The Loeb Boathouse Bike and Boat Rental

Floating around on the lake in a row boat on a warm summer day is about as good as it gets for what to do in Central Park. I love the turtles!!! Get there early, especially at the height of the season, as the line gets waaaaaaay too long (at least for me) to even think about waiting in. Pack some things to eat and drink, too. And let your boyfriend do all the rowing LOL!

The boat rental was awesome! Perfect for the double date I had this past weekend :)
I was a little confused when I got to Loeb Boathouse, the restaurant — thought I’d gone to the wrong place at first until I saw a sign pointing to the left of the restaurant, where the boat rental is. We went to the stand, where you pay $ 15 for a 1 hour boat rental (and $ 20 deposit that will be refunded after you return the boat). It was a very reasonable price for 4 people. We definitely could have spent more time out there, but we got there kind of late (they were going to close in a little while) and an hour was all we needed. There were a lot of boats out on the lake — a popular attraction — you’ve got to keep an eye out for where you’re going or you can bump into other boats. While there are a lot of other boats out there, it doesn’t take away from the fun — we all had a blast trying to row (testing our speeds via Snapchat MPH feature), exploring the lake, and just hanging out on the boat.
Don’t worry — the oars are attached to the boat so they won’t sink if you let go. But make sure you don’t accidentally detach it!
One thing I think they could potentially improve is a bit friendlier service. Still quite enjoyable experience though.
Definitely can be a cute/​romantic date idea, but we also saw groups of friends out there — it’s just a good time on a nice day.
PS — it’s cash only!

Pretty basic row boats, but if you can get four in a boat and split the $ 15 four ways it’s more than reasonable for an hour of fun. You do have to leave a $ 20 deposit, which you get back at the end (providing you’re not late back and/​or haven’t capsized the boat).
There’s plenty of boats though, and even on a busy day I reckon if you time it right you wouldn’t have to wait long. Definitely recommend, even for young children.
The staff aren’t the most friendly, but to be honest you have minimal interaction with them anyway, and I’d probably be in a bit of a mood if I was pulling tourists on boats into tiny docking areas all day.

This is for the boat rental only: Wonderful experience! A great way to spend a date on a nice day.

Boat rental at loebs in central park–
They open at 10am. Not. They open anytime the lazy boys wake up. Poor attitudes great thing to do however, you step into the boat on the dock and get settled, then the boat is pushed into the water, and away you go.
BIG lake, lots of coves and bays, shade etc.
Wonderful and easy and safe experience. REMEMBER your $ 20 deposit when you leave.

They have the crappiest bike. The left break of the bike that my friend used did not work. The chains of the bike I used kept on falling off. Thus, I had to walk the rest of the way coz the bike wasn’t working anymore. This made the rental hours longer. The guy in charge wanted to charge us for 2 hours and we only used it for 1.5 hours. If the bikes were in good condition, we would have only used it for less than an hour. I don’t recommend this place.

We had reservations this evening for four people. We are in the throws of a heat wave. It is 93 degrees outside and the heat index is over 100. I phoned twice to make sure I have a table in the air conditioned portion of the restaurant. I was told twice that they have the a/​c turned off because it is «cool» and they have the ceiling fans on. Are they that frugal? We cancelled.

A fun experience that everyone should give a try even if you have no idea how to row a boat (aka me).
$ 15 for an hour with a $ 20 redeemable deposit. The boat can fit up to 4 people. Additional $ 3 for every extra 15 minutes.
It can be difficult to row the whole length of the lake if you are not an experienced boat rower, especially since you only have an hour.
Occasional boat bumping happens when you have a bunch of people rowing a boat in the lake all at once.
There are certain occasions where you will have to wait for a boat because all the boats are already out on the lake.
A restaurant right next door in case you get hungry afterward!

BOAT ROWING PRICES:
First, you give them a redeemable $ 20 for security deposit (don’t worry, you’ll get it back at the end).
It’s $ 15 for an hour (up to 4 people per boat). For every 15 minutes over the hour, you’ll be charged $ 3.
Let the person who knows how to row sit in the middle of the boat. Two people who aren’t as experienced with rowing but would like to help the middle person steer should sit in the back. As for the very front of the boat, you’ve guessed it! — it’s for that special friend who just wants to sit down and enjoy the ride! But make sure you tell this person to take pictures (with a selfie stick) of the group and/​or the scenery… I mean, after all, this person has the best seat in the house!
Rowing boats is super romantic as well! Take your significant other rowing and I promise you’ll both enjoy it!
BIKE RIDING PRICES:
$ 9 for every hour and $ 5 for every extra 30 minutes.
Be careful when riding bikes in Central Park! There are so many tourists walking around with cameras and whatnot, as well as pedestrians… be mindful! Bike carefully. There are also horse buggys and carriages as well as other cyclists.

Bikes are $ 9/​hour + $ 5/​hour for each additional half hour. If you’re a decent bicyclist you can get around then entire outer loop of Central Park in just under a hour without rushing. Bikes DO NOT have a basket (the only downside).

