This past Saturday my roommate and I decided to take a walk up the West Side Highway. There is a path that begins at the bottom tip of Manhattan, right outside our apartment building and runs along the west side of the island along the Hudson River. We began with no particular destination in mind and when we finally took note of our surroundings, we were walking past Chelsea Piers. Realizing that we had no metro pass or money on us, and that walking back was our only option, we decided to saunter over a few blocks to Avenue of the Americas in order to make our way back to our apartment. On our return trip, we began on 26th Street and ended on up at 1 West Street covering a total distance of about seven miles. We walked through Chelsea, the West Village, SoHo, and Tribeca, past Ground Zero, finally arriving back at out apartment. It was a great opportunity to see the various sections of New York City and get not only a sense of where everything is, but also what distinguishing characteristics each section possesses. Upon arriving back at our apartment, I had a feeling of accomplishment, not for covering seven miles, but for acquiring knowledge of where things are relative to one another in one particular area of New York City.
Each day I travel a much greater distance, from the Battery Park area up to midtown, near Times Square. However, I do so by descending a stairway not a block from my apartment and entering the subway. I sit on a train staring at nothing but dark cement walls and 30 minutes later, when I emerge from this underground I am on 49th and Seventh, right outside my work. I have traveled past Ground Zero, through Tribeca, SoHo, the Village, Union Square, and Times Square, but have not seen anything but the dark cement walls of the subway. It is almost as if you are suddenly transported to another location without any knowledge of how you arrived there. Growing up in a suburb, I always drove anywhere I needed to go. Along the way you naturally look out the windows and even if it is not a conscious decision, you inadvertently absorb some of your surroundings. This does not happen riding the subway. It is as if you are riding in a car with no windows and although you are somewhat aware of the time lapse, you have absolutely no knowledge of what are you going through to arrive at your final destination.
My walking experience made me aware of how strange the world of subway transportation is. It has also made me more conscious of putting my surroundings in perspective. Today my father came to visit me. He drove down from Connecticut, and when he arrived we drove to where we were having dinner. It happened to be in SoHo, in the same area I had walked through the day before. We drove up the West Side Highway and cut across around 26th Street to Avenue of the Americas, then down to Spring Street. Driving along the streets I had walked, I gained a completely different perspective on the spatial relations of the area than I had the day before. When walking I had been so focused on the individual stores and restaurants I was passing and on the individual streets. Driving, I was able to fast forward my journey, speeding up the transitions from one area to another. I noticed completely different buildings and landmarks than I had the day before. It truly provided a different perspective.
Walking is not a realistic way to cover large distances in New York City and the subway is a far more time-efficient method of transportation. However, after walking and then driving, and seeing the city, it makes me feel as if I am missing out on experiencing New York every time I ride the subway. Until I get a better sense of this city, I'm going to try to avoid this subterranean transport and opt for the more scenic aboveground transportation.
