How to climb out of Manhattan?

I just moved here for my partner's job. My initial country bumpkin thoughts were "no big deal from a climbing perspective, the gunks are only an hour and change away. I'll just drive there all the time."

Now it is pretty clear to me that I will not be able to own a car here. Surely though there are plenty of y'all who live in the city, and plenty who get out and crush. How do you do it? Do I just eat the parking fee, or is there some car share / secret shuttle which y'all use?

Anyways, let me how to do it. And please tell me I didn't just sign up for a year of exclusively gym climbing with the odd vacation thrown in.

Luke Lalorwrote:

Anyways, let me how to do it. And please tell me I didn't just sign up for a year of exclusively gym climbing with the odd vacation thrown in.

Best option: get a car. Next option: make friends and bum rides. Third option: Trailways bus. 

Get dialed before September and climb through the fall season. It’s worth it! You can do it! You’re in New York! The Gunks are calling!

I believe there's at least one NYC climber group on Facebook.

get a car, find friends, or take the bus.  It's a hustle like everything else in NYC. 

"And please tell me I didn't just sign up for a year of exclusively gym climbing with the odd vacation thrown in."

But you did. 

Join the Gunks partners Facebook group. Go bouldering in Central Park

Luke Lalorwrote:

Now it is pretty clear to me that I will not be able to own a car here. Surely though there are plenty of y'all who live in the city, and plenty who get out and crush. How do you do it? Do I just eat the parking fee, or is there some car share / secret shuttle which y'all use?

My friend lived in NYC for 40 years and never owned a car. He used rentals to commute to the Gunks.

I've lived in NYC (primarily Manhattan) for about 9 years and I've been climbing in the Gunks for the last 4 of them.  Everyone pretty much covered your options: pay the exorbitant price for a car, find people to give you a ride, rent a car, or take the bus.  I did a combination of the bus and hitching rides for the first 3 years I was climbing.  Last year I purchased a car, so I have experienced all forms of the slog from NYC to the Gunks and can speak to it from the perspective of a dedicated weekend warrior.

Hitching rides with someone is going to be your best option.  Hopefully you can find a dedicated climbing partner with a car, that will make everything so much easier.  Even if you don't find a partner in NYC with a car, there is a Facebook group explicitly for Gunks carpooling so you can try to find rides there and just meet up with your actual climbing partner at the cliff.

The bus is cheap but has obvious drawbacks.  The worst part to me was being beholden to its schedule.  IIRC, it leaves back to NYC every two hours during the late afternoon/evening, so if you happen to just miss it you're stuck in New Paltz for another 2 hours.  The stress of realizing you only have an hour left to finish your raps, hike out, and get back into NP puts a bit of a damper on the day.  Also, the bus takes you to New Paltz but the actual cliffs are another ~15 min drive from the bus station.  You can either ask your partner for a lift from the station, hitch with random climbers, or take a cab.  So you can make it work, but overall this plan is a logistical headache and I found myself going less often when the bus was my only option.

Never rented a car but I've climbed with people who have.  Its a good option if you're willing to pay for more convenience without the full-blown cost of owning.  Note that unless you find a rental place that is open early when you want to leave and late when you want to come back, you'll have to deal with picking up and/or returning on a different day than you climb.  Also will have to pay for a night or two of parking in the city.

Owning your own car is obviously the most convenient option and it has been a game changer for me and my overall happiness.  I go to the Gunks almost every weekend and have no logistical concerns whatsoever.  Make no mistake though, this is a luxury in NYC and especially in Manhattan.  I moved to LIC where both parking cost and rent are a bit cheaper which helps make some room in the budget.  You can probably find free street parking more easily in the outer boroughs too, but I've never tried.  If you're willing to live in Jersey City or Hoboken you can avoid paying NYC city tax as well to create some extra cash flow.  Really depends on your personal financial situation and how much you want to prioritize outdoor climbing while you're here.  Happy to answer any questions if you would like.  Best of luck!

