A Walk for Every Season

Let's face it: although it's quite likely that where you came from your car is your status symbol, attempting to keep a car on the streets of Manhattan is a symbol of idiot status. Unless you can afford the $400+ dollars it's going to cost you to have it sit in a garage, leave the thing at home or sell it (the cash will come in handy). Once you hit the books and develop your new routines, you won't have the time to drive anyway. (And once you attempt to drive in Manhattan the first time, you will probably be tempted to jam the gearshift into park in the middle of the block and flee the vehicle in horror.)

By necessity, New Yorkers are walkers. Whether we take the bus or the subway, or hail a cab in front of our apartment buildings, at some point every day we will end up walking at least a few blocks or several flights of stairs. Walking in New York can also be one of the more pleasurable, most invigorating experiences that you can do. Whether you just need to clear your head, want to share a cheap date with someone, or need to get out of the library and remind yourself why you came here in the first place, the walks I've listed below can help you out.

Autumn in New York

I personally think that New York is beautiful in any season (don't remind me of this on some dreary mid-January day when the temperature hasn't gone above freezing all month and last week's snow is starting to look very grey and unsanitary), but fall in New York may very well be my favorite time of year. The days can be crystal clear, warm but not humid, with the blue sky a perfect foil to the trees changing color and the gleaming skyline. I love nothing better than to take one of those days for a mini-vacation in town and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Take the subway (6 train) to either the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall stop, and simply follow the pedestrian walkway signs. There is nothing quite like the photo opportunity on the bridge on one of those crisp fall days with the span of the bridge framed by the lower Manhattan skyline. As you're walking across, you can see the Statue of Liberty, South Street Seaport, the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights and, looking uptown, the other bridges linking Brooklyn and Queens to our borough. It is quite breathtaking. Once you get across the bridge, you have the option of making a right turn and heading into Brooklyn Heights, which is quite lovely. These days, though, my preference is to head left into the newly-trendy DUMBO area (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, get it?).

DUMBO is trendy, arty, and is often compared to Soho in the 70's. Like Soho, DUMBO is a former industrial and warehouse neighborhood which has been converted to residential lofts, and like Soho before it, there is a thriving art scene. It is becoming more and more occupied by higher-end restaurants like Rice on High Street, a branch of Robert DeNiro's Bubby's and retail establishments like ABC Carpet and Home Outlet and West Elm on Front Street. Definitely check these out, but the place you really need to see is the waterside.

First, head over to the Fulton Ferry Landing for a remarkable view of Manhattan through the suspension of the Brooklyn Bridge. While you're there, check out the schedule for BargeMusic which offers a terrific variety of performances Thursday through Sunday, 52 weeks a year. As the name implies, the concerts take place in an old barge moored at the dock. Some concerts are free, while others range in price from $35-$75. As you walk across the ferry landing, if the line is not too long (caution: check inside as the line can be very long even once you've made it past the front door), grab a cone or a cup at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Company--it's good stuff.

Walking north by the entrance to the River Café, arguably the single most responsible business for the overwhelming revitalization of the area, you will notice a beautifully decaying brick structure with numerous huge, arched doorways on three levels. This is an old tobacco warehouse, dating from the mid-1800's and is soon to be renovated into a food market similar Chelsea Market. The warehouse serves as the office (and contains restrooms) for the state park along the water's edge, which is stunning and features a real sand beach! If you've brought a picnic, here's your spot. Alternatively, just read a book, take in the views, or people watch. If you've brought a kid with you, take in the playground. Whatever you do, just enjoy yourself. Around the corner, at 111 Front Street, you'll find the closest thing to Soho in the 70's that I've seen lately. Called the DUMBO General Store, it is a fully stocked art supply shop in a neighborhood cafe. With large communal tables, living room style seating, and flyers and cards for local performances and galleries; it has just the bohemian vibe you would expect.

Finally, no trip to DUMBO is complete without a trip to Jacques Torres Chocolate Shop at 88 Water Street. Not only is it a retail emporium featuring some of the most mouth watering chocolate delicacies that you are ever likely to see, it is also the factory where the chocolates are made. And if you buy nothing else while you are there, you've gotta, gotta, gotta have a cup of their amazing hot chocolate. As the warming sweet elixir goes down, you will not be able to help yourself from knowing, at that moment, that New York City is the only place to be.

Winter Wonderland in the West Village

A long time ago, I started a tradition of taking this walk on the evening of the first snow of the season. The City takes on a completely different aura in the snow, and there's no place like the West Village to experience it. You will find that in addition to making everything just a little more beautiful, snow makes the City at least 20 decibels quieter.

