Even if it’s just around the block.

I was talking to my brother this week, and he told me that “walks… are so underrated.” They are truly the best. You can listen to music, have a minute to think, get some vitamin D, practice comebacks… The possibilities are endless. Now that the weather is warming up and the sun is shining, walks are going to be that much better. These are Bwog’s recommendations to enhance your next walk. 

While running errands

  • Laundromat walks are me-time walks.
  • I love walking to-and-from and through supermarkets. I’m my most reflective in those times.
  • COVID test walks! I’m always a little late, skipping through half my running playlist, attempting to get there on time.

Riverside Park

  • Specifically south along the river.
  • I like walking all the way down Riverside Park, and then on my way back up, stopping on the hillside slope between the Hippo Playground and the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ monument.
  • I also like paying the Joan of Arc monument on 93rd St a visit after I leave the slope & head home. Mostly I just say hi, but sometimes I’ll read her some poems.
  • I favored walking down up to where you could cross over to the Hudson River greenway and be right by the river. Then, I walk up and down while getting a heavy dose of wind.
  • I highly recommend Riverside between 110 and 100! The amount of time I have spent just STARING at the facades of these buildings…
  • The walk from campus to 125th and Marginal St. via Riverside Dr. From there you can go under the Parkway and look at an old naval ship! Excellent views of the river too.

Central Park:

  • The Jackie O Reservoir is a must. If I am having a particularly bad couple of days, I make sure to go down there to clear my head. Something about looking out at the skyline is so peaceful.  
  • This can get a little long if you’re leaving from campus (around 4 miles, perhaps?), but I will always love a walk around the reservoir in Central Park. There’s something so soothing and so, “wow I’m really in New York City,” about it all.
  • Sometimes I’ll just enter the park and allow myself to get lost.
  • The conservatory garden is especially beautiful! There are lots of tree-lined paths and good people-watching. It’s also right across the street from the Museum of the City of New York (aka the Gossip Girl high school lol).
  •  The walk from campus to the Guggenheim through Central Park is super lovely! Lots to see, so many ducks.
  • LOVE the waterfall hike/walk in the northwest corner of Central Park! Highly recommend.

Along Broadway and Amsterdam, so many options!!

  • I love to walk all the way down Broadway from campus to SoHo! You pass so many interesting neighborhoods and see some of the best of what NYC has to offer!
  •  When it was cold (but not too cold), I would walk down Amsterdam going from campus to 73rd street, right where the Jacques Torres chocolate place is located. I always order a cup of hot chocolate and drink it before taking the subway back… Very lovely, very urban walk with a treat at the end as a reward.
  • Walking from campus to the American Museum of Natural History via Broadway is also great. So many cool stores!
  • Down to Irving Farm, a new quirky coffee place on 79th street.

You may have decided where you want to walk. Yet you still ask, “what do I do while I’m walking?” Bwog has you covered.

Have a chat!

  • Call parents and friends.
  • I love walking with friends and chatting all the way! Something about enjoying the city with people I love makes it extra special :)
  • Call a friend from home or who is not on campus. Bonus points if they also go on a walk, so it’s like you’re walking and talking together. The beauty of calling as you walk is it can be as long a call as you want – either like a 20-minute catch-up or multiple-hour Discussion – and you never run out of things to talk about because stuff is always happening around you.

Listen to some tunes!

  • For podcasts, I recommend Binchtopia (a super cool podcast!).
  • Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher (for sad indie bitches Only).
  • I’m pretty basic so usually, I just listen to my favorite playlists but putting on an album you haven’t listened to yet, or an informative podcast, is a nice way to distract yourself from walking exhaustion!
  • Listen to calming playlists.

Take a moment to just think

  • Contemplated my future in a very existential way.
  • Planned my future wedding.
  • Thought about how high school me would be so jealous of college me.
  • TikTok put me on the Hot Girl Walk, and I always feel great when I do it. Basically, walk for 30-60 minutes, and you are only allowed to think positive uplifting happy thoughts (and also, about how hot you are!). No brooding allowed!
  • I know maybe this is unpopular, but I also like to walk without anything in my ears. Usually, I feel like I’m listening to something 24/7, whether that’s class or music or watching TV, sometimes it’s nice to just absorb the sounds of the real world or sit with the silence in your own head. At first, there’s an itch to be listening to something, but once you get used to it, it’s actually quite nice.

Image via Bwog Archives