Walking NYC
And how it changed my perspective on the city.
I have always had mixed feelings about the city. The noise, the crowds, the tourists, the smells. The bustle that constantly left me feeling aimless or behind.
But to say goodbye to the city before moving, I walked the island of Manhattan from top to bottom. Because in 4 years of living in the city, I was too busy working nights and weekends to do almost anything the city was known for, let alone the beautiful parts of the city that rarely get noticed on a tourist’s weekend.
I’ll share the big stops I took, as well as my favorite parts, in a moment. But what I am so grateful for is that as I thought about moving, I was so sure that I hated the city. And yes, it’s probably not going to be the lifestyle for me moving forward. But this taught me how narrow-minded I was being, and it gave me a new appreciation for the beauty in the city. It left me ready to move without the sour taste in my mouth that I anticipated. And it showed me how easy it was to stick to what I know at the expense of a lot of beautiful neighborhoods and sights.
The Route
207th Street/Inwood
I walked with a friend from yoga, and we started at the tippy top of the island by taking the A train all the way up to 207th street. Inwood, where we got off, is a total contrast from the port authority stop where we boarded the A train. The streets are lined with trees, the streets are wider, and it just feels cozier than any other neighborhood in Manhattan.
Fort Tryon Park
Within minutes of heading south of the station, we entered Fort Tryon Park. A gorgeous, massive park full of huge trees, stone steps and archways, and incredible views of the Hudson, it couldn’t be further from the city I know than if you had boarded a plane to somewhere remote. We couldn’t hear a single car horn. The hills, natural landscape, and forest-like feel felt foreign to my idea of the city. This was probably my favorite stop, just because it disrupted so heavily my idea of Manhattan.
The Met Cloisters
While inside of Fort Tryon Park, we visited the Met Cloisters, which are a towering ode to earlier times. We spent over an hour in the museum, taking a look at the mix of religious and medieval indoor exhibits and the outdoor floral exhibits. There were several outdoor cloister gardens, each featuring different medieval plants. I absolutely loved the architecture and the gardens, and it felt like stepping out of the modern world.
Morris-Jumel Mansion
We continued to follow Fort Tryon Park for a while, until we had to cut across the city towards our next stop. Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest house in Manhattan, built in 1765. Unfortunately it was closed for renovation, but even covered in scaffolding you got a feel for how historical living looked in the city.
Sylvan Terrace
Right across the street from the mansion was the smallest street of quaint homes right out of a medieval European town. It was hard to believe they existed in Manhattan and it reminded me how much I had let stress and overwhelm stop me from exploring.
St. Nicholas Park
After Sylvan Terrace, we walked through Hamilton Heights until we reached St. Nicholas Park. Another escape from the cars and traffic, this park was serene, with views of old homes and cathedral towers at the edges. It felt surreal to be in the middle of the city, at points walking up hills until we were in line with rooftops, while also being surrounded by green.
Apollo Theater
We left the park and headed through Harlem. Not shocking given the vibrancy of Harlem, it is home to the legendary Apollo Theater. The Apollo has been home to incredible historic performances and is a must-see. It is unfortunately under construction currently, but we still got a good view of the sign as we walked by.
Central Park
Finishing out our tour of Harlem, including some gorgeous art deco buildings and cool building facades, we entered the north end of Central Park to the sight of families, runners, and shady trees. I’ve spent my fair share of time in the park during my stint living in the city, both for nature escapes and to train for some races. But I love the quiet feel of the park at the top, and how it slowly gets more lively and crowded as you head south. I love how I’ve spent countless hours in Central Park and I still haven’t seen it all.
Noglu
Around 90th street, we ducked out of the park for a stop at Noglu—a must-eat bakery for anyone with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. Noglu is a full spread of delectable baked goods, patisseries, and breads. We stopped for a coffee and a nice spread of a few different baked goods to refuel after hitting the halfway point (ish) of our walk (and of course some coffee to fuel us as we continued our journey).
Lunch in Central Park
After Noglu, we grabbed some Modern Bread and Bagel (another gluten-free staple in NYC) and continued our walk through central park. We sat by the Conservatory Water and watched people sail model boats and walk dogs as we enjoyed our bacon egg and cheese sandwiches. As we ate, I reflected on how much I am going to miss the access to gluten-free restaurants—I truly was spoiled at how many options and varieties there are for me (and for other people with food allergies, it’s just a mecca for foodies all around).
Radio City Music Hall
After lunch, we finished our tour of the park and exited at 6th Avenue to continue our walk south towards Radio City. A landmark in NYC, you can feel the energy just walking by. The holidays were always a time that I did love being in the city, because of the decorations and light shows and widespread cheer, and Radio City, home to the Rockettes, always reminds me of that.
Times Square
Okay. Yes, we did visit Times Square. The massive screens, packed area, costumed performers, and massive stores are quintessential New York. That said, it was by far my least favorite part of the tour and, if I was recommending this walking tour to anyone that spends time in NYC regularly, I would say skip it. It definitely has its novelty, but it took me out of the awe and appreciation that I was feeling towards the city up to that point and reminded me of my narrower view of the city.
Herald Square
A small square compared to Times Square, it’s still a must-see for passing by Macy’s flagship store, home to their Christmas display every holiday season and the Thanksgiving Day parade.
Madison Square Park
We walked along Broadway to Madison Square Park. Small but mighty, it’s beautiful to see the trees set against the older buildings. Another suggested stop here was a quick view of the Empire State Building from Broadway along the way—I didn’t pause here as I saw the building every day from my old offices, but worth mentioning as another iconic building along the route.
Flatiron Building
The silhouette of this building is famous, and it was cool to see as someone who has definitely passed by it countless times but who doesn’t always pay attention to its unique design.
Washington Square Park.
The arch in this park is iconic; you can feel the energy of the park as soon as you see it. We passed NYU students celebrating graduation, chess matches, and thrift sales all squeezed into the small park. It is a definite shift in energy from midtown to downtown vibes.
Freedom Tower
One World Trade Center is an iconic part of the NYC skyline, and we could see it for a few miles as we exited Washington Square Park and trekked downtown towards the memorial. It’s an incredible building and was a must-see on our tour. For us, it also meant the home stretch of the walk, which was great news for our tired and aching feet by this point.
Zuccotti Park
A tiny little plaza, more than a park, it wouldn’t look like much to passersby. However, it was made famous by the Occupy Wall Street movement, and felt important to see a landmark for such recent history.
Charging Bull
The Charging Bull was originally illegally dropped off by its creator at the NY Stock Exchange in the middle of the night. But it has become such an iconic symbol of Wall Street that it was officially installed as an exhibit. We couldn’t quite get an unobstructed picture because there are always tourists waiting for a picture with the bull, but it was worth passing by on our way to our final stop.
Battery Park
The final stop on our tour, we were SO excited to have made it all the way to the end. Battery Park is another little spot of nature to bookend the walk, with a glass carousel and views of the Statue of Liberty. We got there right at sunset, which was a perfect end to the walk.
In the end, we walked over 40,000 steps and spent about 8 hours walking, including over an hour at the Met Cloisters museum and a few stops to sit for food. I highly recommend the walk NYC trend for anyone who is looking for a new way to see the city, even if you live there or visit frequently. It really opened my eyes to a lot of the city that I was taking for granted and helped me to see how truly diverse and unique the city’s neighborhoods are. And, most importantly, it enabled me to leave the city with gratitude for my time there that often felt impossible.