From the Law School, head down MacDougal Street one block and hang a right on Minetta Lane. Follow this quaint street to Sixth Avenue, crossing to Downing Street. When you reach Bedford Street, make a right and take the time to notice the plethora of cafes, bars, and funky businesses there, like "The Lively Set" at 33 Bedford. At the next corner, take note of Blue Ribbon Bakery, and if you're hungry and there's a table, by all means stop in as this is one of a mini-chain of Blue Ribbons that includes Blue Ribbon Sushi on Sullivan and in Brooklyn. Continue along Bedford Street and you will realize that you are in the heart of the West Village. The houses and brownstones become older and many sport brass markers detailing their heritage. Pay close attention to the very, very narrow home at 79 1/2 Bedford, the home of Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Making a left on Commerce Street, you have hit historic heaven as nearly every house on Commerce and Morton are marked with historic plaques, making for an easy self-guided tour. Note the Cherry Lane Theater, founded by Edna St. Vincent Millay as well as other patrons of the arts of the 19th century. The apartment upstairs was home to the actress Kim Stanley, who originated the role of Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire and is considered by many to be the best actress of the past 50 years. Continuing around Commerce, past the Grange Hall at number 50, meander to the left and check out the quaint courtyard on the right-hand side of the street (a perfect place to pause and make a snowman).

When you reach Hudson, continue for a block and go right on Grove, yet another beautiful Village block. Pause to take a look in the duly noted "private courtyard" on your right, and if you are with a companion, this would be the appropriate time to make out a little as the snow and the history and the aroma of the wood burning in the fireplaces swirl around you. Finally, make a right on Bedford again, and go right into the unmarked door of number 86 on the left hand side of the street. This is Chumley's, a former speakeasy founded in 1922, and it's the perfect place to warm to the fireplace, hoist a pint (or four), pet the dogs roaming around, and toast the fact that you are in the heart of one of the greatest places on Earth.

Springtime Stroll in Central Park

OK, you've been here nine months or so and it's April. Get the hell out of the library and stop worrying if you've missed anything important. The main thing you are missing right now is the rebirth of New York City after the spring thaw. Take a second to check out the crocuses and daffodils starting to sprout in the courtyard of Vanderbilt Hall as you flee the building for Central Park.  

Once you get out of the subway at 59th Street, head directly into the Time Warner Center and descend the escalator into Whole Foods Grocery, a monster of a supermarket that will simply dazzle you with it's offerings. Head over to the prepared foods section 'because we are making us a picnic. Choose from sushi, sandwiches, salads, prepared entrees, cheeses, soups, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Order the penultimate smoothie at the Jamba Juice bar, or, if you prefer, check out the extensive wine and beer selection (with a little luck, you'll get to sample some of the wares of local vineyards for free). Don't forget your plastic utensils and napkins at the station in the center of the store and head right into Central Park South at 59th Street .

Depending on how warm it is and how many "April Showers" we've had at this point, it might be wise to partake of your feast on one of the park benches inside of the park rather than laying a blanket on terra firma. From here, follow your instincts and head north. You will be privy to amazing people-watching, but be mindful that if you are not careful, you may be cut down in your prime by one of the skaters or bicyclists speeding by in their moments of Zen. For the kid in you (or the hopeless romantic), head into the center of the Park around 64th Street and take a ride on the old fashioned carousel.

Going north, through the Sheep Meadow which really did used to have sheep manicuring its grasses, check out the Bethesda Fountain and the Loeb Boathouse, where you can rent a rowboat and go out onto the lake, or admire those who do from the comfort of your chair at the Boathouse Cafe, nursing a cocktail. If you still haven't had enough nature, continue northward past Belvedere Castle and take a leisurely walk around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, checking out the newly budding magnolia trees through the much-beautified fence surrounding it. And remember, this is as much a part of your education as preparing for that maritime law lecture Monday morning.

Summer by the Hudson

For folks who were not in New York before the recent transformation of the piers between Chelsea and Battery Park City, you simply cannot appreciate the improvement. Where once these piers were rotting, unsafe homes to illicit behaviors, the Hudson River Parkway has transformed the area into a textbook example of great urban planning. Going south from the Chelsea Piers entertainment complex, there are numerous areas for picnicking, concerts and events like the annual Barbeque Festival and outdoor movies each summer. Check your Time Out or The Village Voice to see when these events will be held or just go to www.riversideparkfund.org. The shoreline has become a mecca for rollerbladers, bicyclists, and joggers, and offers other amenities such as a kiddie park at Pier 51 (at Jane Street) that boasts jungle gyms, slides, and a sprinkler pool and sand boxes. There are also clean restrooms and snack bars nearby.

A little further downtown, just south of Christopher Street, Lunchbox Cafe sets up a cart most summer weekend days that features their fabulous homemade gelato and sorbet. If you'd like something a bit more substantial but still in keeping with the summer theme, the Sweet Love Snack Bar on Pier 25 (near North Moore in TriBeCa) has great hot dogs and hamburgers and picnic tables to enjoy them. After that, you might want to work the meal off with a free game of ping pong, a cheap game of miniature golf (3 bucks), or if you're hanging with your posse, rent a beach volleyball court for 20 dollars an hour. Continuing downtown at Pier 26 between Chambers and Canal the Downtown Boathouse offers free 20-minute kayaking in the protected area surrounding the pier. You get life jackets, the kayak or canoe and the paddles, as well as an intro kayak class. Finally, you have to check out the New York Trapeze School, recently featured on Sex and the City. One of these days, I really want to try it ($65 for a private lesson, $57 for groups), but for now I am content to digest my hot dogs, gelato, and burgers as I while away the hours watching some other schmuck twist in the wind on their bungee. Isn't that what being a New Yorker's all about?