Italian restaurant “Contenna,” which Miyamoto-san took us to, was a cozy place bustling with locals. We shared a variety of appetizers, pasta dishes, and several meat dishes. Everything was delicious.
After lunch, we continued south to visit a place I had long wanted to see. It was the 9/11 Memorial Pools, created after Ground Zero. Tower South Pool and North Pool were built on the respective sites of the World Trade Center where the two buildings stood side by side. The names of the victims are engraved along the edges of the pools, which are quite large.
I still vividly remember the images of that day. It felt surreal that something like a scene from a spy movie could be real. Many people who had been going about their normal day lost their lives here. Conflict continues unabated in the world today. How can humanity stop these disputes?
As I stood before the pools, reflecting and paying my respects, these thoughts weighed heavily on my mind.
Finally, we visited SOHO. It’s a district bustling with cutting-edge shops and galleries. We had a specific store in mind: Harney & Sons, a premium tea brand from New York. It’s the flagship store of this tea specialty shop, which also has branches in Japan. We bought flavored teas and butter bread as souvenirs.
I returned the Citi Bike and wandered around SOHO. Inside a gallery, I found art pieces that everyone seemed to know—original works by Picasso and Dali were on display. I was curious about the prices, but everything that caught my eye was already sold. There were also sketches by Bob Dylan, priced around $3000. I thought I might want an original, but it turned out to be a print. Well, you can’t buy an original at that price.
“Are you from Japan?”
One of the staff members approached me in Japanese. It turns out he had been studying abroad in Kanagawa Prefecture until recently. He spoke Japanese fluently. My daughter and Karen-chan hit it off and had a lively conversation.
In a miscellaneous goods store we happened to find, I discovered very comfortable-looking slippers. They seemed perfect for wearing around the house, and they didn’t seem to be sold in Japan. Unfortunately, they didn’t have my size, so I couldn’t buy them for myself, but I bought a pair as a souvenir for my wife.
We left the hotel at 10 AM and ended up exploring downtown New York on a bike tour until around 4 PM. Simply put, it was amazing. It was filled with an intriguing charm that you can’t experience by touring tourist spots in buses or taxis.
Exploring an unfamiliar city by bike makes you love that city even more.
Nowadays, shared bikes are available in major cities around the world. Why not try a bike tour and challenge yourself? You might encounter the fascinating aspects of traveling on the road.
And now, the next time, it’s the main event: Bike New York. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Falling in Love with New York.
🚴♂️Today’s course🚴♂️
Text & Photo＿Daisaku Kawase
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Profile
Daisaku Kawase
He is a Free Producer, the Representative of Days Co., Ltd, Global Ride Communication Director.
Born in Aichi Prefecture. With 16 years of road cycling experience, he loves scenic rides. He squeezes in rides between work and travels all over Japan with his bike. His beloved bike is a Trek. After working as a producer on programs like “Ariyoshi no Okane Hakken Totsugeki! Kaneo-kun,” “Oyasumi Japan Nemuiine,” and “Asaichi” at NHK, he became independent in 2022. In addition to producing programs, he also handles project production for government and corporate clients.
Post Date：2024.07.29