Luke Lalorwrote:

I just moved here for my partner's job. My initial country bumpkin thoughts were "no big deal from a climbing perspective, the gunks are only an hour and change away. I'll just drive there all the time."

Now it is pretty clear to me that I will not be able to own a car here. Surely though there are plenty of y'all who live in the city, and plenty who get out and crush. How do you do it? Do I just eat the parking fee, or is there some car share / secret shuttle which y'all use?

Anyways, let me how to do it. And please tell me I didn't just sign up for a year of exclusively gym climbing with the odd vacation thrown in.

Everyone I knew who lived in the city in my 44 years living in New York State have moved from the city [all of them to smaller cities/towns, majority of them to another State altogether].  No one I knew in those 44 years who lived outside of NYC moved there.  

Start checking the days from the calendar.

Mass exodus from metro areas is a real thing, plenty of migration maps tracking the trend online.  Pricing seems to be the largest single factor, but there's obviously many reasons it's sub optimal.

All great suggestions above. Another alternative is for you and your bike to take the train to Poughkeepsie and then stroll across the fantastic Walkway over the Hudson. From there, it's an easy 12 mile ride to the Sam Pryor Campground at the Gunks, more than half of which is on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail. I'm originally from Poughkeepsie. I'd take the above route any day over the 6 hours it now takes me to fight the traffic from DC to the Gunks. And just think of the incredible bike you could buy with all the savings from not having the car expense! 

Climbing out of Manhattan???!!!!

There are two ways out: Finger locks or a cedar box!

Russ Keanewrote:

"And please tell me I didn't just sign up for a year of exclusively gym climbing with the odd vacation thrown in."

But you did. 

Very helpful.

Kevin Heckelerwrote:

Everyone I knew who lived in the city in my 44 years living in New York State have moved from the city [all of them to smaller cities/towns, majority of them to another State altogether].  No one I knew in those 44 years who lived outside of NYC moved there.  

Start checking the days from the calendar.

Mass exodus from metro areas is a real thing, plenty of migration maps tracking the trend online.  Pricing seems to be the largest single factor, but there's obviously many reasons it's sub optimal.

Just the advice he was looking for! Then move to a place with no water and lights like NYC!

M Mwrote:

Just the advice he was looking for! Then move to a place with no water and lights like NYC!

Not the kind of water anyone is looking for.

Kevin Heckelerwrote:

Not the kind of water anyone is looking for.

I'd take flooding over a heat wave in NYC any day. NY state even. 

still though, vegas is no town to write home about.

M Mwrote:

I'd take flooding over a heat wave in NYC any day. NY state even. 

still though, vegas is no town to write home about.

Nananana Boo Boo

M Mwrote:

I'd take flooding over a heat wave in NYC any day. NY state even. 

still though, vegas is no town to write home about.

Yesterday the road we used to live on in West Sand Lake, and all the surrounding roads, were closed due to being washed out and/or under feet of water.

https://1045theteam.com/pictures-of-historic-flooding-and-damage-in-sand-lake-and-averill-park-area/

Tell me again how much of an idiot I am.  Until then, stfu.

Kevin Heckelerwrote:

Yesterday the road we used to live on in West Sand Lake, and all the surrounding roads, were closed due to being washed out and/or under feet of water.

https://1045theteam.com/pictures-of-historic-flooding-and-damage-in-sand-lake-and-averill-park-area/

Tell me again how much of an idiot I am.  Until then, stfu.

At least when the town runs out of water you'll have plenty of bright lights and pornography to look at!

M Mwrote:

At least when the town runs out of water you'll have plenty of bright lights and pornography to look at!

Nananana Boo Boo

Why has nobody mentioned car rentals?  Everyone thinks in terms of permanent solutions to what are often sporadic problems.  Yes, you need to load and unload your gear from the rental.  But assuming you have a driver's license and a credit card (over age 25), you probably can get the right car for that day.  And you can take the train to somewhere else to rent if renting in the city is too expensive.  And it's less expensive than owning a car, insuring it, and potentially garaging it.

What neighborhood in manhattan do you live in Luke?