#NYC walking tour: Broadway’s best food, drink and architecture
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“#NYC walking tour: Broadway’s best food, drink and architecture”
Ever since George M. Cohan wrote “Give My Regards to Broadway” back in 1904, Manhattan’s longest street has been synonymous with theater and the throng of Times Square. But as every New Yorker knows, each section of Broadway, from the Canyon of Heroes in the Financial District to its winding finale in Inwood, has its own unique charms.
Author William J. Hennessey has cataloged the best of the street in his new book, “Walking Broadway: Thirteen Miles of Architecture and History.” As a self-professed “stage-struck teenager,” Hennessey used to commute to Times Square in the 1960s to score theater tickets. Hanging out in Midtown, he realized that Broadway had more to offer than just its playhouses, and he concocted a plan to traverse the entire length of the street. Life then intervened, and it was only recently that Hennessey was able to complete his goal of walking the entire street while photographing its riches.
While the author hasn’t walked his route in one go, plenty of others have done Broadway’s entire length as a single-day walk — and with Hennessey’s book in hand, it might be the perfect socially distanced outing for COVID times.
In 2013, Bruce Smith, 35, was inspired to walk every block in Manhattan when he realized he was often “only experiencing the city in ‘pockets’ — the five or so blocks surrounding my apartment and office.” He capped off his epic 508 miles of exploration by walking Broadway from north to south, beginning at 221st Street and ending in Battery Park. (While Hennessey’s book is arranged in the opposite direction, which allows the history of the city to be presented somewhat chronologically, it seems more popular to walk in the opposite direction.)
Smith notes that what’s great about a Broadway saunter is that it takes you “through a great cross section of the city. You’ll see and transition through a dozen or more neighborhoods and . . . really get to watch the city unfold.”
James Clark, 48, a travel writer for NomadicNotes.com, concurs. When he walked the length of Broadway, what jumped out at him was how it served as a “great way to see more of the city” (especially lesser-known areas north of Central Park), although he admits it can be a “challenge” to keep from “being distracted by other streets” along the way, as you could easily “end up doubling” how much ground you cover. Hennessey — well aware of these lures — includes a number of places not strictly on Broadway in his book.
Rob Ndei, 45, is an avid walker and was recently inspired to mask up and walk 8 of Broadway’s 13 miles “by the need for exercise and by the fact that it is one hobby I can enjoy at this time.” Doing the walk now has its advantages, he says: “There are a lot less people on the street now than pre-COVID, which is a plus.” But Ndei also admits that “the mask makes it a little difficult for a brisk walk.”
In the end, “Walking Broadway” is about seeing the city with fresh eyes. Hennessey urges readers to take the time to look at the buildings — often best viewed from across the street — and enjoy Broadway’s relative emptiness to find new things to appreciate about New York.
Highlights on Broadway
“Walking Broadway” is arranged south to north, from the Financial District to Inwood, in part because, in author William J. Hennessey’s words, “the history unfolds so beautifully.” This map follows that suggestion, although walking the street from the top down has its own rewards.
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1. National Museum of the American Indian
The base of Broadway is capped by this monumental 1907 Beaux-Arts building, formerly the US Custom House. The four large statues at the base, by Daniel Chester French, represent continents (Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa) and reveal the colonialism of the era.
Open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 1 Bowling Green; AmericanIndian.si.edu
2. Bean & Bean
This mother-daughter team based in Queens roasts premium beans sourced from around the world. The best place to get a boost for the miles ahead.
Open daily 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 71 Broadway; BeanNBeanCoffee.com
3. Roosevelt Building
Soho developed as the city’s premier shopping district in the era around the Civil War. This building by Richard Morris Hunt (who built the Met’s Fifth Avenue entrance) was originally an investment by Roosevelt Hospital and set the cast-iron craze in motion.
478 Broadway
4. La Pecora Bianca
Alfresco dining seems particularly appropriate at an Italian restaurant, and with much of the Flatiron district given over to pedestrians, there’s a particularly European feel along this stretch of Broadway.
Open Sunday and Monday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., 1133 Broadway; LaPecoraBianca.com
5. I. Miller Building
Check out the four leading ladies sculpted on the 46th Street side of what was once a shoe store. These women — Ethel Barrymore, Marilyn Miller, Mary Pickford and Rosa Ponselle — were picked by the public as the most popular actresses of their day.
1552 Broadway
6. Apthorp Apartments
The Apthorp helped define the classic New York City apartment building. Built by the Astor family, Hennessey notes that the “wrought-iron gates” allow visitors and residents exclusive access to its “elegantly landscaped central courtyard.”
2209 Broadway
7. Absolute Bagels
Consistently rated one of the best bagel shops in the city, Absolute has been serving up piping hot goodness from Thai immigrant Sam Thongkrieng since the early 1990s.
Open daily 6 a.m.-8 p.m., 2788 Broadway
8. Pediatrics 2000/Martinez Gallery (former Claremont Theater)
Built as one of the first movie houses in New York City, this Harlem building is notable for the whimsical movie camera sculpted into the facade above the front door.
3320 Broadway
9. The former Audubon Ballroom
Like many buildings on Broadway, the Audubon Ballroom has been altered over time, but the main facade still looks much as it would have on Feb. 21, 1965, the day Malcolm X was assassinated here while giving a speech.
3940 Broadway
10. Tryon Public House
Reward yourself with a cool beer and a bite to eat at this neighborhood staple, which has shaded outdoor tables.
Hours vary daily, 4740 Broadway; TryonPublicHouse.com
11. Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
The Dyckman house serves as a reminder that northern Manhattan was once rural farmland. Though currently closed to the public, you can still get good views of this 1784 farmstead, which once anchored a 250-acre parcel of land, before heading up to 221st Street to end the walk. (You can cross the bridge here to the Marble Hill-225th Street stop on the subway to head back downtown.)
Open Thursday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 4881 Broadway; DyckmanFarmhouse.org
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