*I wanted to let readers know that this blog is a combination of all eight of my walks around the perimeter of the Island of Manhattan and I have kept it in order by section of the island. This way you can experience all the wonderful things to see, do and eat at along the way. Never do this walk in the rain! That was tough.

*I now do this officially as a member of Shorewalkers Inc. and own my own every year by tradition on the Summer Solstice. This is in honor of my dad, Warren Watrel and the adventures we used to have in New York City on Father’s Day every year. This is to keep that tradition going!

As New York City is just beginning to reopen during the COVID-19 Pandemic and trying to return to normal, I have been wondering Manhattan to see what changes have happened in those three months.  It is still incredible how much of the City is beginning to remind me of the mid-1970’s.

My trip in 2020 into lower Manhattan revealed a City looking circa 1980 with boarded up stores and graffiti all over the place. Walking around the neighborhoods in Midtown and Downtown last week were a real eye-opener on how pent-up frustration can almost destroy the fabric of a City and the underpinnings of human nature. It really showed just how frustrated everyone is with being sick, unemployed and broke.

Fifth Avenue boarded up on June 15th, 2020

By July 2025, things got a lot better

Even when the stores windows get fixed and the stores restocked, I don’t think people will forget that quickly. When you finally let people ‘out of their cages’ (i.e. their apartments) though you can see that compassion come back. This is what I saw on my thirty-two mile walk around the Island of Manhattan.

On my walk in 2021, the weather was just as spectacular as it was in 2020 but the mood of the City was different as things in Manhattan had been opened now for a year and the mask mandates were giving way to better days ahead. I saw so much interesting ‘public art’ all along my walk and ate at restaurants new and revisited from other blogs in the past six years. I felt like I was seeing old friends. I also took more time to look over artworks, explore parks and admire the views more on this beautiful day. There are better days ahead for New York City as it continues to morph and change.

In May of 2022, I did the official walk with the Shorewalkers Inc., the people that run the walk every year. This was the first time since 2019 that the group held the walk and I wanted to be part of it with all the other walkers. Initially the walk was sold out three weeks before the day of the walk, but I got on the waitlist and when the weather report said rain all day, a lot of people dropped out. It ended up raining (and I mean raining) the whole time of the walk with just a few lulls and the sun did peak out for about five minutes up by the Carl Schulz Park. I wish it had been longer. I was drenched by the time it was over.

We started the morning of 2022 with an early report to the Frances Tavern at 54 Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan, the start and finish of the walk. I had not been there in years and missed the beauty of the building and its historical value. Since I signed up for the walk at the last minute, I did not want to be late. I had started at West 23rd and West 42nd Street in the past so I knew how to pace myself and once I was all signed in at 7:30am, I started the walk. Many others had started before me so I passed many people along the way, wondering how many of us would finish.

The Frances Tavern at 54 Pearl Street is the official start point for the Great Saunter in May every year

https://www.frauncestavern.com/

https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraunces_Tavern

Starting the walk in 2023 on a sunny day

The “Great Saunter” was done exclusively in the rain this year. Usually, I pick a sunny day during the Summer Solstice which honors my dad on Father’s Day but since the official walk is the first Saturday in May, off I went. It poured and was gloomy the whole time of the walk. I endured it in good spirits meeting others along the way that kept me going.

Me at the start of The Great Saunter in 2023.

In July of 2022, I decided to do the perimeter walk one more time because the weather had been so horrible in May of 2022 that I wanted to see the whole island again when the weather was nice. The walk had started out nicely with it being overcast and in the 70’s but once the clouds broke and it cleared up, it was in the 80’s and got humid. Still it was a beautiful day for walking.

Walking around the Island of Manhattan is no easy task. In 2020, I had planned this since last year and made it my goal to do the walk on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. The problem was I had a ton of yard work to do on the first day of the summer and I had to get it done knowing that I would be tired after a walk like this. So, after a day of trimming bushes and weeding the lawn, I put my game plan together for the next morning.

Since it was Father’s Day Sunday, I wanted to do something different and special to honor my father more than just sitting at a cemetery looking at an inscription. This is not something my father would want me to do. So my honoring him was to remind myself of all the wonderful Father’s Day’s we spent in Manhattan visiting museums, parks and going to see independent movies at the MoMA and the Angelica. After which we would dine at whatever restaurant I had seen in the Village Voice. Those were the days I wanted to remember.

My inspiration “The Great Saunter” by Cy V. Adler

‘The Great Saunter Walk’ had been cancelled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and would be held at a later date. The walk was started in 1984 by Mr. Cy A. Adler, who founded The Shorewalkers Inc., a non-profit environmental and walking group whose group was fighting for a public walkway since 1982. The first Saturday in May was designated as ‘Great Saunter Day’ (Wiki and Company founding) and has been recognized by most current Mayors of New York City.

Cy V. Adler

I got the map of the walk off the internet and tried to figure out where to start. The walk starts at Frances Tavern in Lower Manhattan, but I thought that was too far away. I thought of starting at 110th Street so I could get through Harlem faster but then I would be travelling back to 110 Street late at night, so I nixed that.  Then I thought, I have to get off at 42nd Street for the Port Authority anyway and that is where I am at now with my walking project plus when I finish, I will only be a few blocks away from the bus station so why not start there?

So, in 2020 for my first walk, I started my walk around the Island of Manhattan at the Circle Line Boat Pier where I celebrated last year’s birthday. In 2022, this is where I started again. It made it easier for when I needed to get back to Port Authority.

The Circle Line is where I spent 2019’s birthday touring Manhattan by rivers

I took the 6:35am bus into New York to start early. During the week, the first bus comes at 5:30am and I would have liked to get more of head start but I wanted to do the walk on Father’s Day so into the City I went that morning. I got to the Pier by 7:07am and started the walk around the island. It was the same in 2022.

The Circle Line was closed also because of COVID-19 so the Pier was quiet that morning. I looked over my map of Manhattan and started the walk along the pathways along the Hudson River going up the Joe DiMaggio Highway to the Henry Hudson Highway. I had not been to this part of the Manhattan in about two years.

The Circle Line terminal at 83 North River Piers West 43rd Street

https://www.circleline.com/nyc-sightseeing-cruises

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d276253-Reviews-Circle_Line_Cruises-New_York_City_New_York.html

In 2022, the Circle Line had opened for business, but the first ride was not until around 10:00am so the area was quiet as well. When I finished the walk at 8:55pm, fourteen hours after I had started, the Circle Line had just returned from a ride around the island and people were flowing off the boat. Talk about a huge change in just two years.

When I decided to do the walk for a second time on June 25th, 2021, I put together a different game plan. With all the problems happening all over the City (shootings and harassments had been going up all over the City), I decided that I wanted to start earlier then I had the previous year and decided to spend the night before in Manhattan so I could get an earlier start.

I stayed at the Moxy Hotel in Chelsea at 105 West 28th Street in the heart of the Flower District and I have to say that the hotel has excellent views of the City.  I received a room on the tenth floor facing Sixth Avenue and at night I have to say it was one hell of a view. When the lights came on in the evening, the whole neighborhood twinkled.

The Moxy Hotel at 105 West 28th Street (In 2022)

http://moxychelsea.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d14149815-Reviews-Moxy_NYC_Chelsea-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The Moxy Hotel Downtown on 22 Ann Street (IN 2024)

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/nycof-moxy-nyc-downtown/dining/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d14095381-Reviews-Moxy_NYC_Downtown-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I got up at 5:00am that morning as the sun shined through the floor to ceiling windows (I wanted to get up early so I pulled the curtains back to see the sun) and got ready then checked the luggage, checked out and started my walk the second time at 6:15am.

The mood of the City was much different from the previous year with more businesses opening up and more people milling around the parks. Still the City was pretty quiet for most of the day especially as I reached uptown.

In 2022, I signed up for the official walk a few days before the walk started knowing that it was going to rain all day that year. That’s why I was able to join in because so many people dropped out (and kept dropping out along the route with all that rain).

I started the walk in 2021 with a good breakfast at Chelsea Papaya at 171 West 23rd Street #1. I have passed this small hole in the wall restaurant for years on my walks around the neighborhood but had never eaten there. I had passed it the night before on my way back to the hotel and thought it would be a good to have breakfast before I started the walk in Riverside Park.

It was an amazing and filling breakfast of three pancakes, two scrambled eggs and three slices of bacon with a medium papaya drink for $11.00. The food was excellent and the guys working they’re at 6:15am could not have been nicer. The seating was not so hot with two small tables outside the restaurant where the tables and street could have used a good cleaning. Still, it was a carb laden meal that prepared me for the long walk.

Chelsea Papaya at 171 West 23rd Street

https://www.chelseapapayany.com/

Don’t miss the wonderful and filling breakfasts at Chelsea Papaya

The breakfasts here are filling and delicious

Yum!

I started the walk in 2021 on West 23rd Street, so I got to visit this side of the park during the day with it sweeping views of Jersey City and the Hudson River. When I started walking in the park at 6:30am, it was a beautiful sunny day but as the morning grew and I got to around West 42nd Street, the clouds started to roll in and it got cooler.

That did not last long. In 2022, I was not so lucky as it was a misty rain when I started the walk at 7:30am in the morning but it was bearable. I started at Staten Island Ferry terminal and then off I went with the other walkers who were up for the challenge.

In June 2024, I stayed at the Renaissance Downtown on Ann Street again and after a wonderful breakfast I started the walk officially at 7:30am in the morning. Unfortunately we had a ‘heat dome’ over Manhattan that day and the weather would top 97 degrees. It made for a walk that took a bit longer but still I followed the same path from Battery Park and walked along the shoreline of Battery Park City.

There is so much construction going on in Lower Manhattan that I had to make all sorts of twists and turns along the way. Not just here but in Alphabet City, South Street Seaport and Chinatown. It made for an interesting trip.

In 2021:

The first thing you will see when entering the park is the Monarch Waystation Garden that is one of many that have been planted around the rim of Manhattan. I have seen this also in east side parks as well.

The Monarch Waystation Garden is as you enter Hudson River Park

Entering Hudson River Park

As I entered Hudson River Park, I noticed many works of art displayed on the fences and walls of the surrounding buildings. The 2021 NY Salt Exhibition was being displayed and I took some time to look over the works while walking through the park. I made may way from West 23rd Street and proceeded north walking near the river.

The NY Salt Exhibition at Hudson River Park in 2021 (opened only that summer)

https://www.nycsalt.org/whatson

When you walk up past the Piers along Riverside Park in the 40’s, the first thing you will see in the next Pier over is the Intrepid Sea-Air Space Museum which was closed for the COVID-19 pandemic. Pier 86 where the ship was docked was really quiet that morning with only two people eating their breakfast on one of the tables in the little park near the ship. There were sweeping views of New Jersey across the river of Weehawken and West New York.

The Intrepid Sea-Air Museum is just reopened after being closed for almost a year

http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/

Most of the West Side is pathways along the river with views of New Jersey until you hit about West 50th Street when you get to the lower part of the new Hudson River Park that has been built on fill to create a new riverfront.

In May of 2022, as I walked around the southern tip of the island, I could not believe how many works of art in the parks that I missed on the previous two walks. I guess I just wanted to finish the walk by that point. During the July 2022 walk, I started at the same point as 2020 and when I saw my first piece of artwork, it was like seeing an old friend.

When I reached the park by Pier 96, I came across Malcolm Cochran’s artwork “Private Passage” again. I came across this sculpture when visiting the park two years earlier. The piece is a giant bottle and when you look in the port hole you will see a state room of the former Queen Mary. It is an interesting piece of artwork that is not hard to miss and take time to look in the port holes.

Private Passages in Hudson River Park

The inside of “Private Passages”

Artist Malcolm Cochran

About

The artist is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and is graduate of Wesleyan College who specializes in large sculptures.

Further up the park, I came across the old New York Transfer Station piece in Riverside Park. This is a relic of the old West Side Railroad tracks that were once part of the New York Central Railroad that the park and buildings behind it are built on. This transfer bridge once was used to attach railroad cars to the freight tracks that once ran up and down this part of the island (Forgotten New York).

The New York Central Transfer Station

It is interesting to see this now as a piece of art instead of a functioning part of the railroad but it is fascinating to see how we use the parts of the past as a piece of art in the present. This shows the current park visitor how we have made new uses of the riverfront for recreation and pleasure which was not true during the early parts of the last century.

The New York Central Train in the park.

