Great Escape! A Bike Trip to the Beach

Want to get out of town? How about a bike trip to the beach?

It's still a little chilly out, but in the sun and on a bike you'll warm up in no time.

Brighton Beach and Coney Island are closer than you think. It's only about 40 minutes on the F train under an hour by bike.

The best part is the trip is nearly all on off-street bike paths: 

- Head up the Prospect Park West Bike Lane to an entrance of Prospect Park.

- Take the bike path in the Prospect Park and exit at Park Circle at Coney Island Avenue. 

- Take Coney Island Avenue five blocks to Church Avenue and make a right (note, we're telling you this for simplicity. If you want to take the left a few blocks earlier and wend your way to Church Avenue on the side streets, that works, too). 

- Go three blocks to Ocean Parkway, cross the parkway and make a left onto the sidewalk bike lane.

- Go about 5 miles until you hit the boardwalk at Brighton Beach.

If you get there before 10 a.m. it's legal to ride your bike on the boardwalk. Otherwise you need to lock it, walk it or take the street. 

If you go right you'll pass the (well worth a trip) and then hit Coney Island where you can eat fresh oysters or Nathan's hot dogs. It's still a bit early for beaching and carnivaling, but it's a sight to see, for sure!

If you go left, you'll land at the Russian mecca of Brighton Beach where you can sit at a boardwalk cafe, look at the ocean and eat sushi and borscht. 

Go straight and hit the water.

If you're too tired after your day of sushi, sand and sun to ride back, jump with your bike on the F train and it's a straight shot back.