www.MarkTAW.com/local/MarksWalkingTour.html (printable version)
Mark's New York Broadway Walking TourThe famous places to visit are so many,
Or so the guidebooks say.
I promised Daddy I wouldn't miss on any.
And we have just one day.
Got to see the whole town
From Yonkers on down to the Bay.In just one day!
This Walking Tour starts at 65th Street near Lincoln Square and is about 5 miles (plus lots of detours). It covers many of the touristy areas, as well as some that locals enjoy. It won't give you any "insider information" about the juicy shopping centers, talk about the various districts (garment, flower, fashion, etc.), or even give you any of the rich history. or take you to any of the famous museums. There are plenty of websites about all of that.
What it does, though is gives you a good overview of the city, and can be done in a single day if you don't mind the walk and don't stray too far from the tour. Of course, splitting it up in to two or three days would be better so you can explore any areas you want.
Manhattan Island (aka New York, New York) is about 23 square miles of land, approximately 2-1/2 miles across (East to West) and 12-1/2 miles long (North to South). This tour then, covers half the length and a small percentage of the width. Compared to other cities, New York is tiny. At least, geographically speaking.
Navigating is fairly easy. Streets run East and West and the numbers get larger as you head North, or Uptown. Avenues run North and South with 10th Avenue on the West Side (well, there's a 12th Avenue too), and 1st Avenue on the East Side. Down in the Village they ran out of numbers, so once you past 1st Avenue you get Avenue A, Avenue B, etc - Alphabet City. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
5th Avenue splits the city into East and West. Street numbers depend on this, and every block starts a new set of 100. If I'm going to 150 East 23rd Street, I know it's between 3rd and 4th avenues. It's about a block and a half (100 + 50) East of 5th Avenue. If I'm going to 150 West 23rd Street, I know it's between 6th and 7th avenues. It's a block and a half (100 + 50) west of 5th Avenue.
Nobody knows how to find an address on one of the Avenues except maybe taxi drivers and bike messengers, so always ask for cross streets.
One of the things that makes New York City so great is that you can see so much of it in one day, and spend a lifetime here and never see all of it. This walking tour is far from comprehensive - you don't get Central Park, any of the museums (though the Moma isn't too far) or... well lots of other stuff.
Some general tips
My walking tour starts at Lincoln Center (directions to lincoln center), which is located on Broadway around 65th Street. You can take the 1 or 9 train there, the A, B, C, and D trains will drop you off about 5 blocks away on 59th Street, Columbus Circle.
Located just outside of the 1/9 train station is one of my favorite Barnes & Nobles, it's open till Midnight. One block north is the Sony Theater IMAX experience. This multiplex is great because each theater is made to look like a classic New York movie theater. Also in this neighborhood is Tower Records, a Disney Store, and as always, some great shopping in general. Columbus Avenue in the upper 60's has lots of stores and restaurants - all of which look great.
Heading South on Broadway (the street numbers get smaller). Lincoln Center will be to your right. You have to bear left to stay on Broadway. In this area Broadway is a large two way street with a center divider that has grass and flowers and benches on each corner.
Whenever I'm poor and in this area, I stop at Melissa's Gourmet between 61st and 62nd on Broadway for a delicious sandwich. When I'm rich, I try one of the restaurants on Columbus Avenue heading north on 65th St. Of course, the more adventurous you are and the more you stray from this route, the more interesting dining choices you'll find.
Just off Broadway on 61st St, right around the corner from Melissa's Gourmet, is Eastern Mountain Sports. I could spend hours there looking at camping equipment... from binoculars to snack bars to folding chairs to compasses and GPS computers you'll find tons of stuff there to make your NYC experience just a bit easier.
Continuing South you'll hit Columbus Circle. A new high rise building was opened here just recently. The Time Warner Center has lots of shops. TheShopsAtColumbusCircle.com). To the left about a half a block away is the southern tip of Central Park, or you can continue down Broadway to 57th Street. Either route you take, make your way East (that's left) to 7th Avenue.
Central Park South will have horse drawn carriages and... well, the park. 57th Street will have shopping and lots of restaurants like the Hard Rock and the Brooklyn Diner. Not to mention Carnegie Hall, and Trump Tower, which has a public atrium, a couple of small gardens, and a large glass room with trees (and birds).
