Biking in NYC: Brooklyn Bridge, John Lennon’s Memorial, Authentic Irish Pub

The Brooklyn Bridge (Chris Zadorozny / MJ)

BY CHRIS ZADOROZNY,
Sports Editor
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After a wonderful first “day” in New York, our first full day consisted of renting bikes and riding around the city. We thought this would be the best way to not only see the city, but the waterfront too. We started our trek to the South Street Seaport, where we rented bikes from Blazing Saddles, one of a few in the city.

We wanted to bike the Brooklyn Bridge and back, but after going halfway up, we decided, it was way too much for us, so we turned around and went back to the city. As my dad, Mark, led the way, we got turned around and kept going the wrong way. I’m sure it happens to a lot of people, but it was definitely frustrating. We finally made it to Battery Park and had our first family picture with the Statue of Liberty in the background. We took that around to the west side of Manhattan and biked all the way up to Central Park, on the greenway.

It was a long ride and we were already tired, but determined to get something to eat in Central Park. We entered in through W 76th St., immediately trying to find somewhere to eat. Eventually, after some questions to guides in the park, we ended up at The Boathouse. Tired, beaten, and worn out, we didn’t care if it was air conditioned or outside. Because of the one-hour wait for a table, we chose to eat outside. It was cafeteria style, and I ended up ordering a cheeseburger, fries and a water. While waiting for our food, I ended up getting stung by a bee at our table, and it hurt a bit, but other than some slight pain for a few hours, it wasn’t really that bad.

John Lennon's memorial in Strawberry Fields in Central Park (Chris Zadorozny / MJ)

After our lunch, we wanted to see the Balto statue in Central Park. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn and ended up taking the long way around the park. The route was very hilly and we were just so tired, so we ducked out and took the sidewalk and streets to get to Strawberry Fields. In case you didn’t know, Strawberry Fields is a small park inside Central Park, near where John Lennon was shot and killed outside of his home in The Dakota. It was a small tribute, a circle mosaic that says “Imagine” in the middle of Strawberry Fields.

Even more tired and worn out, we decided to let our bikes go in a closer spot than the South Street Seaport. We ended up letting our bikes go at Pier 78, just south of the USS Intrepid. It was decided that we take the subway to get back to our hotel to rest. The first time in the NYC subway, we were a little flustered, but eventually got to our train. The first train we took was pretty empty. It didn’t stay that way when we switched lines, from the Blue to the Orange and ended up getting packed inside a train car for two stops.

Luckily, it went pretty quick and we got back to our hotel in Chinatown. I ended up purchasing some fruit from a local stand, that looked like peaches. It was a great deal, get five for $2. So, assuming they were peaches, I bought them, but soon found out that they weren’t. The outside skin felt like a peach, as was the pit, but the inside was like an apple. It was actually quite tasty, and with many of the local markets around, we could definitely buy some other different produce.

After relaxing for some time, we decided to head out to eat. The place we chose was the oldest pub in New York City, McSorely’s Pub. It was opened in 1854, and didn’t allow women until 1970. You read that right, 1970! It definitely had the pub feel with the old doors, the sawdust on the floor, and the small menu. What really got me was the crackers with cheese and onions. I’ve never seen anything like that before.

We finished our authentic irish dinner, of which mine was corned beef hash. We decided to head back down Broadway Street, and although most of the stores were closing or already closed, it was really awesome to see the stores.

It was a frustrating day early on, got better as the hours went on, and ended with a great dinner at an authentic Irish pub.

For Tuesday, we booked a reservation to check out Ground Zero, and the 9/11 memorial. We are also heading to the Yankees game as well.

We also switched up some plans a bit too. On Wednesday, we will still do some more sight-seeing, but also shop too.

As the third day in NYC approaches, I’m falling more and more in love with this city.

Ta-ta for now,
Chris