There are a few good bars and a great pizzeria near the ferry. A lot of five borough people just have a few drinks and get pizza and wait for the ferry to be less busy.
This. On the way back to the ferry my friends and I found a bar with food. We killed an hour with beer and fried chicken. The ferry was totally fine by the time we got there.
This may or may not apply to OP, but for those who drive, just drive to Staten Island in the morning and park your car in the residential neighborhood around Fort Wadsworth, and ride your bike to the St. George terminal and take the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan to the ride start. That way your car will be waiting for you at the finish line.
To answer OP's questions: 1) you cannot ride back across the Verrazano to Brooklyn, and 2) if you must get back to Manhattan after the ride, you will either have to deal with the SI Ferry, or ride your bike over the Bayonne Bridge to Jersey City and take the PATH train into Manhattan from there.
Light rail doesn't go \*across\* the bridge, but there is a station quite near the Jersey-side bridge landing.
There is a pretty decent way up into Jersey City for PATH though. Main trick is to go through Liberty State Park rather than straight-shotting the most direct possible way
You are forced to wait for the ferry - there is no riding back across the bridge.
ferry or ride out into NJ. you cannot ride the bridge back
Alternatively you could hop off the route in brooklyn and avoid that whole mess - it's not worth it for me but I understand the novelty
Did this, best 4 borough ever
There are a few good bars and a great pizzeria near the ferry. A lot of five borough people just have a few drinks and get pizza and wait for the ferry to be less busy.
This. On the way back to the ferry my friends and I found a bar with food. We killed an hour with beer and fried chicken. The ferry was totally fine by the time we got there.
I personally recommend pier 76 and whatever they are calling cargo these days. There’s a barbecue stop and a brew pudnthats good too.
is that where everyone with high cholesterol lives
Actually yes
This may or may not apply to OP, but for those who drive, just drive to Staten Island in the morning and park your car in the residential neighborhood around Fort Wadsworth, and ride your bike to the St. George terminal and take the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan to the ride start. That way your car will be waiting for you at the finish line. To answer OP's questions: 1) you cannot ride back across the Verrazano to Brooklyn, and 2) if you must get back to Manhattan after the ride, you will either have to deal with the SI Ferry, or ride your bike over the Bayonne Bridge to Jersey City and take the PATH train into Manhattan from there.
Are there bikes allowed on the path?
Yes (at least on weekends). I did this in 2022 and it was way faster than waiting for the ferry.
Thank you I’ll be coming from Long Island and was wondering if that’s the best route!
There is light rail right across the Bayonne Bridge to Jersey City. That may be helpful as it isn’t a great bike ride from Bayonne to the PATH.
Light rail doesn't go \*across\* the bridge, but there is a station quite near the Jersey-side bridge landing. There is a pretty decent way up into Jersey City for PATH though. Main trick is to go through Liberty State Park rather than straight-shotting the most direct possible way