In 2021 (this exhibit was only for that summer):

As I was walking up through Riverside Park, I noticed a lot of artworks displayed in Riverside Park that were part of the ‘Summer 2021-Re: Growth’ art display that stretched from the West 40’s to 100’s at various points in the park. Some were interesting in design, and it was nice to see a lot were from local New York Artists (This closed after the summer of 2021)

https://riversideparknyc.org/regrowth-riverside/

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/riverside-park-unveiling-regrowth-public-art-exhibit-summer

These lined the length of Riverside Park and you had to really look for them. These were the works of art I viewed on the way up Riverside Park. I included the work and a short biography on each artist that I saw:

Double Arc Leaves and Lava

Artist Letha Wilson

https://www.lethaprojects.com/

Ms. Wilson is a American artist who graduated from Syracuse with BFA and a MFA from Hunter College. She is a New York City based artist living in Brooklyn.

Happiness is….

Artist Blanka Amezkua

https://www.blankaamezkua.com/

Ms. Amezkua is American born New York City based artist living in Bronx. A graduate of Cal State Fresno with a BA and also attended the Academia de belle Arte in Florence she is formally trained as a painter (Artist Bio).

Stuk

Artist Dewitt Godfrey

https://www.dewittgodfrey.com/

Mr. Godfrey is large scale sculptor from Hamilton, NY who graduated from Yale University and his MFA from Edinburgh College of Art in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Four Currents

Artist Wendy Letven

http://www.wendyletven.com/

Ms. Letven is an American born artist raised in Philadelphia with a BFA from the Tyler School of Art and a MFA from Hunter College and currently teaches at Parsons School of Design and Art and Design at New York University. She is a multidisciplinary artist in sculpture, installation and painting (Artist Bio).

Riverside Reading Room

Artist Mary Mattingly

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mattingly

Ms. Mattingly is an American born artist currently living in New York City. She has a BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art from Portland, OR and attended Parsons School of Design.  She is known for creating photos and sculptures representing futuristic and obscure landscapes (Wiki).

Last Steps

Artist David Shaw

https://riversideparknyc.org/meet-the-regrowth-artists-david-shaw/

Mr. Shaw is an American born artist and a native New Yorker. He received his BA in Fine Arts from Colgate University. He is known for sculpture installation, photography and drawing.

Upstream DownStream

Artist Shuli Sade

https://www.shulisade.com/

Ms. Sade is an Israeli artist currently living in New York City. Her mediums in art include photography, sculpture and drawing.

Swailing/ Snow Squall

Artist Niki Lederer

Home

Ms. Lederer is a Canadian born artist who lives in New York City and Newburgh, NY.  She has a BFA from the University of Victoria and a MFA from Hunter College.

Deliver Us

Artist Glen Wilson

https://www.biomythart.com/glen-wilson

Mr. Wilson is an American born artist from Los Angeles, CA. His medium is photography.

Ancient Rhoman Winged Figure

Ancient Rhoman Votive Statue

Artist Joshua Goode

https://www.joshuagoode.com/

Mr. Goode is an American born artist from Texas. He has a MFA from Boston University and has worked as an archaeologist on several digs Artsy Bio).

These works are on display until August 2021 and try not to miss this interesting display of art in this ‘open air museum’.

In 2024, there were more art installations along the way in all the parks. This is why I always say that New York City is like an ‘open air museum’. Between all the public and street art you will see along the route you never have to visit a museum. There is so much to see and experience. The first was “Hope” by artist Helen Draves and the second was “Life Dance” by artist Susan Markowitz Meredith. This was part of the “Art in the Parks” exhibition that runs every year.

Art in the Parks:

https://www.nycgovparks.org/art-and-antiquities/art-in-the-parks

“Hope” by artist Helen Draves

“Hope” sculpture

Artist Helen Draves

About Artist

Artist Helen Draves is a South Korean-born artist who has resided and pursued my artistic career in New York for over 25 years. Her father, who was an artist and an art professor in South Korea, inspired her as a child to explore my creativity through crayons, pencils, and paper. She was enamored with the process of creating something on a blank canvas, and this passion led her to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ewha Women’s University in Seoul in 1993. She continued to pursue my artistic education in the United States, obtaining a Master of Fine Arts degree from the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York in 1996. As an artist, her work often reflects the aging of life, particularly through the metaphor of wrinkled, aging hands.  (Artist bio website).

“Life Dance” by artist Susan Markowitz Meredith

“Life Dance” sculpture

Artist Susan Markowitz Meredith

http://www.susanmarkowitzmeredith.com/

Artist Susan Markowitz Meredith is an American born artist who has a BS in Art from Skidmore College and an MA from University of North Colorado. She has been developing my skills as a sculptor since 2011 when she began taking classes in wood and stone carving at The Art Students League of New York. She has supplemented her technical knowledge with outside coursework and training in woodworking. Her explorations have led her to pursue a range of other materials including metals, plastics, paper, and lighting. These educational experiences have cemented her commitment to sculpting and helped her clarify her own particular artistic approach (Artist bio website).

Hudson River Park and Riverside Park South blend into one another with the housing complexes behind them are a shining example of the uses of urban renewal and reclaiming our riverfront for pleasure and conservation. It is also one of the nicest new complexes built in Manhattan in recent years.

Riverside Park South

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park-south

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d548731-Reviews-Riverside_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

What I love about this park is the nice pathways and lawns just to sit back and relax and enjoy the views. There are a lot of places to stop and rest. Since I had been to this side of the island two years ago, I continued my walk up to West 72nd Street when I got to the southern border of Riverside Park which runs much of this side of Manhattan.

Someone finally cleaned up and replanted the Rose Garden by the West Harlem Piers Park and it was in bloom that day.

I made it up to West Harlem Piers Park by 8:46am (7:43am in 2021) and made my first stop of the morning. The park was a mess. People must have been having parties in the park the night before and did not clean up after themselves because I could see a NYC Parks worker in the picking up the garbage and she did not look happy about the mess. Usually, this park is pristine, and I was not used to seeing it such a mess. I guess these are the things you see in New York City parks early in the morning. The efforts to keep them clean.

West Harlem Piers Park is a picturesque park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/west-harlem-piers/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d21085344-Reviews-West_Harlem_Piers_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

The park is down the road from the new extension of the Columbia University campus extension, so this park gets a lot of use during the school year. This early in the morning there were just a few joggers and one homeless guy who was throwing more garbage around. I did not want to be near the Parks worker when she had to deal with that.

What I had not noticed on my trips to the park in the past were some unusual sculptures by artist Nari Ward, a New York based artist who likes to use objects found in his own neighborhood (artist website).

Artist Nari Ward

https://www.nariwardstudio.com/

These unusual silver sculptures I almost interpreted as people trying to speak and it was interesting that the sculptures were called Voice I and Voice II. I was not sure of what the artist was trying to communicate with his artwork, but it does stand out in the park. The unfortunate part of it was that there was so much garbage in the park you could not get up close to see them.

Voice I

Voice II

Voice III

I really enjoy this park. It has wonderful breezes and excellent views and plenty of places to sit down and relax. It offers such nice views of the river and as the morning progressed, I started to see more sailboats and water boats out cruising up and down the Hudson River.

While walking down the walkway to Fort Washington Park in 2023, I noticed these flock of seagulls in the cement barrier that I had noticed many times before. I did not realize how detailed they were until I really looked at them. This is what happens when you take your time to observe everything on this walk and not just rush by.

The seagulls wall

The seagulls wall

Walking through Fort Washington Park during the walk in 2023

In 2024, the City was promoting their “Art in the Park” exhibition as they had done in the past. I saw some unusual art in the park that was on the lawn before you entered the pathways. It is so nice that Manhattan has these ‘Open Air Museums’ for us to enjoy all over the City.

https://www.artstudentsleague.org/exhibitions/works-in-public-fall-2023

Portrait of T by artist Sophie Kahn

Portrait of T by artist Sophie Kahn

Artist Sophie Kahn

https://www.sophiekahn.net

Artist Sophie Kahn is an Australian born artist who lives in Brooklyn who has a BA in Fine Arts from the University of London and MFA from the School of Art Institute of Chicago.  A sculptor and digital artist, Kahn utilizes technology—in its successes and failures—to analyze the complexity and poetics of capturing the human body in the digital age. Working from a 3D scan of musician and artist tiger west, Portrait of t. brings the digital, private realm into the public through a glitched body scan cast in bronze (Student Art League.com).

‘Our Gates’ by Artist Marco Palli

https://marcopalli.com

‘Our Gates’ by artist Marco Palli

Artist Marco Palli

https://marcopalli.com/

Artist Marco Palli is an Venezuelan born artist with MFA from the New York Studio School of Sculpture and MFA from the New York Academy of Arts both in sculpture. Expanding beyond the personal, Palli’s sculpture presents an opportunity for audiences to engage with the narratives of local versus foreign and the sense of belonging within the United States. Our Gates is a celebration of New York City and its diverse communities (Student Art League. com).

It was unusual but very interesting art. I was just surprised to see in a location that not too many people visit. It would have been nicer if placed further downtown on the Upper West Side, where people might appreciate it more.

I reached the bottom of the George Washington Bridge by 9:36am and watched an artist putting a display of layered rocks along the Hudson River shore. Uliks Gryka the artist behind the “Sisyphus Stones” that line this part of the park was carefully layering stones one on top of another and fixing and creating new formations. It was interesting to watch how he balanced each of the stones into a new work. The artist is originally from Albania and has no formal art training (Artist website).

The Sisyphus Stones on the Hudson River (gone in 2023)

The Sisyphus Stones sculpture in 2023 when I walked on my own.

The Sisyphus Stones sculpture was all but gone by walk on my own in 2024 but replaced by someone doing driftwood sculptures.

The Driftwood Sculptures started to appear in the park

Artist Uliks Gryka

https://www.linkedin.com/in/uliks-gryka-a76071171

The work reminded me of the Moai on Easter Island, the famous statues that faced the sea. It made me think how the artwork looks to the river and how maybe it is nature communicating with land and sea. I was not sure the message the artist was trying to portray, and he looked too busy working to ask him. The artwork was still there in 2021 and it looked like the artist was still updating it.

The Little Red Lighthouse at Fort Washington Park

I continued on into Fort Washington Park to see the Little Red Lighthouse, which I had not visited in almost three years since my last walk in the neighborhood. Many tourists were by the site just under the George Washington Bridge, taking pictures by the lighthouse and enjoying the sunny weather.

The Little Red Lighthouse

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-washington-park/highlights/11044

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d2368581-Reviews-Little_Red_Lighthouse-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/visitingamuseum.com/300

The Little Red Lighthouse had been constructed in 1889 and moved from Sandy Hook, New Jersey in 1917 and moved here in 1921. It was decommissioned in 1948 after the construction of the George Washington Bridge in 1931. What had saved the lighthouse from destruction was the book “The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge” by author Hildegarde Swift in 1942 (Wiki).

The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift

The Little Red Lighthouse historic sign

I didn’t stay long by the lighthouse because it was loaded with tourists taking pictures, but I did stay by the tables and enjoy the view of the George Washington Bridge. It was making quite the racket as more cars are travelling over it again and on a sunny day offered some dazzling views. The breezes were amazing! In both 2021and July 2022, the lighthouse and the park were really quiet, so I got to enjoy the views on my own this time.

The view down the Hudson River from the The Little Red Lighthouse is amazing!

In 2022, the rain had turned to mist, and it was not so bad by the time I got to the lighthouse. I noticed that most people did not stop to look at the lighthouse. They just passed it to keep walking.  I stopped because I love seeing this interesting landmark.

The park in June of 2024 was just beautiful. What a great day to be there

Walking up the stairs to get to the upper level of the park is not for the faint hearted and I saw many people much younger than me get out of breath on their way up. One guy had to be about twenty and he looked like he needed oxygen. To me it was just a walk up and I continued to walk through the lower part of Fort Washington Park. In 2021, I could not believe how in much better shape I was that I handled it better.

The Pollinator Place right near the Little Red Lighthouse is promoting wildlife in the area

This part of the park faces Englewood Cliffs, NJ and the Palisades Park Highway on the other side of the river. There is no construction on that park of the river, so it offers views on the cliffs and the woods that line it.

The view of Englewood Cliffs, NJ in 2023

As I walked further up into the park, it was mostly wooded highway and further up the hill was Fort Tyron Park and the home of The Cloister Museum which is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum has been closed since March, but I had taken one of the last of the guided tours on religious flora in art of the Middle Ages before it closed on March 13th. The museum reopened in July of 2020.

