Coffee Ride to Boxer Donut & Espresso Bar - Nyack, NY
The Ride
Our moto coffee destination for today was on the other side of the Hudson in Nyack, NY, in Rockland County. The coffee shop named Boxer Donut & Espresso Bar had a perfect name for us to take the big boxer motorcycle, the R18 Classic, for this trip. This bike is classically styled, reminiscent of the 1932 BMW R5, with many design elements such as the rear hub, teardrop gas tank, and deep black paint with white pinstripes echoing that older model.
In keeping with the aesthetic of this bike, the Beeline Moto fits discreetly on the handlebars and guides us. While I have a Zumo on my S1000R and GS, this bike only uses the Beeline Moto. Today, the direct compass distance to Boxer Donut & Espresso Bar was 20.4 miles, but we need to cross the Hudson, and the closest bridge is the Tappan Zee Bridge, so that was our intended crossing point. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.
Departing from Cross River, I headed west on Route 35 by the Cross River Reservoir. After passing over Interstate 684, I turned left on Cherry Street in Katonah as more aligned with the compass needle on the Beeline. Cherry Street connects with Route 117 next to the Saw Mill Parkway. I took the side road that leads back up the hill called Haines Road rather than going into the main shopping areas along 117.
I make a left on Croton Lake Road to avoid the dirt road that both Haines & Meeting House Roads turn into. This rewinds down nearly to connect with the Saw Mill Parkway again. Here, I turn right onto Pines Bridge Road to head northwest, eventually turning left onto Lake Road, crossing a small bridge over a part of the New Croton Reservoir.
Lake Road follows the reservoir’s shore and is an excellent low-traffic road with great views, especially in the fall and winter, as the leaves fall and allow better views of the reservoir behind them. At the end of the road, I make a right and immediate left onto Route 100 that, continues to follow along the reservoir.
Route 100 is a picturesque road, but unfortunately, the condition of the road is broken up with lots of expansion cracks and bumps. It is long overdue for repaving. Hopefully, next spring, this will be prioritized by the local towns. The road does improve around Millwood but also starts to be a bit more traffic, so tradeoffs are often a part of riding.
Route 100 merges with Route 9A around Briarcliff Manor. Unfortunately, my compass is nearly pointing 90 degrees to my right, so I’ve got to find another road to start heading toward the bridge. I take a right onto Route 117, perfectly aligned with my compass direction.
Route 117, also known as Phelps Way, passes directly by the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. It terminates at Route 9, where I head south into Sleepy Hollow. On the left is the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground, founded in 1685 and featured in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow story about the Headless Horseman by Washington Irving. Just beyond the church is Philipsburg Manor, a museum that keeps alive the original colonial-era estate of Frederick Philipse. He also designed and funded the Old Dutch Church. While initially a Dutch immigrant, Philipse amassed a considerable amount of land, including a substantial portion of what is now Westchester County, with their family manor located further south in Yonkers. The family also acquired land north of Westchester County that today would be Putnum County. However, as the Philips were crown sympathizers in the war of independence, their holdings were stripped following the war and sold off.
As I continue south on Route 9 into Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, the atmosphere of history is still alive and well here. With the old church and the manor behind me, signs appear directing to Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving, author of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip van Winkle. The Van Tassell family owned the estate after 1802 (same surname as Katrina van Tassell, the love interest of Ichabod Crane in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow). Irving acquired the property in 1835. His descendants owned it until 1945 when it was sold to John D. Rockefeller Jr, who purchased it for historic preservation. Today, it is operated as a museum with public tours available.
REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and spread.
At Tarrytown, the bridge is clearly in view, and I navigate to cross it and exit the NYS Thruway at the signs for Nyack to arrive at Boxer Donut & Espresso Bar after 33.8 miles. See the route below.
The Coffee Shop
Nyack is on the west shore of the Hudson River, with South Nyack directly south near the western end of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Europeans settled in The village in the late 17th century, though native Indians had fishing spots in the area pre-dating the immigrant settlements.
The shop is right on a small side street. There is a sign for bike parking, which I started into, but then I soon realized they meant bicycles with so many cyclists crossing the bridge here. I found a space across the street.
A few steps lead to an outside area bordered by small metal fencing with several 2-person tables. The shop isn’t wide but has windows on all three sides facing the street, so it is very bright as you enter. Three 2-person tables and a small couch with a coffee table are the indoor seating limit. With the great light and comfortable tables today, many grabbed seats outdoors. The boxer theme was kept throughout with old pictures of famous prize fighters. Beyond a couple of fun signs, one is a primarily green bicycle with a Donut Shop underneath it. Additionally, a truck with a giant donut on the top was escorted by police motorcycles. The inside was empty, as most people chose to sit outside. Many of the tables outside were filled.
Two people were behind the counter, and one warmly greeted me and took my order while the other prepared my coffee and donut. The available coffee options are the daily brew, cold brew, pour-over, French press, Chemex, espresso, macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, americano, latte, breve, and mocha. Beyond coffee, they offer Hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, matcha latte, chai latte, hot chocolate, steamer, and London fog. Of course, several donut options and cookies were on offer.
The tip jars were split into two, asking who had more of a musical impact: Taylor Swift or Bob Dylan. On the radio were some old tunes from Zeppelin, Billy Joel, and others from the 60s and 70s, so may the place have an opinion on the musical impact?
The Refreshments
I got a macchiato served in a paper cup as they have a lot of take-out business with the small space. I removed the lid and saw a nice crema on the coffee. An earthy smell belied a light sweetness in the finish of the coffee. This sweetness was heightened with the pumpkin donut I ordered—the warm tones of the donut paired well with my macchiato. The donut had a light glaze dripped on the top. A bit exposed the orange interior, and the glaze’s sweetness countered the pumpkins’ spice.
