PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond

(Sayanora Manhattan – Queens by all means! 59th St bridge!)

Our host and guide of the bicycle tour was foldup bicycle experts – NYCe Wheels on East 58th Street/1st Ave! The weapons of choice for the bike ride is arguably the most well built & diminuitive foldup bicycle setup in existence today – Made 100% in London,England – The Brompton! They’ve been around since 1975 ! I’ve been enjoying my Dahon (Taiwanese) foldup bicycle since 2003 amongst the NYC streets, NJ bike paths, & bike tours like the 5 Borough Bike Ride and the Tour De Bronx but last year I had the itch for the Brit! I picked up my first Brompton 6 speed 1.5 years ago and I’m enjoying it more and more as I discover its nuances and personality everytime I take it out for a spin. If you’re remotely interested in the culture & functionality of foldup bicycles, the folks at NYCe Wheels are a great resource to go to.

(Gathering the crew and making sure the bikes are a go at NYCE Wheels)

(This is my little foldup Brit for the day! A 2 speed Brompton wishing I had more gears but it will suffice!)

Before all the bicycling would commence, we would fuel up our zombie hardbodies with some snacks. Since it’s a British Invasion theme, we stopped at Myers of Keswick, a traditional British Grocery store in NYC since 1985 ! Lots of scrumptious looking english goodies including savory pies like the steak & ale,pork pie,scotch eggs,lamb curry pie, & shepherds pie don the refrigerated case! We got the pork pie and it was as homemade and country as England can get! Myers of Keswick is a neat timewarp of a grocery store with the old wooden fridge with beverages in the back and old school butcher shop cabinets from a bygone era. This English bodega must bring a lot of homesick British ex-pats a lot of smiles and comforts from back home! I must try those bangers(sausages) at Myers of Keswick next time!

(savory english pies of all kinds! Steak & Ale,Curried Lamb)

(Time warp – wooden fridge with beverages!)

Myers of Keswick
634 Hudson Street (between Horatio and Jane St.)
New York NY 10014

(Getting closer – Power Plant stacks, you’re on my sights!)

(We make it over and wait for a few that are struggling – younger kid was throwing up)

(We march on forward – Roosevelt Island is on our minds but first have to troll past Queensbridge & Long Island City!)

(the Roosevelt Island Bridge in sight!)

(while cycling on the Roosevelt Island bridge, I glance at 59th Street bridge to my left)

(Powerplant)

(The Octagon Building at Roosevelt Island)

(cycling towards the lighthouse)

(Triboro Bridge in the distant background)

(cycling on the other side of Roosevelt island facing Manhattan)

(The Roosevelt Island Tram station)

(once a Small Pox hospital – now just ruins and off limits. Structure is unstable)

(maybe we should take the Tram back and save the muscle burn?!)

(Maybe not, let’s back track – Roosevelt island Bridge back to Queens)