Fort Tryon Park and The Cloisters Museum in the park

Fort Tryon Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-tryon-park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d2305249-Reviews-Fort_Tryon_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/visitingamuseum.com/4350

The Cloisters-The Metropolitan Museum of Art

https://www.metmuseum.org/visit/plan-your-visit/met-cloisters

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d106609-Reviews-The_Met_Cloisters-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/the-cloisters-museum/

The Balcony of the old “Tryon Hall”

When you reach Fort Tyron Park by foot along the Henry Hudson Parkway, you will see two large stone columns that look like the entrance to an estate and then across the street there is a pillared overlook to the Hudson River. These are remnants of the former C.K.G. Billings estate, “Tryon Hall”.

The old entrance to the estate is covered with brush

Mr. Billings, the Chairman of Union Carbide, owned most land of which the park is located and theses small relics are the remains of the great estate. I had never been in this part of the park before and thought it interesting that these pieces of the estate were left.

The “Tryon Hall” estate of C.K.G. Billings.

Cornelius Kingsley Garrison Billings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._K._G._Billings

The History of the Estate:

https://untappedcities.com/2021/03/03/remnants-billings-estate-fort-tryon

http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-lost-billings-mansion-tryon-hall.html

The archway and drive are still part of the park, and you can see them closer to The Cloisters Museum. The old driveway to the estate is still used inside the park.

The entrance to the old “Tryon Hall” estate in Inwood Park in 2023

I travelled up further and arrived at the Dyckman Beach Park located at the end of Dyckman Avenue in Inwood. This tiny little beach is hidden from the road and is located next to the pier. Every time I have visited the park, this little section is in high demand for picnickers, and you have to get there early. The pier is a nice place to relax and soak of the sun and admire the view.

Don’t miss this tiny beach and the pier. It is so relaxing!

In 2021, the beach area was busy with a local high school graduation going on in the restaurant right next to the beach. There was much cheering and celebrating going on and it was good to see that. All along the harbor deck, people were relaxing and fishing. In July of 2022, it was quiet with a few people fishing so I had the whole place to myself. This was when I took my first break. The heat was starting to get to me.

In 2020, I walked around one side of the park that contains the soccer field where a very heated match between two teams was taking place. I could tell there was a heated discussion in Spanish that these two teams were in major competition.  While the men were playing soccer, the ladies were cooking up a storm, making skewers of meat, cutting fresh fruit and stirring lemonade for a makeshift concession stand. This was a very organized league.

I walked around the field and watched the game as the families settled in for a long afternoon. These guys really took the game seriously and were going back and forth side to side for the twenty minutes I watched the game. The pathway to the park ends in a semi-circle and on the side is a walkway bridge over the railroad tracks which will take you around Inwood Hill Park to the lower pathways that overlook the Hudson River and to the Henry Hudson Bridge that leads to the Bronx.

In 2021, the fields were very quiet which I was surprised by. Usually, this area is very crowded with people even when COVID was at its height. It was better to be outside than inside. It was earlier in the morning.

When you follow the path, it leads to the Spuyten Duyvil, a man-made canal that was created during the Dutch era for shipping and trade. It cuts off a small section of Manhattan that is now on the Bronx side of the City. Here you will see the giant blue “C” for Columbia University, whose stadium is on the other end of the park.

The Columbia “C” from Inwood Hill Park

The paths lead down wooded areas that are some of the last of the ‘virgin’ forest left on the island of Manhattan and one of the few true wooded areas.

The pathways in Inwood Hill Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/inwood-hill-park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d3598044-Reviews-Inwood_Hill_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

When you exit the pathways into the lawn area of the park, you are greeted by a giant boulder which is one of the most historic objects on the Island of Manhattan, the Shorakkopoch Rock.

The spot where Manhattan was bought by the Dutch

The rock is the legendary location of where Peter Minuit bought Manhattan from the Reckgawawang Indians for what is today $24.00 of household goods and trinkets.

The Shorakkopoch Rock in Inwood Hill Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/inwood-hill-park/monuments

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d21055143-Reviews-Shorakkopoch_Rock-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/visitingamuseum.com/1240

The transaction between Peter Minuit and the local Lenape Indians

Peter Minuit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Minuit

As I exited the park’s long hilly path, I arrived with this woman who tagged along with me to the halfway point. Right near the Shorakkopoch Rock, there was another usual sculpture right before it by artist Rose Simpson entitled “

Rose Simpson “Seed”

Rose Simpson “Seed”

Artist Rose Simpson

https://www.rosebsimpson.com/works

Artist Rose Simpson is an American born artist who works out of New Mexico. She has a BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts and has a MFA from both the Rhode Island School of Arts and the Institute of American Indian Arts. She is a mixed-media artist whose artwork investigates the complex issues of past, present and future aspects of humanity’s tenuous survival in our current ecological condition (Wiki/Artist Bio).

On the other side of the small cove is the natural cove, Muscota Marsh where the Columbia Rowing Team has their sheds. The Muscota Marsh was created in a joint partnership between the NYC Parks system and Columbia University. This one-acre marsh is located in the Spuyten Duyvil creek and is part freshwater and part salt-water marsh. It is home to many native birds who use it as a nesting and watering site.

The Muscota Marsh on the edge of Inwood Hill Park

The beauty of Muscota Marsh in the summer months

https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/muscota-marsh

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d21055137-Reviews-Mucota_Marsh-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/visitingamuseum.com/1214

I sat and relaxed while birds flew in and out of the marsh that morning. It was the most beautiful sunny morning, and you could feel the cool breezes coming off the creek while small boats passed by. The Muscota Marsh is one of those hidden treasures in Manhattan that tourists rarely visit. It was nice to just sit and relax. I had reached the northern most part of Manhattan by 11:11am four hours after the start time.

In 2020, I had eaten a light breakfast at the house and had gone through my snacks while walking up to Inwood Hill Park. Most of the places I had gone to in the past while up walking the neighborhood or going to the Columbia/Cornell football games were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic or went out of business. I ordered breakfast from Park Terrace Deli at 510 West 218 Street.

Park Terrace Deli at 510 West 218 Street

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Fast-Food-Restaurant/Park-Terrace-Deli-115609725127285/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4636946-Reviews-Park_Terrace_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I had the most amazing Bacon, Egg and Cheese on a Hero that hit the spot. I was starved and this large sandwich fit the bill. It was loaded with freshly cooked bacon and the hero roll was toasted and then pressed when the bacon, cheese and eggs were loaded inside. I sat down with a much-needed Coke in the benches by Isham Park further down Broadway. I enjoyed every bite, and the ice-cold Coke gave me the burst of energy I needed to continue the walk down the western part of Manhattan.

This has become a tradition as I came back for the same sandwich in July of 2022 and enjoyed my breakfast on the benches of Muscato Marsh, enjoying the breezes and watching the row teams. It is a great place after you grab a snack to sit and enjoy the views.

The Bacon, Egg and Cheese sandwich at Park Terrace Deli is excellent!

In 2021, I was still full from my breakfast at Chelsea Papaya and stopped in Twin Donut at 5099 Broadway (now closed) for a donut. I have been to this shop many times when walking in the neighborhood and their donuts are delicious. I had one of their Blueberry jelly filled ($1.50) and that hit the spot. The owner said that they were selling the business after sixty years and it would soon be a twelve-story building. In July of 2022, the building still sits empty.

Twin Donut was at 5099 Broadway for almost 60 years

https://www.facebook.com/TwinDonutOnFordhamRd/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4688490-Reviews-Twin_Donut-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

In 2022, I stopped in Inwood Park to meet up with other walkers for snacks and go to the bathroom. The rain stopped for a bit, and we were able to stand and talk to one another. People were playing soccer nearby and residents were shopping at the Farmer’s Market close by. Even though the snacks were nice you can’t make a meal out of Pringles and Goldfish.  So, I packed up a few of the snacks to take with me and went on my way.

In 2021, I stopped at G’s Coffee Shop for the same breakfast sandwich and as usual, the food and service was excellent, feeding my weary body. Every meal that I have had at G’s has been good.

G’s Coffee Shop at 634 West 207th Street

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Coffee-Shop/Gs-Coffee-Shop-205601462950934/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d17445018-Reviews-G_s_Coffee_SHop-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

G’s Coffee Shop 634 West 207th Street New York, NY 10034

After breakfast, I travelled down 10th Avenue from 218th Street and followed the path of the original footprint of the island until I arrived at the cross streets of Dyckman Street and Harlem River Drive at the beginning of Highbridge Park and Sherman Cove.

The Breakfast Burrito with Chorizo and Eggs is delicious

Even in this busy area of car repair shops, small restaurants and the Dyckman Houses, everyone pretty much ignored me as if I was not there. Not one person looked at me. Many people looked down as I passed which I thought was strange.

The Dyckman Houses off Dyckman Avenue in the summer of 2024

Click to access Dyckman_IAPv2.pdf

Click to access Dyckman.pdf

In 2020, most of this part of Highbridge Park was still closed off to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because it was Father’s Day, people were barbecuing along the thin path and patch of land between the park and the highway. It amazes me how creative these residents are with the use of space.

In 2021, the Sherman Creek part of the park was open for walking through, and I took the time to walk the path to the river through the winding woods and streams. It is a nice break from the busy City and it a very underrated part of Highbridge Park. The views of the East River were spectacular, and the breezes were so nice and cool. It was nice to have the park to myself that morning.

Sherman Creek Park/Swindlers Cove is at 351 West 205th Street

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sherman-creek-park

Sherman Creek Park

Before I took the long trip down Harlem River Drive along the rim of High Bridge Park, I walked along Dyckman Street, one of the three big retail corridors for the Dominican community in Washington Heights. The other two being 207th Street and the other 181st Street and Broadway.

Dyckman Street on the west side of Broadway is so alive on the weekends with street vendors selling food and wares, music playing and people socializing with their neighbors. I love coming here for the bakeries and to get fresh pastelitos and freshly squeezed juice from the street vendors who have to listen to my broken Spanish. It was a little tougher to visit the places as social distancing let less people into the stores that were open.

On warm weekends Dyckman Street is alive with shoppers

After I walked a few blocks of Dyckman Street to see what was available, I started the long trek down the path along Harlem River Drive with High Bridge Park across the street. The long curves of the park, the lush woods and rock formations show what was once the former shoreline of this part of the island. From this location it looks alike Inwood Hill Park with clean paths and virgin plantings.

High Bridge Park in Washington Heights

https://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/highbridge-park/planyc

The reality of the park is that if you walk through the park you are faced with the over-grown paths, the graffitied rocks and garbage that parts of the park suffer from. When you walk through the paths on the other side of the park, you see how far the park has gone down and the work that still needs to be done. Abandoned cars and garbage still plaque parts of the park from the park side paths. Still the City is doing a lot to improve the park.

The approach to the High Bridge Water Tower in High Bridge Park in 2023

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/highbridge-park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/planning-and-building/capital-project-tracker/project/5937

My review on TripAdvisor:

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-edtor/post/visitingamuseum.com/4467

I passed the old High Bridge Water Tower that was being renovated and was covered in scaffolding. The water tower and the bridge are the lasting remnants of the way water used to travel into New York City from upstate in the late 1800’s. The tower was built in 1872 and was part of the old Croton Aqueduct system of moving water into Manhattan. The tower and the surrounding area are currently going under renovation and the pool is closed because of COVID-19.

This part of the park had no activity and, on the path, leading down to the old Polo Grounds there was not much activity. What always makes me nervous is walking around the Polo Ground Houses that run from West 165th Street to about West 155th Street. The complex is a tired looking set up public housing with one building looking exactly like the other and a small patch of green in the middle. I could see from the hill over-looking the lawns that there were some small parties going on.

The Polo Ground Tower Housing Complex

Click to access Polo%20Grounds%20Towers.pdf

All I kept thinking about is the activities that go on there and I zig-zagged my way down the sidewalk until I hit the part of the fence that was covered with trees and vines. Out of site from the prying windows. Ever since I read about the complex on the internet, I have never felt comfortable in this part of the City. This was before I walked all around the complex four years ago when I walked Harlem and didn’t think much about it. I walk around quickly in this neighborhood.

I crossed the street and walked down Edgecombe Avenue on the upper side of Jackie Robinson Park.  On the corner of the edge of the street is the John Hooper Fountain at 155th Street and Edgecombe Avenue. The fountain was designed by architect George Martin Huss and is a ornamental horse fountain and lantern. It was dedicated in 1894 and donated to the park by businessman John Hooper (NYCParks.com/MichaelMinn.net). It was used by the horses for drinking when carriages and horse riding at that time.

