This is part of a 30-day series exploring adventurous living near Rockaway Beach, Queens. 

29th Day in Rockaway: Biking Shore Parkway

Last week I covered how and why to check out the Jamaica Bay Greenway, a 19-mile protected Greenway that circles Jamaica Bay. The Brooklyn section of the Jamaica Bay Greenway is actually on Shore Parkway, a protected "lane" that runs from Howard Beach all the way to Sunset Park along the edge of Brooklyn (with some exceptions - see map around Coney Island). 

Like the Jamaica Bay Greenway in general, Shore Parkway is a double edged sword - much of it is right up against the Belt Parkway which means exhaust and horns. Yet, there's a protected bike/walk lane along the majority of the Southern edge of Brooklyn which is an amazing opportunity to explore the borough safely. There are spots of reprieve like Plum Beach, Coney Island and even this break in the view for kayaking I found:

Nevertheless, if you're sick of riding up the Hudson River Greenway, Shore Parkway offers a great change of place and new nooks and crannies of our city to explore.

By Sarah Knapp as part of the series 30 Days in the Rockaways