Before moving to Brooklyn in late 1990s, I spent almost ten years living in Long Island City, Queens. Many times I would drive along 11th Street to get to the Pulaski Bridge, to eventually get on the BQE near McGuinness Boulevard. On my way to the Queensboro Bridge a few days ago, I thought I still knew my way around the area on the Queens side of the Pulaski. How hard can it be to travel the area on bicycle? How different can it be compared to driving? A lot, especially if you want to obey traffic rules.
After crossing the Pulaski, I saw a bike lane going toward the river and took it. I thought it could not go wrong to follow the waterfront, which was on the left. At some point though, I saw that the Queensboro Bridge was on my left instead of being in front or to the right. Something had to be wrong, I must have made a wrong turn somewhere! Luckily, not long ago I visited Gantry State Park and knew that Vernon Boulevard runs all the way north, under the Queensboro. Once I found Vernon, I was on track again. When I got under the Queensboro, I should have turn right immediately but instead I went straight. Maybe I did that because I knew from a visit to Sunnyside some years ago that the ped/bike lane of the Queensboro was on the north side of the lower level of the bridge. Unfortunately, there were no other right turn to take because of the buildings of Queensbridge housing project. I ended up having to go the extra distance to 41st Avenue. Eventually I found the bike ramp for the bridge. Cyclists are supposed to use the left lane while the right lane is for pedestrians. There were not that many people and the walkers, and the occasional runners, were all over in either lane. As I slowly made my way up the ramp, it occurred to me how is it possible that I saw land below the bridge, but I was not done with the ascend? In other words, if the Queensboro Bridge connects Queens and Manhattan, as soon as I see land under the bridge, as opposed to water, should I not be descending the bridge already? Then it dawned on me. I was mistaken, for the land I saw was not Manhattan, but Roosevelt Island, the very place I will be running the NYC Runs Hot Chocolate 10K on.
When I finally made the descend, I saw the sign to indicate a steep descend and slowed my progress by braking slowly. It was a good thing I did because the path took a nasty U-turn at the end of the ramp. If I was coasting downward I am pretty sure I would not navigate the U-turn in time to avoid a crash. Maybe I missed some sign that warned "Sharp U-turn ahead!"
Off the Queensboro Bridge, I was already at First Avenue and 60th Street. I should probably just walk the bike over to Third Avenue and whatever 60ish Street but I rode anyway. Right away, I didn't like it. Just a block north there was a truck blocking the bike lane. As I stopped to look to behind me before passing the truck, some cyclist zoomed by. Not close enough to hit me or anything, but it got me shaking my head. Maybe the cyclist already looked behind and saw that the coast was clear. The short trip across the avenues and the few streets were slow and at times I did walk the bike. I was glad to find one of those CityRack but then I couldn't find The Running Company. It turned out my memory failed me and I was off by just one block. Got the bib and souvenir mug (instead of T-shirt), for myself and another PPTC 10K runner, and off I went. I would love to ride back to Brooklyn but the trip to the store already took about two hours. I was needed elsewhere so I had to take the subway back. Bike trips are great as long as you are not in a hurry. Or the distance too great. Or the weather is not too nasty.
I definitely need to re-visit Kent Avenue and the Pulaski Bridge to take some photos. I also totally passed by East River State Park. I think I often saw it from across the river in East River Promenade under the Williamsburg Bridge. It looked like a nice place to take a stroll or just to relax.
Showing posts with label Long Island City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Long Island City. Show all posts
18 December 2012
23 September 2008
Queens For A Day, Part 1
In an ideal world, I would re-visit my old neighborhood in Woodhaven, Queens, where I moved to after a few years living in the cramped apartment in Elmhurst. It was our first time living in a family house, I liked it so much I went to some local T-shirt store and bought a shirt that read "I Love Woodhaven". Well, the world is not perfect and I instead found myself re-visiting Long Island City, Queens and its neighbor Astoria. After Woodhaven, we spent a year in crime-ridden Bushwick, Brooklyn, then stayed in L.I.C. for about ten years. Here are some photos from my excursion to the northern part of Queens this past Sunday. I used BannerZest to create the slideshow, using the Water Apparition Narrow theme. While it looks kinda cool, it allows no text to accompany the photos, so notes are right below the slideshow.