The John Hooper Fountain is at the corner of Edgecombe Avenue and 155th Street in 2022

https://michaelminn.net/newyork/parks/hooper-fountain/index.html

The Hooper Fountain was working on my June 2024 walk

https://www.nycgovparks.org/art-and-antiquities/permanent-art-and-monuments/info?monId=741

As I walked past the fountain and entered the edge of Jackie Robinson Park, I could hear music and kids screaming from the sidewalk. The park was alive with people using the playground or setting up parties for Father’s Day. It was also a mixed crowd of people who were conversing amongst themselves about recent events, and I heard many lively debates. In July of 2022, the pool had opened up again and there were kids screaming and yelling as they played in the pool. This is also a good place for a bathroom break.

The one thing I discovered about this section of the park is that everything across the street or closer to the park is brand new housing, a lot catering to CUNY students. Much of Bradhurst and Fredrick Douglas Boulevard have been knocked down and rebuilt with new housing and much of West 145th Street is new stores and restaurants. It changes as you get closed to Lenox Avenue and Young Park.

Jackie Robinson Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/jackie-robinson-park_manhattan

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d21085366-Reviews-Jackie_Robinson_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

I find Jackie Robinson Park very nice. The park has always been well maintained and the place was clean and well-landscaped. During the warmer months of the school year, a lot of CUNY students can be seen on the hill as you enter the park on West 145th Street sunning themselves and studying. Now families were setting up barbecues unfortunately many of them without masks.

The worst thing I found about travelling in these blocks of the City in 2020 is how the Parks system treats the patrons of the parks. There was not one open bathroom in the four parks that I visited. High Bridge Park had no bathrooms on the Harlem River Drive part of the park, both Jackie Robinson Park’s bathrooms were shut tight and Young Park’s were also closed. Thomas Jefferson Park further down only had Porto toilets (and I will not mention in this blog the condition they were in. COVID-19 would not even survive in those). In 2021, there were more bathrooms open but not in great shape. In 2022, I would not have ventured into them.

After a rest in Jackie Robinson Park, I ventured down West 145th Street to Young Park and then crossed down Malcolm X Boulevard to West 143rd Street.  There were no open bathrooms here, so I headed down Fifth Avenue before making the connection on to Harlem River Drive.

In 2021, I stopped for a quick lunch at Sweet Mama’s Soul Food Restaurant at 698 Malcolm X Boulevard on the corner of Lexington Avenue and 145th Street. It was a little too hot for such heavy food, but I thought why not? I had not had Southern food in a long time.

I tried the Fried Chicken wings, Mac & Cheese, Sweet Potatoes and a biscuit with a Coke. The food is served buffet style and bought by the pound. My ‘little’ meal with beverage was $9.00 and I thought that was a bargain for all that food. The fried chicken tasted delicious but had been sitting in the steamer too long, but the biscuit, sweet potatoes and mac & cheese were all excellent and full of flavor. Refreshed from my lunch, I carried on down Malcolm X Boulevard (Lexington Avenue). Don’t bother with the public bathrooms at Carl Young Park across the street. They are not clean.

Sweet Mama’s Soul Food at 698 Malcolm X Boulevard closed in 2024 (temporarily they said online)

https://www.facebook.com/Sweetmamasoulfood/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d10167991-Reviews-Sweet_Mama_s_Soul_Food_Restaurant_Salad_Bar-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

During the walk in May of 2022, to get out of the rain, warm up and get away from these annoying people who started to walk with me from Alabama, I stopped in King Pizza of Harlem at 110 West 145th Street for a snack. I knew that I wanted a chopped cheese for lunch, but I was starved and needed to eat something. I also needed a break from the walking.

King Pizza of Harlem at 110 West 145th Street (Closed June 2025)

https://www.restaurantji.com/ny/new-york/kings-pizza-of-harlem-/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d4731177-Reviews-King_s_Pizza_of_Harlem-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

For a little hole in the wall pizzeria in not the greatest part of the neighborhood, the cheese pizza is excellent. The sauce is so well spiced and topped with loads of mozzarella cheese. The slice was rather large and made a great snack. It was just pleasant to sit down and relax.

The slices at King Pizza are excellent! Don’t miss their delicious Cheese Pizza

On my June 2024 walk my lunch/dinner of choice was their homemade Meatball Parmesan hero

As I made my way down Fifth Avenue from 143rd Street, I stopped for a moment to look at a obelisk that I had not noticed the last time I had visited the area. The obelisk is located on a tiny triangle near the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 142nd Street. The Monument is the 369 Infantry Regiment Memorial dedicated to the all-black unit that fought so valiantly in World War I with the Fourth French Army. It was in such an obscure place that I must have just passed it when I visited Harlem. The drunk homeless guy sitting next to it was a deterrent from really looking at it.

The 369th Infantry Regiment Memorial in 2023

https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/historical-signs/listings?id=19562

I crossed over the triangle and continued to follow the river to West 135th street (the river walk ends at West 135th Street and continued down Madison Avenue. I had to walk through the Lincoln Houses Public Housing and again pretty much everyone avoided me.  I was surprised that there was so much garbage on the lawns and in the parks. I could not believe that none of the residents would have picked this up.

As I walked down Madison Avenue, I noticed another homeless guy trying to solicit money from people coming off the highway and almost getting hit a few times. I was going to yell at him, but I thought I better mind my business walking in this section of the City.

I made a turn into the courtyard of the Lincoln Houses to see the statute of Abraham Lincoln with Child statute at 2120-2122 Madison Avenue. With all the statutes being torn down in 2020, I was surprised that not only was this statute up but in good shape.

Lincoln and Child at 2120-2122 Madison Avenue in the Lincoln Houses in 2023

Monument: “Lincoln and Child,” Harlem, New York, by Charles Keck

The statue was designed by artist Charles Keck. Mr. Keck was an American born New York artist who studied at the National Academy of Design and the Arts Students League of New York. He was best known for his work on statues and monuments.

Artist Charles Keck

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Keck

In 2022, as I admired the statute for a second time in the rain, some crazy homeless guy got right into my face and started talking about Lincoln and slavery. I walked away as fast as I could. How come I attract all the crazies? Everyone I was walking with walked faster down the street away from me.

I walked south down Madison Avenue until I reached West 128th Street and walked towards the river towards Second Avenue.  I stopped in Harlem River Park and Crack is Wack Playground and again no open bathrooms.

The Keith Haring “Crack is Wack” painting in Crack is Wack Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crack-is-wack-playground

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crack-is-wack-playground/monuments/1801

I passed the Tri-Boro Plaza Park nothing there either, so I just continued down Second Avenue to East 120th Street and walked down Pleasant Avenue towards Thomas Jefferson Park. The park was pretty busy in both 2020 and 2021 with kids playing baseball or running around the park.

While walking around Harlem River Park, I came across the artwork “Dream Fulfilled”, which was unveiled in August of 2011 as a partnership between the Harlem CDC, their State and City Partners, East, Central, and West Harlem Committees and the Creative Arts Workshop for Kids (CAW) (Empire State Development).

The project “Dreams Fulfilled” in 2011

As I walked down Second Avenue from 125th Street, I noticed interesting artwork on the side of the Taino Towers at 221 East 122nd Street. The towers had been going through a major renovation the last time I had visited the neighborhood and parts of the complex were still under scaffolding.

The painting outside of PS 30 in Harlem

Artist Don Rimx painted a mural of Nuyorocan poet Jesus ‘Tato’ Laviera. The painting had been unveiled in 2017 (long after my visit to the neighborhood) and 123rd Street was renamed after the poet (Street Art NYC).

The mural of Jesus ‘Tato’ Laviera at Taito Towers at 122nd Street and Second Avenue

Artist Don Rimx

https://donrimx.com/

https://www.instagram.com/donrimx/?hl=en

Mr. Rimx was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and in 2009 moved to Brooklyn and then in 2014 to Florida. He graduated from Central High School of Visual Arts and Escuela Des Arts Plasticas. He is known for his use of styles in art and culture and known for his murals (Artist Bio).

As I passed the towers and its new artwork, I crossed Second Avenue to the Wagner Houses complex. People were having all sorts of picnics and barbecues inside and outside the Wagner Houses and people were celebrating Father’s Day in full force. It was all I could do from walking through the complex again. The last time I did that the residents looked at me like I was a Martian who just set down.

The Wagner Houses in the Summer of 2024

Click to access Wagner.pdf

The Robert Wagner Sr. sculpture in the Wagner Playground by artist Georg John Lober

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/wagner-playground/monuments/1642

Artist Georg John Lober

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_J._Lober

Georg John Lober was an American artist from Chicago who studied at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and worked for the New York City Municipal Art Commission for seventeen years.

As I walked around the Wagner Complex, little had changed from my various trips in this part of the neighborhood except they finished a lot of the luxury housing across the street. The complexity and diversity of the neighborhood was changing fast right before COVID hit and in the 2021 trip, it is still changing.

Pleasant Avenue was once home to the East Harlem “Little Italy” and the ‘Dance of the Giglio’ takes place here every August outside the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (See Day Eighty-Four The Feast of Our Lady of Carmel and the Dancing of the Giglio). Now it is becoming a gentrified neighborhood and I saw many people eating in outdoor cafes or shopping at the local mall.

I stopped at Pleasant Finest Deli at 375 Pleasant Avenue in both 2020 and 2021 for a snack and a Coke. On an 84-degree day there is nothing like an ice-cold Coke. This is my ‘go-to’ place when I am in the neighborhood for snacks.

Pleasant Finest Deli (now called Al Bassam Deli Corp.) at 375 Pleasant Avenue (closed June 2022)

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12379766-Reviews-Pleasant_Finest_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

MywalkinManhattan.com-Day Eighty-Four

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/5980

I stopped for lunch in both 2020, 2021 and 2022 at Blue Sky Deli (now Chopped Cheese Delicious) at 2135 First Avenue for a Chopped Cheese. I swear I make any excuse to come up here and have that sandwich.

The Chopped Cheese Delicious (Blue Sky Deli) has a cult following

https://www.instagram.com/hajjis110/?hl=en

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d12328617-Reviews-Blue_Sky_Deli-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://wordpress.com/post/diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/74

The ‘Chopped Cheese’ is a cult sandwich made up of two chopped hamburgers topped with American cheese, chopped lettuce and tomato with salt, pepper and spices and then pressed. It is like heaven with every bite. I took my sandwich into Thomas Jefferson Park, which is currently under renovation and ate my sandwich. After I was finished, I had the energy to continue the walk downtown.

In 2021, I wanted to make up for time and ate it when I got to Carl Schulz Park near East 84th Street. I figured I had eaten enough by that point and could save it for later. I had to have a chopped cheese that day.

The Chopped Cheese Sandwich at Blue Sky Deli (Harlem Taste Deli)

The delicious Chopped Cheese Sandwich

My video on the Chopped Cheese sandwich

In May of 2022, I had to get out of the rain and stopped in the deli for about a half hour while my order was cooking. The rest of the customers at the deli did not know what to make of a six-foot drenched white guy who looked starved and angry. I was just wet and tired. The sandwich was terrific as usual, but I had to eat it quickly in the park again to continue the walk. When I digested it a few blocks later it gave me a lot more energy to walk.

After I finished my lunch, I felt refreshed and ready to go but still had to find a bathroom. Since the park was under renovation, there were only Porto bathrooms and trust me, STAY AWAY! They were so dirty that COVID-19 could not survive these things. After eating a big lunch, I ended up nauseous for the rest of the afternoon and lost my appetite for anything else.  I left the park at 3:48pm and thought I was making good time.

When I did the walk in May of 2022, it was pouring rain when I got to the deli and sitting in Blue Sky Deli was the only time that I really warmed up. Because there is no place to sit down in the deli, I had to eat my sandwich in the park during the drizzling rain. Not the best conditions to eat but it really warmed me up and gave me energy to continue the walk down the esplanade from East 110th Street.

Before I left Thomas Jefferson Park, I came across another piece of art that I had not noticed on my many visits to the park. The sculpture located in the middle of the park is entitled “Tomorrow’s Wind” by artist Melvin Edwards. The sculpture is made of welded steel and is tilted so that it reflects the sun. The piece was placed in the park in 1995 (NYCParks.org).

“Tomorrows Wind” in Thomas Jefferson Park

Artist Melvin Edwards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Edwards

https://www.artsy.net/artist/melvin-edwards

Mr. Edwards is an American born artist from Texas. He is known for his known for his abstract steel sculptures. He graduated with a BFA from University of Southern California and studied at the Los Angeles Art Institute.

Another sculpture that I missed several times walking through the park was at the edge of the park by the walkway and looked like a birdcage.

