New York City By Foot

If you really want to fall in love with New York, you have to experience the city on foot. The sheer variety of neighborhoods, food, shops, and people becomes most vibrant when packed into a walk. Indian restaurants border designer boutiques; Park Ave. matrons march past Williamsburg punks. Plus, the turnover in the city is so great that you never know what undiscovered shop or snack spot lies just around the corner or down the next block.

Although having a destination is totally optional, you can often get around faster on foot than in traffic or by subway. Finding your way around mid- and uptown Manhattan is relatively easy. The city is built on a simple grid, with street numbers increasing to the north and avenue numbers increasing to the west. The grid breaks down below 14th St. Bring a map, and don’t be turned off by the geography. Some of the best walking in the city is downtown, through tangled narrow streets that look like old Europe. In general, one mile equals about 20 avenue (north-south) or 10 street (east-west) blocks.