Since we arrived here and settled into Manhattan, I've been picking the brains of the people I've met for places to go in this city. Amidst the handfuls of restaurant, museum and park recommendations, I was given one common suggestion. In so many words I was told repeatedly that New York is a walking city.
Skeptical of the scale this city spans, I found myself dismissing this remark at first and placing it on my "things to do list" which more often chronicles events that are less than likely to happen. However, as the weather turned warmer and the sky became more inviting, I found myself on Sunday taking the metro all the way to the top of Central Park. Deciding to put this walking theory to the test, I figured that if I allotted a couple of hours I could walk from the top of this island to the bottom.
The eight hours it took me to walk in a linear fashion through the infamous grid yielded possibly the most interesting and diverse display of people and places imaginable. Central Park was as beautiful as all the films and books depict it to be, yet way too large for a person who wasn't in the mood to get lost among the trees and sprawling land. 5th Avenue was predictably packed with shoppers and tourists trying to walk and avoid collisions concurrently. My aversion to the rapid pace of materialism prompted a switch to Broadway, but only after I stopped to sit for a moment in Bryant Park. Now for anyone who enjoys people watching, ivy leaves, painting and cooing pigeons, this is the park for you. Enveloped by architectural beauties, spotted with trees and petite tables with green wire rimmed chairs, it is the perfect place to spend a moment.
As I continued down Broadway after the park, I passed New York University, Soho, Tribecca, Little Italy and Chinatown. Each area was unique in its style and walking population, which I have to add was about 25% canine. Each minute brought something completely new and different to my perspective of this city. Everything my mind could conjure up in its imagination was given proof of existance in some form or another on these streets. The pace of life was sensational. As quickly as I was confronted by some new image, the next minute that image would be forgotten and replaced by another. Overwhelmed with senses and sights I decided how hard it would be to search for a particular amidst the many.
Around 6 p.m. I found myself finally close to home. The downtown street signs became more and more familiar as I approached Bowling Green Park. Looking back upon the day I realized that I could not have figured out a better way to discover Manhattan. Although at times New York City can be overpowering, the chance it gives to a simple walker, inviting her to participate in such tremendous life, free of charge, becomes the best way to feel at home at the end of the day in the city.
