New York’s Broadway is a road that runs the entire length of the island of Manhattan (and continues through to the Bronx). Everyone has heard of Broadway, but before I first visited New York I just assumed it was the name of the theatre district.
Ever since I discovered this geographic curiosity I have often thought about walking from top to bottom. When I was in Newport I casually told my hosts Kevin and Brigitte of my idea while we were poring over the legendary New York Subway map. Far from thinking I was crazy, they thought is was a worthy challenge and wanted to come as well.
Being that it was summer we got started at 6am. It is already light at this time of year in New York and it was ideal walking weather.
We arrived at 210th St station to begin the walk. It turns out we should have started at 225th station as that is just next to the Broadway Bridge on the Bronx side of the river.
At 225th St on the Bronx side of the Broadway Bridge.
On the subway there was a man with a bum bag in walking shoes who didn’t look like he had any business getting the train to the Bronx at 5.45 in the morning. He got out with us and started walking down Broadway as well, so I am not alone in wanting to walk Broadway. A quick search on google shows plenty of other Broadway walkers out there. I wonder how many people a day do this walk?
The walk took 6 hours and 45 minutes, which included breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks along the way. We had no time limit on our walk, so we could stop as often as we wanted. Our only rule was that we had to stay on Broadway, so any enticing shop off Broadway would have to be noted and visited some other time.
Before this walk I had never been higher than 130th St. Seeing the grand parks and buildings in the 200’s was unexpected for me and it was interesting to see such a varied cross section of neighbourhoods across the island. Walking Broadway is a great way to experience Manhattan.
Walking Broadway Photo Gallery
Montmartre or Manhattan? Isham Park in Inwood.
Fort Tryon Park.
Tom’s Restaurant (as seen on Seinfeld.)
Grand apartment blocks of the Upper West Side (Ansonia Building).
Street piano project at Times Square.
The Flatiron building looks even flatter when you look straight down Broadway.
Broadway and Broome in SoHo.
Finishing up at Number 1 Broadway.
You walked Broadway and lived to tell about it? Walking Broadway is like being in a war zone in Afghanistan, but with way more street performers. Congrats on surviving. You’re more adventurous than we are.
@The Jetpacker I was wondering what it would be like so high up in Manhattan. All of my knowledge in Inwood and Washington heights had been formed by 70’s crime TV and film. One of my friends who lived in New York in the early 80’s said that I wouldn’t have been able to do that walk back then.
What a great idea, James! That sounds like it was an adventure. 6+ hours–that’s a heck of a walk. But certainly no different from going for a day hike in the mountains/woods, except flatter. What happens if it rains on the street piano, I wonder?
That’s brilliant! I’ve only walked about thirty blocks along Broadway at a time but doing the whole thing is such a unique way to explore. I might try this in other cities I visit – just pick the longest or most well-know street and walk from one end to the other.
Great stuff James!
@Gray I thought it was going to be a long day but I also thought of it a day hike. I think the pianos were collected every night. They were pretty old ones anyway.
@Earl I have walked 6+ hours in London, Paris and other big cities but they don’t have as easily definable boundary as Manhattan. Would be interested to see what long street you find.
Another urban walker who I find inspirational is Will Self, who walks from airports, such as this JFK walk:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/books/06walk.html
Hey James, cool post. Great idea.
I walked Broadway in July. I started at Bowling Green Park at the southern tip and walked up Broadway to 225th Street in Marble Hill, just across the Harlem River. I spread my walk out over four days as I wanted to take my time and experience the different neighborhoods and other places in New York. I stopped in the Strand Book Store, Union Square, Madison Park, walked along Central Park West, explored the campus of Columbia University, and stopped in stores, coffee shops, and markets in Morningside Hieghts and Washington Heights. I visited with a number of people and all were very friendly and nice. My one regret is that I did not walk up the steps at Fort Tryon Park to the Cloisters. We visited the museum a few years ago and it would have been neat to come at it from a different direction. All in all I had a great experience. I have always found New Yorkers to be courteous and friendly and helpful. I want to do it again next summer. At 71 years of age I am glad I can still do things like this.
One suggestion: On one of the days I went to the Hall of Fame of Famous Americans at Bronx Community College. It is about six blocks off the 183rd Street subway stop. Well worth the effort to go there.
Hi Donald, great to hear from a fellow Broadway walker! Thanks for sharing your age as well, I find that very inspiring.
One of the considerations for me in planning this trip was the direction. North to South won out this time. Maybe I will try South to North another time. I like your idea of breaking it up as well. Everything above 160th is still unexplored for me so I want to go back another time and see more around there.
I love the pics, especially the street piano project in times square. I’m planning my walk this saturday, Sept. 4. Wish me luck!
@Baldtraveler that’s awesome! I look forward to reading your report.
