It goes without saying that a trip to New York City is incomplete without a visit to Central Park. But most people don’t realize that the best way to see Central Park is via the great full loop bike path that circumnavigates the park. It is an especially efficient way to get a broad overview of the layout of the park before exploring the middle of Central Park on foot. You can either explore the park on your own or join an organized bike tour of Central Park. If you really want to get to know “the lungs of New York,” you may want to spend a little extra and join a professional bicycle touring expedition. You’ll learn a few juicy tidbits that might not otherwise discover on your own.
When it comes to acquiring a bicycle for your Central Park bike loop journey, you’ve got a few options. If you sign up for a park tour, your tour company will likely provide a bicycle as part of your group experience. You can also rent a bicycle on your own from one of the many Manhattan bicycle rental companies. There are a couple of these fairly close to the park. My favorite option is to utilize the Citi Bikes that are located in many places around the perimeter of the park. I have included some helpful information about utilizing Citi Bikes in the last section of my Manhattan Bike Trails blog post, so you may want to check that out.
As you can tell, I’m a huge advocate of exploring Central Park by bicycle. But, if you have the time, you should definitely continue your exploration on foot so you can see other parts of the park that are not available to bicyclists. Many of the middle portions of Central Park are off-limits to wheeled traffic. You can either get lots of exercise in one day by bicycling and walking the park, or you can bike the Central Park loop one day and walk the middle bits and pieces on another day.
Photos
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- Find Alice in Wonderland in the Park
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- Central Park Pond & Skyline
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- Central Park Fountain & Boat Pond
Suggested Lodging
You will find many lodging options near Central Park including: Empire Hotel Hampton Inn Manhattan Carnegie Hotel Radisson Hotel New York Midtown Booking.comSuggested Dining
There are probably well over 100 restaurants & food trucks w/in a couple blocks of Central Park. However, one of my favorite places for dining or beverages in the park is Loeb Boathouse. It is located near the center of the park beside the boat pond. Needless to say, it's a bit expensive, but the environment and experience make it worth it.
Suggested Bike Rental / Repair
Citi Bike New York
Bike Rent NYC
Bike Rental Central Park
Fancy Apple Bike Rental
Companies That Provide Tours on This Trail
https://centralparkbiketours.com
https://freetoursbyfoot.com/central-park-bike-tours/
