Boomers in the park, Gen Z in the Bronx: Where — and how — different generations Citi Bike

Love to bike around Central Park? You're probably a Boomer. Keep your two-wheeled adventuring to the outer boroughs? You're more likely to be Gen Z. Those are just some of the findings from a Lyft study of Citi Bike data, providing a unique look at where, and how, different generations of New Yorkers travel around the city.

Millennials are the generation most likely to opt for a Citi Bike, comprising 62% of the fleet's riders. They are followed by Gen X (18%), Gen Z (13%), Baby Boomers (6%), and the Silent Generation (less than 1% - but still an impressive showing given that the youngest members are about to turn 80 years old).

So where does each generation go on a Citi Bike?

#1: Gen Z in the Bronx / upper Manhattan / Queens / east Brooklyn

Gen Z - and, to a lesser extent, Millennials - ride more on evenings and weekends, suggesting more recreational use cases. So it's little surprise that there's a pocket of youth activity downtown, around the leisure-packed neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Little Italy, and SoHo.

But outside of this pocket, Gen Z dominates the stations in the Bronx, east Brooklyn, east Queens, and upper Manhattan neighborhoods like Inwood and Washington Heights. This is probably partly due to where Gen Z lives: Columbia University (upper Manhattan) and Fordham University (Bronx) generate a lot of cycling youth, and the lower rents in Queens and Brooklyn appeal to young adults.

That's the case for Gen Z rider Shemar, who says: "I bike almost every day. I live in the South Bronx so I don't take the train - it's 50 minutes to get to Manhattan. Instead, I go along the bike lanes in the parks, down through Randall's Island, and along FDR Drive." Gen Z also rides ebikes 64% of the time - 40% more often than other generations - which helps them reach neighborhoods that are farther from the middle of Manhattan or hillier (like Washington Heights). According to Shemar, "If there's not [an ebike] at the station, I'll just go on to the next. Because then I can go anywhere - I biked to Coney Island once - and anytime."

#2: Millennials in Queens and north Brooklyn

Brooklyn has emerged as ahot spot for Millennials - so it's no surprise that Millennial rides dominate the borough. This generation is also more likely to ride in Queens and Jersey City, where the cost of living is a bit lower.

Amiri, a photographer who lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is a Citi Bike regular who likes to keep track of his many rides. "I've got hundreds of hours in my stats," he says. Like others in his generational cohort, Amiri prefers an ebike (Millennials opt for an ebike 56% of the time): "I'll take an electric if it's there, especially if I've already worked out that day."

#3: Gen X in Midtown

The office-heavy neighborhoods of Midtown and Hudson Yards over-index on rides from Gen X - no surprise, as this generation is likely to ride on the weekdays and most likely to ride at morning commuting hours. Take chiropractor Robert, who rides every workday to his office on Broadway. "I brag about this to everybody," Robert says. "It gets me where I need to go in five minutes, and it's cheaper than taking a cab." Plus, it's healthy: "I'm in the wellness field, so I like to practice what I preach."

#4: Baby Boomers near Central Park, Lower Manhattan

The area surrounding Central Park is dominated by Boomer Citi Bike riders, who are 40% more likely to dock in the Lincoln Center, Upper East Side, and Upper West Side neighborhoods. Likely because they live there: The 10025 zip code is the third most common for Baby Boomers. They are also drawn to these neighborhoods' cultural institutions; the stations closest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for instance, are some of the most popular among Boomers.

But not all biking Boomers use Citi Bike for leisure. Boomers are more likely than other generations to ride during weekdays, suggesting commutes or errand runs. "I'm hustling," says 63-year-old Marisa, as she unlocked a bike in the Flatiron District. "Right now, I'm going to the farmers market. Then I'm going to go home to East 31st Street to drop off the food. Then I'm going to go back to Flatiron again. This is my third ride today." Marisa says she commutes every day by Citi Bike, even in the rain. Like the rest of her generation, who only take an ebike a third of the time, Marisa prefers the classic bike - "for the exercise."

#5: Silent Generation in Brooklyn, southeast Manhattan

The few but mighty cycling members of the Silent Generation tend to ride in the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Bay Ridge, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn and the eastside of downtown Manhattan, Lower East Side, and Chinatown (neighborhoods where residents are 11% more likely to be 75 years or older). These riders take the shortest and slowest rides (2 mph below average) and ride on weekends and weekdays at equal rates, suggesting they aren't commuting.

That doesn't mean they aren't working, however. Lawren is 80 years old, lives in Brooklyn Heights, and takes out a Citi Bike for about an hour every day to earn points for the Bike Angels program. "I have an exercise routine. I find where a bike has to be taken from and where it has to go. Gives me variety, gives me a goal. Without realizing it, I hit my 9,000 to 10,000 steps a day." Lawren says he earns about $400 a month with the Angels program, money that he uses to spend on fun, unnecessary items, like Hawaiian shirts and binoculars. But the real reward, according to Lawren? "Doctors love me."

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