Two Wheels Good in New York City

With its congested streets and heavy foot traffic, New York City may not seem like the ideal place to go cycling. But even New Yorkers need to slow down their place once in a while, and over the years the city’s cycling community has been successful in reclaiming stretches of the city for two-wheeled use. Riverside Park, along the Hudson River, offers a long narrow track that goes on for miles.  The Battery Park area is also good, though be careful of the bumpy, cobble-stoned streets around Wall Street. Over the bridge in Brooklyn, there is a fabulous bike loop around Prospect Park and bikes are allowed on the Coney Island boardwalk in the afternoons and evenings.

Of course visitors to New York will need to hire a bike in order to be able to enjoy any of the above. Another option, which is perhaps better for the first time visitor, is to take a bike tour.  Bike Rental Central Park (www.bikerentalcentralpark.com) both hires out bikes to be used within the vicinity of the park and offers tours.

Cycling in NYC

Bike and Roll (www.bikeandroll.com) offers tours over the lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. In NYC make sure also though to have cycling insurance because the medical fees in NYC if you do get injured are scarily high.

Whether you go with a tour or go it alone, keep these things in mind: you must wear a helmet and it is illegal to ride on footpaths and wear headphones. Oh be very careful of opening car doors! With that said, happy cycling in NYC!

Get ready for the Tribeca Film Festival

Film buffs have a date in New York City April 1 to May 31 this year for the Tribeca Film Festival. The festival was founded in 2002 by the actor Robert de Niro, along with producer Jane Rosenthal and the well-known philanthropist Craig M. Hatkoff.  The thrust behind the project was to rejuvenate the Manhattan neighbourhood of Tribeca area post the 9/11 attacks (TriBeCa means ‘Triangle Below Canal Street).

Tribeca film festival

Eight years later, it has become one of the most important film festivals in the world. Not only does it give directors and producers a chance to show their work to a savvy New York audience, but also the calibre of the festival is such that the panels, discussions, workshops and other related events are some of the most awaited of the year. One of the

unique elements of the festival is the ‘Artists Awards’ whereby established artists donate their works as prizes to budding filmmakers. The Tribeca Film Festival has also travelled abroad; this year a mini-version was held in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Tickets are best bought on-line at www.tribecafilm.com and can be picked for as low as US$10. If you can, try and see a show in the Tribeca Cinema, which De Niro purchased in 2003 as the flagship venue of the festival.