Once you've reached 7th Avenue turn right (South) and... if you're doing this at night like I always do, you'll see the lights of Times Square beckoning you. Follow the lights until you're in the middle of it all. If you want, you can continue along 57th Street (or Central Park South) to 5th Avenue or Madison Avenue to gawk at some of the world's best shopping.
Incidentally, on the East side of Central Park and 57th Street is more great shopping. This is where you'll find Bloomingdales (59th & Lexington), Tiffany's (5th Avenue and 57th St), and Saks 5th Avenue (611 5th Avenue). No, these aren't the mall versions, these are the real originals. New York City doesn't boast many indoor malls, you'll find that most of the shopping centers are out of doors.
Notes on the maps: The blue lines are the main lines of the tour, the red lines & squares represent other things I talk about, and other things to do. All the maps are the same scale.
Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Midtown, The Empire State Building, Macy*s
"Live from New York it's Saturday Night..." Home to the Today Show, Radio City Music Hall, SNL, the largest Christmas Tree in America, and - of course - over 100 stores, Rockefeller Center is located between 51st and 47th, Broadway and 5th Avenue, so if you want to detour into Rockefeller Center, turn left on 50th Street and walk until you see the flags. A lot of Rockefeller Center is located downstairs. There's a Ben & Jerry's, a Two Boots Pizza, a really nice Starbucks, and some other stuff too. While you're here, see if you can do the NBC Studio Tour.(RockefellerCenter.com)
Now, back to Times Square. Here you'll find the Times Square Brewery, Toys R Us - the World's Largest Toystore with an indoor Ferris Wheel and a life-sized T-Rex, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, the AMC Empire Theater, which was moved brick by brick from it's original location down the block.
Depending on the weather and time you visit Times Square boasts live music & performance art, portrait artists, and much more. Times Square finds itself mainly on 7th Avenue, Broadway, and 42nd St between 7th and 8th Avenues (8th Avenue is to your right, or West if you're coming South down Broadway). Oh, did I mention Aida and the Lion King, and a host of other Broadway shows? Oh and did I mention live music at BB King's, a Hello Kitty/Sanrio store, the Port Authority bus terminal, an ESPN Zone, Virgin megastore, HMV... Oh, and the famous TKTS booth, where you can get half price theater tickets the day of the show.
By the way, a word to the wise. "$5 to get in and 2 drink minimum" means bad drinks that they'll charge you at least $10 each for. The comedy is probably only so-so as well. On 42nd St there's a pretty good magazine store where you should pick up a Village Voice (for free), a Time Out New York magazine, maybe a map, and a Time Out New York guidebook if you haven't already at that Barnes & Noble uptown. This is probably early in the day, so do yourself a favor and come back at night for all the lights and spectacle. (more information: TimesSquare.com).
Another day perhaps you should visit Grand Central Station, which you'll surely recognize from one or two movies. The music stage on SNL is designed to look like part of Grand Central. There's (go figure) lots of great shopping, the NYC Transit store, and a really, really excellent food court.(GrandCentralTerminal.com) The New York Public Library is located just across the street from Bryant Park.
All traffic on Broadway now runs south, so just follow the traffic. If you haven't noticed, Broadway runs diagonally from Northwest to Southeast, so while you were at 8th Avenue and Broadway at Columbus Circle, now you're at 7th Avenue and Broadway. Unfortunately, I don't know of anything interesting between here and Macy*s, so it's a 8 block walk down Broadway from 42nd to 34th Street and the World's Largest store - Macy*s here at 34th Street and Broadway (and 6th Avenue). Be sure to go up a few flights and ride the Wooden Escalators. There's some shopping along 34th street (as always), but I don't think there's much of interest to tourists.
