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If You Can Vacation Here ... Part 2

It’s been more than a decade since I’ve spent an entire summer, straight through, in New York City. It’s a brutal prospect, what with the steaming pavements and bone-wilting humidity, but if it has to be done, it should be done right. So this summer, armed with my girlfriend and my Metrocard, I set out to design the perfect balance of work, play and sunshine. Herewith I give you my staycation story , a real New Yorker’s guide to not losing your mind between May Day and Labor Day Weekend. Part 2: This is the part of the staycation where you guiltily try to work off the beer belly you have developed from all the beach lounging and boardwalk meandering. It’s no secret that the West Side now offers a scenic path that stretches almost the entire length of Manhattan — a bike rider’s dream. What fewer tend to know is what happens when you keep on biking north, past the delicious barbecue ribs on 125th Street, and up into the 180s. It’s not as North Pole-ish as it sounds; you’re there in a flash, through the lush greenery, past a couple ducks and basketball courts. And suddenly there it is: the George Washington Bridge.

It’s a tricky, meandering route to get from the Hudson River path to the bridge itself, but that’s all part of the experience. Take a friend, stop and ogle the final frontier between New York and Jersey, and reward your efforts at one of the unbeatable Latin food carts in the vicinity.