With more than 28,000 acres of land managed by the Department of Parks & Recreation, New York City is chock-full of places to take a spin, whether you’re training for a 40-mile race or monitoring your kindergartner as she practices making turns. For little ones learning to ride, the flattest, closest spot—which may be the lobby of your building, the sidewalk out front or the nearest park—is the way to go.

The next areas for Manhattan and Brooklyn families to visit are the “loops” in Central Park and Prospect Park. Both of these drives are completely free of cars on weekends and during certain hours on weekdays (Central Park, 10am to 3:30pm; Prospect Park, 9am to 5pm). While the loops can get crowded, there are always tons of other children on bikes. “It’s a great place to learn to ride around other people,” says Wiley Norvell of Transportation Alternatives. (To learn more about the organization, visit transalt.com.)

Once your kids can ride well, you’re ready to take on some of the city’s magnificent greenways. These car-free paths make provisions for bikers, joggers, pedestriansand in-line skaters. The following greenway sections are especially child-friendly, says Norvell.