Making Brooklyn Beautiful - Shore Parkway Greenway Renovation

After many years of disrepair, it is wonderful to see the Shore Parkway Greenway section - which runs some two miles from the 69th Street Pier to the Verezano Bridge in Brooklyn - finally receive the repair and improvements it so desperately needed. The surprisingly rapid deterioration of the walkway over the previous 5 years had made the walkway something of a liability.

Huge craterous pot-holes - or should I say sink-holes - dotted the walkway and bicycle paths along this area, making it very treacherous. I'm sure many a cyclist has felt the pain of the occasional humungous pot-hole, driving his seat up through his or her nether-regions. In some cases, the pot-hole became a chasm, dropping straight through to the sea and rocks below it, and these were becoming increasingly numerous. On the weekends, I would enjoy cycling along by the water's edge, taking in the spectacular downtown city views and partaking of the fresh salty air. But if I didn't keep at least one eye on the path ahead, I knew that it was only a matter of time before my lower extremities felt the brunt of the treacherously cratered walkway.

Kudos should be given to an excellent job all round by the Parks Dept. On June 25th, 2007 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held opening up the walkway to the public. At a cost of some $20 million all the sea walls, cycle paths and walkways have been repaired along this stretch. With over 100,000 square feet of new Asphalt it now makes for a very smooth, easy and safe cycle ride. According to reports some 40,000 tons of new boulders have been bought in to reinforce the seawall and approx. 300 new trees are now lining the walkway helping making this a very picturesque and relaxing way to spend the day.

This has now become a really beautiful little spot to visit with a clear 5 or 6 -mile stretch that you can comfortably cycle on without having to worry about the notoriously homicidal Brooklyn traffic. The cycle paths have been clearly marked and apart from the stray suicidal toddler walking into your path it makes for a very relaxing ride. You can give your middle finger a rest from the over-use it gets when cycling along the main roads and let the soothing splash of the waves ease your troubled mind as you pedal your joyful soul along the waters edge. Walking too is a joy with the cool breezy ocean winds brushing away the worries of the working week. I hadn't been to this area for some 2 years whilst they were renovating the area. Huge concrete barriers and metal fencing blighting the view but the results are definitely well worth the wait and for anyone in Brooklyn who hasn't visited this delightful little section of Brooklyn it makes for an enjoyable day out.

There are plenty of green spaces along the way if you want to picnic, fly a kite or simply relax. Bay Ridge sits at one end with its cute little array of shops whilst at the other end you have a shopping complex with 'Toys R Us', 'Best Buy', 'Models' et al. The best way to get there is by train, taking either the 'R' to Bay Ridge to the last stop 97th Street or the 'B' or 'M' train to 'Bay Parkway' and then walk a few blocks towards the water. Coney Island isn't too far away, either by train, bus or car if you really want to exhaust yourself. So if you've run out of ideas as to what to do on the weekends you could do worse than take time out to enjoy Brooklyn once again by paying a visit to the Shore Parkway Greenway.