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If you’re anything like the average American, by the time that Friday rolls around, you are going to have to work off a few holiday pounds. Never fear, Brownstoner Queens come to the rescue with a recipe for edgy adventure in Western Queens.

Your first stop is Queens Plaza. That’s where you’ll find the combined pedestrian and bicycle lanes for the Queensboro Bridge, at the intersection of Crescent Street and Queens Plaza North. Personally, I’m a walker, but you this path works for bikes too. You’re going to want to cross the bridge, heading for Manhattan. One thing to keep in mind is how early the sun sets this time of year – which is around 4:30 in the afternoon this week.

More after the jump…

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On the Manhattan side of the bridge, your first thought will of course be, “Why did I ever leave Queens?” but you want to find the Roosevelt Island Tram Station, on the west side of 2nd Avenue between 59th and 60th Streets. The Tram accepts MetroCards only, and will cost you the same thing as a subway or bus ride. The view from up there is spectacular and it’s a short trip onto Roosevelt Island. You’ll be treated to incredible East River vistas on the island, while heading north towards the Roosevelt Island Bridge.

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Crossing the Roosevelt Island Bridge over the East River, past the Big Allis power Plant, you’ll find yourself on the corner of Vernon Boulevard and 36th Avenue. Head to the south, towards the Queensboro Bridge and the NYCHA Queensbridge House. It’s industrial for a few blocks but then the trees start to thicken up a bit as you move south.

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Check out Queensbridge Park next, which offers not just a public bathroom that is usually open, but spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline and Queensboro Bridge abound.

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Speaking of views, the spectacular Gantry Plaza State Park is not to be dismissed, and it begins at Anable Basin nearby 46th Road. There’s another waterfront park that it bumps into at Borden Avenue, the still under construction Hunters Point South Park nearby the East River Ferry stop.

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At sunset, or just after, find your way to the Pulaski Bridge over Newtown Creek at the currently undefended border of Brooklyn and Queens for a spectacular view of the New York City skyline. You’ll have earned that holiday meal after this walk, or bike ride, along the edges of Queens.

Newtown Creek Alliance Historian Mitch Waxman lives in Astoria and blogs at Newtown Pentacle.


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