by Michael Kooiman

Created on: November 20, 2007   Last Updated: December 05, 2008

Face it, we all need to walk. My son and I decided that that best way to see New York was on foot. It is, after all, a city of walkers. The "long march" began with a subway ride. We took the #1 train to 110 Street and Broadway. We decided to begin our tour with a look at the world's largest cathedral, the Church of St. John the Divine. Largest, of course, is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. There are different ways to measure the size of a cathedral, about as many ways as there are flavors of Christianity. We looked around. The cathedral has been under construction since 1892, and while it looks done, it is described as incomplete. Maybe they are waiting for carpet.

Walking south, my boy and I decide that Broadway is our best bet to get a good sense of the Upper West Side. Cafes and magazine shops line the street: we have landed in the strange land people only read and eat. We're looking for Tom's Restaurant, but I forgot to write down the address. My son, a hardcore Seinfeld fan, is disappointed, but forgives me when we stumble on a place that could be Tom's cousin. Surrounded by eating readers, we enjoy smoked meat that rivals Montreal.

On our way again, we resume our march south. Looking side to side, we see classic four and five story brownstones, multi-story apartments and the classic residential Manhattan look anyone who watches movies will know. One moment we're in Annie Hall, the next You've Got Mail. I keep thinking I'll see Friends, the TV kind, not the real kind. We catch the edge of Central Park as Broadway hits 59th and earn a well deserved rest.

It begins to feel like downtown. Suddenly we're seeing signs for Carnegie Hall and Rockefeller Center, but we are not to be distracted from our goal: Time's Square and unknown points south. My first and only visit to Time's Square was in 1982. It was pretty sketchy. My buddy fell for the classic "hey, can you make change" scam the first minute off the bus. I was a little anxious. It appears I had forgotten Rudy Giuliani. Time's Square looks more like a suburban shopping mall than the gritty place I remember. At least no one asked for change.

Heading further south, the lad had to make a pit stop. My map pointed to Macy's on 7th Avenue, but this would take us off the path. We decided to stop being rigid and head for the famous place. It's a store. Nice bathrooms, interesting wares, but just a store. We beat it back to Broadway and New York's iconic Flatiron building. Designed by Daniel Burnham of Chicago World's Fair fame, the Flatiron is an excellent example for the Beaux-Arts style. It is also impossible to take a bad photo of it. I tried.

Further south on 5th Avenue, we finally reach what may be the end of our day. Washington Square, it appears, is where New York keeps the children. We sat for a while near the central fountain and got a good glimpse of what life is like for the locals. Every configuration of family was there, laughing and happy, running about the park. My son was pleased, but wanted to see more. After reminding him that my sore feet and old bones were done for the day, he remembered Chinatown. While not so far from a 110th Street perspective, it looked far now. As always, he won.

Heading further south, we meandered left and right through quiet avenues and busy crosstown streets. Finally at Canal Street, we found food. My son loves Asian, and this did not disappoint. I was too tired at this point to even take note of the restaurant, but we ate until we could eat no more, and spent under $15.

Back on the subway, north to our hotel, and sleep, blessed sleep. We walked eight miles.

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