Walking, New York City

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New York is a big city and there will be many times when you need to take to public transport to get from one place to the next, whether subway, bus or taxi. But please do try to explore as much as you can on foot. There are many aspects to this wonderful city that just can’t be appreciated any other way! The deep canyons created by the towering skyscrapers of Midtown; the quaint cobbled streets in parts of Greenwich Village and the other historic districts; the smells from the cafes and various food vendors; the displays in shop windows, both big department stores and neighbourhood corner shops; the amusing signs and colourful neons; and perhaps most of all the people. I confess I loved eavesdropping on other people’s conversations as we walked – snippets like “of course you have a dog, this is New York” brought the city to life for me.

Working out your route is relatively easy, thanks to the helpful grid pattern of the streets in most of Manhattan (see my General tip). But don’t expect to get from A to B too quickly. Depending on the time of day there will be many other people walking the same streets (it might be helpful for them as well as you if you try to avoid the rush-hour as much as possible) and there are also numerous distractions to slow your progress – but then, that’s the point! There really is no better way to experience the buzz that is New York.

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New York is a city to walk.

Yes, we tried the subway, cabs, the train and the bus, but we loved walking the most.

You see so much more when walking and get a much better idea of the neighbourhood and community this way.

This is a city with swarms of people, so we tried to make sure we pounded the pavements (sidewalk!) when it was not rush hour.

You also do not get the full effect of how tall the buildings are without walking... you just wish by in transport.

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I'm a big fan of exploring by foot, but NYC is a large city and not as walkable friendly as many other cities. There are just way too many people out and about and too much ground to cover. But if you take the time and have a well thought out plan you can discover lovely parts of the city on foot. Some of my favorite are LES, Chinatown, Village, Chelsea, NOLITA, Midtown, UWS, UES just to name a few. There are so many quaint little shops, bars, restaurants you'll miss if you use public transport.

NOTE: Noooooooo....don't do it!! Ladies, please don't wear those "tacky" little flip-flops, cross-trainers (especially white), and those horrid flats to walk around a fashionable city like New York City (or any other city, especially Paris), no matter how tempted you are!! It's just not trendy or stylish!!! (Okay, the jeweled-toned flats are cute).

So grab your most sylish comfy shoes and get out there and explore!!

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Getting around New York is easy. I think it's quite interesting and great to just take a walk around the city.New york is a very easy place to stay. Street names are very systematic and within 3 hours you can easily find your way.Just remember to grab a map and remember which street you start your walk.

Walking is the best way to get around the city, so long as you know where you are going. Maps are always helpful, but try to get a small one. You will not only burn those unwanted calories but you will get to sightsee as well!

Getting around in Manhattan by walking is the most practical way coz parking fee is gold. Through walking you've a chance to see lots of attractions and as well as you can manage your time by staying in one place.

Although the NY Yellow cabs are easy to track down and cheap to dash around the city we really enjoyed walking. The first few days of our holiday was speant mainly on foot exploring NY , giving us a real feel of the place. The main advantages are that you can stop and pop into any shop or cafe and take time out. We covered so much ground on foot and you find out things ans see things that may pass you by if you were in a cab. All i will say is take some blister plasters! Plus you can walk off those excess pounds you ate at breakfast!

It doesn't cost you a thing and you get to see so much! For me, it's the best way to get the feel of a city. It can be very tiring but it's also very rewarding. You never know what you come across, which nice people you bump into, what nice restaurants you stumble upon and what unusual sites you might encounter.