Bicycling is far more than a hobby or a means of transportation for Gateway Plaza resident Shelly Mossey—it’s a way of life. A bike messenger in the 1980s, he eventually started his own messenger firm. Now his current projects under the Urban Mobility Project umbrella include renting recumbent bikes and leading recumbent-bike tours and running a cargo-by-bike business. “For 25 years, I had a messenger service and we’d send a truck to pick up one flat of negatives,” he says. “Bikes make it simple: No parking, no fuel, and no gridlock, and they’re environmentally friendly. And biking is fun.” To that end, next year he’ll once again be leading a bike trip from New York City to Martha’s Vineyard.

How long have you lived in the area?
Since June 2002. My wife and I always rode our recumbent bicycles down the bikeway from our loft on 24th and Sixth and dreamed of living here—but it was just out of our reach!

Which restaurants do you frequent most often?
Pan Latin Cafe (left) at Chambers and River Terrace is my favorite! They have the best food in the area. The atmosphere is very laid-back and welcoming. There also make great contributions to the neighborhood. I really appreciate having them.

Which restaurants do you tend to go to for special occasions?
Not too much of that these days. Um, I’ll ask my wife about it….

Where do you order in (or get take-out) from? Are there dishes you always order?
Blockheads. They always get here before I hang up the phone.

Which shops do you find it hard to resist popping into when you pass by?
Adeline Adeline. Seeing such beautiful bikes is a real draw for me, even Bakfeits child carriers! It’s like a candy store for me. I just love [owner Julie Hirschfeld’s] concept. She even sells a book/film called Bike Gangs of New York that I helped make!

What was the last non-essential item you bought in Tribeca?
A copy of Bike Gangs of New York from Adeline Adeline. I had two copies of the film that I lent them both out and never either one got back….I tried to get a copy online but no one had it in stock. I stopped by the store one day and Julie was all excited about seeing me in the book and since she had them right there I just bought it from her!

Are there any services (salon, fitness, etc.) that you’re particularly glad are in the neighborhood?
The baseball fields on Murray Street.

What’s Tribeca’s best-kept secret?
Very limited automobile traffic and noise.

Where do you always take out-of-towners?
For a ride on the Hudson River Bikeway and over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Which neighborhood building do you wish you lived in and/or owned?
Very happy where I am!

What’s your favorite part of the area (street, park, whatever)?
Wagner Park, down at the south end of the bikeway. It has great sunsets with a fantastic view of New York Bay.

Your most memorable celebrity sighting?
James Gandolfini working out and hanging in Rockefeller Park.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?
More bikeways, less construction, and a few less tourists.

What’s changed around here that you like?
There is much more green space since I moved here.

That you don’t?
Being overrun with tourists!

Why Tribeca/Battery Park City?
Because it’s great to live in an area that my family can travel safely around with oil-independent vehicles, our bicycles!

Any questions you wish you’d been asked?
What projects am I currently involved in?

Recent TCQ&As:
• Ariel Porath: “Who’s Behind ‘Rod Stuart Loves the Hamptons’?”
• Matt Lundquist: “I Love How Empty the Streets Are”
• Meredith Gonzalez: “We Had Our First Date at Mr. Chow”
• Wickham Boyle: “We Used to Close the Streets for Cookouts”
• Matt Schneider: “Life Just Keeps Getting Better and Better”