Before Work, Ride the Open-Air Arc
Plan a two to three hour ride with a relaxed pace, linking open paths, a historic airfield, and waterfront scenery. It suits confident cyclists and rewards an early start before heat builds across the route.
Three surfaces, one long ride
Start beneath the arch
Grand Army Plaza gives the opening miles a civic threshold, with the Soldiers and Sailors Arch marking the approach to Prospect Park. Cyclists, families, and market shoppers share the elliptical space, so the first pause works best as a visual reset before entering the park roads. The fountain can spray when wind shifts, and the plaza is open daily from 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM, useful when your departure time depends on daylight.
Cross a historic airfield
Camp Gateway changes the ride from city park to historic airfield, with the former naval station opening onto grassland, saltmarsh, and runway edges. The grounds support biking and birding, while the visitor center and Hangar B add a practical pause for history-minded riders. Plan this leg around the season, because camping operates from April through October, and the site closes its overnight check-out window at 10:00 AM.
Finish beside working water
The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway supplies the finish, trading runway scale for a multi-use shoreline path through the working waterfront. Its pedestrian and cycling design makes the last miles easy to share, with Gowanus and Red Hook scenery carrying the route toward a slower finish. There is no single venue gate to plan around, so the path is explicitly designed for both cyclists and pedestrians, a key cue for passing etiquette.
