Moving to NYC

BigAppleBound wrote:

Hello, I'm moving to NYC and excited to explore a new running scene.

(1) Can you please suggest some running groups or clubs I should look into? I've got a 5k PR of 18:10 and HM of 1:28.

Front Runners are very friendly

(3) How is winter running in NYC? Do they plow the paths in CP and along the highway?

winter in NYC sucks. I wouldn't worry about the snow, it's the wind combined with cold temperature that will make you think twice before you go out for a run.

I lived in Alaska and running there in the winter is a lot easier.

NYC Dude wrote:

BigAppleBound wrote:

Hello, I'm moving to NYC and excited to explore a new running scene.

(1) Can you please suggest some running groups or clubs I should look into? I've got a 5k PR of 18:10 and HM of 1:28.

Front Runners are very friendly

(3) How is winter running in NYC? Do they plow the paths in CP and along the highway?

winter in NYC sucks. I wouldn't worry about the snow, it's the wind combined with cold temperature that will make you think twice before you go out for a run.

I lived in Alaska and running there in the winter is a lot easier.

I'm coming from Chicago and run outside year round under brutal conditions. It's my understanding that NYC winters are less severe than Chicago?

You are braver than I.

I wouldn't want to move to one of the most, if not THE most, heavily

targeted (By terrorists, malcontents and whackjobs-of-all-stripes) cities in the World.

I tip my hat to you.

You are braver than I.

BigAppleBound wrote:

NYC Dude wrote:

Front Runners are very friendly

winter in NYC sucks. I wouldn't worry about the snow, it's the wind combined with cold temperature that will make you think twice before you go out for a run.

I lived in Alaska and running there in the winter is a lot easier.

I'm coming from Chicago and run outside year round under brutal conditions. It's my understanding that NYC winters are less severe than Chicago?

New York isn't even in the same solar system as Chicago winters. FYI, do not take advise from anyone who has to "think twice" about running because it's cold and windy. The poor dear. To borrow from a song, "Chicago, Illinois, if you can run there, you can make it anywhere, it's up to you Chicago, Illinois!"

wahmbulance wrote:

BigAppleBound wrote:

I'm coming from Chicago and run outside year round under brutal conditions. It's my understanding that NYC winters are less severe than Chicago?

New York isn't even in the same solar system as Chicago winters. FYI, do not take advise from anyone who has to "think twice" about running because it's cold and windy. The poor dear. To borrow from a song, "Chicago, Illinois, if you can run there, you can make it anywhere, it's up to you Chicago, Illinois!"

Haha that's what I was thinking. Chicago winters are BRUTAL. I'll wear 4 layers and a facemask and then go run in whipping winds and -15 degree windchill with 2 feet of snow.

marathons are not good for you

If you were a very fast guy NYAC, WSX, CPTC and until recently Urban Athletics were the best teams (in that order). They're sponsored to various degrees. At 1:28 (very solid club pace), I'd focus more on where you live. In North Brooklyn there's NBR which is huge, very very friendly and organized and probably the 4th / 5th fastest team in the city. In Queens there's QDR, In South Brooklyn there's South Brooklyn Runners, near Orchard Street there's Orchard Street Runners, near Warren Street there's Warren Street Runners - you get the idea. It's an incredible running scene.

Best areas to run are Central Park, Prospect Park and then any of the waterfronts. The West Side is the best known but it's very popular. The East Side is also great and you can *almost* do a loop now from the very top of Manhattan in Inwood, down the West Side and back up the East to 12Xth street without crossing traffic. I do most of my running around the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront - you can run from Astoria to Red Hook without any hassle and further South under the Verrazano is beautiful. Once you get the hang of running in the streets the whole city is runnable - central Manhattan's too busy but everywhere else is easy to explore. Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, the Manhattan, Williamsburg, Tri-Borough and new Bronx bridges...

Winter sucks. They plow very efficiently but the ice and slush will get you down. Summer also sucks and is oppressively hot. There are basically about 4 good weeks of running weather a year.

I was doing a long run once with a guy visiting from Chicago when I lived near NYC. It was about 18 degrees, a little windy, but sunny. He said that coming from Chicago, that was like a heat wave. I decided never to move to Chicago.

