BROOKLYNQUEENS
LIRR
F
D
F
N
BQ
Q B
BQ
FDN
Q
D
N
52
52
3
L
L
S
SA
A
A
A
1.1 mi
3 m
i
1.8
mi
1.2 mi
3.8 mi
2.5 mi
3.9 mi
1.7 mi
3.8 mi
3.8 mi
1.3 mi
2.4 mi
5 mi to Prosp
ect Park
2.5 mi
P105H109
E106
H110
P107
P100B100
E107
E101
E100
F102
E108
P102
H104
HowardBeach
Brookville
Springfield Gardens
JFK Airport
Broad Channel
Coney Island
EastNew York
BreezyPoint
Mill Basin
RockawayPark
Canarsie
Sheepshead Bay
Marine Park
BoroughPark
DykerHieghts
Midwood
Bergen Beach
Gravesend
Bensonhurst
Brighton Beach
Manhattan Beach
Flatbush
EastFlatbush
BathBeach
Brownsville
GerritsenBeach
Ocean Parkway
Homecrest
Flatlands
Georgetown
Mill Island
PaerdegatBasin
StarrettCity
SpringCreek
Neponsit
Seaside Arverne
Somerville
EdgemereFarRockaway
Kensington
BoroughPark
BelleHarbor
1. Floyd Bennett Field
8. Canarsie
Pier
7. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
6. Rockaway Beach
EdgemerePark
Michaelis-BayswaterPark
AviatorSports
Breezy Point
5. Jacob Riis Park
Jamaica Bay Park
Firehouse 59
3. Plumb Beach
6. Rockaway Beach
4. Fort Tilden
2. Marine Park
McGuireFields Park
CanarsieBeach Park
Penn and FountainRestoration Sites
Fresh Creek Nature Preserve
Spring CreekPark
Salt Marsh Nature Center
Paerdegat BasinPark Preserve
AqueductRacetrack
WashingtonCemetery
CanarsieCemetery
BrooklynSportsClub
Holy CrossCemetery
Dubos Point
Crossb
ay Blvd.
Beach Channel Dr.
Shorefront Pkwy
Flatbush Ave.
Beach 73 St.
Bedford
Ave.
Ocean Pkw
y
Neptune Ave.
Emmons Ave.
Rockaway Pkw
y
7th Ave.
Rockaway Point Blvd.
Rockaway Beach Blvd.
Erskine St.
84th St.
80th St.
102nd St.
Flatlands Ave.
56st St.
92nd St.
91st St.
Pennsylvania Ave.
Beach Channel
Gerritsen Ave.
Seaview Ave.
Avenue 1
Clarendon Rd.
Avenue H
Beach 108 St.
Avenue UAvenue T
Fillmore
108th St.
Farragut
Schenck
157th Ave.
Use East sidewalk
Use West Sidewalk
Rockaway Point Blvd. is the suggested route through Breezy Point
Rockaway Beach Boardwalk Boardwalk is closed due to damage sustained during Hurricane Sandy. Between Beach 108th Street and Beach 73rd Street use temporary bicycle pedestrian route on Shorefront Parkway. Be careful traveling on local streets. Please check for updates at nyc.gov/parks
Shore Parkway GreenwayGreenway temporarily not ridable due to a beach replenishment project. Riders must walk bikes on the beach.
Riis Landing Ferry Service is temporarily closed due to damage during Hurricane Sandy. Temporary Ferry Service is provided at Beach 108th st. New York Beach Ferry service varies seasonally. For schedules and additional info visit: seastreakusa.com or call 1-800-262-8743.
RiisLanding
Ride sections and distances are indicated on the map by flag poles located at greenway access points and points of interest.
3.9 mi
Fishing is subject to New York State Regulation. Permits and licenses can be obtained through the National Park Service and other issuing agents. More info at: www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit or call (718)338-3799.
Boating and Kayaking launch permits can be obtained through NPS for GNRA launch sites or NYC Parks and Recreation for City Park launch sites. For boating rules, regulations, and safety tips: nycgovparks.org/rules
Swimming is popular at Jacob Riis Park and Rockaway Beach. However, because of powerful rip currents and changing life guard stations, swimming with extreme cau-tion is advised. For more information on swimming condi-tions please contact NYC 311.
The Brooklyn Waterfront Epic ride is an annual 40-mile summer bike tour around the entire Brooklyn waterfront and on to the Rockaways. The ride illustrates the vision of a completed waterfront greenway, and partici-pants experience the amazing and interesting waterfront vistas and neighborhoods of the Jamaica Bay and Brooklyn Waterfront greenways. For more information about the next Epic Ride visit brooklyngreenway.org.
Use the RockSpot Tour to learn more about sites throughout the Rockaways on your phone, or on the web:
➜ CALL: While on a tour, dial (347)422-7952 and enter the RockSpot site code, (e.g., H109) to hear audio de-scriptions for each site.
➜ TEXT: Text the 4 digits site code to (815)714-8937 and receive text descriptions on your mobile phone device.
