BowlingJoe: New York City - Part Four

One of the things we noticed about New York City during the week we were there is that, in general, New Yorkers are pretty physically fit. We saw the same thing in Chicago. People tend to walk a lot. And since you can walk a lot faster than gridlocked vehicles, walking makes sense.

They walk in parks. They walk to and from the subway. They walk to the grocery stores and restaurants. They walk their dogs. That’s another thing. Everyone who lived in one of the stone row houses (sans a front or back yard) seemed to have a dog. And the dogs were height/weight proportional, too.

Here are a few walks that we found to be just great.

Central Park and The City from the Roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Central Park. Certainly the most popular place to walk and jog in New York, Central Park is frickin’ big. Six miles long and a half-mile wide. We could have easily spent a week getting lost in Central Park. I wouldn’t call the park particularly scenic (remember, we’re spoiled with some majestic National Parks here in the Northwest) but the fact that is there as an island of green in Manhattan really is pretty amazing. Some of the things in the park worth a visit are: Strawberry Fields, a quiet garden walk near The Dakota, where John Lennon was shot…..The Great Lawn, site of many memorable free concerts over the years including one we just missed out on (Stevie Wonder and John Mayer)……The Loeb Boathouse and Restaurant….Bethesda Fountain.

Bethesda Fountain on a Beautiful Day

Brooklyn Bridge. You’re guaranteed to have lots of company on the pedestrian walkway that’s above the vehicle traffic on the bridge. Lots of walkers, runners and cyclists make the half-hour (or so) trek across the famous structure every day. We took the subway under the East River to Brooklyn and fueled up on some tasty NY pizza before walking around the neighborhood for a bit and hitting the bridge. Just as walking across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco should be on anyone’s list who enjoys exercise, the same can be said about the Brooklyn Bridge. Only this is better because it’s more user friendly and there’s usually no fog.

The Pedestrian Path Atop the Brooklyn Bridge

The High Line. This is a real gem. Not too many years ago, New York officials had the idea of taking an abandoned elevated rail line, sprucing it up into an aerial greenway, and making a great walking experience in the process. The walk is about a mile long and runs along the west-central Manhattan near Chelsea Market at its southern terminus. It’s a pleasant and relaxing walk with great views and art to be appreciated along the way.

Strolling Along the Old Rail Line

Building Art: Great Scene from the High Line

Hudson River Greenway. We were told by our upper west side hosts to check out this long path a few blocks from where we were staying. It’s essentially a green and somewhat wooded narrow strip of land that runs along the east side of the Hudson River. Not nearly as popular and crowded as Central Park, it’s a relatively nice and quiet area to walk a dog, bike or jog.