Here's the aging Manhattan Mall as well... it's changed management and names a few times, but this is one of the few examples of indoor shopping I can think of in the city. I guess New Yorker's just don't think shopping should be indoors. Much more interesting is the Empire State Building on 5th Avenue. I'd give you cross streets, but it's much easier to just "look up." Depending on security, the wait time to get to the top may be a little long, but since this is pretty much the mid point of the tour (at least geographically), it may be a good idea to go up to the top so you can see just how small New York is. (The Empire State Building Website)
Notes on this map: The pink area is Rockefeller Center. The blue line where it branches off on 42nd street is part of Times Square. 57th Street, 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue are lined in red to indicate that these areas have a lot of famous stores you may be familiar with. The red square on 42nd and Park Avenue is Grand Central Station. Sorry, this map doesn't include much of the 34th Street area or I'd point out the Empire State Building too.
Chelsea, Union Square, University Place
If you continue down Broadway you'll pass the Flatiron Building (corner of 23rd Street) named for it's unique wedge shape it's a great photo opportunity, but I suggest you head down 5th or 6th Avenue for the shopping. Traffic on 6th Avenue heads North, so you'll want to go against traffic here, and as always the street numbers should keep getting smaller. Traffic on 5th Avenue runs South.
23rd Street also houses the famous Chelsea Hotel (it's a sort of rock n roll icon), a Best Buy, The School of Visual Arts, and just a smattering of bohemia. I don't spend much time in this neighborhood, or I'd tell you more. If you're interested in any of the above, you can do some research online.
Around 18th and 6th (that's 18th Street and 6th Avenue) there's some great shopping. Filene's Basement, Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy... Okay, nothing especially New York here, but still great. Turn left on to 18th Street heading East and pass some great used bookstores, and on 5th Avenue, Barnes & Noble's flagship store. Not the largest, though they do have a large textbook section. 5th Avenue here has some great clothes shopping and restaurants.
Another block east and you're on Broadway. Turn right and walk 2 blocks and you'll hit Union Square. There are a lot of great restaurants here, and surprise surprise, a Starbucks and a Barnes & Noble (and a Starbucks in the Barnes & Noble). Right inside the door of the Barnes & Noble to the left is a New York section you might want to check out. If you're feeling tired, you can sit in the Starbucks (the one in the B&N is always jam packed), but I recommend if the weather is nice (and it should be if you're doing a walking tour), you sit in Union Square, or eat at the Coffee Shop outside.
Union Square is a great place with lots of energy and people. Just south of the park (you can see it from the park, it's next to the Virgin Megastore) is the largest art installation in New York City. I won't tell you what the digital readout means, but it's got nothing to do with the debt or population.
On the northern end of Union Square is a large lot where sometimes you'll find a Farmer's Market, and on the last Friday of every month at 6pm there's Critical Mass where thousands of bicyclist take to the streets. It's a great way to meet people and see the city, though nobody quite knows where the ride will end and the party will be, so getting back to your hotel might be tricky. You can also take the L train in to Williamsburg from here, and if it's Christmastime, there will be lots of vendors selling their wares. You can find some really great stuff here that you won't find in the mall.
14th Street in general has lots of good shopping (are you sensing a theme here?), especially west of Broadway. There's also another Virgin Megastore and a Circuit City.
There's a pretty good pizza place on the east side of Union Square (I believe the place is called Giorgio's). There's a lot of good things in this neighborhood, and just about any route south from here is worthwhile, but I suggest you head down University Place. There's lots of great restaurants, grocery stores, and a cafe or two. Bouna Sera is a favorite Italian restaurant of mine. Just be warned, you might become so full you won't want to walk anymore. I'd avoid the pricey Japanese restaurant across the street. You can also go Bowling here... Which may sound boring until they turn on the blacklights and disco music for bowling in the dark.
Speaking of Pizza, you'll find a lot of Ray's Pizza places that all claim to be famous and original. Don't believe them, the real Rays Pizza is on 6th Avenue and 11th Street.
The oldest continuously operated pizzaria in the United States is Totonnos in Coney Island. Tourists are lucky because now there are two locations in New York City, on 2nd Ave between 80th and 81st, and on Second Ave on the corner of 26th Street. "Only God makes better pizza!"
The whole Grammercy Park area - Irving Place, 3rd Ave, 2nd Ave in the upper teens and lower 20's is nice, lots of restaurants, and it has a nice neighborhood feel. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to go there if it wasn't for Totonnos.