➜ WEB: rockspotnyc.org
Restrooms
Rockspot Site
Bike Shop (Black)Bike Rentals (Grey)
Subway Stop
Kayak Launch Site(Grey indicates a Launch with Rental)
Bicycle Lane: An on-street striped route
Shared Lane: An on-street marked route
Ferry Landing
Protected Bike Path
P100
Subway Terminal
Rides Distance Marker
Proposed FutureBicycle Routes
Jamaica BayGreenway Routes(Grey indicates temporarily closed routes)
BrooklynBike Routes
2
c
Post-Hurricane Sandy Edition
Jamaica Bay Greenway
A User’s Guide to the
History Directory
About
Attractions
The Jamaica Bay Greenway Coalition is a partner-ship of local and citywide organizations committed to improving and expanding the 19-mile Jamaica Bay Greenway and all the connecting trail net-works. The coalition promotes use of the greenway amongst residents near Jamaica Bay by encourag-ing people to enjoy this unique resource and the 10,000 acres of parkland it connects. The coalition receives technical support from agencies and ex-perts to coordinate the planning, implementation, and programming of the Jamaica Bay Greenway. Regional Plan Association staffs the greenway coali-tion. For more information contact RPA’s Kyle Kozar at [email protected]. The 2013 User’s Guide to the Jamaica Bay Greenway was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Service.
AN EXTRAORDINARY PLACE!Jamaica Bay is a tidal estuary, one of the most pro-ductive ecosystems on the planet. For thousands of years, the bay’s shallow water and nutrient-rich tides and streams have provided food and shelter for fish and wildlife. This natural abundance con-tinues to attract millions of birds as they migrate north and south every spring and fall. Native American tribes, like the Canarsie, also prized the bay for fishing and hunting, and had settlements in the area. The first Europeans ar-rived in the mid-17th century when the Dutch West India Company settled Jamaica Bay. By the late 19th century the bay became a major seaport and its physical form was forever changed. Growing industry required the digging of broad channels. Dredge spoils were used to fill in marshes allow-ing the construction of docks and piers. The bay also became a place for disposing of the waste from the growing city, with refuse disposed of in landfills and sewage flowing into its waters. In the early 20th century, the bay took on a military iden-tity. Floyd Bennett Field and Fort Tilden served to protect New York City from naval attack during WWI and WWII.
By mid-century, Robert Moses established the bay as a major recreational destination and residential area, building the Marine Parkway and Cross Bay Bridges, the Belt Parkway, and destinations like Plumb Beach, Canarsie Pier, and Jacob Riis Park. In 1972 many of Moses’s parks and the former mili-tary bases became part of the National Park Ser-vice’s Gateway National Recreation Area, the first urban national park. The Jamaica Bay Greenway is a great way to experience the park and the bay’s unique ecology and history, the historical aircraft at Floyd Bennett Field to the world-reknowned birding at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Hurricane Sandy UpdateFollowing the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, coastal communities throughout the region are re-examining their relationship with the waterfront. City and fed-eral land managers are immersed in the rebuilding process, investigating the best solutions for protect-ing the recreational, cultural, and historic assets in Jamaica Bay and the livilihoods that depend on them. Recovery and rebuilding can also create better con-nections between the Jamaica Bay communities and the waterfront. Much of the Jamaica Bay Greenway remains in good working order and is still one of the best ways to experience the bay. But many connect-ing trails and routes, like the Rockaway Beach Board-walk and Shore Road pathway in Fort Tilden, will likely take on a new form. We encourage you to visit these vast natural landscapes and patronize the local businesses, which will help the local economy re-cover. This version of the User’s Guide to Jamaica Bay Greenway reflects many of the post-Sandy changes. For status updates on park facilities visit: nyc.gov/parks or nps.gov/gate.
1. Floyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field was originally Barren Island and the site of an early New York City garbage process-ing facility. In 1931 it was transformed into New York City’s first municipal airport and served as a major Naval-Air Station during WWII. The airport was decommissioned in favor of other larger airports that currently serve the city. As part of Gateway National Recreation Area, it is now one of New York’s larg-est public parks. The Field has become home to numerous outdoor activities including flying model airplanes, fishing, camping, hiking, cycling, bird watching, gardening, and golf at the Brooklyn Golf Center. Whether you marvel at the historic airplanes
and hangers or play a game of basketball at Aviator Sports recreation center, Floyd Bennett Field has it all. For info: nps.gov/fopo/planyourvisit/things2do.htm or call the visitors center (718) 338-3799.
2. Marine Park
As Brooklyn’s largest park (798 acres), Marine Park is very di-verse landscape consisting of grasslands and protected salt marshes. NYC Park rangers offer a number of educational activities from the Salt Marsh Nature Center or independent visitors can wander along the Gerritsen Creek Nature Trail to observe unique regional wildlife. The park boasts the City’s first all “green” community center and many amenities like a golf course, bocce courts, cricket fields, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, and a launch site for canoes and kayaks.
