Walk in NYC # 14, from Hamilton Heights to Morningside Heights, is a 4 miles self-guided tour that will take you about 2.5 hours to complete if strolling and taking photos, much more if you visit the galleries, museums, and churches along the way, churches, monuments, galleries…
This walk is now only available on Payhip in pdf format with a clickable map and updated descriptions.
In this pdf you will also find:
- the list of Highlights.
- the Metro stops to get there and back and infos for Buses.
- tips about restrooms, places to sit and eat.
- details about a particular place you will find on your route.
You can download it (or just the map of the walk) to your phone to help you in your discoveries.
This will allow you to live a unique experience of the city far from what you might find elsewhere.
If you purchased the Boston NYC book, this download will be free for you, just send me a note for an access code for this walk if you don’t have it already.
The description below, incomplete and with cropped photos, gives you an idea of this walk before you decide to buy it.
A: Your tour starts at …n.
Once out, walk along…
The …will be on your left and you won’t miss it: it’s a two story Federal Style house that stands out. There, you’ll learn everything about Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father of the USA. If you plan in advance, you will even be able to take a guided tour of the house.
B: Next, go back …; turn left until you reach …and take it on your left.
You’ll see the gates of t… Go inside to admire this unusual white stone Collegiate Gothic style campus.
Once you reach the more contemporary part of the College, turn right. Climb some stairs and go through an opening in the building to reach a gallery on your right, along Amsterdam Ave. The map here is not accurate but you’ll see the path once you are there!
The gallery is devoted to art expressing the Dominican experience; not the country but the order! It seems open on appointment only, though, but try your luck anyway!
C:Next, turn left to exit the gallery and left on…, turn right until … At …., turn right again and walk until the river. You’ll have to go under …
In the distance the … it’s a decommissioned Vietnam-era vessel used later to train helicopter pilots. Until recently, it was a community museum open a few hours on the week-ends, but now, in season, it’s a cool place to sit, have a drink and something to eat when looking at the river.
D: After that, go back under t…
You’ll pass along the Cotton Club, a replica of a famous Harlem jazz club of the 1930’s. Then, left …. Part of Columbia University, it shows cutting edge contemporary art.
E: Once your visit there is over if it’s the kind of art you like, reverse your steps to reach Riverside Drive and turn left. Once it makes a fork, enter the park in the middle of it.
You’ll see the dome of the … in the distance. It’s quite a large mausoleum and it will guide you along the trails of the park. If you plan well, you’ll also be able to visit it, and learn more about the 18th president of the USA and his wife, as well as the architecture of the place. Beware, though, the hours of operation are quite unusual or even unpredictable. Check their website before!
F: Next to it, it will be easier to have a look at…. The whole building is grand, outside and inside, with a gym underground, a theater, four stories of offices, two naves and a lot of public and religious art.
G: Once out (… Then on your right, find a stair going up to the main …campus.
Once on top, go straight to reach a huge plaza called …, surrounded by two imposing buildings, both libraries. The one on your left is home to the visitors center, a chance to go inside to have a look at the architecture and even, perhaps, take a guided tour there.
Once out, turn left to reach the Philosophy building. Then turn left in front of it, and right along it. It will lead you to the Law building with some interesting sculptures in front of it, on an overpass over Amsterdam Ave.
On your way, have also a look at the inside of the university chapel that you’ll see on your left. It’s Byzantine interior is unexpected when you see its more classical Italian renaissance exterior.
To reach the …, find a stair then a pathway to your right once on the plaza. Or ask a student, it’s a bit of a maze here!
H: Once on …t., you can either turn right then left on … Dr. (that’s what is on the map).
This second option will allow you to have a look at the mysterious park below. Then you’ll take .. St. on your right to go back to Amsterdam Ave.
In both cases, your goal is the …. It’s one of, if not the largest Anglican Church in the world; it’s also nicknamed John the Unfinished as it’s still a work in progress.
There’s a lot to see inside, with information leaflets to help you get acquainted with the place. The sculptures in a small park outside on its right are also worth a detour.
I: Your last stop will be …. You should reach it before 3pm as it often closes around 4 pm (but can stay open for musical events). It will be your chance to see about 200 colorful and spiritual paintings of this Russian “Master of Mountains”, and travel far away from NYC. It’s also another one of the rare free museums in NYC, housed on 3 floors in a classic townhouse.
To go there, follow …. Take it on your right, the museum will be just before Riverside Drive.
A little more walking will get you to the entrance of the …, and it will be the end of this tour.
Convinced that this walk will be exceptional? Find it on Payhip.