My Zigzag Walking Tour!
It’s got to be roughly twenty years that I have been the guide for a family from Virginia. We have covered almost every inch of Manhattan by foot. I’m sure there are neighborhoods and hidden secrets yet to be discovered.
What is a Zigzag tour?
It’s my walking tour that doesn’t follow a straight path. I take my guests in directions that perhaps were not part of the original itinerary. If I can fit in a spontaneous location and there is time to do it, voilà! It only becomes a zigzag at the moment. I usually work with a plan in mind. But out in the field it could change if I see fit. And so it was with the offspring of the original family — heretofore known as M & L.
How do you know them?
I first met M when he was a teenager. He was here in NYC with his parents — oh those many years ago! His wife, L, had also been on one of my zigzags in their pre-marital days. They are now parents of two young children. So I was delighted to hear from M, in this post-pandemic world, when he asked about doing one of my walks. We came up with a provisional itinerary.
So where did you meet M & L for your walk?
We settled on a walk that would start in Chinatown and end on Little Island in Chelsea. I met them on the corner of Bayard & Mott. Now here’s where my first zigzag comes in. We were so close to the government center that I suggested we walk over to see the courthouses and to tell them about Five Points (the area featured in the film GANGS OF NEW YORK).
I also learned that L had an ancestor that actually owned a store on Elk Street (formerly known as Elm Street). She showed me an old newspaper printing of that store back in the 19th C. There are no stores on Elk Street anymore. One of the advantages of meeting people on my tours is that often they have some personal piece of information they tell me about. My door is always open for new tales. I learn from them as well.
We covered the African Burial Ground which was right there.
Did you ever get back to Chinatown?
Yes we did. That led us straight into Little Italy where we made our second zigzag stop — The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. Before the St. Pat’s in midtown, this was the original. In 2010 it was declared a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI. My personal tale about the Old St. Pat is one of my nephews and his wife were married there.
Where did you go from there?
We continued zigzagging our way through SoHO, Greenwich Village and over to MePA (the Meat Packing District). There we sauntered over to Little Island for spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and New Jersey. And then onto the Chelsea Market where our walk ended exactly on time about four-and-a-half miles later. We hugged and said our good-byes until the next time. M’s parents may be coming in sometime in the near future. I look forward to seeing them and to doing one of my zigzags with them.
What did you do after?
At that point I needed to sit. So I moseyed over to Starbucks Reserve. What a fantastic place to experience a latte! It is an enormous location and they sell food as well as merchandise.
I was still feeling energized. After my latte and panino I zigzagged my way to the Harry Potter store in the Flatiron district. There was a huge line so I decided not to go in. Then on to Eataly for a restroom break and a walk through the store which is festive during Christmas.
My goal was Macy’s where I finished to see their Christmas windows.
One of Macy’s Christmas windows. BELIEVE is the store’s theme this year.
How much did you walk that day?
NINE MILES which broke my own record of Six miles. The next day I stayed home with my legs elevated! I enjoyed every minute of my walking tour with M & L and can’t wait until the next zigzag adventure!!