Local Strolls: Manhattan from top to bottom in 35k Steps

10.06.2024 - 17:29 / lonelyplanet.com / Hudson River

If there's one thing New Yorkers know how to do, it's walk. But the lengthy tip-to-tip adventure is reserved for special occasions (like a milestone birthday à la  Broad City , or in this case, a 75-degree day with zero humidity ). 

On this perfect NYC day, my fellow editor Ann Douglas Lott and I headed to the top of Manhattan to begin our adventure to the very bottom, which would conclude with 35K steps total, 16 miles, three bathroom stops, and a giant hot dog sighting.

We began at the Met Cloisters, as it's only a few blocks from the top, and you get a stunning view right off the bat. I must come clean that I did convince my boyfriend to drop us off at our starting point so we wouldn’t have to take the train from Brooklyn, but the A train and 1 train both run to the tippity top. For the Cloisters, hop off at Dyckman St. Now, let's begin our walk.

Chamidae
The Met Cloisters to 84 St, 10:30am to 1pm

From the Cloisters, we walked the first 10 or so blocks through Hudson Heights and then veered off the main route to stroll through Riverside Park. Sticking to parks as much as possible while uptown is key, as you don’t have to wait for stoplights, and you avoid the city's congestion and are on to flatter terrain.

On this particular morning, the skies were so clear that you could see One World Trade in the distance, which is a lovely, albeit slightly scary, reminder that you have to go even further than that.  Along the way, you’ll enjoy views of the George Washington Bridge, catch a glimpse of the Little Red Lighthouse, dodge bicycles, and, if you’re as lucky as us, watch a trombone player serenade the Hudson River and overhear kids in school yards enjoying field day. All the while, you might be wondering if those around you can tell you’re about to walk roughly 16 miles.

Around 100 blocks in, we took a slight detour inland to see Columbia University, which was ultimately a waste of steps as it was closed for Graduation. If you want to conserve your steps, keep heading south through the park instead. We returned to Riverside Park to continue along a calmer, less congested path. We didn't want to miss the 91st Flower Garden, famous for its cameo in the beloved NYC 1998 rom-com You’ve Got Mail. The garden was also the location of our first break and rehydration stop.

Once we had given our legs a little rest (we had already walked around 11K steps), we headed out of the park back on the main drag to snap a photo of the iconic Barney Greengrass before a truly mouthwatering lunch.

Ann Douglas
W 84th St to Lincoln Circle, 1pm to 3pm

Food is fuel, my friends, which is why we were already discussing lunch on the drive up to the Cloisters. We Brooklyn girls hardly frequent the Upper West Side, which