“El Arbol De Esperanza: by artist Brower Hatcher

The Brower Hatcher plaque

Artist Brower Hatcher

https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/artists/brower-hatcher/

Click to access brower-hatcher_curriculum-poster.pdf

Artist Brower Hatcher is an American born artist who studied engineering in Nashville, then received an undergraduate degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. Following graduate studies at St. Martin’s School of Arts in London in the late 1960s, he became one of the faculty members at that prestigious institution. Hatcher later taught at Bennington College in Vermont until 1985, and in subsequent years has continued to serve as a visiting artist and lecturer at numerous college campuses. He received an honorary PhD from the State University of New York. During his career, now spanning more than thirty years, Hatcher has been commissioned to create many major works for public sites

I exited the park at West 111th Street and followed the overpass over FDR Drive and walked down the esplanade from West 111th Street to West 60th Street in Sutton Place. The views of the Harlem and East Rivers are ever changing with new construction in Queens and Brooklyn and the developments on Randall’s-Ward and Roosevelt Island. The whole riverfront changes every year.

The Tram to Roosevelt Island

Between the sunny skies and cool river breezes, it is an amazing walk if you take your time like I did and just soak up the sunshine. I never realized how easy this part of the walk would be. I just walked others walk by enjoying their afternoons and looked at all the buildings going up and the boats and jet skiers passing by. It was one busy river.

I relaxed when I arrived at Carl Schurz Park to enjoy the views of Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island and look at the flower beds in the park. Carl Schurz Park has its own Friends group, and they do a great job taking care of the park. The flower beds are so colorful and vibrant, and the playground is full of active screaming kids.

There were finally some decent OPEN bathrooms and the water fountains here work and the water is good. The fountains dispense cold water and New York City water tastes good especially at these water fountains. In all of my trips around the island and even when I was walking around the Upper East Side for this blog, Carl Schulz Park has the best facilities for its visitors.

Carl Schurz Park on East End Avenue

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/carl-schurz-park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d312015-Reviews-Carl_Schurz_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://wordpress.com/block-editor/post/visitingamuseum.com/2714

In 2020, I stayed at the park for about fifteen minutes. Any longer and I would not have left. Carl Schurz Park is one of my favorite parks in Manhattan. I love the views, the sights and sounds of this park and love how lively and calm it is at the same time. It is a true neighborhood park.

Carl Schulz park as you approach it from the esplanade walkway around East 86th Street in June 2024

In 2021, I just relaxed in the park, ate my chopped cheese sandwich (which I could tell people around me envying) and watched the boats and jet skiers pass by. I also had a direct view of Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island, so I got to watch everyone visit the little lighthouse at the tip of the island. Outside of Bryant Park in Midtown, I find Carl Schulz Park one of the best parks in the City to relax and just people watch and let nature encompass you.

The river side gardens in bloom in June 2024

In May of 2022, when I arrived at Carl Schulz Park it was the only time of the day where the sun peaked out giving me hope that the weather would break. It did not happen and that was the joke Mother Nature played on us. It was not raining as badly but it continued to misty and light raining.

The southern path of Carl Schulz Park where the best water fountain in the public parks is located. The water is always icy cold and it has some of the cleanest bathrooms in the City.

In July of 2022, I stayed at the park for a half hour just relaxing and watching the water flow by and looking at the people at the tip of Roosevelt Island across the river. The benches by the water are the best place to relax on a nice day. In May of 2023 during the official walk, I stayed to check to see if the bathrooms were open. When they weren’t, I took off down the East Side to get to Sutton Place at a decent time. In June, 2024 they were open at 5:00pm and clean as a whistle.

The park was so inviting in June 2024 that I stopped to relax here

I continued down the river front walk until I had to stop at West 60th on the border of the Upper East Side and Sutton Place and proceeded up the ramp. This is where the sculpture by artist Alice Aycock is located and one of my favorite ‘street art’ sculptures ‘East River Roundabout’.

East River Roundabout at East 60th Street

Artist Alice Aycock

https://www.aaycock.com/

From here I travelled up the ramp which surrounds Twenty-Four Sycamores Park which borders both neighborhoods and is extremely popular with the neighborhood children and their babysitters and parents. The park was closed though because of the COVID-19 pandemic but will be reopened soon. This park was start and stop point when I was visiting this side of town for the blog. I like the shade trees and it has good bathrooms.

Twenty-Four Sycamores Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/twenty-four-sycamores-park

The inside of the park

In May of 2022, they had finished renovating the bathrooms at the park and they were open. The best part was that they were really clean and were heated. I was able to relax for a minute, go to the bathroom and get warm. I understand the plight of the homeless on a cold night.

I walked down Sutton Place past the old mansions and stately apartment buildings. This area of the City was really quiet as the residents here were probably out of town with all that was going on. The streets were pretty much deserted, and I saw a few people in Sutton Place Park. Please check out my walk of the Sutton Place/Beekman Place neighborhood on my blog:

Day One Hundred and Thirty-Four: Walking Sutton Place

https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/8713

Sutton Place has a quiet elegance about it

Sutton Place Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/sutton-place-park

The new Sutton Place Park in June of 2024

In July of 2022, it had gotten so hot, and the humidity was getting to me that I had to stop for some ice cream, and I remember A la Mode Shoppe at 360 East 55th Street. I had the most amazing ice cream there years ago when I was blogging about Sutton Place and even checked the Internet the day before to make sure that they were open.

A la Mode Shoppe at 360 East 55th Street

home

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d8412143-r848154791-A_la_Mode_Shoppe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on LittleShoponMainStreet@Wordpress.com:

The two flavors that I love are Pink Sprinkles (Strawberry Ice Cream with layers of colorful sprinkles and Cloudy Weather (Blueberry Ice Cream with tiny marshmallows).

My favorite flavors, Pink Sprinkles and Cloudy Weather.

I was looking forward to going there on this whole trip down this side of the island. I knew I was going to need something to cool myself down. It is such a great little store that also sells gourmet sodas, candy and toys.

A la Mode Shoppe is such a whimsical store

Watch taking the turn on East 53rd Street to First Avenue. The cars and cabs will not stop for you when you try to cross the street so be careful. I always take a mad dash across the road.

From here you have to walk on First Avenue from East 53rd Street until East 37th Street as the United Nations dominates this area. The United Nations looked like it was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic with just a few guards on duty and not much traffic. It also looked to me like they removed a lot of their statuary because of all the vandals destroying artwork all over the country.

The United Nations Complex

The complex was completely quiet on this gloomy day, and I did not see a sole anywhere near the complex. Even the security booths seemed quiet when I passed. You can no longer walk around the on the grounds, so I peered from the gate and admired the statute ” Good defeats Evil” by artist Zurab Tseretelli. This interesting statue I found out later was made of old United States and Russian missiles to commemorate the signing of the ‘Treaty of the Elimination of Intermediate’. The statue was to represent peace (United Nations Gifts).

Good defeats Evil by artist Zurab Tseretelli (United Nations Gifts)

https://www.un.org/ungifts/content/good-defeats-evil

Artist Zurab Tseretelli

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zurab_Tsereteli

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Artist Zurab Tseretelli is a Russian born artist who is noted for his sculptures all over the world. He graduated from Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and was a visiting professor at SUNY in New York State on top of other teaching and academic honors (Wiki).

I stopped in Ralph Bunche Park at First Avenue between East 42nd and 43rd Street. I just needed to sit for a bit, and I admired a sculpture that I had not noticed before when walking the park.

Ralph Bunche Park at First Avenue between East 42nd and 43rd Streets

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/ralph-bunche-park

The Bayard Rustin Plaque in the park.

The park was named after the first black American to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The interesting sculpture in the park was created by artist Daniel Larue Johnson entitled “Piece Form One”.

“Piece Form One” by Daniel Larue Johnson

Artist Daniel Larue Johnson

https://www.artforum.com/news/daniel-larue-johnson-1938-2017-69684

Mr. Johnson was an American born artist from California. He studied at the Chouinard Art Institute and then studied in Paris. He was known for his abstract paintings and steel sculptures.

Another interesting piece of art was on the wall of 777 First Avenue, the Church Center for the United Nations. The work was created by artist Benoit Gilsoul and is entitled “Man’s Search for Peace” (Wiki).

The Church Center for the United Nations at 777 First Avenue

Artist Benoit Gilsoul

https://www.artsy.net/artist/benoit-gilsoul

https://www.1stdibs.com/art/drawings-watercolor-paintings/abstract-drawings-watercolors/benoit-gilsoul-benoit-gilsoul-out-bowels-earth-charcoal-pastel-on-paper/id-a_7173422/

Mr. Gilsoul was a Belgium born artist who immigrated to the United States in 1967 and became an American citizen. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux Arts in Belgium. He was noted for his abstract works (IstDibs.com).

I then exited East 37th Street and continued to walk down the esplanade along the East River. I had never travelled to this section of the City before (I have currently not passed 42nd Street on my current walk of Manhattan in 2020) so it was an adventure to see new views of the island. I stayed on this pathway until I got to the Battery.

In May of 2022, the rain began to let up when I got to the esplanade, and it was just a light mist. I was just hoping that it would stop soon. While everyone else was racing down the walkway to finish the walk, I took the time and admired the buildings on the Brooklyn waterfront. It is getting more impressive every year.

Along the way between East 37th Street and East 11th Streets, you tend to see the backs of a lot of buildings on the Manhattan side life Bellevue and the Tisch Hospital. You then pass Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village and then the Con Ed Power Plant so there is not much to see on this side but from the other side you will see the skyline of Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn.

Downtown Long Island City keeps changing

On the turn before you get to the larger East River Park is the smaller Stuyvesant Cove Park which was once the site of an old cement plant and has now been reclaimed for a riverfront park. The park runs from about East 22nd Street to East 18th Street. The park is planted with native plants of New York City and has become a haven for birds and butterflies (Stuyvesant Cove Park Association). I left Stuyvesant Cove by 5:45pm in 2020, 6:30pm in 2021 and 4:30pm in 2022. I took more time to explore the parks and artwork in 2021 and was walking slower because of the rain in 2022.

Stuyvesant Cove Park

https://untappedcities.com/2017/07/25/the-top-10-secrets-of-stuyvesant-cove-park

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Around East 12th Street its best to the follow the path signs to John V. Lindsay East River Park. The park was created in 1939 by then Parks Director Robert Moses on reclaimed land from the waterfront and piers and is a 57.5 acre point of relief to the residents of the Lower East Side (Wiki).

The park has many recreational facilities and the afternoon I was walking through countless parties and barbecues were going on. With meats sizzling on the grills and water gun fights and the sound of music throughout the park, people were enjoying their Father’s Day celebrations in every corner of the park. I found open bathrooms that were clean and a water fountain that worked and I was happy. Don’t miss the giant anchor facing the river near the entrance to the park.

John V. Lindsay East River Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/east-river-park

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d5961005-Reviews-John_V_Lindsay_East_River_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

Don’t miss the “Anchors Away” sculpture in John Lindsey Park

Twilight by the Anchor sculpture

Once I left the park in 2020 and 2021, I was on my way to South Street Seaport. This part of the walk meant walking under overhangs, bridge over-passes and the housing was a combination of new and old construction. On the other side of the river, there is a difference on the riverfront on the Brooklyn side. The growth of DUMBO and Downtown Brooklyn has changed the whole look from this side of the river.

Downtown Brooklyn from the Brooklyn Bridge

In May of 2022, the rain was really getting to me, and I was not sure if I could keep going. My muscles in my legs were really getting to me because of the cold. It went from 54 to 45 degrees by the time I got to Lower Manhattan. I just happened to meet up with a businessman from Fort Lee, NJ who I had seen hours earlier on the other side of the island. He asked if he could walk the rest of the way with me and I said yes. It was nice to have someone to talk with for the rest of the trip.

This is now becoming some of the most expensive housing in New York City with warehouses and old factories becoming expensive lofts. Things just changing on that side of the river and the riverfront even this far down keeps changing. I passed the Peck Slip Park at 6:30pm on my way to the South Street Seaport.

Peck Slip Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/peck-slip

South Street Seaport is some of the original structures of Lower Manhattan many dating back to the Civil War when this was a major shipping area. The home of the Dutch West Indies Company in the early 1600’s, this port area has seen many changes. The most modern ones when the Rouse Corporation turned this into a dining and shopping entertainment area setting up concept for many downtowns in city’s that needed revitalizing. Since its development, South Street Seaport was their most successful venture.

I had never seen it so quiet in the time of COVID-19. There was no one walking around this busy area but a few tourists and residents. In 2021, the mood had changed, and it was much busier. I passed through the Seaport by 6:48pm.

