Is it just me or is everyone seeing about a million different videos of people walking from the top to the bottom of Manhattan in a single day?
I have lived in New York for my whole life, and I have started to make a point of exploring my city like a tourist. Too many times, I’ve had friends come to visit and show me new places I’d never even heard of!
This hike was a challenge that was calling to me and, never one to be left out I was determined to plan a trip of my own.
After some research, I determined the below pathway to be the best way to see the city. If you’d like to know my (now expert!) opinion after completing the mission- skip to the bottom!
Stop 1: 215th Street
Alright the most important question; where do we begin our journey through Manhattan. There are a few different options that our fellow wanderers seem to enjoy, but we elected to start at 215th Street since it is the last subway stop before leaving Manhattan Island.
There’s not much to see in this area, so its also popular to start at 207th or Dyckman Street, but we figured: if we’re doing this, we might as well do the whole thing.
Stop 2: Bunnii Coffee
Buunii Coffee has been recommended to me time and time again and this Ethiopian coffee shop is worth the hype!
This cafe was super bright and open and seemed like a great place to hang out and get some work done. The coffee was excellent as well.
It may seem counterintuitive to immediately take a stop at the beginning of this journey, but we wanted to take the opportunity to fuel up with some caffeine and a quick breakfast pastry. I think I even spotted a few other customers who seemed to be starting a Manhattan walk of their own!
Stop 3: Fort Tryon Park
After getting my daily fix of caffeine, we headed down to Fort Tryon Park. The intention was to swing by the Met Cloisters, but it became obvious that we’d have to hike up a bit of a hill. Knowing how many steps we had in our future, we elected to save that visit for another time.
It was nice to walk through such a green space in such a bustling part of the city, and a wonderful way to start the day.
Alternatively, you can cross over to Highbridge Park for a different experience. The Highbridge Water Tower always fascinates me when I’m driving across the island, but I haven’t seen it up close yet!
Keep in mind that it’s quite hilly in this area, so expect to get a bit of a workout in- especially if you veer off Broadway!
Stop 4: Sylvan Terrace
I was particularly interested to stop by Sylvan Terrace because I’d only ever heard of it while researching this route!
Sylvan Terrace is a one block, cobblestone street lined with wooden townhouses that were originally built in 1882! These uniform buildings are fascinating to look at- there’s really nothing else like it in Manhattan.
Sylvan Terrace is located directly across from Morris-Jumel Mansion which is Manhattan’s oldest surviving house. Talk about a historic neighborhood!
Although visitors are usually invited to explore the mansion, it was closed for renovation during our visit.
Stop 5: Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater is one of the most famous venues in New York. The theater was originally built in 1913 to house burlesque shows, but quickly transitioned into becoming a venue for black performers.
Over a hundred years after its opening, it’s still a landmark location for concerts, theatre, and film.
It is, however, currently undergoing a large scale renovation and plans to be closed for at least a year. Events are still being performed at the neighboring Victoria Theatre, but expect the main stages and iconic marquee sign to be under construction in the meantime.
Stop 6: Sylvia’s
Time for a much needed lunch break! Since we were in Harlem, it made sense to try out some Soul Food. Sylvia’s Restaurant came highly recommended, so we made our way over there.
The restaurant is massive and seems to have spread out into a slightly more high end “Sylvia’s Too” on the corner of the block.
We made our way to the classic and more homey Sylvia’s building and immediately ordered a lemonade, chicken and waffles, cornbread, and candied yams.
The service was admittedly a bit slow, but honestly we probably needed that time in the air conditioning.
The food, however, was excellent- definitely worth the stop. The candied yams were maybe a little too sweet for my taste, but the cornbread went so fast I didn’t even get a picture of it!
Stop 7: Levain Bakery/Hungarian Pastry Shop
After lunch, we of course had to stop for a sweet treat! We swung over to the nearby Levain Bakery for a giant cookie, and then headed over to the Hungarian Pastry Shop.
I was a little overwhelmed by the Hungarian Pastry Shop, which offered a lot of options I wasn’t familiar with and was full to bursting with customers.
The apple strudel came highly recommended and was as delicious as promised. I’ll have to come back to try some of their other offerings when I have more time!
Stop 8: Central Park
The jewel of Manhattan! I love Central Park- though I have to say I was hoping that the North part of the park would have a little more tree cover. We were really starting to struggle with the heat here!
We had somehow managed to perfectly time our visit with the blooming Cherry trees, so we made our way over to the Reservoir where there was a high concentration of pretty trees.
Stop 9: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
With the Metropolitan Museum of Art marking more or less our halfway point, we were super happy to take a minute to sit on the steps outside the world class museum.
We were really starting to struggle with the heat and the walking at this point, so it was a good moment for some people watching. I had to restrain myself from jumping into the water fountain.
Stop 10: Flatiron Building
Determined to finish our mission, we powered through to the Flatiron Building. This iconic building has been covered by scaffolding for nearly 6 years and only recently had the top half of the scaffolding removed. It was nice to see it again!
Stop 11: Chinatown – Shu Jiao Fu Zhou
Finally lunch time! We sat down with some dumplings at Shu Jiao Fu Zhou with some uncertainty that we’d be able to get up again. The pork and chive dumplings are always a hit here, and with 10 dumplings for $5 it’s a great bang for your buck!
Stop 12: Trinity Church
Trinity Church was founded over 300 years ago and remains one of Manhattan’s most famous churches! If you poke around the graveyard, you may see some famous names such as Alexander Hamilton, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler Church, William Alexander, and Hercules Mulligan.
Stop 13: Battery Park
The final stop of the trip! Make your way down to the waterfront for a lovely view of the Statue of Liberty. You’ll likely get here around sunset, depending on when you started your trip.
Stop 14: Time for a drink!
Dead on our feet, we deserved a drink! We walked the short distance over to the Dead Rabbit- a classic Irish bar known for its excellent cocktails and eclectic decorations.
If you’re looking for a bit more history, head around the corner to Fraunces Tavern. George Washington reportedly once visited this historic landmark! There’s even a museum above the bar.
Tip and Tricks
- Hydrate! Hydration is key- especially if you’re doing this on a 90 degree day like we were!
- Wear comfortable shoes. Seriously, don’t try to look cute. Comfort over fashion for this one!
- Don’t bother packing snacks. It’s New York City! There’s always going to be places to drop into for a quick bite or drink.
- Take lots of breaks! Don’t overdo it- it’s not a race.
- Be flexible. You’re walking for a reason; if something looks interesting while you’re walking, go over and check it out!
- Look up more! We saw so many cool buildings on this hike. Living in New York means I’m always rushing to and from work, and I very rarely take the time to admire the architecture. Now’s your chance!
In conclusion: would I recommend visitors do this hike through Manhattan? Honestly probably not! It’s pretty physically demanding and there are large swaths of the city that you end up powering through with very little inclination to stop and appreciate.
At one point my companion and I were bullying each other into continuing specifically because we didn’t ever want to have to do this thing again.
It was fun to meet the challenge of such a long and iconic walk, but I think that most people would be a-okay taking the subway to skip large sections of the city. If I were to try this again, I’d start at Central Park and work my way down.
There are so many cute bars in the Flatiron district in particular that I might one day shorten the walk even more and bar hop my way downtown!
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