Nelly Bly, the NYSD, and Waving Fields of... Corn?

Friday 7/28: Coney Island, Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Borough Park

Distance: 10.63 miles
Time: 1:30
Pace: 8:28
Temp: 79
Dewpoint: 71
Weather: warm & humid

click on image for interactive map

Unique Miles Today: 9.71
Total Unique Miles: 167.45
Percent of Brooklyn Run: 9.61

Route: I started at the Stillwell Avenue subway stop, headed north to Mermaid, west to 30th, north again to Neptune, and back east to Stillwell. Then I headed up to Avenue Z, went west and crossed over the Belt to Shore Parkway, then up to Bay Parkway to Cropsey to Bay 31st to Bath to Bay 32nd to Benson to Bay 31st again to 86th and back to Bay Parkway. Then northeast to 77th, west to 13th Avenue, north again to 66th, back east to 18th Avenue, up to 47th, east to Webster, and then around the block (Seton and 18th Avenue) and ending at the 18th Avenue F stop.

Notes: Geez, it's oppressive out there. Once again, I tried to spend at least a few miles of today's run near the water (Coney Island and Gravesend, specifically), but it didn't really make much difference. It was just awfully warm and muggy. Weather aside, though, the highlight today was running the section of Gravesend between the Belt Parkway and the water. There were several abandoned-looking parks, as well as yet another Sanitation Department garage (serving district 11 this time, and yes, that's three in the last week -- without even trying!). Across from the garage was a substantial NYSD facility right on the water (perhaps where they load garbage on barges? I'll have to look into it), and there was also the Nelly Bly Amusement Park, which was a modest little place apparently for children. The Caesar's Bay shopping center (with a Best Buy, Toys 'R' Us and an enormous parking lot) was down there, too, but the best part was probably the park at the foot of Bay Parkway, which had a fantastic view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Oh, and since I lived in Iowa for the last decade, I ought to mention the substantial patch of corn growing next to the dead-end part of W. 23rd Street on Coney Island. I'm sure there are small plots and gardens all over the borough (I've seen a few already), but this one kind of caught me off guard.

Anyway... tomorrow's moving day (yes, it's supposed to be 92 degrees), so I'm taking it off from running. I'm still tentatively planning another longer run on Sunday, but it's going to depend entirely on how I feel when I get up. Either way, I'll be resuming my "normal" running schedule on Tuesday -- only from Greenpoint instead of Park Slope. Some pictures from this morning's excursion:


W. 23rd Street


The promising Coney Island corn crop


A fellow runner taking in the view at Bensonhurst Park


Teaching an old bug new tricks on 66th Street