South Street Seaport

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rouse_Company

http://www.rousecompany.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28953-d532147-Reviews-South_Street_Seaport_Historic_District-New_York.html?m=19905

As I was leaving the South Street Seaport in 2021, I was watching fire trucks leave in a hurry from one of the local firehouses. It caught my attention so much that I lost my footing for some reason and fell flat on my face. It was almost as if someone had tripped me. In May of 2022, the only thing we did was race by the place because of the weather but in July of 2022, the Seaport was alive with people having dinner and drinks.

From here it was again more overhangs from the highway until I got to the Ferry stations for Staten Island and Governors Island and then rounding the corner to make it to Battery Park where the sites of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island loomed in the distance. All over the harbor were sailboats and motorboats enjoying the early evening. It was now 7:15pm and I had been travelling since noon.

In 2020 and 2021, I spent about a half hour relaxing and enjoying the views on a sunny early evening. Being the day after the Summer Solstice it was one of the longest days of the year and I got to enjoy the extra sunshine. I needed to cool down and this was the place to do it. It still is one of the most picturesque places in New York City.

New York Harbor in all its glory

My review of Battery Park:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d15614732-Reviews-Battery_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

In May of 2022, the rain and clouds got so bad that I could barely see things in the harbor. It looked like it was trying to clear and by 5:00pm it finally stopped raining. We had been walking under the highway underpass by South Street Seaport and the two of us started to dry out.

In July of 2022, this is where I took my longest break of forty-five minutes. I just needed to relax before I made the last leg of the journey back to West 34th Street. Similar to the walk I did in 2020, it took a lot of effort to complete this part of the journey and I wanted to build my strength.

I have to say that I never get tired of seeing Lady Liberty. I still can’t believe that I am seeing the same statute that both of my grandfathers’ saw when they arrived in this country. It puts it all into perspective to me how powerful of a symbol it is to this country as a way of welcoming people to the United States.

When finishing ‘The Great Saunter’ in 2022, this was our last stop before heading back to Frances Tavern. Myself and my walking partner for the last four miles of the trip had talked most of the time about our careers and families and about why we took the walk. The time just flew from there. I learned that his wife and her friend had made it all the way to Inwood Park before they took the subway back downtown and then home.

Justin Watrel completing “The Great Saunter” officially in May of 2022

We walked to the registration desk in front of the Frances Tavern and collected our certificates that we completed the walk. We then took our picture with our certificates and then said our goodbyes. He then told me that probably could not have finished the walk without me and I felt the same way. I need someone to keep pace with me and help me finish this difficult day. I warmed up in the restaurant for a bit and then took the subway back uptown and then the bus home. Everything had to go in the dryer when I got home and air out. I finished the walk by 5:45pm taking me almost eleven hours to finish, a personal best.

In 2020 and July of 2022, I had just walked the entire east side of Manhattan and I have to tell you I was stiff by this point. I was ready to throw in the towel here and rest, but I pressed on wanting to get home at a decent time. I really misjudged how long it would take to get from the Battery to West 42nd Street. It is a decent amount of time even though it doesn’t look it on the map. You just have to distract yourself by looking at the coves and the artwork along the way.

In 2022, I walked past Fort Clinton, also known as Castle Clinton, where you buy tickets for the Statue of Liberty. The fort has had an interesting history. Built between 1809 to 1811, it has served as a fort in the early wars of the country, then an entertainment spot, an immigration outpost before Ellis Island was built, then the home of the New York Aquarium and now home to the start off point and history discussion on the Statue of Liberty (Wiki).

Fort Clinton (Castle Clinton) in Battery Park

https://www.nps.gov/cacl/index.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Clinton

In 2021, I was much better prepared and had more walking time under my belt. I was in much better shape, so it did not tire me so much at this point of the walk. I was rearing to go after a half hour break.

I left Battery Park at 7:30pm and followed a crowd of people out of the park. Before I left the park for Battery Park City and its beautiful parks, I came across the sculpture “American Merchant Marines Memorial” at the edge of the Battery. The statue commemorates the thousands of merchant ships and crews that fought since the Revolutionary War (NYCParks.org).

The “American Merchant Marines Memorial” by artist Marisol Escobar

Artist Marisol Escobar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marisol_Escobar

Ms. Escobar was born in Paris and raised in Venezuela and moved to New York in the 1950’s. She is known for her highly stylized boxy sculptures (NYCParks.org). She studied art at the Jepson Art Institute, the Ecole des Beaux Arts and Art Students League of New York (Wiki).

Another sculpture I missed on my first two walks around the island was the New York Korean Memorial by artist Mac Adams.

The New York Korean Memorial in Battery Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1930

The statue is one of the first monuments to the Korean conflict built in the United States and the void in the sculpture represents the absence and loss of the war and a metaphor for death (NYCParks.org).

Artist Mac Adams

http://www.macadamsstudio.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_Adams

Artist Mac Adams is a British born artist who now lives in the New York area. He holds an MFA from Rutgers University. He is known for his large public works and for the use of ‘space between images’ (Wiki/Artist Bio).

I have been on this walk around the island many times now and I do not know how I missed this statue of Gianni Verrazano that sits in Battery Park. This dynamic statue sits at the northern part of the park and was one of the few exits out of the park during its renovation.

The Giovanni Verrazzano statue by artist Ettore Ximenes

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/battery-park/monuments/1628

Explorer Giovanni Verrazzano

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-da-Verrazzano

Artist Ettore Ximenes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ettore_Ximenes

Artist Ettore Ximenes was an Italian born artist who had studied at the Palermo Academy of Fine Arts and then worked with several artists as an apprentice. He was known for his life sized sculptures. This statue was dedicated in 1909 (NYCParks.org/Wiki).

I left Battery Park and entered into the newer extension of Robert Wagner Jr. Park next to Battery Park City. In the front part of the park, I came across these unusual musical instrument sculptures that graced the entrance of the park.

The art entitled “Resonating Bodies” were created by British born artist Tony Cragg, whose work I had seen uptown many times. The sculptures resemble a lute and a tuba. The work is based on the concept that all physical bodies including we are constantly enveloped by various energy forms (NYCParks.org).

“Resonating Bodies” at Robert Wagner Jr. Park in Battery Park City

Artist Tony Cragg

https://www.tony-cragg.com/

Mr. Cragg is a British born artist from Liverpool and studied at the Gloucestershire School of Art, received his BA from the Wimbledon School of Art and his MA from the Royal School of Art. He has been showing his works since 1977. He is best known for his contemporary sculptures (Artist Bio/Wiki).

I walked behind them as I travelled through the South Cove of Battery Park City. Not a lot of tourists know that this whole area is fill in of old piers on the fillers from the building of the original World Trade Center. Now the area sits apartment buildings with breathtaking views and well-landscaped parts. The South Cove was filled with small groups of people who were also not social distancing and very few masks. I think people were just throwing caution to the wind.

Don’t miss the twists and turns of the South Cove of Battery Park City

Another piece of art that I missed and saw in 2022 was ‘Ape and Cat at the Dance’ by artist Jim Dine. The sculpture of a cat and ape dancing cheek to cheek like humans had been inspired by the Henry James story of “The Madonna of the Future”. The Parks Department describes it as a ‘human like and asks us to reflect on ourselves”. (NYCParks.org/Downtown Alliance).

“The Ape and the Cat at the Dance” in Battery Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/m283a

Artist Jim Dine is an American born artist who studied at the University of Cincinnati, School of Fine Arts in Boston and graduated with a BFA from Ohio University. He is known for his many different mediums of sculpture, printmaking and drawing (Wiki).

Artist Jim Dine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Dine

The works of Jim Dine

Another interesting piece of sculpture I came across was the Mother Cabrini Memorial that was dedicated to the park in 2020.

Mother Cabrini

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Xavier_Cabrini

Mother Cabrini was born in Italy as Maria Francesca Cabrini in 1850. She took her vows and founded the Missionary of the Sacred Heart. She immigrated to the United States in 1889 and continued her charity work, founding organizations and was the first naturalized citizen to be canonized (NYCbio/MotherCabrini.org/Wiki).

The “Mother Cabrini Memorial” in the South Cove

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/m283a

The work was created by artists Jill Burkee and Giancarlo Baigi.

Artists Jill Burkee and Giancarlo Baigi

https://theartstudentsleague.org/instructor/jill-burkee-giancarlo-biagi/

Jill Burkee is a sculpture and draftswoman who studied at the Arts Students League of New York and the University of Washington and has studied in Italy. Giancarlo Baigi is a sculptor and multi-media artist. He also studied at the Arts Students League of New York and has a MA from Stagio Stagi in Peitrasanta in Italy (Arts Students League bio). Both of these works have been closed off in both the May and June walks in 2024 due to construction and renovation in Battery Park.

A new piece of art appeared after the May 2024 walk. Either that or I had not noticed it when I walk around the area.

The sculpture of “The Eyes” by Louise Bourgeois appeared in Battery Park in June 2024 or I have just missed it

Artist Louise Bourgeois

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois

Artist Louise Bourgeois was a French born artist married to an American Art Professor who settled into New York City after her marriage. She was a graduate of the Sorbonne and continued to study art at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and Ecole du Louvre and the Arts Student League of New York when she moved to the States. Starting as a painter she moved to sculpture on the recommendation of a colleague and known for her large sculpture works (Wiki).

Another piece of art that I came across that I missed in the last two trips is “Apple” by artist Stephen Weiss. The piece was part of the ‘Larger than Life” series of the artist and symbolized the heart and core of life in New York City (Hudson River Park).

“The Apple” by artist Stephen Weiss in Hudson River Park

https://hudsonriverpark.org/activities/the-apple

Artist Stephen Weiss

https://www.rogallery.com/artists/stephen-weiss/

Artist Stephen Weiss was a New York born artist who had attended the Pratt Institute. He had worked for his family company and was the husband of designer, Donna Karan. He was known for his sculpture works (RoGallery).

When I walked the parks both North and South Coves in 2021, people were still having Graduation parties, small picnics and the restaurants had reopened both indoors and outdoors without masks. The parks, restaurants and lawns were really hopping that night.

From here it was following the path up to the North Cove of Battery Park City and the views of Jersey City. Each of the parks had unique landscaping and walkways that accented the buildings of the World Financial Center. It is hard to believe how damaged these were after the long days after 9/11. You would have never known with boats docked for dinner and people having picnics and wine in the shadows of these buildings.

North Cove in Battery Park City

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d109950-Reviews-Rockefeller_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

I was pretty surprised as I walked through the park with more daylight time to spare that I came across what looked like an Egyptian Temple sitting in Battery Park. The sculpture building is entitled “The Upper Room” designed by artist Ned Smyth. This self-contained sculptural environment suggests a contemporary reimagining of an Egyptian temple offering a stylized sanctuary from the surrounding city (BPCA-NYC).

“The Upper Room” in Battery Park City Park

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/m283a

Artist Ned Smyth

http://www.nedsmyth.com/

https://www.theartistprofilearchive.com/artist-profiles/ned-smyth#:~:text=Sculptor%20Ned%20Smyth%20lives%20and,from%20Kenyon%20College%20in%20Ohio.

Mr. Smyth is an American born artist who born in NYC and works in NY. He has a BA from Kenyon College in Ohio. He is part of the Pattern and Design Movement of the 1970’s and known for his large-scale public works (Artist Bio/Artist Profile Bio).

As I started to pass some of the open air restaurants, I saw another piece of art that stood out which was a series of colored rings but could not get close enough to see the artist who created it. For another trip to the park.

The last piece of art that stood out to me on this trip through Battery Park was entitled “Days End” by artist David Hammons. It looked like the shell of an empty building and struck a nerve as the sun started to set on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River. It is an ‘Open Air’ sculpture that explores the history of the neighborhood (Whitney Museum).

Days End by artist David Hammons

Artist David Hammons

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hammons

http://www.artnet.com/artists/david-hammons/

Mr. Hammons is an American born artist who studied at the Chouinard Art Institute (CalArts) and at Otis Art Institute.  He is known for his Body Prints and sculpture work (Wiki/Artnet.com).

As the light started to fade in the evening as the sunset over Jersey City across the river, I started to fade too. I just singing to myself and kept encouraging myself to keep moving. I really wanted to finish even though my thighs were getting stiff, and my fingers looked like sausages. I was determined even though I wanted to stop. Every time I asked that question of myself I then said, ‘then why did I start the walk if I was not going to finish it?’

Passing the Jersey City waterfront in 2023

I stopped for a second to look at the sun setting in the backdrop of Jersey City and watched in wonder the beauty of it all. It is almost a reminder how much bigger the world is than us.

The Jersey City Waterfront on a sunny day.

