Today I hopped on Arielle with no particular direction in mind. After wandering down a street near the Botanical Gardens, I found myself entering an expressway: No sign indicated I was pedaling in its direction. I couldn't very well turn around, so I channeled my adrenaline, remaining testoserone (if indeed I still have any), and all of the aggression I could muster from thinking about the boyfriend who cost me a job and the girlfriend who cost me my sanity (well, sort of) to high-tail it to the next exit, which got me onto a street I'd never heard of before. But, I figured, that was better than the world hearing about a cyclist who's a direct descendant of Christopher Columbus and inherited his navigational skills.
About half an hour later, I found myself pedaling up and down hills in Westchester County. I didn't mind; in fact, I was enjoying the challenge, which I needed. The day was perfectly clear but warmed up quickly, though not oppressively so.
In my effort to avoid that same wrong turn, I headed back in the direction of the Throgs Neck Bridge. There's no way to walk or cycle across it, but there's a rather nice (though often crowded) next to it. Plus, I know my way home, more or less, from there.
The plan worked until I had to detour around a street that was torn open. I then found myself wandering, and coming to a place I seem to encounter only by accident: Westchester Square in the Bronx. In fact, I've never cycled to the neighborhood intentionally, although I never regretted finding myself there. From what I've seen--and what Forgotten New York says--it seems like quite an interesting area. It's one of the most architecturally varied parts of the city, with everything from churches and cemetery structures built early 19th Century to saltbox houses and Art Deco-inspired apartment buildings. Also, the shopping area and it's odd to find streets with names like "Mayflower" anywhere in the Big Apple.
I didn't bring my camera with me, but here's a streetscape from Forgotten New York:
Given that I seem to end up in the neighborhood only by accident, I wonder whether I'd get there if I set out for it on my bike!
About half an hour later, I found myself pedaling up and down hills in Westchester County. I didn't mind; in fact, I was enjoying the challenge, which I needed. The day was perfectly clear but warmed up quickly, though not oppressively so.
In my effort to avoid that same wrong turn, I headed back in the direction of the Throgs Neck Bridge. There's no way to walk or cycle across it, but there's a rather nice (though often crowded) next to it. Plus, I know my way home, more or less, from there.
The plan worked until I had to detour around a street that was torn open. I then found myself wandering, and coming to a place I seem to encounter only by accident: Westchester Square in the Bronx. In fact, I've never cycled to the neighborhood intentionally, although I never regretted finding myself there. From what I've seen--and what Forgotten New York says--it seems like quite an interesting area. It's one of the most architecturally varied parts of the city, with everything from churches and cemetery structures built early 19th Century to saltbox houses and Art Deco-inspired apartment buildings. Also, the shopping area and it's odd to find streets with names like "Mayflower" anywhere in the Big Apple.
I didn't bring my camera with me, but here's a streetscape from Forgotten New York:
Given that I seem to end up in the neighborhood only by accident, I wonder whether I'd get there if I set out for it on my bike!
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