This Boathouse has given me a great forum for memories. My favorite is introducing friends who have never rowed before. Even the biggest athletes flounder when given two oars. Lol. I love going in the beginning of spring or early fall when it’s not so hot and humid. You can usually find a violinist, a guitarist or some live performance along the banks. A family of turtles are always basking along the rocks in one of the coves. Forget the guy and the rental bikes. Loeb’s Boathouse is about the boats, not the bikes. Duh.

Went with 2 friends to rent bikes over the weekend and had fun despite the HORRIBLE quality of the bikes. we finally settled on the best 3 that were available. 2 of the 3 bikes were so terrible I am not even sure how they are still able to rent them. We did one loop in the park and it took just over an hour due to the horrible quality of the bikes and the amount of time it finally took us to settle on which bad bike to take. Had a great time with my friends but avoid renting the bikes here. They charged us for 1.5 hours even though we were only out for an hour and 5 minutes. One other point is that the staff was rude and did not understand basic English. We paid our balance, left with a bitter taste in our mouth and am hoping no one else rents from these guys again!

The rental bikes are absolute garbage. They truly look like cast-​offs picked from a curbside trash heap. Seats are torn, handle bar grips are worn and cracked, frames are dirty and, in some cases, rusty. There are other options close by, including LBSs.

rented boats here and was really fun.

Came here with a bride and groom and their two 6 year old sons, and the experience was terrible for them. On a lazy summer afternoon, they asked the ten or so people on line if it was ok to just skip the line, so they could move along and get some pictures on the rowboats. Everyone was ok with it except the staff. The three nasty rowboat shack staff acted rudely, and would not let the couple and sons onto a boat and float out a few feet for some photos. Instead they barked over and over again for tickets when the family were climbing onboard, and would not let them get on the boat, even after they clearly explained the man in the booth said it was alright. It was an unpleasant sight, and I feel bad for all the people who’ve also been verbally abused by those clowns.

Row-​boating in Central Park is one of the best thing you can do in great old NYC. I have always had fun adventures and an amazing time rowing across the lake’s expanse and soaking in the natural beauty with the grand cityscape backdrop. My darling boyfriend brought me to the lake to rowboat recently for my birthday. I sang «Kiss the Girl» for him, as well as other nautical and aquatic related songs, off tune as he sweated profusely and rowed us across the beautiful lake under the hot May sun. What a man.
I recommend getting to the little shack where you rent the boats (a couple of yards away from the boathouse restaurant) earlier in the day to steer away from the crowd. My bf and I arrived around 1:33pm on a Saturday in May and we briefly waited to pay for the boat. The boats have old metal seats that gets very hot under the sun. Exposed skin will feel the fury of the spring/​summer heat.
There were already several boats out on the water and we crashed into fellow boaters several times. It took a while for us to get a handle of how to maneuver the boat, but once we did we had a blast soaring through the water. There were still ample space to just row aimlessly by yourself, but it didn’t take long to find yourself headfirst into the side of another couple’s boat.
We liked to row into the deserted corners were the trees hang over the lake. It was very romantic at times when we found a secluded area in the lake and it was exhilarating and fun when we were on the move. We took turns rowing the boat and gingerly switched places in attempts to keep ourselves from tipping over into the murky algae riddled waters. By the time we got back to shore, around 2:33pm, there was a longer line and we could tell that the lake was going to be even more crowded than it was.
Rowboats are available from 10 am until dusk and it is open to the public from April to November. You are required to place a $ 20 cash deposit which you should get back once you are finished boating. They charge you $ 12 for the first hour and $ 2.50 for each additional 15 minutes after your first hour. So, if you were to stay an additional hour in the lake that would be $ 10. Not bad. Renting the boats is CASH ONLY! So bring enough cash to cover any additional time you spent on the lake. Be sure to keep your receipt in your pocket or a safe place for it tells the person in the shack what time you got your boat and how long you rented it for.
Each boat can hold up to a max of 4 people. Young children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. There are life jackets available, but I’ve only seen children wearing them. Please don’t be the one sad adult with a life jacket. We will laugh at you.
You can also reserved a gondola, that holds up to 6 people, for $ 30 per every 30 minutes. I have passed by the gondolas and heard the gondolier woefully serenade swindled couples. I’ve never been on a classic venetian gondola ride in Central Park but I do not recommend it. It’s overpriced, corny, and one of the audaciously bad tourist trap. The only place where you should pay an exorbitant price for a gondola ride is in VENICE.
Row boating in Central Park is a great experience that everyone who visits New York must have. At $ 12 the first hour and $ 2.50 for every additional 15 minutes, you get a good value for the price. There’s nothing like enjoying the wonders of nature as you row a boat through one of the most famous parks in one of the best cities in the world.
IMPORTANT NOTES
*Rowboats are available from 10 am until dusk.
*Open to the public from April to November.
*$ 20 Cash Deposit required.
*$ 12 for the first hour and $ 2.50 for each additional 15 minutes after your first hour.
*Max of 4 people per boat.
*Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.