St. John the Divine

New York City is known for its rich literary history, and this week we'll visit the neighborhoods and locations that harbored the greats. Starting in in Williamsburg to visit Betty Smith's 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,' we'll hop the bridge for the remainder of our walk, visiting the birthplace of downtown birthplace of Herman Melville, the poetry scene of the East Village, the home of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, and the infamous Chelsea Hotel among many others.

This walk takes a look at the natural side of Manhattan, with long walks along both river shores, a slice through the lower half of Central Park and a halfway point touching the tip of Inwood Park. Descending along Riverbank State park and the Hudson Piers, we conclude by traversing the entirety of the High Line.

Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted literally shaped the landscape of New York, with an influence that touches millions of lives every day. On this walk we take a day to visit experience nearly all of their local contributions, starting at Morningside Park and hanging a right to take in Riverside. Cutting through the lower half of Central Park, we take the Manhattan Bridge over to Fort Greene Park and head for a ramble through Prospect Park. We come out the other side to take a long stroll down the Olmstead designed Ocean Parkway, then up the Prospect Park again before concluding the day on another Olmstead route, Eastern Parkway. Excluded in this walk due to distance is the previously visited Forest Park in Queens.

Our final survey walk of Manhattan covers the upper quarter of the island, starting at 110th street and snaking its way through Harlem, Washington Heights and right to the tip of Inwood. Long walks on Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue lengthen out the walk, while a trek down Highbridge Park and the Harlem River Drive completes the day.