Notes on this map: This is pretty straightfoward. I outlined Union Square park, and gave two alternatives for heading south. Whichever way you choose, make your way to Broaday and 8th Street.
The Village (Greenwich Village, East Village, West Village), The Lower East Side, SoHo
Whether you went down Broadway past all the antique stores, Forbidden Planet and The Strand, or down University Place for a small taste of NYC as a small town with it's local shops and restaurants, or 3rd, 4th, 5th or even 6th Avenue (they're all good ways to go), you'll find yourself at Astor Place and 8th Street. I spend a lot of time in this area, so this will probably be the most detailed section.
8th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue is home to more shoe stores than I can really understand the economy supporting, but there they are. You're now in "The Village" otherwise known as "Greenwich Village." (Pronounced Gren-itch.)
West of 6th Avenue is The West Village. East of Broadway is The East Village. That's easy to remember, right?
You started this walking tour on the Upper West Side. In High School I was forced to read Henry James' book Washington Square, which is about people who live in Greenwich Village in the 1800's when it was uptown. Remember how I said as the numbers get bigger you're going uptown? Well this - 8th Street - used to be the end of the road, this was uptown. I know this isn't very interesting, but I'm telling you for a reason. The further south you go, the less the streets will make sense. These streets were laid down before there were city planners to create the grid of numbers we've come to know and love. Some of the streets are even cobblestone, even to this day.
The West Village is a lot of fun, start on 6th Avenue and 8th Street and head west onto Greenwich. Or start on 6th Avenue and Bleeker and continue along Bleeker. I’m not going to give you much more instruction than that, but expect to get lost. Find Christopher Street, and wander around, this is really a great neighborhood, much more residential in places than you'd expect to find in this metropolis, and there are lots of great local shops.
The miracle of Hudson Street, according to (Jane) Jacobs (author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities), was created by the particular configuration of the streets and buildings of the neighborhood. Jacobs argued that when a neighborhood is oriented toward the street, when sidewalks are used for socializing and play and commerce, the users of that street are transformed by the resulting stimulation: they form relationships and casual contacts they would never have otherwise. The West Village, she pointed out, was blessed with a mixture of houses and apartments and shops and offices and industry, which meant that there were always people "outdoors on different schedules and... in the place for different purposes." It had short blocks, and short blocks create the greatest variety in foot traffic. It had lots of old buildings, and old buildings have the low rents that permit individualized and creative uses. And, most of all, it had people, cheek by jowl, from every conceivable walk of life. Sparely populated suburbs may look appealing, she said, but without an active sidewalk life, without the frequent, serendipitous interactions of many different people, "there is no public acquaintanceship, no foundation of public trust, no cross-connections with the necessary people--and no practice or ease in applying the most ordinary techniques of city public life at lowly levels."
The East Village is also lots of fun. Start on Astor Place (near 8th Street, about a half a block south) and head past the giant black cube and go down St Mark's until you hit 2nd Avenue, 1st Avenue, Avenue A or Avenue B and explore that area. This area is very bohemian, and there's lots of great shopping and nightlife. Just don't wander too far into alphabet city at night. And try not to look too much like a tourist, okay?
Actually, St Mark's place has gentrified quiet a bit lately, and it's mildly disturbing. I go back to see one of the clothing stores was replaced by a GAP and there's a Super Cuts and it's all just bizarre to me. Kind of like when they cleaned up 42nd Street to make way for Disney. St Mark's is also - for reasons that are still unknown to me - becoming more and more Asian.
Oh, if the Mud Truck is parked near the giant cube, you should check it out. I don't drink coffee, but it's a great alternative to the 3 Starbucks all within visual distance of the cube. (One is hidden in the Barnes & Noble on Astor Place.)
Bleeker Street for a few blocks east of 6th Avenue houses a lot of music venues, bars and cafes. Be sure to check out the cafes and shops on MacDougal Street between 3rd street and Bleeker... and just north and south of that too. Broadway itself has some nice shopping, and I should mention Two Boots Pizza on Bleeker just off or Broadway... yummy. Please stop counting how many times I mention Two Boots, Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, I'm getting a little self concious.
Gabey, it says here "There are 20,000 streets in New York,
not counting MacDougal Alley the heart of Green-Witch Village,
a charming thoroughfare filled with..."Here we go again!
