Suburban Stairs and Other Delights
Thursday 8/10: Bay RidgeDistance: 8.60 miles
Time: 1:10
Pace: 8:08
Temp: 73
Dewpoint: 63
Weather: partly cloudy
click on image for interactive map
Unique Miles Today: 7.78
Total Unique Miles: 227.28
Percent of Brooklyn Run: 13.04
Route: I started at 95th and 4th Avenue, ran down to Shore Road and then followed Shore up to Narrows Avenue, passing through the grounds of Fort Hamilton High School (including the semi-circular drive out front) and up to Owls Head Park. I then headed west, around the park on Shore Road and then headed back south on Colonial Road. I took Colonial to Marine, over to Ridge Boulevard, north to 67th Street, west back to Colonial, up a block to Wakeman, down Sedgwick and back up Bergen and back to 67th, at which point I ran east to 4th Avenue, down to Bay Ridge Parkway, over to 3rd Avenue, then north back to 67th.
Notes: After the visual feast in Brownsville and Bushwick yesterday, I decided to go to the opposite end of the borough for today's run. The parts of Bay Ridge I covered were nice enough -- a lot of beautiful old apartment buildings near Shore Road, and a lot of attractive though very suburban-looking homes on the other streets -- but, as with my run in Sheepshead Bay a couple of days ago, there just wasn't a whole lot of things that jumped out at me and demanded photographic representation.
One pleasant (though not particularly photogenic) surprise was the staircases connecting the dead-end portions of 74th and 76th Streets between Colonial Road and Ridge Boulevard. The two portions of these streets are at different elevations, but although car traffic can't continue, broad, landscaped staircases connect the two sides for pedestrians. They weren't on my map (which shows both streets as continuous), but naturally, I had to go up and down both sets. I don't know how much use they get, but as a compulsive pedestrian, I applaud their mere existence!
Today's photographic installment:
Fort Hamilton Park
Bay Ridge Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
Off of Colonial Road
Corner of Bay Ridge and 3rd Avenues
posted by Gary @ 11:04 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Oh, finding those staircases is exciting!
I agree... I love that stuff! Are there a lot in Berkeley?
One of those staircases in on my street! I am in love with them -- and they are used a lot by teenagers who need to escape their parents.
Plus, that hill gets tedious sometimes.
FR,
Who maintains the staircases? They seem to be very well-tended. Are there others in the neighborhood besides the two I encountered?
The greenery on the 74th St staircase is part of the Greenstreet program, so it's the city's baby. I think the land around the staircase on 76th is privately owned and maintained.
As for the actual stairs themselves, I have no idea.
I don't think there are any other staircases around here.
You did put up a picture of my favorite sign! As a compulsive pedestrian myself, I encountered that sign within 24 hours of moving here and had a good laugh.
Btw, I love the phrase "compulsive pedestrian."
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