Never Anywhere

I know, I know. I made lots of promises in my last post and kept exactly zero of them. I could make all kinds of excuses and ramble on for paragraphs (which are two of my specialties), or I could just try to make it up to you with a detailed account of an exceptional walk…complete with a video. I’ll do the latter. Without further ado:

Manhattan, North to South

I’ve been to Manhattan several times, but like many tourists, I never really made it north of Midtown. In my limited view, Manhattan was largely equivalent to Times Square and below. But I am an avid media consumer, and New York City is maybe one of the most written about and romanticized cities in the world, so I knew there was more to Manhattan than what I’d seen. So, I set out to see it in one grand walk, lovingly coined “Tippity Top to Tippity Bottom” by the NYC-based television show Broad City.

There’s many names for this walk, and there’s many routes for it. It’s a somewhat popular challenge for tourists and locals alike, as it is a great way to highlight just how diverse Manhattan’s neighborhoods are and to see iconic sites one right after another. I decided to pick some key spots that I wanted to see around the island and create my own route in that way. If you do the walk in a mostly straight line, it typically is around 14-16 miles. But I had the time, I had the shoes, and I had the determination to see additional sites, so it took me a grand total of 20.39 miles, which took me 6 hours and 41 minutes, for a grand total of 42,966 steps. I completed this walk by myself, but I wanted to share it with others in some way, so I’ve recreated the route with pictures and descriptions below. If you’re suffering from brainrot (like I am) and decide it’s too much to read, I’ve also created a video below, captioned and ready for you to put in 2x. Huge disclaimer: I am not a New Yorker, and I inevitably made mistakes when talking about the history and geography of Manhattan’s many neighborhoods. For that I say that I am sorry in advance: none of it was done maliciously, and I am excited to keep learning about this amazing city.

Step Zero: Geography and Logistics of the Start

Most people choose to walk this challenge from north to south, and I did the same. This way, I started in more residential areas and ended around tourists buzzing with excitement on their way to the Statue of Liberty. If you’d rather start earlier and beat huge crowds in some of the busiest parts of Manhattan, however, walking bottom to top may be a better way to complete this walk, as you could walk through The Battery, SoHo, Midtown, Times Square, etc. before they hit peak popularity. It’s relatively flat either way.

It’s July, so it’s extremely hot in Manhattan (and most of the U.S.) right now, so I knew I wanted to start early. I also knew that I didn’t want this to be the only activity I did all day (read: I wanted to see Sunset Blvd. again), so it was essential that I start early. I am no morning person, so to set myself up for success, I prepared some things the night before. First, I created a bookmarked list of spots I wanted to see on Google Maps, which you can feel free to use. (Many of the spots I picked were inspired by this “NYC Tip To Tip Walk” post on Greg Fly, which I definitely recommend reading.) Then, I packed my bag to make sure I’d have everything I might need to make this walk as successful as possible. Fair warning: if you aren’t used to walking with a bag, I recommend trying it out for a bit before your big walk, as it can affect your pace some if you aren’t prepared. 

When the alarm went off at 5:30 A.M., I was feeling (very) excited and (somewhat) sleepy. I started the morning off with some water and yogurt, braided my hair, applied lots of sunscreen, and headed to the subway. I’m staying in the Upper West Side near the 96th Street subway station, so I planned to ride the 1 up to 215th Street. Due to some scheduled service on the 1 that weekend, it was faster at the time to go downtown and then transfer to another train to go uptown. Long story short, I left the apartment around 6:20 A.M., and I arrived at the base of the Broadway Bridge around 7:10 A.M. 

Step One: Inwood & The Met Cloisters

Some people start at the 215th Street subway station, but I’m a bit neurotic and wanted to go up as far north as I could, so I walked up around 220th Street, took my starting photo by the Broadway Bridge that connects Manhattan to the Bronx, started my watch, and was off. My journey began in the northernmost neighborhood Manhattan: Inwood. Given my lack of Manhattan knowledge, it somewhat surprised me to pass by several gas stations. Though it was early, I saw several people out and about, starting their Saturday early by talking with and buying from street vendors or pushing their carts to the grocery. It was the morning after the Fourth, so I suspect many people were also still asleep after a late night.

From my starting point, I journeyed to my first stop: The Met Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park. Operated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met Cloisters is a museum built from parts of French abbeys that were disassembled, shipped to the U.S., and reassembled brick-by-brick. Today, the museum is dedicated to Medieval art, and it sits atop a hill that I heard had some great views. So, even though the museum would be closed when I got there, I set off to climb the hills, passing joggers and other early-morning walkers to reach the top of the Cloisters. 

Step Two: Washington Heights, the GWB, & the Morris-Jumel Museum

Step Three: Harlem, the Hamilton Grange, & the Apollo Theatre

Step Four: Columbia University, the Upper West Side, & the Smithsonian

Step Five: Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle, & Central Park

Step Six: Midtown, Fifth Avenue, & Times Square

Step Seven: the Garment District, Greenwich Village, & the Stonewall Inn

Step Eight: the Financial District, the Battery, & the Statue of Liberty

Step Nine: the End

I finished up the day by returning to the apartment I’m renting to relish in the air conditioning. Afterward, I treated myself to two of my favorite parts of NYC: pizza and theatre.

When all was said and done, I ended the day with just over 53,000 steps, a personal record for me…for now. But stay tuned!

More soon.