While I was walking through the parks, a few pieces of park sculpture stood out to me as I reached Hudson River Park in Chelsea. The long trek up Joe DiMaggio Highway made me more aware of my surroundings as I had to stop again. I came across the ‘Serpentine Sculptures’, these large twisting metal concoctions that graced the riverfront walkway.

‘Serpentine Sculptures’ in Hudson River Park

My review of Hudson River Park on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d4545669-Reviews-Hudson_River_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

These interesting, twisted sculptures are by American artist Mark Gabian who holds a BA in Art History and BFA in Sculpture from Cornell University (my Alma Mater!). Mr. Gabian’s sculptures can be seen all over the world. The artist has been quoted as saying he created monumental site-specific commissions in two or three dimensions’ (the artist’s website).

Artist Mark Gabian

http://www.markgibian.com/

The last leg of the journey loomed in the distance as I saw the lights of the Hudson Yards in the distance like a mythical ‘Oz’ waiting for me. I saw the heliport and observation deck glittering in the distance and knew I had to reach it.

The Hudson Yards in Chelsea

https://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/

The Observation Deck and the glittering buildings are just a few blocks from the Port Authority Bus Terminal where my journey started, and I knew I was there.  In 2020, I reached the Circle Line Pier again at 9:11pm in the evening and I celebrated by sitting on a boulder outside the ticket booth for fifteen minutes watching the security guard play on his cellphone. I did the same thing on the walk in July of 2022, but this time I made it at 8:55pm exactly fourteen hours after I stated.

I was not tired Per Se, but I was stiff all over. I could feel my thighs tighten up and my fingers and hands I had to shake several times to get proper circulation back into them. Still, I was not out of breath and was able to walk back to the Port Authority and make the 9:50pm bus out of New York City for home. I got home by 10:10pm almost sixteen hours later.

In 2020 and July of 2022, I walked the entire rim of Manhattan from top to bottom in fourteen hours. Not the twelve hours the Great Saunter Walk guide says but there is a lot more to it than just walking. You will need many bathroom, water and rest breaks along the way.  Drink lots of water too. Still, it was a great walk and one for the blog!

In 2021, I arrived back at Hudson River Park at West 23rd Street just as the sun started to set over New Jersey and got to see the multi colors that were created in the sky. Mother Nature’s work of art for everyone to see.

I was not as tired on this trip as I had the year before. All that walking and training in Midtown Manhattan neighborhoods plus an overnight stay in the City to get an earlier start helped out tremendously. I finished the perimeter walk of the island in exactly fourteen hours, one hour more than 2020 but I stopped more times to admire public artworks, snack at restaurants and snack shops and walk through more parks and neighborhoods to see what was there. It was a more interesting trip where I did not rush it. I finished at 8:20pm in 2021.

For dinner that night, I stopped at Lions & Tigers & Squares at 268 West 23rd Street, where I had eaten many times for lunch after working at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen (which I had mentioned many times in this blog). The restaurant features Detroit style pizza where the cheese and sauce are baked into the sides of the pizza and there is no crust. It is a type of Sicilian pizza with a twist to it.

Lions & Tigers & Squares at 268 West 23rd Street (Closed May 2025)

https://www.lionsandtigersandsquares.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ltspizza/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d14124878-Reviews-Lions_Tigers_Squares_Detroit_Pizza-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

My review on DiningonaShoeStringinNYC@Wordpress.com:

https://diningonashoestringinnyc.wordpress.com/tag/lions-tigers-squares/

I treated myself to a sausage pizza which was loaded with fried sweet sausage, caramelized onions and they put a dash of maple syrup on top to add to the complexity. God was that delicious! There is so much flavor in each bite. I was not even planning on eating there but the pizza cook waved me inside and then sold me on it. I was lucky that he did!

Do not miss the Sausage Slice at Lions & Tigers & Squares

It was another great trip around the Island of Manhattan trying new restaurants and visiting old ones, viewing wonderful public art in the open-air art museum that New York City is, touring interesting parks and feeling like part of the neighborhood.

In both 2020 and July of 2022 because I had to start at West 42nd Street and it was so late, I just dragged myself home. Even going from the Circle Line to the Port Authority took its efforts. I was so stiff both times that it took some effort just to walk those blocks. In May of 2021 since we started at the Frances Tavern, I took the subway back to Port Authority and dragged my wet body home. In 2021, I had a lot more spring to my step and walked to the Port Authority.

I think spending the night in the City and starting at West 23rd Street was the best way of doing the walk. You are in the City to start and do not have to start so far uptown. It seems that the walk goes quicker when you start further downtown. You have a lot more energy in the morning and get the West Side done when you have the energy to finish it. You are not exhausted by the time you reach Battery Park.

For people who say that New York City is going downhill during COVID, I say to you walk the whole island and you will see the heart of the City is in the people who live here and the contributions they make to keep the City as great as it is. Remember there is more to Manhattan than just Midtown and Times Square. There is so much more to see!

For all its troubles, in 2022 I can see that the City is slowly starting to come back and there are more tourists visiting than before. Will it ever get back to 2019? Yes, but it will take some time. We will just have to learn to accept that COVID will be part of our lives and we will have to adapt to it. I am not going to let it dictate my life.

I dedicate these walks to my father, Warren Watrel, as my Father’s Day Gift of Remembrance. To my dad for all the wonderful afternoons we spent in New York City on Father’s Day. I felt you by my side that afternoon.

In 2024, when I did the official walk with Shorewalkers on May 4th, the weather had been mixed. It stared off as a beautiful sunny day so that made the walk very pleasant for walking the whole West Side of the island and up to Inwood Park. By 1:30pm, the clouds rolled in and it started to get gloomy and cool down. Still, it was the best walk I had ever done and I finished it in ten hours and forty-five minutes plus enough time to rest and watch everyone else come in. It was fun to watch the people who had done it for the first time get so excited. I was happy for them and a pleasure to watch.

I finished The Great Saunter in 2024 in ten hours and forty-five minutes. A new record.

I was so happy to finish. It is always a great accomplishment.

In June of 2024, I followed the same path as the original walk in May for the official walk with Shorewalkers Inc. Planning better, I stayed two nights at the Residence Inn at 170 Broadway (which I highly recommend due to the location by the start line at Fraunces Tavern), had a good breakfast both mornings and started the walk at 7:30am following the same path. Some of the artwork I had seen along the way was closed off because of the renovation and reconstruction of Battery Park but new works popped up. Either I had not noticed them before or maybe they had been moved around because of the renovation.

My walk in June 2024 unofficially:

What I like about doing the walk on my own is that I have the time to stop, take pictures, relax when I want to and not have a group of people dictating how fast I should go (or maybe I put that pressure on myself). I also don’t have annoying other walkers breathing down my back like in the May 2024 walk. I was able to stop where I needed to when there was an interesting photo opportunity. Also, more was in bloom during the June walk.

I stayed at the Residence Inn again at 170 Broadway again and my best friend arranged for me to have the room when I returned that day for another evening so there was no pressure to lug bags and go home like last year. I could relax when I back to the room, take a shower and sleep.

I got up around 6:00am on the Thursday morning and had a good breakfast at the hotel, something I did not have time for the last time we stayed at the hotel. The Breakfast Room did not open until 6:30am so when I got there it was really quiet. There were only about seven of us there eating.

The Residence Inn at 170 Broadway is the perfect place to stay for The Great Saunter

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/nycrl-residence-inn-new-york-downtown-manhattan-world-trade-center-area/overview/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d7182804-Reviews-Residence_Inn_by_Marriott_New_York_Downtown_Manhattan_World_Trade_Center_Area-New_York_.html?m=19905

Breakfast is the most important meal when you are doing this walk and you need your share of proteins and carbs to make this walk successful. You need that good breakfast also because you don’t want to stop for snacks all the time. You had better bring water and bagged snacks with you for the trip.

The Breakfast Room at the Residence Inn

The Breakfast at the Residence Inn Downtown

My suggestion to anyone taking this walk is a good breakfast and take at least two bottles of water with you that you freeze the night before so when they melt you have cold water through your walk.

The renovated parts of Battery Park were open and in bloom that morning

I started my walk at 7:30am when it was still about 77 degrees outside so it was really a pleasure to walk in this weather. I knew that I needed to get to Inwood Park by 12:30pm as it would be 97 degrees by that point and I would need the rest and shade.

The Battery Park Pollinator Garden was new and I noticed its elegant gate to the gardens

The walk up the west side of Manhattan is a straight run and the trip to Inwood Park is the easiest part of the walk of the island with the exception of going up the hill by the Little Red Lighthouse but that is doable if you pace yourself well. Unlike the New York Marathon, which many of the walkers have done too, here you pace yourself and do the walk as you feel comfortable. During the official race, the Shorewalkers Inc. officials are at Fraunces Tavern until 10:30pm the night of the walk. When I do it on my own, I take my time, take lots of pictures and stop in parks to observe the views and small delis and bodegas to get snacks and meals. This is a time to explore the neighborhoods as well.

The view up the West Side of the island with Jersey City in the background

Since I did the walk on a Thursday morning and afternoon on the Summer Solstice, the crowds were not there blocking the way. I always have to maneuver around the slower walkers. This day it was walking around the early morning joggers and dogwalkers. It often amazes me how many people today are not at work by 9:00am. Things have really changed in the last twenty years as people work freelance and remotely.

This beautiful prism fence lit up some of the pollinator gardens as you walk through the South Cove

I also came across more outdoor art that I had either never noticed before or had been moved due to the renovation of the Battery Park. With a big portion of the park under renovation a lot of the art was moved to more open spaces and in all the walks I have taken since 2020, they never came to light. I swear you do not have to go to a museum to see famous works of sculpture and graffiti art. It is all outside for you to observe.

As I walked from park to park, there was a lot to admire on the New Jersey coastline of the Hudson River. You travel from Jersey City and Hoboken to Fort Lee and the Palisades. Then it is all park up the coast line. Along the way you observe the famous cliffs that were used for filming the “Perils of Pauline” the famous silent film shot back in the early teens.

The Cliffs of the Palisades

The “Perils of Pauline” and climbing those same cliffs in 1914

I continued up the coastline of the West Side of Manhattan on a beautiful sunny day that got progressively hotter.

Inwood Park

Inwood Park

I got up to Inwood Park in record time at 12:45pm and relaxed in the park for forty-five minutes. The worst part about being in the park is that there are no longer any outlets to charge your phone. I relaxed outside forty-five minutes before I asked one of the parks guys where I could charge my phone and he said that the City has covered everything up because of the homeless and ebikes. He told me good luck trying to find one.

I walked down the road from the park and stopped in the church of the Good Sheppard and relaxed in the very stuffy church (no air-conditioning) and charged my phone for an hour. Very spiritual yes on such an important day in my life but hot and sticky in the church. Still it felt like I should have visited there and I said a prayer to my father.

The Church of the Good Sheppard at 4967 Broadway

https://goodshepherdnyc.org/

I was able to charge my phone in the church and say a prayer for my father

After I left the church, I stopped for a Coke at Luna Grocery on Sherman Street and continued down Sherman Street to 10th Avenue and made my way down Dyckman Avenue to FDR Drive and continued the journey to West 155th Street on a quiet afternoon. The sun was really out by this point and it did get hot. By this point in the afternoon, it was 96 degrees.

Luna Grocery is my ‘go to’ place for soda and snacks in Inwood which is on the path for The Great Saunter at 264 Sherman Avenue as you head through to 10th Avenue

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d27984230-r956795426-Luna_Grocery-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

From here, I followed the path that I took the last seven times doing this walk, visiting the same parks and viewing some of the same street art as the above walks. Not just sculptures and statuary but graffiti art as well that has some profound messages. Here and there though I noticed a few new works that I thought were inspiring:

Street art by 10th Avenue and Dyckman Street near the Dyckman Houses. A message

When I finished eating at King Pizza and made my way down East 143rd Street, I came across the most interesting artwork. I was not sure if it was artwork or just part of the building complex as there were no signs of what the artists name was or what the name of the piece was but I thought it was interesting.

The artwork on West 143rd Street outside the Bethune Towers

The artwork on West 143rd Street just outside the entrance to Bethune Towers

I never noticed how much artwork was on the walls of Harlem River Park. I had taken a few pictures of it in the past but either it has grown or I had to keep walking. You have to stop and admire these artists when walking past the bridge it is painted on. They keep expanding the artwork along the walls and it gets more interesting as you pass by.

The artwork in Harlem River Park

The painting’s artists

The paintings

The paintings

You have to admire these artists creativity. The murals keep growing.

Getting out of the park was pretty waring in that the homeless have camped themselves on the 128th Street Bridge and let’s just say I saw some things that I am glad that many out of towners did not have to experience when dealing with homeless with mental problems.

