Walking in New York City

Cooling heels in shallow water along the Highline 

I enjoy walking and there is no better way to see a city than hoofing it along the sidewalks and parks.  Thanks to an app that came with my iPhone (from which I also took these phots), I tracked my mileage (along with steps and stairs climbed during the week).  The most mileage in a day was 14.5, the least was 7, with a daily average of 10.  What can I say?  Some people leave their heart behind in the city, I leave the tread from the soles of my shoes.  New York has wonderful places to walk.  There are plenty of sidewalks and most of my walking was on sidewalks, but I never took pictures of them.  

Everyone knows of Central Park and one could do many miles within the border of this huge park.  Although it seemed more people enjoyed the south end of the park, where there is a zoo and a nice lake and those two funky high rises that appeared in Ghostbusters (the movie), the north end of the park actually has some wooded areas and hills.  Also, dogs are allowed to run free on the northern end.  There is also a ravine on the upper end that reminded me of the Appalachian Trail as the dirt path paralleled a creek which provided the sound of gurgling water that made it feel as if one was in the wilderness and not in a big city. 

Central Park with the Ghostbuster Buildings in the distance

Hudson from Fort Tryon 

Riverside Park, which runs along large stretches of the Hudson River was another nice place to walk as observing boats on the water and even the large cruise ships that dock between 50th to 55th Streets.   Also, the wide expanse of water provides a nearly constant breeze which moderates the temperature on hot days.  Further uptown, this park links to Fort Tryon Park and some others which are on high bluffs above the river.  While there, check out the wonderful gardens.  Also along the river is Battery Park.  Having been there before and with lots of construction due to Sandy (the hurricane that struck NYC a few years ago), I didn't spend any time there this trip.

The High Line

My two favorite places of walking is the High Line and the Brooklyn Bridge.  The High Line is an old elevated railroad that provided freight service to factories along the Hudson River.  It was abandoned in the 80s and there was a discussion about tearing it down when someone came up with the idea of making it a walk path.   It was opened in 2008.  The path gives nice views of city streets and the river and in places include groves of aspen and lots of flowers and grasses that are interspersed around the path.  Most of the pathway was created by placing precast concrete strips on the old ties, which softens the walking from traditional concrete on packed services.  Some areas a metal service is used with slits for drainage.  There is a covered area where a few artisans sell their work and food and beer is available.  The path is incredibly clean, unlike some of NYC's streets and subways that are just a notch cleaner than Jakarta's streets.   

an audience participation lego project along the High Line

Brooklyn Bridge

The other neat place to walk is the Brooklyn Bridge.  It can be accessed on either side by the subway and then crossed over to the other side on a path above the traffic.  The height and openness of the bridge to sea breezes keep us cool for the sun.  The bridge is a marvel to see and walking across it one can ponder the engineering feats of the day.  In addition, you are able to enjoy the view up and down the East River and of lower Manhattan. 

George Washington Bridge from Fort Tryon Park