3. Plumb Beach
Plumb Beach was originally Plumb Island until Robert Moses used landfill to connect it to Brooklyn in 1940. Today Plumb Beach is home to endangered shore-birds and horseshoe crabs, and is a prime location for sunbathing, parasailing, windsurfing, or launching a kayak trip.
4. Fort Tilden
Established as a U.S. Army Coast Artillery Post in 1917, Fort Tilden was key in the protection of the New York Harbor during WWI & WWII. Today you can visit beautiful maritime forests or sand dunes, enjoy the great fishing and swimming beaches, or view the historic military installations. Fort Tilden suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy. Beaches, dunes and military installations are temporarily closed.
5. Jacob Riis Park
Created in 1912, Jacob Riis Park has had many lives. Originally a United States Naval Air Station in the 1920s, it became one of Robert Moses’s iconic beach-es. Today you can visit the boardwalk, have a bite to
eat, visit the historic bathhouse, or pass time playing basketball, tennis or playing golf on the 18-hole pitch and putt.
6. Rockaway Beach
Rockaway Beach extends from Beach 9th Street to Beach 149th Street on the Rockaway Peninsula. The beach contains the city’s only surfing area and is the ideal location for many summer time activities, including swimming, fishing, sunbathing, volleyball, basketball, and skating. The boardwalk received extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy and many sections no longer exist. However, the NYC Depart-ment of Parks and Recreation has created boardwalk “islands” built around the bathrooms and conces-sions areas. For more information visit: nyc.gov/parks.
7. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is one of the most significant bird sanctuaries in the Northeastern United States and one of the best places in New York City to observe migrating species, with more than 330 different species sighted over the last 25 years. Visitors can explore the refuge’s 9,155 acres of salt marsh, upland fields, woods, and fresh and brackish water ponds, all while bird watching and hiking the area’s many trails. Start at the Visitor Contact Station
for info on routes, activities, prime bird watching sites and tours, history and more. For more info on bird watching tours and Wildlife Refuge activities visit: www.nps.gov/gate or call (718) 318-4340.
8. Canarsie Pier
Due to extensive damage during Hurricane Sandy the historic Canarsie Pier is temporarily closed to the public. For the pier’s status visit nps.gov/gate.
Bike ShopsRoy’s Sheepshead Cycle2679 Coney Island Avenue Brooklyn, (718) 648-1440
Larry’s Cycle Shop1854 Flatbush Ave. Brooklyn, (718) 377-3600
Mini Mall430 Beach 129th St. Rockaway, (718) 945-6787
Paul Bicycle Shop163 Beach 116th St.Rockaway Park, (718) 318-2000
SurfingBoarders192 Beach 92nd St. Rockaway Beach, (718) 318-7997 boarderssurfshop.com
Rockaway Beach Surf Shop177 Beach 116th St. Rockaway, (718) 474-9345
New York Surf School(718) 496-3371 surflessonsnewyork101.com
Horseback Riding Jamaica Bay Riding Academy7000 Shore Parkway Brooklyn, (718) 531-8949 horse backride.com
GolfBrooklyn Golf Center3200 Flatbush Ave. Brooklyn, (718) 253-6816
ArtsRockaway Artist Alliance260 Beach 116th St. Rockaway Beach, (718) 474-0861 rockawayartistsalliance.org
Rockaway Theatre CompanyPost Theater building (T4) Fort Tilden, (718) 850-2450 rockawaytheatrecompany.org
Recreation CentersBrooklyn Sports Club1540 Van Siclen Ave.Brooklyn, (718) 642-2720BSC1.com
Aviator Sports and Events Center Floyd Bennett Field Brooklyn, (718) 758-7500 aviatorsports.com
Bergen Beach Youth Organization2335 Bergen Ave.Brooklyn, (718) 531-6600bbyosports.com
MarinasSmitty’s Fishing Station301 E. 9th Rd. Brooklyn, (718) 945-2642
Sunset Marina (Kayak Rentals) 64 W. 10th Road Broad Channel, (718) 474-3256 sunsetmarinabc.com
Sebago Canoe Club1400 Paerdegat Ave. North Brooklyn, (718) 241-3683 sebagocanoeclub.org
Marina 5959-14 Beach Channel Dr.Far Rockaway, (718) 945-4500marina59.com
CommunityFirehouse 59 / RWA58-03 Rockaway Beach Blvd. Rockaway, (718) 327-5919 rwalliance.org
Millennium Development2331 Bergen Ave.Brooklyn, (718) 444-0101milldev.org
United Community Centers613 New Lots Ave.Brooklyn, (718) 649-7979ucceny.org
Scuba Diving ToursJeanne II Scuba Tours(718) 332-9574 jeanne-ii.com
The Schooba [email protected] 164 Norman Ave. Room 1B Brooklyn, NY 11222 schooba.wordpress.com
Just some of the people who can help you enjoy the Bay.
Flickr: peterjr1961
Alexander Brash
Photo: NYC Parks & Recreation
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Friends of Penn and Fountain Parks, Inc.
