Grab your shorts and sunnies: it’s springtime in NYC party people! Hooray for nice weather! I absolutely love the spring season in NYC. There’s so much to do. From quenching your thirst at a bar with an outdoor patio; to brunching on the sidewalks; to walking the highline, there’s an endless list of activities worth trying. Yesterday, Ben and I took advantage of the 65 degree sunshine by jumping on some Citi Bikes. I’ve noticed the stations all over the city, but I’ve always questioned to myself : “Do people ACTUALLY use these things??” Well, the answer is yes. Once I hopped on and started moving, I noticed TONS of people on them, which was pretty encouraging. 

Here’s how it works: If you do the day pass for $12, you get unlimited 30 minute rides over a 24-hour period. So, you have 30 minutes to get from one Citi Bike station to another or face a fine. You have to wait 2 minutes before unlocking another bike at the next station you arrive at. Citibike is a lot of fun, but it can be incredibly tricky and stressful. For instance, when we arrived at one station in DUMBO, there was only one open slot. Ben parked his bike and I had 5 minutes left on the timer to make it to another station, which luckily had ONE spot left. I was literally speeding as fast as I could on stone streets (which was PAINFUL), but I somehow managed to make it there. Also,  keep in mind that as a rider, you must obey local traffic laws and you can’t ride on the sidewalks. That means you have to ride in the bike lanes, which are in the streets and occasionally will fall between two car lanes. #stressful

Ben and I decided to bike across the Brooklyn Bridge and spend some time by the waterfront in DUMBO. There was a Citi Bike station right across from the bike/pedestrian walk way, so we hopped on there and dropped them off shortly after getting over the bridge at the Cadman Plaza East. Then we headed down to the waterfront where we ended up eating lunch and hanging out in the sun. We eventually headed back over the bridge and made our way back up to Ben’s neighborhood, stopping at various bike stations along the way.

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If you’re looking for an active way to spend a sunny afternoon, give Citi Bikes a shot! Riding over the Brooklyn bridge was a challenge because tourists LOVE to walk in the bike lane, but fear not. Each bike has a bell (make sure you test it beforehand to make sure it’s working), so you can sound the alarm at each and every tourist in your path. I was super aggressive with the bell, lol! Anyone that so much as stepped over the white line was getting a “ding”. #sorrynotsorry. Ride on, my fellow New Yorkers!