Biking in Central Park

New York is just too dangerous for bikers nowadays considering that this is the city that never sleeps and there is always a possibility of getting bumped by drivers who are in a hurry to get to their destinations on time. But there is one place that will give you the freedom to smell the trees and enjoy the sceneries right at the heart of the city—Central Park!

This is the perfect place for those who want to experience the culture of New York in an hour or two. If you are crazy about movies then all the more reason for you to join our biking tours at Central Park. Aside from miles and miles of safe paths for bikers, Central Park offers you the perfect opportunity to experience firsthand the various locations where your favorite movies have been filmed.

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced biker, you will surely enjoy the company of our Biking Tour guides who will show you around the Park and share some movie secrets along the way. This is in fact the perfect way to exercise those muscles and discover the secrets of Central Park at the same time.

Central Park holds a lot of surprises for bikers who may want to circle the full 6.1 miles, the more doable 5.2 miles or settle for the short 1.7 mile bike ride. There are however rules when it comes to biking at the Park and you can rely on our guide to brief you on that before you start your tour.

Whether you are a local looking for a more exciting way to exercise those tired muscles, or a visitor who only has an hour or two to get to know Central Park, we have the perfect solution for you through our Biking Tours. We can show you around and get your adrenaline up in more ways than one, by showing you the exact places at the Park where your favorite movies have been filmed.

The Bandshell at 72nd Street is a favorite attraction for those who want a little bit of history. For one, it used to be the site for one of the speeches of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and the same site where he, along with 1,100 people, started an anti-Vietnam War march sometime in 1967. It was also the site from where a eulogy for John Lennon, who was shot dead in the nearby Dakota Apartments, was made. 

This landmark has provided the perfect venue for many performances at the Park but it has become more popular as a backdrop and location for many movies including the 1961 romantic-comedy “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” which stars George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn. It is also the venue of some scenes in the drama “August Rush”, particularly the Philharmonic concerts where Lyla Novacek played by Keri Russell plays the cello. If you’ve been watching the right movies, then you will also recognize the Bandshell as the location for Hair, The Visitor and Kramer vs. Kramer.

Fans of Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Mighty Aphrodite” will surely feel excited seeing the Bandshell in person knowing that it was the same place where Lenny Weinrib played by Allen, sets up a date between Linda Ash played by Mira Sorvino and Kevin played by Michael Rapaport. The Naumburg Bandshell was built in 1862 as a music arena for classical music but today, it has become the perfect venue for many pop concerts.

The six-acre Conservatory Garden can only be accessed through the Vanderbilt Gate but you won’t regret the little effort you need to pass through the wrought iron gate since the Garden is not only an aesthetic wonder but is also the location of many remarkable movies including Stuart Little. Remember the little mouse who becomes an adopted member of a New York City family? The Model Boat Pond at the Garden is the exact location of Stuart’s exciting boat race with his friend Jonathan Lipnicki.

The spot where the Model Boat Pond is located, was supposedly designed as a greenhouse by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Olmstead, which changed the name to Coservatory Water. The site has become a popular venue not only among children but adults as well, when it comes to racing their model boats.

While you’re there, you should get photos of the two statues along the area including that of Hans Christian Andersen, popular for children’s books like Thumbelina and The Little Mermaid, and that of Alice in Wonderland complete with the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter. And while you’re at it, why not check if the Mad Hatter’s face looks like Dell Publishing founder George T. Delacorte?

The movie “13 going on 30” also had some scenes taken at the Conservatory Water. The romantic comedy, which stars Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner, narrates the story of a 13-year old girl who by a speck of magic, suddenly turns 30. In the movie, Jenna which is played by Garner, is shown skipping at Central Park. 

The Boathouse Café is another favorite movie location and if your eyes are as sharp as ours, then you will remember the Café as the setting for many scenes in the movie “When Harry Met Sally”. The romantic comedy movie which stars Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal shows the Café or the Loeb Boathouse in many scenes including one where Sally played by Ryan was eating lunch with her friends. 

The Boathouse has been earmarked as a favorite movie location because it is indeed very picturesque especially when the sun sets. It was originally built in 1874 but was rebuilt and improved in 1954 thanks to a donation from Carl Loeb. An episode of the television series “Sex and the City” was also filmed at the Boathouse with no less than Carrie Bradshaw played by Sarah Jessica Parker stopping by the restaurant. The movie “27 Dresses” which stars Katherine Heigl, also featured the Boathouse particularly the part where she has to do food-tasting.

There are just too many movies filmed on location in various parts of Central Park that you will never run out of stories to tell when you get back from your Central Park Biking Tour. If there is one thing you should not fail to bring with you when you go on a Biking Tour at Central Park, then it would be a sharp memory so you won’t miss your favorite movie sites along the way.