Thank you, this was very helpful! I'll likely be living around Midtown Manhattan, possible Chelsea or Greenwhich Village.

Yup. 18 degrees with little wind is a beautiful February day in Chicago!

De nada. The village is one of the most fun places to live but actually offers the least options for running. You'll be limited to the East and West sides and forays into Brooklyn or CP for longer runs. Also it's completely full of NYU kids (apologies if you're one!) Midtown is what everyone thinks of when they think of NYC but it can be a bit soulless as a place to live. It is nearer to CP though.

Someone else mentioned front runners but I forgot. They're LGBT focused but if that floats your boat their club in NYC is huge, very friendly and Manhattan based.

BigAppleBound wrote:

Hello, I'm moving to NYC

Who wants wager on how long before this guy is mugged?

I'll give it 1 month, max

applause please wrote:

BigAppleBound wrote:

Hello, I'm moving to NYC

Who wants wager on how long before this guy is mugged?

I'll give it 1 month, max

Hmm - I've lived in Manhattan since 1988 and I've never been mugged, so I'm not agreeing with your estimate.

dkny64 wrote:

applause please wrote:

Who wants wager on how long before this guy is mugged?

I'll give it 1 month, max

Hmm - I've lived in Manhattan since 1988 and I've never been mugged, so I'm not agreeing with your estimate.

More than likely, you're the one doing the mugging.

helpful guy wrote:

De nada. The village is one of the most fun places to live but actually offers the least options for running. You'll be limited to the East and West sides and forays into Brooklyn or CP for longer runs. Also it's completely full of NYU kids (apologies if you're one!) Midtown is what everyone thinks of when they think of NYC but it can be a bit soulless as a place to live. It is nearer to CP though.

Someone else mentioned front runners but I forgot. They're LGBT focused but if that floats your boat their club in NYC is huge, very friendly and Manhattan based.

Makes sense.

I actually have not signed a lease yet, so I still have some flexibility in choosing a location. I'd LOVE to live closer to Central Park (both for running purposes and because I have a large dog).

But I'm working in FiDi. How long would my commute be from UWS to WTC, 35min?

Dashing Whippets -

http://www.dashingwhippets.org/

- is another team I'd suggest checking out. They're a newer team that's grown rapidly and gotten pretty big, and your PRs would fit in well there. They have organized workouts in Brooklyn [Prospect Park], on the East River Track [E 6th St / East River] and in Central Park. I'm not a member but I know several people who are and they seem like a nice group.

One easy way to get a quick sense of the various local clubs is to play around with the NYRR results archive -

http://web2.nyrrc.org/cgi-bin/start.cgi/aes-programs/results/resultsarchive.htm#race-search

. It may help to take a quick look at the local club standings first -

http://www.nyrr.org/charities-clubs-and-community/local-clubs/club-standings

.

Guess I should also put in a plug for my current team -

http://www.vctc.org/

- but I'm not sure we'd be such a great fit for you if you're a young guy new to the city living in midtown or downtown Manhattan.

2/3 train gets you downtown quite quickly. Exact commute time would depend on specifics of where you live / where you work, but 35 minutes door-to-door is probably the right ballpark.

From the UWS about 30mins on the 1 train (no connections which is nice). You probably know this but google maps is integrated with the subway lines so if you select public transport it'll show you door to door commute times.

For FIDI I'd give serious thought to Brooklyn. It's much more relaxed that Manhattan which is great on the weekends. Park Slope, Ditmas Park, Windsor Terrace are all around 30 minutes and if you have the $ to swing it somewhere like Brooklyn Heights - and access to the incredible Brooklyn Bridge Park - is 9! minutes away on the 2 and 3.

I second this. Brooklyn Heights is a great neighborhood and a very short commute to Wall Street. You can also ride a Citybike on the Brooklyn Bridge on your way to work. Beats the subway by far.

abdoujaparov wrote:

For FIDI I'd give serious thought to Brooklyn. It's much more relaxed that Manhattan which is great on the weekends. Park Slope, Ditmas Park, Windsor Terrace are all around 30 minutes and if you have the $ to swing it somewhere like Brooklyn Heights - and access to the incredible Brooklyn Bridge Park - is 9! minutes away on the 2 and 3.