Biking From the Financial District: Three Routes on the Greenways

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Quick answer

From the Financial District you can be on a car-free bike path in about five minutes. Ride west to the Hudson River Greenway, which runs from the Battery straight up the west side with no cross traffic, or east along the South Street waterfront past the Seaport. The two connect around the tip of Manhattan at the Battery, so the short version is a harbor loop of roughly four miles that takes about two hours with stops. For a longer day, follow the Hudson north to Little Island and Chelsea Piers, or take the protected bike lane on the Brooklyn Bridge roadway over to DUMBO. Citi Bike docks sit on most blocks down here, including a few within a couple of minutes' walk of John Street.

A cyclist riding on a New York City street

The best thing about riding a bike down here is how quickly the cars go away. The Financial District street grid is old and narrow and not much fun on two wheels, but it's only a few blocks wide. Head west and you hit the Hudson River Greenway, a protected path that starts at the Battery and runs the length of the west side. Head east and you're on the South Street waterfront past the Seaport. Both are flat, both are separated from traffic, and they meet each other around the southern tip of the island.

We get asked about bikes a lot, usually some version of "is it actually safe to ride here?" Down here, on the greenways, yes. In midtown traffic, that's a different question. Below Chambers Street you can plan a whole ride that barely touches a car lane.

Three routes below, in order of how much time they take. All of them start within a few minutes of John Street. If you're using Citi Bike, docks are scattered through the neighborhood, including along Water Street, near the Fulton Center, and around the World Trade Center. Check the app for the nearest one with bikes in it before you walk over, because the docks near the office towers empty out fast on weekday mornings.

Route 1: The harbor loop, about two hours

  • 9:00 AM

    Grab a bike near Fulton Street

    Start with the app open. Citi Bike is dock to dock, so you unlock at one station and return it to any other, and the classic pedal bikes cost less per minute than the electric ones. Adults aren't required to wear a helmet in New York City, though kids under 14 are. If you'd rather have a proper bike for the day, a rental shop is the better call, since Citi Bike doesn't come with a lock and isn't meant for leaving parked outside a cafe for an hour.

  • 9:15 AM

    East River path at the Seaport

    John Street runs east to the water, so this is the quickest way onto a waterfront path. Ride past Pier 15 and Pier 17 and keep the river on your left. Early morning is the good window here: the light comes over Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge is right above you, and the tourist crowd on the cobblestones hasn't arrived yet. It's a short stretch, maybe ten minutes of riding, and it's slow going on weekend afternoons when the Seaport fills up.

  • 9:40 AM

    Around the Battery

    Follow the water south and the path curves around the bottom of the island past the ferry terminals. This is where the East River side hands off to the Hudson side. You get the harbor straight ahead, the Statue of Liberty out to the left, and Staten Island Ferry boats pulling in and out at Whitehall. The park paths get busy with people queuing for the Liberty ferries, so this is a walk-your-bike stretch on a summer weekend rather than a ride-through.

  • 10:00 AM

    North on the Hudson River Greenway

    This is the main event. The greenway runs north along the water with no cross traffic for long stretches, past Brookfield Place and the North Cove marina, past the ballfields, and up toward Tribeca. It's wide, it's flat, and it's the fastest way to cover ground in Manhattan without a subway. Ride as far as you feel like and turn around whenever.

  • 10:45 AM

    Cut back east through Tribeca

    Instead of doubling back on the same path, turn inland around Chambers or Warren Street and roll home through Tribeca. The blocks up there are cast iron and quiet on a weekend morning, and it's a ten-minute ride back down Broadway or Church Street to John Street. Traffic is real on Broadway, so take it easy and stay out of the door zone.

Route 2: Up the Hudson to Little Island, a half day

  • 10:00 AM

    Battery to Tribeca on the greenway

    Same start as Route 1, but don't turn around. The first two miles north of the Battery are the easiest riding in Manhattan. You'll pass the marina, the sports fields, and the piers on the Hudson River Park side, with the water on your left the whole way.

  • 10:40 AM

    Hudson River Park piers through the West Village

    North of Canal Street the park opens up. Pier 45 and Pier 51 have lawns and benches if you want to sit for ten minutes and watch the river. The path here is shared with runners and families, so it slows down. That's fine. This isn't a training ride.

  • 11:15 AM

    Little Island at 13th Street

    The park built on concrete tulips over the water at Pier 55. Free to walk in, and small enough to see in twenty minutes. Lock up or dock your bike at the entrance, since you can't ride inside. It gets timed-entry busy at peak summer hours, which is another argument for going in the morning.

  • 12:00 PM

    Chelsea Piers and the turnaround

    A few blocks further north is Chelsea Piers, and this is the natural place to turn around unless you're headed all the way to Hudson Yards. Riding back south is often faster because the wind usually pushes you that way in the afternoon. Total, out and back, it's roughly ten miles and an easy half day at a sightseeing pace.

Route 3: Over the Brooklyn Bridge to DUMBO, about three hours

  • 9:30 AM

    The Manhattan-side bike entrance near Park Row

    Important detail that trips people up: bikes don't use the famous wooden promenade any more. The city put a two-way protected bike lane on the Manhattan-bound roadway of the bridge, and the promenade above is pedestrians only. The entrance is on the Manhattan side near Park Row and Centre Street, about a ten-minute walk northwest of John Street. Signs point you in.

  • 9:45 AM

    The crossing

    It's under a mile and a half across, with a gentle climb in the middle and a long free roll down the Brooklyn side. You're in a lane below the walkway, so the view is more cables and river than postcard, but it's a much calmer ride than dodging photographers up top.

  • 10:15 AM

    DUMBO and Brooklyn Bridge Park

    Come off the bridge and work your way down toward the water. The park has a bike path running along the piers from Fulton Ferry Landing south, with the Manhattan skyline on your right the whole way. Washington Street with the Manhattan Bridge framed at the end of it is a block north, and it's a wall of people on a weekend, so go early if that photo is why you came.

  • 11:30 AM

    Back over the Manhattan Bridge, or the ferry

    For a loop instead of a repeat, ride back over the Manhattan Bridge, which has a bike path on its south side with a good view straight at the Brooklyn Bridge. It puts you out near Canal Street, about fifteen minutes north of us. If your legs are done, the NYC Ferry from Fulton Ferry Landing takes bikes for a small extra fare and lands at Wall Street's Pier 11, five minutes from John Street.

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