Long Island City Home
The house with the green awning is where we lived for almost ten years. By then it was just my parents, my older brother, and me. Wow, for a second there, I couldn't remember where my brother's room was. It was in this house that I got laid off from my first job out of college. Life was simpler then, I just took it easy and did nothing for half a year. Got up most morning at 9 and jogged to Astoria Park to run 6 miles around the track. It was supposed to be my training for the NYC Marathon. Of course it was far below the recommended amount. In 1997 I got married and moved out, then in 1999 my parents and brother moved in with me in Brooklyn, when Wife and I bought our house. I had to throw out lots of stuff for the final move and still regret that I included a box of Oriental Heroes (龍虎門) graphic novel.
Almost Bought
At one time we tried to buy a house in the area. It has an odd shape, very short but wide. The house looked pretty much the same as I remember it almost fifteen years ago. After we went to the bank to try borrow money, we were not that sure we wanted to buy it. Luckily the bank turned us down. Where were those subprime loans when you needed one, eh?
Genovese Supported ARROW
Now a Rite Aid, this store near the junction of Broadway and 31st Street used to be a Genovese Drug Store. It was while living in LIC that I got involved with the recycling group called ARROW. Back then the City did not have curbside recycling. ARROW setup a collection site on the sidewalk right outside Genovese for people to drop off metal cans, plastic bottles, may be even newspapers. Someone thought of flattening the metal cans for better storage and welded a square metal plate to an iron pipe. The device was effective at flattening the cans, but the people wielding it would just smash the thing into a pile of cans. Luckily no one was hurt by the cans as that inevitably flew out of the pile. I came up with the idea having some people line up the cans for me to smash. Assembly line, that's all. It was a lot safer that way. Genovese was supportive of the operation and allowed us to store our tools and such in their store.
Dutch Kills Playground
At one time, a cousin lived a few blocks away from us. She had a son and a daughter, little kids, 8 or 9 years old. Back then my job was not so hectic, I had time to take the kids to the park and Hall of Science. No, it was not only during the time that I was unemployed that I hang out with my niece and nephew. I was a good uncle before I became the good father.
Long Island City Home
The house with the green awning is where we lived for almost ten years. By then it was just my parents, my older brother, and me. Wow, for a second there, I couldn't remember where my brother's room was. It was in this house that I got laid off from my first job out of college. Life was simpler then, I just took it easy and did nothing for half a year. Got up most morning at 9 and jogged to Astoria Park to run 6 miles around the track. It was supposed to be my training for the NYC Marathon. Of course it was far below the recommended amount. In 1997 I got married and moved out, then in 1999 my parents and brother moved in with me in Brooklyn, when Wife and I bought our house. I had to throw out lots of stuff for the final move and still regret that I included a box of Oriental Heroes (龍虎門) graphic novel.
Almost Bought
At one time we tried to buy a house in the area. It has an odd shape, very short but wide. The house looked pretty much the same as I remember it almost fifteen years ago. After we went to the bank to try borrow money, we were not that sure we wanted to buy it. Luckily the bank turned us down. Where were those subprime loans when you needed one, eh?
Genovese Supported ARROW
Now a Rite Aid, this store near the junction of Broadway and 31st Street used to be a Genovese Drug Store. It was while living in LIC that I got involved with the recycling group called ARROW. Back then the City did not have curbside recycling. ARROW setup a collection site on the sidewalk right outside Genovese for people to drop off metal cans, plastic bottles, may be even newspapers. Someone thought of flattening the metal cans for better storage and welded a square metal plate to an iron pipe. The device was effective at flattening the cans, but the people wielding it would just smash the thing into a pile of cans. Luckily no one was hurt by the cans as that inevitably flew out of the pile. I came up with the idea having some people line up the cans for me to smash. Assembly line, that's all. It was a lot safer that way. Genovese was supportive of the operation and allowed us to store our tools and such in their store.
Dutch Kills Playground
At one time, a cousin lived a few blocks away from us. She had a son and a daughter, little kids, 8 or 9 years old. Back then my job was not so hectic, I had time to take the kids to the park and Hall of Science. No, it was not only during the time that I was unemployed that I hang out with my niece and nephew. I was a good uncle before I became the good father.
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