What am I doing in NYC? (Manhattan, New York)

Trip date: June 16, 2019

Looking into Chinatown from the Manhattan Bridge.

Caltopo map here: ​https://caltopo.com/m/21VP

A friend was getting married up in New Jersey and since I hadn't been to the East Coast in over 15 years, and never to Manhattan I thought it was worth exploring for a day.  

But I wanted to explore it the way I explore other things.  I opened Caltopo and started drawing lines, connecting things that I'd heard of before.  My basic plan was to walk up and down the entire island in a single day.  Except I didn't really have a whole day because my flight left that evening.  I figured that if I started at dawn (~5:30 am) and kept up a 3 mph pace until 4pm, I could do about 30 miles.  For my planned route I gave myself a little cushion and settled on 22 miles.  This would take me over down to lower manhattan, across the Brooklynn Bridge, back over the Manhattan Bridge, up to Harlem, and then to Pennsylvania Station in midtown to catch a train to the Newark Airport.  

I had moments where I thought "this is crazy.  you are definitely going to miss that flight" but then I remembered 1) NYC is at sea level, 2) it's almost perfectly flat, and 3) everything is paved.  Everything that makes hiking hard was gone, so I went for it.  In the end I did some wandering that deviated from my planned route so it turned into 28.5 miles.  

It was peaceful in the early morning. I even thought for a bit "if it weren't for the mountains of trash on the sidewalk, this would be quite pleasant".

This must have been near Chelsea.

I'm starting to notice that their are a lot of pride flags around and at first I just think it must be a New York thing.  Then I realize it's actually pride month and I'm close to the memorial for the Stonewall Riots in 1969.  I'm not sure if it was more or less interesting to see it while everybody was still asleep.  

"Wilderness"

Near the WTC memorial

Excellent anti-backer-uppers

Near WTC Memorial #2

Near WTC Memorial #3

Oh yeah, that thing.

Looking north out of Battery Park

I didn't have time to take a picture myself so I took a picture of tourists taking their picture with the Bull('s balls).

These are probably famous buildings in the financial district.

I recognize this one.  Seems relevant at the moment.

The plain-clothed security guard outside gave me a weird look when I took this picture.

From the Financial District I headed over to the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Looking back at lower Manhattan from the Brooklynn Bridge

I didn't really get a good look at t he Brooklyn Bridge till I crossed back over to Manhattan on the Manhattan Bridge.

I like those phone numbers

I know this isn't a big deal but I'd only ever seen one of these in movies.

The main thing that I'll remember about Chinatown is just how exhausted everyone looked.  It was a good reminder of my own good fortune.  In Sara D. Roosevelt Park I saw about 20 older men admiring these birds.  I imagine that during the day they keep them at home and bring them to the park during the day.  It seemed really sweet.  

As I rounded the corner I came across a bench where 4 people where shooting heroin in plain sight (you can see them through the birdcage in the picture on the right).  It was quite the juxtaposition.  

Look!  Two crappy pictures of famous buildings!

The Flatiron Building

The Empire State Building

At this point I'm starting to really have to go to the bathroom.  I don't usually think about this ahead of time because it's so trivial to just dig a hole in the wilderness.  This would be much more complicated.  

Then I saw another building I'd heard of before...

Trump Tower. But then I looked closer...

"Open to the public. 8am - 10pm". Problem solved.

What style

Next up was Central Park

I remember making these when I was a kid.

Sheep Meadows in Central Park

Belvedere Castle

Bethesda Fountain

The grossest pond water I've seen in a long time in Morningside Park. The park was quite nice however.

From here I headed over to Riverside Park along the Hudson River.  Eventually I just started taking pictures of buildings with "nice curves".

I bet whoever did this was proud

These have always seemed fun

Epilogue

The next day, I was asked what I thought of Manhattan.  I said:

"A lot of cement.  Like the most I've ever seen.  Basically the Canadian Rockies of cement".

We think mountains are big in Colorado but they look so puny compared to the Canadian Rockies.

It was weird trying to experience a place like this without going inside any (except for Trump Tower).  I'm sure I missed out on all of the things that New Yorkers think make it so special, but honestly I couldn't wait to get out.  It's definitely worth seeing though. ​