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No other bike route is as scenic as the Hudson River Greenway. Separated from motor traffic, the it’s the most popular bikeway in the United States. The bike and walking path runs 13 miles from northern Manhattan to the island’s southern tip, passing some of the city’s most famous attractions.

 

Using CitiBike, New York’s massive bike share program, start from your home base in Midtown and head south through Chelsea, Meatpacking, Tribeca and the Financial District. Here’s what to see and do while biking the Hudson River.

 

Rent a CitiBike for the day ($9.95 for a 24-Hour Access Pass) at the Broadway and W. 55th St. station, and start biking over to the Hudson.

 

Midtown: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Stop on 46th Street at legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, The National Historic Landmark served tours of duty in World War II and the Vietnam War, and is now a museum housing historic airplanes and a submarine. Be sure to see StationLIFE, the museum’s newest addition developed by NASA to showcase the science, technology and human experience of the International Space Station.

 

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: $33 admission; W. 46th St. at 12th Ave., 212-245-0072

Nearest CitiBike station: W. 46th St. and 11th Ave.

 

Chelsea: The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers

NYC’s premier golf destination since 1995, The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers has made cameo appearances in movies like You’ve Got Mail and Serendipity. Set on the scenic Hudson River, it lets visitors drive, chip and putt on a multi-story range with a 200-yard fairway, full-service golf academy and full-swing simulators. Visit the golf club website for more information on rates and club rentals.

 

The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers: 59 Chelsea Piers, 212-336-6400

Nearest CitiBike station: W. 20th St. and 11th Ave.

 

Meatpacking: Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney is New York’s preeminent museum for American art, with a groundbreaking new home in Meatpacking, between the Hudson and the High Line. Must-see May exhibits include Steve McQueen’s Open Plan (closes May 14). The largest column-free museum exhibition space in New York, the 18,200-square-foot gallery has views east into Manhattan and west to the Hudson. If you can’t make it, be sure to see Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney’s Collection—more than 200 works showcasing portraiture from the early 1900s until today. 

 

Whitney Museum of American Art: $22 admission; 99 Gansevoort St., 212-570-3600

Nearest CitiBike station: Washington St. and Gansevoort St.

 

Tribeca: Grand Banks

Winding your way further south, stop for a drink at Grand Banks, a riverside oyster bar on the wooden schooner Sherman Zwicker. Drawing inspiration from the historic oyster barges that lined manhattan’s waterfront in the 18th and 19th centuries, Grand Banks serves sustainably-harvested oysters, nautical-themed cocktails (like the Jamaican rum-fueled Mariner, with freshly-squeezed grapefruit and lemon) and Hudson River views. Bon Appétit said it best: “There’s no better way to start the weekend than oysters and rosé at Grand Banks.”

 

Grand Banks: Pier 25, Hudson River Park

Nearest CitiBike station: Greenwich St. and N. Moore St.

 

Financial District: Brookfield Place

End your ride at Brookfield Place, a luxury shopping, dining and entertainment complex grand enough to warrant its own zip code (10281). César Pelli designed the complex in the ’80s, and a top to bottom renovation in 2014 has brought renewed energy. Hudson Eats, a new food hall, has outposts of popular local vendors including Black Seed for hand-rolled bagels, Mighty Quinn’s for barbecue and Num-Pang for Cambodian-inspired sandwiches. Brookfield Place also has fashion brands like Bottega Veneta and Ferragamo.

 

Brookfield Place: 230 Vesey St., 212-978-1698

Nearest CitiBike station: South End Ave. and Liberty St.