Let's Walk Broadway again

posted April 13, 2013 4:20 AM

Last year we walked the length of Broadway in Manhattan. Let's do it again, this time slightly more slowly and possibly with a picnic in Central Park. We will meet on the northeast side of the Broadway Bridge at 225th St at 9am on stop for a picnic lunch in Central Park (location to be determined), and finish at The Battery.

We will stop for lunch, bathroom breaks, and snacks and hope to get to the Battery by sunset.

This is an approximately 13.7 mile walk, so wear comfy shoes for walking, bring sunscreen and a bottle of water. People are welcome to bring friends, and/or start and stop at any point on the walk - we can exchange phone numbers to arrange this. We will be near a subway line at all times. Last time we ended the walk at a "beer garden" where there was burgers! and beer!

The address listed on the map is not strictly accurate, we'll be meeting at the corner of 225th and Broadway right next to the uptown 225th 1 train stop.

Getting there:
There are three modes of transportation that will put you at 225th and Broadway.
Subway: the 1 line stops exactly at 225th St.
Metro North: the Hudson River Line Marble Hill Stop is less than a block away.
Buses include the BX7, BX20, BX9, M100, and BXM1.

Since my +1 cannot walk long distances, I'm going to try to arrange for him to bring picnic supplies to a location in Central Park. The idea I have right now is that we could potluck or bring bag lunches and he could pick things up at 225th, refrigerate them for a bit if necessary, and then bring them to us at lunchtime. Does this seem sensible?

Traditionally, this has been planned for a Saturday with Sunday as a raindate, but since we're doing this on Mother's Day weekend, the raindate is to be determined.

posted by sciencegeek to Proposed (26 comments total)

Possible Weekends:

April
20 or 21
27 or 28

May
4 or 5
11 or 12 (12 is Mother's Day)
18 or 19
posted by sciencegeek at 5:16 AM on April 13, 2013

4/27 would conflict with the Cherry Blossom IRL, but I'm a maybe for any of the other proposed dates.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:41 AM on April 13, 2013

Let's cross off the weekend of the 27th then. I should have looked at other IRLs before I started.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:10 AM on April 13, 2013

I had no idea there was a cherry blossom IRL!....I'm down with this, though. My vote is for anything NOT the Cherry Blossom weekend, or May 18th.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:34 AM on April 14, 2013

I would really like to do this. Can't do it in April or May 4-5, but could on the later May weekends.
posted by mlle valentine at 8:06 AM on April 14, 2013

So far:
April 20 21 (no mile valentine)
April 27 28 (Cherry Blossom IRL on Saturday)
May 4 5 (no mile valentine)
May 11 12 (Mother's Day on Sunday)
May 18 19 (no EmpressCallipygos)

So far the best weekend is Mother's Day weekend with the proviso that we not have the raindate be that Sunday.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:09 PM on April 14, 2013

For what it's worth, looks like May 11 is going to be the board game meetup.
posted by mlle valentine at 4:43 AM on April 15, 2013

Was just talking about this with a friend when we bailed on the Great Manhattan Saunter and said we'd be game for this.
May 4, 11, 18/19 all good here. Look forward to joining you
posted by TravellingCari at 6:55 AM on April 15, 2013

I'm going to call it for the 11th because other than the boardgame meetup, that seems to be the only clear day in the next few weeks.

I'm going to invite a bunch of non-metafilter friends; last year we walked with a friend of mine from Baltimore, my cousin, and a friend from college. This is definitely open to anyone you know who likes walking.
posted by sciencegeek at 7:37 AM on April 15, 2013

I've been wanting to do this for years, but I don't want to miss the May boardgames. We'll see we'll see.
posted by grobstein at 8:46 AM on April 16, 2013

Is the time of the boardgames meetup negotiable? I don't know the protocol for this.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:30 PM on April 16, 2013

I just checked the SOPs, they say we need to combine the meet-ups. Which I think means playing boardgames, looking at cherry blossoms or both whilst walking.
posted by mountmccabe at 1:04 PM on April 17, 2013

As long as there's no juggling. I have a reputation to maintain, y'know.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:43 PM on April 17, 2013

This is really close to the top of my to-do list before leaving New York at the end of the summer. Seems like as good a time as any. Will try really hard to make it.
posted by likeatoaster at 8:37 AM on May 3, 2013

I may have to join in media res, but will be there.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:21 AM on May 3, 2013

I'm starting a new job tomorrow where my workweek is Tuesday-Saturday. I'm going to be asking for that Saturday off. Here's hoping!
posted by sciencegeek at 2:22 PM on May 3, 2013

I would love to meet up with you guys somewhere in the 170s! Will see if I can make it happen.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:47 AM on May 5, 2013

Got permission to take Saturday off so I can do this. Phew.

Are people into the idea of picnic-ing in Central Park and having my +1 be in charge of food transport as mentioned above?

Where in the Park is a good place for this? I suspect we'll be wanting to eat in the northern parts of the park, but don't know where a good meeting/eating location is.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:33 PM on May 5, 2013

I am stuck at my apartment until about 11 am but then I plan to meet up with the group.

I don't know anything about the park above the reservoir but Sheep Meadow is gigantic and near the western side of the park and at 65th St Broadway is only a block away from the park.
posted by mountmccabe at 11:11 AM on May 6, 2013

In the past, we've left at 10:15 and had lunch around noon at 137th. So that's an 1.75 hours/100 blocks.

We're leaving around 9:15am (although please plan on being at the Broadway Bridge at 9am!) this year so theoretically we'll be at 137th at 11:00-ish. So that puts us at around 86th at noon-ish.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:19 PM on May 6, 2013

I know I'm not going to be able make it to the start time/place on Saturday, so I'd definitely be part of the Central Park starters (though the weather forecast is gloomy - it's warm enough out now that rain won't matter for the walking, but could be a problem for the sitting & picnic-ing).
posted by oh yeah! at 5:38 AM on May 7, 2013

I'm leaning towards having to drop out - I am leaving town the week following and have the sinking feeling I'm going to need to do some running-around-errandy-shit beforehand.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:01 AM on May 7, 2013

There's a community group having a flea market sale in the triangle on Broadway between 169th and 170th from 9 am- 4 pm. Bring your dollars should you want to buy some junk! I have to drop off some donations myself.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:40 AM on May 9, 2013

Right now the forecast is for thunderstorms. I will cancel if it is raining - a short walk in the rain is fine, but this would not be fun.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:26 PM on May 9, 2013

Ok as of Friday afternoon the forecast is for rain followed by thundershowers. I am going to cancel this and revert it to proposed so we can choose another date
posted by sciencegeek at 10:31 AM on May 10, 2013

A good call. I can't remember when we finished up previous times, but it would have been.... interesting down at the Battery in this.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:22 PM on May 11, 2013