suggest a ride to overcome north brooklyn envy

[lordofthemark]

Wife and I were staying with relations in the unhip part of Williamsburg over the weekend and had occasion to walk from there to Cobble Hill and back – through NW Bed Stuy, Clinton, Ft Greene, downtown Bklyn, Boerum Hill. Where I saw more transportation/casual biking than I’ve ever seen in one place (helped that it was a lovely day).

Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity get a Citibike day membership.

The only answer to the mood I find myself in on returning to NoVa is clearly to get on my bike. I will continue to move forward to commute regularly, but to be frank, a commute that involves the Pentagon parking lots ain’t exactly Myrtle Avenue. So I need to ride ASAP in the most urban-bike intense parts of the region. I’m guessing something involving Capital Hill, Logan Circle, etc? Your soul restorative trip suggestions are appreciated.

Topic

[DaveK]

@lordofthemark 55382 wrote:

Wife and I were staying with relations in the unhip part of Williamsburg over the weekend and had occasion to walk from there to Cobble Hill and back – through NW Bed Stuy, Clinton, Ft Greene, downtown Bklyn, Boerum Hill. Where I saw more transportation/casual biking than I’ve ever seen in one place (helped that it was a lovely day).

Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity get a Citibike day membership.

The only answer to the mood I find myself in on returning to NoVa is clearly to get on my bike. I will continue to move forward to commute regularly, but to be frank, a commute that involves the Pentagon parking lots ain’t exactly Myrtle Avenue. So I need to ride ASAP in the most urban-bike intense parts of the region. I’m guessing something involving Capital Hill, Logan Circle, etc? Your soul restorative trip suggestions are appreciated.

The area between Logan and Dupont is probably the closest thing I can think of around here. Lots of people using bikes just to get from A to B. The Hill has some similar activity but not as much.

[Justin Antos]

Let the healing begin.

[TwoWheelsDC]

Hmm…I’ll take an early morning commute up the MVT over an urban jaunt through Capitol Hill or Logan Circle any day of the week. But yeah, if it needs to be “urban”, just ride around the area between Dupont and Logan.

[NicDiesel]

@lordofthemark 55382 wrote:

So I need to ride ASAP in the most urban-bike intense parts of the region.

If you work at (or near) the five sided nuthaus and want to do a loop (Crystal City-Georgetown-Foggy Bottom-National Mall-Nats Park-Capitol Hill-National Mall-Crystal City) with me some time let me know. I live and work right by there and love riding in heavy traffic. If you want to extend it to Logan Circle I’d be down with that too.

[dasgeh]

@Justin Antos 55389 wrote:

Let the healing begin.

This is great, though I would stay west and take 21st St to go South at the end (lots of bikes around GW). And for the love of God, there is nothing soul-restoring about the TR Bridge. From 21st, it’s easy enough to get over to the Memorial Bridge (if you hate tourists, just go around the back of the Lincoln).

[lordofthemark]

@4st7lbs 55394 wrote:

If you work at (or near) the five sided nuthaus and want to do a loop (Crystal City-Georgetown-Foggy Bottom-National Mall-Nats Park-Capitol Hill-National Mall-Crystal City) with me some time let me know. I live and work right by there and love riding in heavy traffic. If you want to extend it to Logan Circle I’d be down with that too.

I do not work there – I work on M Street SE. But I don’t feel ready yet (if ever) to commute all the way from Annandale, so my commute (which I did on BTWD) is on the express bus to the Pentagon, then around the Pentagon Reservation to the MVT to the 14th Street bridge, then Water to 7th SW to I (Eye) Street SW across to SE. The latter part is urban, and not bad, but hardly up to hipster Brooklyn standards.

[dasgeh]

@lordofthemark 55401 wrote:

I do not work there – I work on M Street SE. But I don’t feel ready yet (if ever) to commute all the way from Annandale, so my commute (which I did on BTWD) is on the express bus to the Pentagon, then around the Pentagon Reservation to the MVT to the 14th Street bridge, then Water to 7th SW to I (Eye) Street SW across to SE. The latter part is urban, and not bad, but hardly up to hipster Brooklyn standards.

At least the Columbia Island part of that commute is all nature-y. The Brooklyn hipsters have nothing on that!

[KLizotte]

Try taking the 15th street cycletrack (it’s always cool to take a look at the White House while you’re there), head all the way to the end of the cycletrack, a few blocks past Meridien Hill Park (up the hill!), take a right on Harvard Street, then a left on 14th street and keep going as far as you want. If you follow 14th Street all the way to the end, take a left at the T intersection, and that will take you to Beach Drive in Rock Creek Park (you only want to do this part on a Sat or Sun when the street is closed to cars). 14th Street has a long bike lane all the way to the end.

14th Street is interesting and up and coming. You can stop off in Columbia Heights for frozen yogurt and a quick visit to the Museum of Unnatural History (free). I also highly recommend the tacos at El Chilango (1119 V Street); the food is reasonably priced, it’s clean, good service (no weird looks for showing up in lycra), outdoor patio in back, and quirky decor.

Old Town is a nice place to bike around too if you like historical architecture.

[lordofthemark]

While I like historic architecture, froyo (which this ride should certainly include) and also nature, what was distinctive for me was how normative biking was there. I haven’t been to Amsterdam or Copenhagen or even Portland – but my impression was that cycling is simply more part of the fabric of day to day life in that part of Brooklyn than about anywhere else in the USA at least, except for some of the smaller cities (like Portland) and college towns (like Davis). Thats the vibe I want. I already sense that the L”Enfant city part of DC is the most like that anywhere closer than NYC (unless Philly has some surprises). Just wondering if there was a particularly intense area I’ve overlooked. My thought is to do something like what y’all have suggested – tool around the 15th and Penn Cycle tracks, East Capital, 11th Street, etc.

[lim]

I second the old town Alexandria suggestion, its a great ride to the water and back!

I would also suggest Pennsylvania Ave coming from 6th Ave all the way to 14th Ave, its got a dedicated bike lane in the middle of the street.

[KLizotte]

In that case, there is a lot of “regular clothes on bikes” folks around Dupont, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Georgetown, and Capitol Hill. We’ll never be NYC but at least we don’t have the funny street smell that NY produces in the summer.

[NicDiesel]

@lordofthemark 55401 wrote:

The latter part is urban, and not bad, but hardly up to hipster Brooklyn standards.

You’re really not going to find that here. Maybe on H Street but that’s it. One of the primary reasons for my leaving for the Twin Cities.

[lordofthemark]

@KLizotte 55412 wrote:

In that case, there is a lot of “regular clothes on bikes” folks around Dupont, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Georgetown, and Capitol Hill. We’ll never be NYC but at least we don’t have the funny street smell that NY produces in the summer.

Maybe it was the heavy rain the night before, or maybe it was just a Myrtle Avenue thing (lots of rose bushes along the way, and Fort Greene Park) but North Brooklyn smelt good for our walk.

[baiskeli]

This should do the trick. It’s kind of long though:

http://goo.gl/maps/vB7Rf

[ShawnoftheDread]

@baiskeli 55527 wrote:

This should do the trick. It’s kind of long though:

http://goo.gl/maps/vB7Rf

That’s a heck of a detour at Havre de Grace. You could probably save yourself an hour by taking the lane on Pulaski Hwy.

[Author]

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