vol

No trees or shades on hot summer days! Riding at high noon is a very bad experience! Could the city plant some more trees around the road? This greenway is good only for its smoothness, but no scenery, very boring, too.

Papa Tom

This section, past the whole hectic Midtown area, is pretty shady. However, I do agree that it can get HOT during the summer on this pathway. I've brought "casual" riders from Long Island there in the month of July and they bonked after a short distance. Me, I'm always comfortable riding the Greenway with the breeze coming off the river.

When you mentioned "defect," my mind went to either the overcrowding or the number of riders who create chaos by ignoring signs, traffic lights, and general rules of courtesy.

FrankieV

I think it's actually a pretty interesting ride. Always lots to see when you're not looking out for some pedestrian or roller blader cutting across your path.
Once you get past 56th street, it changes a bit. More shade and different views including the GW bridge.
If you want more shade, continue across the bridge and take River Road to Alpine.
It's a beautiful ride on a paved road of rolling hills through the trees.

vol

Well I mostly ride between 59th st. and Battery Park. Most what I see are fellow cyclists or roller skaters. Only yesterday I saw something interesting: two little dogs on the rear rack of someone's bike. I followed him as far as I could just to watch the dogs This part of the path has no shades, so you are completely under the bright sun all the way.

Bacciagalupe

You can't stand to ride 4 miles in the sun?

Seriously?

It's got fantastic views of Manhattan, the river, New Jersey and the GWB. I'm not always fond of riding it when it's crowded, but it's definitely not "boring."

Papa Tom

By the way, how is its "sister path" on the other side of the river, the NJ Waterfront Walkway to Liberty State Park, coming along this year?

vol

Nope. It's because I'd have to put on sunscreen, which I hate. As for the views, not much. For much of the path you cannot see the river etc. The path is not directly adjacent to the river (unlike the East River bike path).

Stacy

Nice photo Papa Tom! Thanks for sharing it.

vol

I agree it's a nice picture. Which part of the path is it? What streets?

Bacciagalupe

Try the "continuous spray" type. It's good quality, is sheer, and easy to apply. The "stick" kind is also pretty easy.


Yes, millions of tourists and locals who flock to the West Side Greenway for those non-views of the river and the city.

Why not just enclose the greenway in fabric? As long as we're at it, let's do the same for the High Line. Who planned that thing? Half the time you're cooking in the sun, half the time you're stuck looking at buildings....

This is not a "defect." It's a design choice, and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's not gonna change any time soon.

NVanHiker

What is this "bright sun" of which you speak?

dendawg

Looks like it was taken from above at Riverbank State Park - the park built on top of the water treatment plant. There are entrances to the park off Riverside at 135th and 145th Streets.

Stacy

That's what I like most about the Westside Greenway - each section has its own character. Below 59th street there's plenty to see like the Intrepid Museum, which will soon house the Space Shuttle, Chelsea Piers, Ground Zero, and usually a gorgeous sunset to take in during the early evening. Further uptown the path is completed covered by the tree canopy and several sections run right along the water with no fences to separate you. There's a beach, several marinas, places to fish (if you dare) As I've said in the past, if it's not interesting enough then you're not riding enough.

catmandew52

Maybe you could contact https://www.traillink.com/trail/hudso...-greenway.aspx and volunteer to plant some saplings along that section, if possible.
It is probably unlikely that mature trees would be transplanted to that area, but young trees would be giving some shade in 10 to 15 yrs.
You could celebrate your retirement under a tree that you planted!

Cyclerock

I agree. That was a real sour-puss complaint. It is a very interesting path.

Papa Tom

Sorry for the delayed response. Actually, it's not my photo. I pulled it off a website quite a while ago because it showed an area where something particularly interesting happened to me during one of my rides. I believe dendawg may be right about Riverbank Park. It was up near the GWB, if I remember correctly.

vol

Holy. Pity you don't seem to have seen enough of the world to know how "interesting" a bike path could be.

Bacciagalupe

Actually, I can see how if you're riding that route frequently (e.g. you commute on it 2+ times a week) it could get boring.

That's the same with any route, though. Central Park, GWB, Prospect Park, ride it often enough and you get inured to its charms.

Still, I'd say it was designed to show off the city and the river, not to provide shade -- and the overwhelming majority like it that way. And it's pretty short, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

eddubal

What's "interesting"? Are you missing some leg? The Hustler club is right across the street from it!

vol

Just as an example: there was a thread (I think on the "General" forum) in which people posted what they saw on their bike routes. Someone in Australia posted photos of cute animals. Even if you ride her route every day, there is always something interesting to see.

Also, riding along the same oceanside or forest path every day is not boring for me. New Yorkers are not fortunate enough to have many views on the bike paths. It's like the NY people have no other way to enjoy biking than crowding on the same path without view. Reminds me of a European friend who once expressed her curiosity that everyone in the Central Park was jogging in the same direction in circle.

zacster

Uh, I think NYC is the view. And you can't see the river?? Are you blind??? Most of the path is right on the river with a few short sections that aren't.

eddubal

Let's start with some history. The area along the western waterfront was first a landfill. That is why it's so flat. LANDFILL! Dig down a couple of feet and you're going to start digging up trash from a century or two ago.

After that it was and still is in many places, but getting rarer, waterfront (docks). Meat processing, industrial complexes and warehouses adorned the area then. Only very recently has much of it become recreational areas. The trees being recent installments are small. Have you ever heard the phrase: " By the time the tree is big and wide, the planter has died? Give it a couple of hundred years, and those trees will give plenty of shade if they're still around. Go north up the Greenway, and you'll see areas that have long been used for recreation with plenty of flora & fauna.

Basically, you aren't seeing any cute little foxes disemboweling squirrels and chihuahuas in the area like you do in Central Park because the area hasn't had TIME to grow and develop.

"I thought that I saw the first robin of spring the other day but I was mistaken. It was only a pigeon with a chest wound" - paraphrase from a David Letterman monologue.

Welcome to the big city. You 're in the wrong place if you're looking for interesting wildlife. Go to one of the best zoological conservatories in the country, the Bronx Zoo if you're interested in cute little animals scurrying about.

Even though you might not find those, you will find plenty of interesting things IF YOU LOOK. The road might be the same, but the scenery changes daily. The boats at the boat basin. New Jersey shoreline. The palisades if you venture far enough North. (These were so beautiful to the Astors that they bought the area that is now Palisades Interstate Park to save them from quarrying.) Fort Tryon Park. The guys playing ball under the West side Highway. The ladies (and gentlemen if that's your preference) sunning themselves. The families enjoying themselves and having cookouts. I could go on for much longer too.

I haven't been down that way in a while, but when I did venture down that way frequently, I almost always enjoyed my rides and the scenery. It might not be very shady, but it's an interesting ride if you're willing to look. If I were you, and disliked the heat of noon, go mornings or evenings. Noon to 3pm are the hottest parts of the day anyway.

The more you post the more you are sounding like a troll. Go out and open your mind and eyes and let life happen. It might not be what you wanted, but it won't be dull.

Cyclerock

I have ridden in several US States, (for on road and off road), and have seen lots of paths. If you find it the path boring, don't ride it, Crybaby.

vol

Show me.

vol

I am very sorry and, indeed, surprised, to find so much hostility regarding what I said here. Re-read my posts. I merely was complaining of no shade, and the fact (to me) that there is not much interesting view along the path. If you regard what is boring to me as interesting, good for you, LOL. But your attitude of turning this personal shows either immaturity or bad breeding. I could reply to your nasty comments in much more exciting words, but that wouldn't be me.