Favorite NYC walks?

Take the subway or a bus to a completely different area, and then walk home (or as far as you get before you feel compelled to take transportation). I really don't know of any places in NYC where you won't see something of marginal interest with this approach. I understand that you're looking for more guidance here, but if you keep your eyes open you will happen on something no matter where you go.

Well you could walk up the east side as far as you can (you have to go around some places). You'll pass a nice little area called Stuyvesant Cove (right next to Stuyvesant Town) and then the UN. Just keep walking uptown. you could also go to Red Hook. First you go to the South St. Seaport area, then grab the free IKEA ferry, and you're in Red Hook. Very industrial-charming. Sheepshead Bay -- Brighton Beach - Coney Island The Asia-Indian areas of Flushing, Queens Have you walked all around Brooklyn Heights? (Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens?) All along the west side highway, from way downtown and up, as far as you can go?

Waterfront from Williamsburg to LIC. It is kinda a big walk, but it awesome. Here's how you do it: walk over the Williamsburg Bridge and make your way to Bedford. Walk north on Bedford make a left on N 5th and walk to Kent. Make a right (North) on Kent. You'll be walking along the Williamsburg waterfront. Take Kent to Franklin (they sort of join) and check out http://www.wordbrooklyn.com/ and continue on Franklin in Greenpoint (lots of little shops, eating places, etc) until you reach Eagle. Make a right on Eagle to the Polaski (sp?) Bridge. Over the bridge you'll be in LIC. Turn left on Jackson and walk to Vernon. Lots of shops/coffee places on Vernon and PS 1 is nearby. From Vernon walk west on 48th Ave to the East River and http://www.queenswest.com/gantrypark. Take the 7 train back to Manhattan.

Go to the Bronx Zoo. It's full of animals. There's a tree kangaroo, who doesn't seem to really like life in the trees, and a binturong who lives next door. A proboscis monkeys (you'll come for the nose but stay for the genitals). And giraffes. There is nothing better to see on a walk than a giraffe. And gorillas and tigers behind glass. The zoo is on your side of the glass. Appreciate it. And...but it really doesn't stop. Note--the subway is above-ground in the mysterious Bronx. If you are in the first car, you can look out the front of the train, if you are taller than the 8-year-old who is there already.

Elizabeth Center mall is great. I used to live right there. But the whole time living over there, I never walked down St. Jame's Pl. There is an intersection (near the Elizabeth Center) of St. James, Mott and Bowery. If you walk down St. James Pl. you get behind Chinatown, you get to see all the police barricades protecting the downtown detention center and right past the Verizon building. It's like a whole different world. You can keep walking down St. Jame's Pl. under the bridge where it turns into Pearl St. Near there is Front St. which has a lot of nice restaurants and bars. Some of the oldest restaurants and bars in the city. It does get touristy on Fulton/Seaport area, but before that it is very unique. Also walking down Cherry St. on the way back (or on another walk) under the Manhattan bridge is very nice. People live their whole lives in Manhattan and never venture down into that area between the two bridges. It's pretty neat.

The Brooklyn botantical Gardens are good for a walk, as in Inwood Park (and the hood itself. Stop off at the Piper's Kilt for a beer and fried chicken after)

Oh! And the Gardens and The Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park are all TOUCHING EACH OTHER so you can fill a day with that. TBM has an excellent Egyptian collection and a good eye for contemporary art.

What a fine question. I'll be following up some of these suggestions myself. http://www.thehighline.org/ would definitely fit the 'interesting sights' requirement: seeing a whole swathe of Manhattan from a couple of storeys up instead of from street level is great. You're not that much higher but it makes a big difference. At the moment it doesn't take very long to walk down it, so you'd want to do it as part of a longer route. (It'll be ten or fifteen blocks longer before too long.)

Great idea. Here's a nice (unexpected) Brooklyn walk: start at Atlantic and Vanderbilt, and walk south down Vanderbilt through Prospect Heights. Great restaurants, shops, bookstores, etc. This walk will take you to Grand Army Plaza, where you can browse the Brooklyn Library, or continue into Park Slope and stroll down 7th Ave for continued fun. Good luck!