In the fall of 1988, I took a five-week vacation and set out to accomplish a long-sought goal: to walk every block of every street in Manhattan. Five weeks was not nearly enough; managing about 20 miles a day, I was able to cover only those areas south of 42nd Street, a pedometer-clocked distance of 310 miles.

The project remained unfinished until my retirement in the summer of 2005. Not nearly as spry at 69 as I was at 52, I found the going difficult -- a few miles a week. But patience and perseverance once again did what they're supposed to do and I was able to finish the walk in November 2007.

What I finished was the Island of Manhattan. The Borough of Manhattan includes Roosevelt, Randalls, Governors, Liberty and Ellis Islands, as well as Marble Hill, a section at the southern end of the Bronx that was once part of Manhattan Island but was separated when the Harlem River was diverted to connect more directly with the Hudson.

Governors Island and Marble Hill are included on this site.

About the pictures: The 1988 walk was photographed on film. Remember film? It was expensive; every click of the shutter cost about 75 cents, and on a project this size, the total mounted quickly. By 2005, digital photography was here and every click of the shutter cost, well, nothing! Consequently, the photographic record north of 42nd Street is far more comprehensive than the collection from south of 42nd Street.

This web site is organized as follows: Areas south of 42nd Street are arranged by neighborhood. Areas north of 42nd Street are arranged by street name.

Pages with neighborhoods south of 42nd Street are in the process of being assembled. Here's the first, Greenwich Village. Others will follow.




Greenwich Village



Links to All Streets