Four days in New York

One World Trade Center reflected in one of the 9/11 Memorial Pools

It's been a busy fall for me, and it's not over yet. After the various races and the trip to Mexico my next stop was New York City. The idea for this visit had been hatched in the summer when my friend Barry had been in Lubbock and we talked about my coming up to NYC to visit him and his family. At the time we didn't make any firm plans, but once my race schedule started to crystallize I noticed a week that might just be ideal for a trip in the fall. The timelines would be tight (I got back to Lubbock only one day before leaving for NY, and after returning there was only one day before the next scheduled trip), but somehow it all worked out—despite American Airlines' big meltdown just right before my return from Cancun when more than 3,500 flights were cancelled within the span of just a few days. Thankfully, I was not affected.

And so I left what seems like an eternity ago, last Thursday. (I started to write this blogpost while on the way to Lima, Peru, exactly seven days later! But as it turned out while writing, my flight to DFW today was so badly delayed that I could not make my connection to Lima, so I am at home for an extra night. More about that in the next post.) I couldn't have picked a better time to go to New York as the weather forecast proved correct and I enjoyed nothing but sunshine and mild daytime temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Barry picked me up from LaGuardia, and since we talked too much he missed an exit and our drive doubled in duration when we suddenly were on Manhattan's East Side instead of heading straight down from Queens to Brooklyn. Oh well, the city started to switch on its lights and the drive, despite the stop-and-go traffic, was beautiful.

Barry, Suzie, and their son Max live in a stylishly renovated typical row house in Brooklyn, close to the Bay Ridge ferry terminal—an ideal starting point for my bike excursions on Friday and then again on Monday. After our family dinner after my arrival and a good night's sleep I left the house around 9 a.m. the next morning, on Suzie's Kona commuter bike. I first rode south along the water toward Long Island but then reversed course, went to the ferry terminal, and bought for $3.75 a ticket for the bike and myself to go north. For most New Yorkers these fast ferry rides are simply part of the daily commute, but for me it was a fabulous sightseeing trip. The perspective from the water is just so different than from land.

I went as far north as the Greenpoint ferry terminal on the East River and then started riding south toward Brooklyn. New York has an excellent bike infrastructure consisting of marked as well as separated bike routes and lanes, and despite the heavy traffic I always felt safe. Needless to say, I used my Locus app to maintain my general direction toward Brooklyn where I was to meet up with Barry for a few brews at Big aLICe Brewing after he got off from his teaching job. Interestingly, at the brewery we had to show both proof of vaccination as well as a photo ID to enter and be seated, and of course everybody wears a mask. (The ferries, like all other public transportation, require everyone to wear a mask as well, and many, many people even out in the open in the streets were masked.) New York was at the epicenter of COVID, and there is none of the nonchalance toward the pandemic that's evident in Lubbock.

We spent the evening at home, and thanks to Barry's culinary skills we had another outstanding family dinner. The plan was to leave early Saturday morning for their cabin in upstate New York, but our departure time for this reason or that was delayed until almost noon. No big deal—we'd get there eventually. The drive made me realize how easy and stress-free driving in my part of the world really is. It took us about two-and-a-half hours or a bit more to get up to Pine Bush, a distance of some 90 miles. The entire way saw heavy traffic, and while in the city stop-and-go movement. 

Once we got up to Pine Bush, we made a quick grocery and beer run and then went to the cabin. We had taken Barry's Bianchi along so that we could go for a ride—he keeps his Moots Vamoots road bike at the cabin. Suzie and Max had stayed in the city, and so the two of us were free to do our thing. Because of our late arrival (and the short days) we had to limit our ride to a beautiful 18-mile loop through rolling terrain; the landscape displayed its finest fall colors, and there was a definite nip in the air. We made it back to the cabin in time for a welcome hot shower and then moseyed over to Tom and Carolyn's (winterized) cabin for Happy Hour. All the cabins in this compound belong to artists, educators, photographers, and other interesting people, and I got to meet several of Barry's longtime friends.

Initially we had planned to ride on Sunday morning, but the overnight temperature had fallen to the mid-20s and we decided on hot coffee and a nice breakfast while sitting next to the wood-burning stove—too hell with freezing our toes and fingers off! After a short walk around the compound and meeting yet another neighbor, James, we packed up the car and drove back to the city, once again braving heavy traffic that was even thicker thanks to the NY Marathon.

Monday was my last day in New York, and since Barry and Suzie had to work I was once again on my own. This time around I took the ferry to Manhattan and spent the day exploring the West Side. On each of my two excursions I rode about 22 easy miles, stopping and taking photos or just sitting down on a bench and watching the world go by. One of the highlights of the day was a visit to the new Little Islands project, an artificial "island" that's situated in Hudson River Park.

Even more impressive was my first visit ever to the 9/11 Memorial with its two pools and the surrounding One World Trade Center complex, including the Oculus shopping mall. Wow. That was quite an experience, and I happened to visit the area with the light of the slowly setting sun falling in from the west. Very impressive.

I finished my day of sightseeing in Battery Park, at the south end of Manhattan. The sun was setting just a short distance to the right of the Statue of Liberty, and it was the perfect way to end up my four days in New York. When it was dark, I took the ferry back to Brooklyn, enjoyed Barry's homemade quiche, a nice Malbec, and another deep conversation with him and Suzie. 

The next morning I called a cab and an hour later I was back at LaGuardia for my flight back to Lubbock. Thank you, my dear friends in New York, for your warm welcome and this great experience!

Jürgen