Juan Monroy

Needing a bike ride and groceries, I rode from Long Island City to the Trader Joe’s in Rego Park. This is not a new ride for me, but my previous trips have been mostly via Metropolitan Avenue. Taking Metropolitan is no less than a nerve-wracking experience: cars zoom past you at 40 mph (less than a foot away from you), people opening their car doors without looking, and double-parked cars to circumnavigate. And there’s potholes!

Today, I took a route traveling on streets less busy than Metropolitan, such as Eliot Avenue and Juniper Valley Road. The route was a little less than seven miles, and it took me about 35 minutes at a pretty easy pace on my track bike.

Here’s the route:

If you do this ride, you’ll find that it’s not very picturesque. Most of it follows the industrial district that hugs the Newtown Creek. Once you’re past Grand Ave, you go through the neighborhoods and cemeteries of Middle Village. There are a lot of trees providing a nice shade.

The only part of the ride that is a little tough is the short stretch on Eliot Avenue that crosses through the Lutheran Cemetery, where the road is very narrow. Beyond that, the streets are wide enough to allow cars to speed past you without coming too close. The final stretch is on Metropolitan Avenue though St. John’s Cemetery. Unlike most of Metropolitan Avenue, the street here is pretty wide allowing some room for cars to pass you.

Once you arrive, there is a bike rack outside on the store along Trotting Course Lane. Lock up, and shop away!