Brooklyn’s waterfront neighborhoods are gorgeous, but exploring them can be a pain – you can either take the East River Ferry and miss all the charming street scenes, or take a grueling walking tour while the beardy denizens slouch along their Bataan Bar March.
Go behind-the-handlebars instead with Get Up and Ride, Brooklyn’s first-ever, just-launched dedicated bike touring company that offers guided treks of the borough’s colorful waterfront neighborhoods.
To get pedaling, simply register online. GUAR meets at Williamsburg’s McCarren Park and provides bike, helmet, even a bottle of water – you just show up and ride.
GUAR’s eye-poppingly new euro-style bikes are designed for comfortable city riding, with cushy, butt-friendly leather seats, a rear basket for gear, and a handy bell to provide cheery ripostes to churlish bike messengers.
Leading the charge: a cheery, crazy-knowledgeable guide who reveals historical sites and points of local interest, as you cruise south from the Faber Pencil factory of Greenpoint to the former Admiral’s mansion at Brooklyn Navy Yard.
A mid-ride pit-stop at the DeKalb Market offers a chance to re-fuel before heading to the panoramic views of Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO art district. A ferry shuttles riders from the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge back to Williamsburg on the East River.
Ample opportunity to admire how much ground you covered.
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