I know the path from Harlem River Park to 110th Street to Jefferson Park very well and I try to get through this section of Manhattan pretty quickly. No one bothers me but the cops always give me funny looks when they come across me.

What really surprised me is the hyper gentrification of Harlem seems to have slowed down a bit. I could not believe that by the Wagner Houses that all the buildings stopped being renovated. This section of Harlem pre-COVID was all under scaffolding.

East 120th Street across from the Wagner Houses

This section of Harlem around Second Avenue was all under scaffolding before COVID and I thought the whole area around the Wagner Houses was going to be the next big neighborhood. It still looks a bit run down in 2024. I still think this stretch of Harlem will be big deal one day and be the latest hip neighborhood.

I got down to Jefferson Park and could not believe how crowded it was for a weekday. People were out and about on this hot afternoon having picnics and barbecues. They were even preparing the pool for its summer opening. I just snapped a few pictures of the statuary and of the people enjoying themselves and off I went down the East River Esplanade trying to get to Carl Schulz Park while the sun was still out and not beating down on me. Even with all the smells of barbecued food, I was still stuffed from the meatball sandwich from King Pizza.

Just as I was passing East 100th Street and making the turn for the Upper East Side, another piece of artwork caught my eye.

The artwork along the fence between East 100th-98th Streets by artist Carmen Paulino “We care for Harlem”

This creative work was all colors of the rainbow and showed the creative spirit of the neighborhood. Still it is an engaging piece of art and you need to look at each panel of the fence to appreciate it.

The sign for Carmen Paulino’s work

Artist Carmen Paulino

https://carmencommunityartist.com/

Carmen Paulino is a Manhattan-based mixed media, fiber artist, or yarn bomber, who uses her art to beautify and strengthen the community (Artist bio).

When I got to Carl Schulz Park by East 84th Street, the park was just as beautiful as was in the early Spring. Being later in the day, the pack was packed with families. This is where I freshen up a bit and refill the water bottles. The water fountains here have the coldest water and they always work! Their bathrooms are some of the best in the City.

Carl Schulz Park

Carl Schulz Park

I continued my trip down the East River Esplanade to the stop at John Jay Park near the entrance to Sutton Place. The views were amazing and the day was so crystal clear.

Looking over Carl Schulz Park during the walk

I headed down the East Side Esplanade with the most beautiful views of Brooklyn.

The Hell Gate overlooking Queens from Carl Schulz Park

John Jay Park was in full swing when I passed it that afternoon. The families were out in force. By that point, school was out for the day and the kids were running all over the park. The pool was filled as it was getting ready for the opening.

John Jay Park in the late afternoon

I had not traveled through the park in a long time, just walked fast around it. I had not seen these sculptures by artist Douglas Abdell in a long time. When I passed through the park, some small child was hitting them with a pole. These are museum quality sculptures and people do not know what they are or how valuable they are worth.

Sculpture One-Eaphae-Aekyad #2

Sculpture Two-Kryeti-Aekyad #2

Artist Douglas Abdell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Abdell

Artist Douglas Abdell is an American born artist who graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University. In the last 30 years his work has been devoted to political and social themes related to the Mediterranean Countries and their history more specifically Phoenician and Arabic with their specific symbols and languages.^[3] The materials of these works are cast bronze, carved stone and etchings (Wiki).

I got down to Sutton Place in record time. Walking down York Avenue to the UN is a pretty straight run and I got down to the turn by the East River Promenade again. When I turned the corner at East 35th Street to go to the East River Promenade, I came across a series of paintings on the local school that I had not noticed in all the previous walks. They must have been put after the May walk. The works are entitled “Towards Wisdom” and are very interesting.

The plaque to the works:

Artist Jesse Bransford’s “Towards Wisdom” mosaics

“Towards Wisdom”

“Towards Wisdom”

“Towards Wisdom”

“Towards Wisdom”

“Towards Wisdom”

Artist Jesse Bransford

https://www.jessebransford.com/

Artist Jesse Bransford is a New York-based artist whose work is exhibited internationally at venues including The Carnegie Museum of Art, the UCLA Hammer Museum, PS 1 Contemporary Art Center and the CCA Wattis Museum among others. He holds degrees from the New School for Social Research (BA), Parsons School of Design (BFA) and Columbia University (MFA). A professor of art at New York University, Bransford’s work has been involved with belief and the visual systems it creates since the 1990s (Artist bio).

This time around it was light our when I got to the lower East Side and East River Park. This time around it was not as scary. It was still light out and everyone from school groups to families to hipsters playing baseball were in the park. This time around I got over the 10th Avenue Bridge as fast and I could and walked down Avenue D while it was still light out. On a Tuesday night at twilight is very different from 9:30pm on a Saturday night.

I followed the path I had through the Twin Bridges neighborhood and through the twists and turns of the Seaport and Chinatown. All along South Street there was every obstacle you could imagine that was not there a month earlier. Construction signs, barrels, closed roads and everything under FDR Driver was cordoned off where it was not before. I swear that everything the Shorewalkers said to me the day of the official walk was true. You have to keep walking this route because every day it changes.

There was a small section of South Street that was open but not all the way. Here though, I got some of the most beautiful pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge, Downtown Brooklyn and South Street as well as Lower Manhattan.

The view of Brooklyn from Stuyvesant Cove around twilight

Downtown Brooklyn at dusk

The Brooklyn Bridge and Downtown Brooklyn at dusk

The Brooklyn Bridge

Passing the busy South Street Seaport

I finished the walk independently in 2024 at 9:45pm, three hours later than the official walk. The stops to charge my phone added on about two hours and it was 97 degrees that day. It made the walk much slower than a 80 degree still. Still, no problems with the walk. Thirty-three miles in one day. Wait until next year.

I finally finished for the day just as it was getting dark but stopped to take pictures as night fell.

Me at the end of the unofficial walk in June 2024 at 9:45pm. It took longer but the pictures I got were fantastic!

I lucked out because Maricel arranged for me to have another night at the Residence Inn and I got back to the room, showered and then fell fast asleep. I had a late check out at 4:00pm so I just at breakfast the next morning and went back to bed and then read until I left at 4:00pm that afternoon. That was a better way to do then leaving after the walk.

Another great three walks for The Great Saunter! I don’t think Griffin Dunne could have done better! (Still my hero in that great film and we both got out of Lower Manhattan!).

Dedicated to my father, Warren Watrel:

Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers!

Justin Watrel with his father, Warren Watrel

Happy Father’s Day Dad!

With much love from your son Justin!

My walk around the island on August 2nd, 2025:

The weather finally broke and the temperature and humidity went down. I had Saturday off and I figured it was the best day to do the Saunter on my own. My students had been over whelming me with questions right before their presentation and I needed to clear the cobwebs out of my head. This was the best way to do it.

It started off a little rough dealing with a bus driver on the early morning bus who gave me attitude when he closed the door on me as I tried to enter. He claimed he did not see me but he was looking at me the whole time. I was not too pleased and said so. After that, we got into the City in record time.

The start of my walk on West 42nd Street

When I do the Great Saunter on my own, I start on West 42nd Street because I feel the it’s just easier to get home when I am done. The City seemed so quiet that morning and I got to the river quickly and started my walk just outside the Circle Line Station on West 42nd Street.

Walking through the Hudson River Park

I made my way up the West Side in record time. The first eighty blocks I did in less than two hours.

Hudson River Park near the West 60’s in the summer

Pier i Cafe preparing to open for the day. I have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while.

https://www.piericafe.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d3529096-Reviews-Pier_i_Cafe-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

I flew past the Seagull Wall on my way to the edge of Harlem. Unlike the Official Saunter in May, the Henry Hudson walkway was open again.

The Seagull Wall by Inwood Park

The Seagull Wall

Reaching Harlem Meer Park

Reaching Fort Washington Park in the early afternoon

Fort Washington Park right under the George Washington Bridge was just breathtaking that afternoon. The skies were clear and sun was not hot.

The view of the George Washington Bridge from the park in the early afternoon

Another view of the bridge

The ‘Great Gray Bridge and the Little Red Lighthouse’

The view of Lower Manhattan from the Little Red Lighthouse

I left Fort Washington Park past Washington Heights through Inwood Park and its virgin forests and twisting paths.

I love walking through the park on a beautiful summer day. The pathways are so removed from noise and people you would never know you were in Manhattan.

The beauty of Inwood Park

Once in Inwood Park by the ballfields, I did not realize they were under renovation. So I had to walk completely around the park to go to the bathroom. I swear these bathrooms are getting worse with time.

After a quick rest and bathroom break, I walked through the Inwood Farmers Market and noticed that they were selling a lot of nice things. Not cheap mind you but excellent quality.

The Inwood Farmers Market

https://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/manhattan/inwood

The wonderful farm products

The farm fresh produce

After I left Inwood, it was time for the long walk down FDR Drive. The one nice thing about taking the walk today is how it cooled down.

Walking through the top of Washington Heights

The views along the East River today were just spectacular. It was clear, sunny and breezy.

The view on the East River

The view further down FDR Drive

The view as you get closer to 155th Street

I finally got to the crossroads and crossed 155th Street and started the walk down Edgecombe Avenue. This block is started to change again.

The apartment houses along Edgecombe Avenue are all being renovated

When I crossed over East 145th Street and Edgecombe Avenue, I had to stop. I needed a rest and I was starved. I had wanted to try the new Charles Pan-Fried Chicken at 340 West 145th Street for a long time, so I stopped and had lunch.

Charles Pan Fried Chicken at 340 West 145th Street

The chicken and Mac & Cheese was just as delicious as I remembered. I did remember getting a second side in the Charles Special though.

The hot line at Charles Pan-Fried Chicken

https://www.charlespanfriedchicken.com/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60763-d1830370-Reviews-Charles_Pan_Fried_Chicken-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=69573

I ordered what I had before, the Charles Special, which was two pieces of fried chicken, a breast and a wing, a side of Mac & Cheese, a piece of cornbread and a limeade. The food was just wonderful and it hit the spot.

My lunch that afternoon

The portion sizes were very generous

Yum!

After a good lunch, I was ready to start my walk again. I just need to find the impossible public restroom. I went into Jackie Robinson Park across the street but they were both closed. So I had to wait and go to Charles Young Park and go there. The bathrooms are a horror here and try to find a restaurant you can go to when in this area.

Brigadier General Charles Young Playground

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/col-young-playground

The playground

The park looks really nice in the summer months

Interesting street art in the neighborhood

I winded my way through the twists and turns of Harlem and could not believe how quiet the streets were that afternoon. I barely saw anyone.I finally got around the Wagner Houses and make it to Pleasant Avenue.

I saw the giglio in the middle of the street and checked my phone. The ceremony would be that Saturday and I made a note to try to make it.

The Giglio in East Harlem before the festival

My blog on the Dancing of the Giglio:

Day Eighty-Four: The Feast of Our Lady of Carmel and the dancing of the Giglio with the Giglio Society of East Harlem and walking Randall’s-Ward Island August 13th, 2017 (Again on August 13th, 2023 and August 10th, 2025)

I got to Jefferson Park in the late afternoon and took another break. I had had a heavy lunch and still needed to digest.

Jefferson Park in the summer of 2025

Jefferson Park on a busy summer day

Jefferson Park sculptures

After I left the park, I took the long walk down the Riverwalk along the East River until I got to Carl Schulz Park and took a bathroom and water break. The water fountains at the park offer the coldest and sweetest water and I am not sure why but I always fill my water bottles here.

The Riverwalk by the East River at East 85th Street

The view by Carl Schulz Park and Ward Randall Island

https://www.carlschurzparknyc.org/

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60763-d312015-Reviews-Carl_Schurz_Park-New_York_City_New_York.html

My review on VisitingaMuseum.com:

https://visitingamuseum.com/tag/carl-schurz-park/

The park at the height of bloom in the summer

After my break, I continued the walk down the Upper East Side and then walked through Turtle Bay, Kips Bay and the Lower East Side. Along the way, I saw the most unusual street art.

Street art on the Upper East Side

Street art on the Lower East Side

Street art on the Lower East Side

I saw this by the South Street Seaport

I reached the Battery Park North Cove by 6:30pm

From Battery Park City, I took the long walk back up the Upper West Side. By this point, my lower legs started to stiffen up and it was starting the sunset. I made it back to the Circle Line Boat dock by 8:30pm. It took me thirteen hours to do the walk this time which was pretty good considering all the breaks. This will be the last time I do this until 2016. It was still a great walk!

I thought I did a great job the second time.

Midtown at night