I commented earlier on your walk. I did it last July. I now have my pictures on my blog. I’d like you to look at them (http://grom1012.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/manhattan-walk-2/). It appears that we took the picture at 225th Street of the same store, but graffiti was added by the time I took mine. I want to walk it again next summer. I have some ideas of areas I would like to spend more time.
Hi Don, thanks for posting. Great photo’s there, the place at Fort Tryon looks like a country house. I would like to make it a regular event as well.
Hi there, cool thing to do.
I´m from Sweden, and I´ve been thinking of this walk for a few years now.
I´ve been to NY a couple of times, and last year I started from the bottom and finished at Times Sq.
This time, I hope the weather-gods are with me, if so , I´ll follow your path, it will be in late january 2011.
Nice pics as well.
Sounds like a terrific walk – definitely in my future, although I may hug the Hudson rather than Broadway, or mix it up. Lovely post – thanks!
@Max good luck with your walk. I once spent a winter in New York. I bit cold for my liking but a good incentive to keep walking.
@Out walking the dog – thanks. I have thought about walking around the shoreline of Manhattan as well.
James, this is brilliant! Walking is the best way to discover any city, but New York in particular — there’s so much detail to process. Back when I was a college student at NYU, my friend and I would walk all over town using different major arteries as our path. Broadway is fascinating because of the architecture, but Third Avenue is my favorite for stores, color and people. Next time you’re in New York, try taking the Brooklyn Bridge across from South Street Seaport and wending your way over to Brooklyn Heights — takes about 3 hours, and it’s like walking through the history of America. (Then, you can sit down and have a beer.)
Thanks Melanie. The Avenues are the next logical walk in the New York walk series, so many choices. On my last trip I wandered over to Brooklyn and realised how much I have been missing over there as well so i might have to do this walk as well next time around.
Hi James, we are heading th Brooklyn in september2017. Any good walks to recommend?
Hi Gary, I stayed in Brooklyn the last time I was there but I was mainly walking to and from the train station. I have much more to explore!
Hi there,
My husband and I did this walk a few weekends ago in the summer heat and absolutely loved it! We saw some excellent sights along the way and followed many of your tips. Our photos, comments and tips are all posted on my blog which you can read here:
http://kimberlysthree.tumblr.com/post/7868998702/swallowing-broadway
Feel free to check it out and happy walking!
Hi Kimberly, welcome to the club! Thanks for sharing your link as well. It is such a great walk, I’m glad others feel the same way as well 🙂
Did it! (almost.) I bailed at 125th, but it was a great walk for a warm December day. I’ll go the distance before I leave the city. Thanks for the inspiration. (Love the comment about doing it over four days and really taking in the sights.) Here’s my post: http://www.wanderingnotlost.org/2011/12/almost-walking-broadway-manhattan-new-york-2/
Thanks for adding your walking story and have fun with the rest of it 🙂
Enjoyed photos and story – our family did this last year and loved it. One interesting piece of trivia we picked up was that the area over the bridge by 225th Street and Broadway is actually not the Bronx, but still part of Manhattan – Marble Hill. Some great history if you read the link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Hill,_Manhattan
Thanks for the link – I didn’t know that!
We walked broadway today and LOVED it. What a journey it was. It took us 6 hrs 35 mins including lunch, tea an the obligatory blueberry muffin stop. We started at 225th and felt a little miffed that 1st street was not 1st street. There are at least another 30 blocks to the end of Broadway. The best way to do this is to not think too much about it and just put one foot in front of the other and go for it.
I thank you for sharing this story.
Just did this on 2/19/17. Those last three miles were the worst. And now I know why they call so many neighborhoods “the heights” – lots of hills. Once you get past around 110th street, it’s all flat going downtown. I am thrilled that I did this but shouldn’t have done it two days before a trip to Vegas. I was still dealing with a blister and sore muscles. By the way, I felt perfectly safe! Loved the northern part which I had never seen and I was raised on 90th Street. They just redid that “stair street” on 215th. Looks much better now. Google it.
Thanks for a very nice account. The stretch I like best is from 73rd Street to 97th Street. It’s quieter, with the Malls down the center, busy, but not neon-commercial.
Why stop in northern Manhattan? Broadway continues much further north (to Albany?)?
Yes the thought crossed my mind!
Why in your introduction do you say Broadway continues into the Bronx? It continues far past that, into Sleepy Hollow, NY. Your post makes it seem like Broadway terminates in the Bronx. Glad to see your pic of Inwood, though.
Hi I walked once even more than what you did
I started in Battery Park went to Bronx continued into Westchester Country, Yonkers, and finished in Hastings in Hudson. I wanted to continue until the very end in Sleepy Hollow but I ended up getting back. I hope next time I go to New York I can do it.