Part 2 of a series of “big hikes in big cities”. For Part 1, a walk around San Francisco, click here.

August 22nd, 2019

Panorama of the New Jersey shoreline from the Hudson River Greenway.

I was visiting New York City to give a presentation to the Google Sheets team (an amazing honor and experience!) and had a few hours on the Thursday morning before my train home.

Naturally, I decided to explore the city on foot. It’s something I try to do anytime I visit a big city.

I find walking the streets of big cities to be fascinating and great for thinking.

This time, I walked from my hotel in the Chelsea area to Battery Park and back, via Wall Street. It was a 9-mile hike that took me two and a half hours.

This hike covered some of the most iconic areas of New York so it was the obvious choice from my hotel, even though I’d seen some of this area before (years ago though).

I started right next to the Flatiron building, which is perhaps my favourite building in the whole city.

Route and photos from New York

Route of the New York city hike taken from Strava

One World Trade Center was my North Star for this walk. All I had to do was aim for it and keep walking that direction. Although it looks a bit like the Flatiron building on the right side of the picture, it’s not. The real Flatiron building is much bigger and more majestic.

One World Trade Center up close. It’s big!

Wall Street — the heart of capitalism!

Near the start of the Hudson River Greenway, after leaving Battery Park. Looking back to One World Trade Center from the other side.

Looking towards Hoboken, New Jersey, from the Hudson River Greenway.

The Red Arrows (from the UK) were doing an aerial display with an American group. Pure chance that I saw this and managed to grab a photo.