Little India is on 6th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues, this street is crowded with Indian restaurants, many with live music. I won't tell you which is my favorite, or which place kept me waiting 2 hours because honestly, I don't remember, though I've always liked Baluchi's, which isn't on this street, but has a dozen locations scattered around the city. They have an appetizer they describe as.. not being able to put in to words, and I agree.
Washington Square Park is the center of the NYU campus. On any given day you're likely to find musicians (some good, some bad), and performers. The famous arch ends 5th Avenue and is a great photo opportunity.
I think the apartments on Friends were supposed to be in this neighborhood. Sorry, there is no Central Perk cafe, and the water fountain is on Warner Brothers' studio in LA. It's still a great place to sit and relax for a bit before you continue on your way.
Actually, according to various trvia sites, like IMDB, Central Perk is based on the Manhattan Cafe in the West Village, but I have no idea where this might be, I don't think it exists anymore. Also, Joey and Monica's apartments are located at 495 Grove St. (Grove Street is located around 7th Avenue and Bleeker Street and only goes up to 99) and Phoebe's apartment is supposed to be at 9 Morton St. in the same neighborhood.
Now that you've been lost, heading East and West without much direction, find your way into SoHo (literally South of Houston), which is roughly between Broadway (well, a little bit east of Broadway) and 6th Avenue just South of Houston (pronounced House-Ten, not Hue-Stun). You'll find some art galleries, and upscale shopping and nightlife. Spring and Prince streets traverse SoHo east to west.
Manhattan women are dressed in silk and satin,
Or so the fellas say;
There's just one thing that's important in Manhattan,
When you have just one day;
Gotta pick up a date...
Maybe seven...
Or eight
On your way.
In just one day!
Dining in this area...
Notes on this map: Phew! a lot of red. I hope it doesn't mean these are Republican streets! The main walking tour takes you straight down broadway, but if that's all you do, you won't have any idea how much great stuff is in this neighborhood. You really have to choose what you want to do out of the things I mentioned, and see how they fit in to your map & time schedule. Hudson & Bleeker, in case you were wondering, isn't on this map, and occurs closer to 14th street in the far west of the West Village. It's a really charming neighborhood and completely out of sync with what you expect city life to be like.
Little Italy, Tribecca, Chinatown, Wall Street, Ground Zero, the South Street Seaport, Battery Park, The Staten Island Ferry
Two blocks east on Spring (that's a left if you're still headed down Broadway) and a right on Mulberry and you're in Little Italy. Sometimes (and I don't know why it does or doesn't), they block off the streets to cars and vendors come out with all sorts of food and things. Usually this happened in September for the Feast of San Genarrao, but now it seems to happen all summer long.
By the time you reach Canal Street you'll surely realize that you're in Chinatown. One block to your left (east) and across the Canal is Mott Street, the center of Chinatown. This runs about 2 or 3 blocks long before it hits a rather boring financial district. Be sure to get your name written by one of the street artists. Any of the streets that cross Mott will also have lots of fascinating stuff.
If you're hungry (unlikely if you just passed through Little Italy) there are plenty of places to eat. Wo Hop (downstairs only please, don't be folled by the upstairs one - if you don't go down, it's not Wo Hop) at 17 Mott Street is famous not just for it's cuisine, but for being open at all hours. (Hint: come here late at night, and get the crispy noodles. This is the place to be after a night of partying to grab some chow before bed.) Or if you're in a social mood and it's early evening, try Joe's Shanghai at 9 Pell Street (Pell crosses Mott) where no table is fewer than 10 people and you sit next some newfound friends. Try the soup dumplings. Or maybe you want some dimsum or a refreshing beverage. Don't be (too) afraid to experiment.
An anecdotes about Wo Hop. Once, late at night I ate there and there was a party of maybe 12 people or so seated next to me. After they cleared out, the restaurant emptied and the waiter stacked all the plates and glasses not high, but wide. He then lifted the bottom plate and carried the whole thing in to the kitchen with one hand.
A few blocks east on Canal Street and you'll see the Manhattan Bridge entrance. There's a great DVD store near there (on the northeast corner, just across from the traffic triangle) where I get imported Anime DVD's you can't find anywhere else.
