It’s been three weeks since Bay Area Bike Share launched and given the number of blog posts I’ve written (six) and photos I’ve taken (hundreds) and public speaking I’ve done (ok, only once) it feels like a lot longer. It does feel weird to be promoting bike share since without a station near my home or work, I don’t have many natural opportunities to use it. And Dick hadn’t even tried it yet since he missed out on the trip to San Francisco.
It was time to get creative with a Bike Date Friday hopping around downtown San Jose on bike share.
As usual, Dick came down on Caltrain and I met him at the station. But this time we locked up our bikes and checked out our first pair of bike share bikes. First course: cocktails at Cafe Stritch on South First Street. Cafe Stritch is a rare place that feels comfortable for both 20-somethings and their parents, so we fit right in. The cocktails straddled old-school and modern, just like their patrons. A good choice for our first course.
From Cafe Stritch it was a short bike share hop up First Street, then across to the comfy bike lanes on Almaden Boulevard where we redocked the bike pair #2 at Santa Clara Street. It took Dick a few tries to get it right.
Our dinner destination was The Farmers Union, a new place specializing in hearty American favorites reinterpreted for a new generation in an upscale sports bar setting. We chose an oversized booth with minimal big screen intrusion and a view of the parade of people walking and biking on San Pedro Street.
I enjoyed my Roast Chicken with Mac and Cheese and Dick enjoyed his Bangers and Mash. But it was the Poutine that has me craving a trip back. Hmm, how long would it take to ride there for lunch?
With all the Poutine and Mac and Cheese, I had very little room left for dessert, but we had another course to go. No bike this time, just a short walk down to the ever-popular San Pedro Square Market.
We grabbed dessert from Chocatoo and managed to find a quiet table on the sidewalk that was perfect for people watching. There were plenty of people out and about on the warm night. Then it was back to our fourth bike share station to grab our third pair of bikes for the trip back to Caltrain. So much fun, we added an extra loop out to City Hall and the wide bike lanes on Fourth Street. As usual, a great finish a lovely night out.
When you go out, are you a hot spot hopper or do you prefer to settle into one place? Would bike share help connect your favorite spots in your city or are they all clustered in one district?
About our route: We covered about four miles in three bike share legs and one walking section (orange). With bike share we were able to not only easily travel from Caltrain to downtown, we were also able to easily connect the South First and San Pedro Street entertainment districts. A win all around.
Dave Erskine
September 18, 2013 at 8:12 am
Who says BikeShare is boring? Get creative
http://www.velovogue.com/2013/09/how-to-ride-citibike.html
JB
September 18, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Love it! What a great way to enjoy downtown San Jose.
ladyfleur
September 18, 2013 at 9:03 pm
I liked how bike share connected the SOFA and San Pedro districts.