Christina Henry de Tessan - City Walks Deck: New York

The best way by far to experience this gargantuan, occasionally intimidating city is on foot, absorbing the ever-changing kaleidoscope of detailspeople, architecture, cafs, museums, shop fronts, music, smells, street food, parks, yellow cabs, and plenty morethat make this city what it is. Once youre sharing the sidewalks with locals, this vast, soaring metropolis becomes not only manageable, but infinitely enjoyable. By walking its streets and exploring its rich patchwork of neighborhoods, youll begin to really understand what sets New York apart from the rest of the world. The only problem is that after a few days of its intoxicating energy, you may find you never want to leave.

New York is divided into five boroughs. Most of the areas of interest to visitors are on the island of Manhattan, a long, narrow strip of land separated from New Jersey by the Hudson River on its western side and from other mainland boroughs by the East River on its eastern side. Outside of Manhattan, youll find the Bronx to the north, Queens to the east, Brooklyn to the southeast, and Staten Island to the south. With a population of some 2.5 million, Brooklyn alone is the fourth-largest city in the U.S., and this new edition includes several new walks in that borough.

Getting around most of Manhattan is quite easynumbered streets run east-west and get higher as you go north (20 numbered streets equal a mile). Avenues run north-south, with numbers increasing from east to west. Things get a little trickier downtown, where named streets replace numbers, and some neighborhoods (for example, Greenwich Village) are a bit of a tangled maze. However, the good news is that you are rarely far from an easily recognizable artery or subway station that will enable you to re-orient yourself. Long and narrow, Central Park covers 843 massive acres from 59th St. in Midtown up to 110th St., dividing the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side.

While New York City extends far beyond Manhattan and comprises a huge population and a geography complicated by multiple rivers and bridges, the city as a whole is almost shockingly easy to navigate. The public transit system is nothing short of miraculous, efficiently conveying an average of 7 million people throughout its labyrinth of tunnels and streets each day. Purchase a MetroCard (select a card with a specific number of rides or buy a pass for a flat fee for unlimited rides for a set number of daysoften the best deal for visitors), and study a subway map to orient yourself. Subway trains are identified by a number or letter and a final destination (Queens) or direction (Uptown), so its useful to have at least a rudimentary idea of the five boroughs locations in relation to Manhattan.

The individual walks described in these cards start at the southern tip of Manhattan and work their way north to Harlem, with a detour to Williamsburg, before covering the borough of Brooklyn and wrapping up with Governors Island. They offer a mix of experiences. While some focus on the citys museums and architectural or historic landmarks, others highlight fabulous shopping, iconic residential neighborhoods, and the citys beautiful parks. You can easily string together several walks or opt to spend an entire afternoon in a single area. Youll find subway information for the starting and ending points of every walk on every card. Some walks are loops, while others are one-way with a transit stop at each end. All points of interest that appear in bold in the text are numbered, and the corresponding numbers appear on the cards map sides. The walks vary in length, though most are between one and two miles and can be completed in an hour or two at a leisurely pace. On the card maps, 1 inch equals 750 feet, so 5 inches is approximately three-quarters of a mile. The cards with white borders around the map side describe longer walks and are created to the scale of 1 inch to 1,250 feet, or a little less than a quarter of a mile per inch.

So put on your most comfortable shoes, pack some sunscreen, choose a few cards, and hit the ground walkingNew York City awaits!

Text 2018 Christina Henry de Tessan
Maps 2018 Lohnes + Wright
All rights reserved. No part of this deck may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
All City Walks decks are independently researched. Our authors accept no payments or discounts in exchange for listing or endorsing any place or business.
The information in this deck is updated regularly. However, as things can change quickly, if you notice anything out of date, feel free to contact us at .

ISBN 978-1-4521-6244-7 (deck)
ISBN 978-1-4521-6557-8 (epub, mobi)

Design by Michael Morris

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www.chroniclebooks.com

Battery Park is where New York got its start, and the area is home to a surprising number of interesting specialty museums and several memorials. Although the park itself is a bit small and overrun with tourists, it is densely packed with sites of historical significance.

Take the 4/5 train to Bowling Green. Before you start, check out the map at the park entrance that points out all of the memorials (there are more than 20too many to list here) in case there are any in particular youd like to visit. Then head south along the main path, past the Netherland Memorial to the Peace Sphere (1) , which was once situated in the World Trade Center Plaza and was brought here after 9/11. Youll then pass the Immigrants Memorial (2) , in memory of the many people who have disembarked here over the centuries. Up ahead is Castle Clinton (3) , built in 1811 to defend New York harbor. (Today its a visitor center where you can purchase ferry tickets for the Statue of Liberty.) Head right, past the Korean War Memorial (4) and Pier A to enter Robert F. Wagner Park. Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage (5; 36 Battery Pl. ) or head across the street to the Skyscraper Museum (6 ; #39), where visitors can get a crash course in New Yorks architectural history through photos, models, and architectural drawings. Continue along Battery Pl. to the National Museum of the American Indian (7; One Bowling Green), a Smithsonian outpost filled with a diverse collection of artifacts, photos, and art. Catch the subway back at Bowling Green, or continue south to catch the scenic free ferry to Staten Island.

This stroll showcases a number of historic landmarks that played a crucial role in the evolution of the city during its early years.

Take the 4/5 train to Bowling Green. Head south on State Plaza, looping around to the left. State St. runs into Water St. On your right, wedged between two towering skyscrapers, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1; 55 Water), an understated but moving tribute that displays the names of all the New Yorkers who lost their lives in the war and includes a selection of quotes. Cross Water St. and head north on Coenties Slip. Turn left to visit Fraunces Tavern (2; 54 Pearl), a reconstruction of the historic pub favored by George Washington. (History buffs should check out the small museum here.) Backtrack, turn left on Coenties, then right onto charming Stone St., the first paved street in New York, which dates back to 1657. Today, the Stone Street Historic District (3) is packed with upscale restaurant tables, but plaques provide details about the areas early days. Stone St. dead-ends at the British Memorial Garden. Head through the garden to Wall St. and turn left. Budding capitalists should visit the Museum of Finance (4; #48). History was made when George Washington was inaugurated in 1789 at the Federal Hall National Memorial (5; #26). The famed New York Stock Exchange (6; #11) occupies a surprisingly small building. Continue on to Trinity Church (7) , straight ahead. When built, it was the tallest building in the city. Stroll through the picturesque old cemetery. Catch the 4/5 train at the Wall St. station out front.