Learning Curve

So After getting of the boat I head up the green route that takes you along the river Hudson, I've been told to get off at 110th street, but I think I took a wrong turn at some point or something so I've now got no idea how far up I am. The green route on a saturday is a bit of a nightmare as it's choca-block with cyclists and roller bladers and pedestrians all going super slow, I mean about 8mph it's pretty but a bit dull as you can't really get any speed up.  Anyway, so I come off the green route and head towards Central Park, I hit 92nd and get my bearings then head up 8th avenue towards 114th, all these numbers are pretty weird to hear as a Londoner but you find yourself using them straight away as the grid system is so easy,  so I'm pumped with adrenaline with the excitement of being in New York and riding on the real roads, I'm stopped at a set of lights and they changed to green, then I look ahead and every single set of lights is changing to green, and for me it's like a red rag to a bull; I leap away from the first set of lights and start to cane it down towards the next set, I looked across at the car next to me and guess I'm going around twenty-five miles an hour, I hit one green then another then another, and I'm really enjoying myself.  Then I see that a car in front of me is turning right, my cycle lane is on the right of the cars but my mind is still in the UK so I don't figure out what is happening until late, so I hit the front brake and pull the rear wheel to a stop, but by this this point I'm pretty much endoing, with the back wheel in the air.  The car turns and I think "Phew! that was close and then the taxi behind the first turning car also turns and I'm back on the brake this time pulling a proper endo, he turns off and I release the brake and live to tell the tale.  Word of warning to new comers to New York, American cars' rear indicators are the rear lights which flash, there is no orange/yellow rear indicator, it really throws you as you are tuned to orange. 

I got to my friends appartment below you can see the views from her roof terrace:

Well lesson learned, don't go too fast on the streets of New York as you're likely to get mashed by an oblivious car, they really don't look for cyclists when they turn so you have to do it for them.