12 good reasons to visit Bay Ridge on foot

As promised in the title, here are the 12 good reasons to visit Bay Ridge on foot, presented in a random order:

1: The Pier (or the American Veterans Memorial Pier or the 69th St. Pier) where the ferry arrives: concrete, benches, people sitting around tables, others fishing, a glorious sculpture at the entrance and in the distance, the buildings of Manhattan. There is an air of vacation, of calm, of detachment. You are far from the city but close all the same.

2: The Narrows Botanical Garden to the right of the pier once you have passed under the Belt Parkway Bridge: depending on the time, it will be under construction by some of its volunteers or in bloom and full of little discoveries. It is always a friendly and pleasant place to reach Shore Road.

3: Shore Road and its villas from the turn of the century when the Belt Parkway did not yet exist and the affluent inhabitants of Manhattan came here to spend summers by the sea. If you prefer jogging or biking, Shore Road Promenade is a good option too, with the added benefit of salt air. If you are in love, bring a lock to put on the overpass near the Old Glory Lookout (unless it's forbidden, of course!).

4: In the distance, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge which it would be good to go and see more closely but which is often too far for this to be reasonable. You can see it from almost everywhere in town but when the fog creeps in below it and the cargos start to use their foghorn, it seems to be an even more reassuring presence.

5: The stairs of 74th St. and 76th St. which can make you think you are in Paris 'Montmartre. Those on 76th St. are a bit more aristocratic like some of the villas on the street but it doesn't mean you'll prefer them.

6: The calm of the residential streets and the variety of houses that one finds there; it seems that it would be good to live in them if the occasion allowed it.

7: The three main thoroughfares, 3rd, 4th and 5th Ave where you will find entertainment and restaurants at unbeatable value for money, a reason in itself to go to Bay Ridge if you don't live in the neighborhood.

8: Senator Street Historic District and its 40 identical brownstones with their stone lions' heads at the top of the railings.

9: The large park of Owls Head, a green oasis where you can think of being in the countryside with gentle hills and peaceful trails, yet are rewarded with superb views of the Manhattan skyline.

10: The beautiful "Gingerbread House" at 8220 Narrows Ave, a bit far from the rest but a sight not to be missed if you are around. You'll see what it is to live in a fairy tale house, even though it cannot be visited.

11: The Visitation Academy which may very well be on your way to the Gingerbread House. It's a Private Catholic School for Girls and you cannot visit it either, but its huge park behind impassable walls and severe yet impressive buildings in front of it speak of another era when education was supposed to be strict and girls had to always pretend to be well behaved. Yet it's still there (and it could be and could have been far different from what imagination tells you but does it matter when you are just visiting?)

12: The ferry ride from Manhattan, a occasion for a 40 minutes mini-cruise at at the price of a metro ticket, an unbelievable value! You'll see the Statue of Liberty behind trees, Governors Island, strange docks and the Manhattan and Jersey shores skylines. Then, when you arrive, take the Walk in NYC # 16: the Quiet Bay Ridge, a 90 minute self-guided tour to visit Bay Ridge with a detailed itinerary on a map. It will suggest a trail with photos and explanations of what you'll see on your way if what's above is not enough.

Enjoy!

Dominique is the creator of newyork.citywalks.space, 18 self-guided tours to discover the city on foot, on and off the beaten track.