West on Canal and you're back on Broadway, Pearl Paint, a 6 story art supply store is here, and so are lots of black market DVD's, CD's and handbags. Be sure to practice some discretion here. Behind Pearl Paint is Pearl Home Decorating, Pearl Framing and Pearl Arts and Crafts. There's also a great luggage store with some really cheap carry on luggage on the corner of Broadway and Lispenard. Right next to the electronics store with all the Panasonic stuff. I'm guessing you need some extra luggage after a long day of shopping.
About a half block north on Broadway is a a large store with all sorts of asian decorations. On Canal Street just west of Mott (at 200 Canal St., on the south side) is Kam Man Food. On the first floor they have all sorts of exotic and not so exotic asian delicaies. Downstairs they have a large area with all sorts of things from plates and cups to rice cookers and placemats. This place is a lot of fun, and from it's unassuming store front, I'd say one of the hidden gems of Chinatown.
TriBeCa (The Triangle Below Canal) is one of NYC's distinctive neighborhoods and Robert DeNiro tried to make a TV series about it. There's lots of galleries, and the TribeCa film festival. I don't spend much time here or I'd tell you more, but you can go to TriBeCa.org, and if you're in town in late October, you can check out the Tribeca Film Festival. It's roughly located below Canal Street, but on the west side of Broadway.
Head south on Broadway again for a few to Leonard Street and make a right. Make a left on Trinity Place and follow it south to Ground Zero. I'll admit to you right now that I get lost in this area, so some friendly advice or a good map of this area may help you more than I will.
Here you can visit Wall Street (not that interesting), or head back north to Fulton Street and follow it east to South Street and the South Street Seaport. This is a great little shopping center, and a really great place to grab a bite to eat at an outdoor cafe, and there's frequently live entertainment here. Also, on Fulton there's another Strand bookstore, and a lesser-known TKTS booth where you can get half off tickets for broadway, off-broadway, dance and music shows. There's some great dining around here as well.
Again, I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but you can make your way by train (the N & R, or 1 & 9 are good candidates) to Whitehall Street, South Ferry... Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan. If you have an hour, the Staten Island Ferry is a great way to relax on the river a bit, the view as you leave Manhattan is classic, and it passes close to the State of Liberty. Just ride it round trip, a half hour each way, it's a free trip.
Notes on the map: Broadway is still the center point of the tour, but you come down Mulberry Street in Little Italy, and detour on to Mott at Canal for China Town. You then head on to Ground Zero (if you so choose), which is that big area on the lower left of the map with nothing in it. The Manhattan & Brooklyn Bridges are highlighted because you can take a bike across them (or walk). If you had to choose, you'd obviously want the Brooklyn Bridge. Of course, then you just have to turn right around and come over it again, unless you want to spend some time in Brooklyn.
Notes on the map: From Ground Zero you can go to the South Street Seaport, or head south to Battery Park to take the Staten Island or Ellis Island ferries.
New York, New York, a helluva town.
The Bronx is up, but the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the groun'.
New York, New York, it's a helluva town!
PHEW. I know this can be done with comfortable walking shoes in a day and a half because I did it in that much time when a friend of mine visited for two days, though I don't recommend you do it that way unless you're on a tight time schedule. Relax, take your time, and feel free to explore. The point of this tour is to show you how connected things are in this ultra-compact city.
New York, New York, a visitor's place,
Where no one lives on account of the pace,
But seven millions are screaming for space.
New York, New York, it's a visitor's place!
Further/general info.
Here are some other things you can do in the city.
Sites I check out when looking for something cool & cheap to do, roughly in order that I check them:
With all of these listings, it's best to make a list of things that are going on any given night, and see what's free and interesting & hit that first, then see what neighborhood things are concentrated in and head over there. For daytime stuff... well, just check out whatever you're interested in, and if that sucks, go and be a tourist for a while.
More things to do & see in NYC.
Things you didn't think you could do in NYC.
Miscelaneous Links
Message Board: http://www.marktaw.com/forum/list.php?f=1
page first created on Sunday, December 19, 2004
this site and it's contents copyright Mark Wieczorek
