Submitted by iFlunkedChemistry t3_xwlwmq in nyc

Just a heads up before you read this, I’m a teenager who lives 1 hour away on the Metro North. In no way am I an expert about anything I’m talking about.

So pretty much what the title says, I walked 8.5 miles from Flushing to Greenpoint via Roosevelt Ave and Greenpoint Ave. I had seen alot of people doing the entire length of Manhattan via Broadway and thought it looked pretty cool. So, I did it myself, and had alot of fun peoplewatching and eating food. However, that only left me wanting more.

So, after literally just looking around on Google Maps, I decided on the route I was gonna take. It started at Leonard Square and ended in the WNYC Transmitter Park. I was already sorta familiar with the area because I have taken the 7 a million times to go to Flushing and saw all the commercial buildings right by every stop and have always wanted to check them out. However, I had never actually gotten off at any of those stops.

I got into Flushing really early at around 6:30 and got breakfast at a place called Canaan Bakery. They had these really good toast sandwiches that I got which were stuffed with a bunch of different things. Afterwards I headed towards Leonard Square to start walking.

The first neighborhood I passed through was Murray Hill. It was pretty small but it was pretty cool because everything there was entirely Korean. That itself wasn’t really a shock to me, since I have been to Ktown on 32 street before, but Murray Hill definitely felt more like a community and not just a bunch of storefronts. It was also really quiet.

Afterwards I passed through Downtown Flushing which is generally packed. There were so many people flowing in and out of the station. I actually read somewhere that the intersection between Roosevelt Ave and Main St is the busiest crossroads in the city outside of Manhattan.

Following Flushing was probably one of the worst parts of the entire walk. Once you go past the Skyview Mall there's really nothing and it's obviously not infrastructure designed with pedestrians in mind. Of course there are sidewalks, but the trains and cars are really loud, and there weren't any garbage cans on the bridge going over Flushing Creek, so there were just mask, cups, cigs etc just pushed up against the barrier.

Afterwards, I walked past Citi Field. That part was also not great, since obviously it's a stadium and you're not gonna have houses or shops nearby, only parking spaces. It was just generally pretty bleak. One thing I can say is good though is that on a sunnier day you probably wouldn't have to worry too much about the sun and sunscreen, since the entirety of Roosevelt Ave past the Skyview Mall is covered by elevated tracks, which was noisy at times but provided some shelter from the rain and I would imagine the sun, too, on days with nicer weather. There were also trees by the side of the road.

Once I got into Corona, though, the vibe completely changed. There was so much going on. There weren't that many Chinese or Korean places any more besides a few restaurants, churches, and auto shops. It was almost entirely Hispanic, with the biggest groups probably being from Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. There was no shortage of supermarkets, bakeries, cafes, and juice shops. There were also a huge amount of people on the side of the road selling things like porridge and tamales. My biggest regret is not getting anything there, since everything smelled so good, but idw block the sidewalk or hold up any lines since I wouldn't really know what I was doing with myself or what to order.

After Corona was Jackson Heights. It was just as busy, but, instead of only Hispanic things, there were alot of South Asian restaurants and shops, with some Philippine influence here and there. There were also alot of hair salons that advertised Japanese hair straightening which I thought was interesting. Otherwise though I couldn't really tell the boundary between Corona and Jackson Heights, unlike Flushing and Greenpoint. They both had alot of energy and so much going on in the street.

Once it became Greenpoint Ave, thought, it was alot more quiet. There were still some shops but alot more auto shops and heavy traffic going through. I'm sorry if you're from there but it was just kinda giving nothing. I also wonder if it was just because there weren't tracks going above the road anymore, which made everything feel more spread out.

This stretch also probably had the worst intersection that I had to cross. Right before I crossed the Greenpoint Bridge over the Newtown Creek, I had to cross a busy intersection with alot of heavy traffic going by. And, there was a truck parked on the sidewalk I needed to cross, with another truck parked right next to it on the side of the road. This meant that I had to go into the road to cross the street without any visibility of traffic coming from the righthand side. The bridge itself was nothing special, but I could see the part of the Manhattan skyline that wasn't covered by clouds from there.

Once I got over the bridge, it definitely had more of the Brooklyn hippie vibe. It was also the last hill that I had to go over which was nice. However, there wasn't the same energy that was there when I was walking through Queens, ie no people hanging out on the street and no vendors selling things like fruit. There were a good amount of cute cafes and Polish restaurants which looked nice on the outside, but I usually don't go for that kinda stuff so I ignored it.

At the bottom of the hill was the WNYC Transmitter Park. It wasn't anything super special, but it had a panoramic view of Manhattan. There was also a really long pier that you could walk out on and have a seat and take in the view. I think that on a sunnier day it definitely would have been more of a reward to sit down and take pictures.

Overall, though, it was super fun. I would recommend it to anybody who likes to go on long walks and try new cuisines. I never felt unsafe outside of the intersection before the Greenpoint Bridge, which was because of unsafe traffic conditions anyways.

Also, if anybody has any recommendations for long, straightforward walks like this one, let me know

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Comments

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k1lk1 t1_ir7f7ca wrote

That sounds great - I do these kinds of walks all the time and it's cool you did this. There are a lot of similar walks in Manhattan and Brooklyn, but there's probably no 8 miles in the city that you're going to get as widely varied of cultures as where you did it in Queens.

My advice for the next one is go multimodal, take the ferry down to Bay Ridge and then walk north through Sunset Park, Park Slope and up to DUMBO

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Top_Relationship_399 t1_ir9bf7i wrote

Only if you stay in one borough.

You can see the same mix walking from anywhere close to midtown Manhattan through to Prospect Leffert gardens. And if you started in Harlem? The history!

Except on this walk you’ll also get Little Caribbean and the Hasidic community (if taking the Williamsburg Bridge, the most pedestrian of the pedestrian bridges.) It’s also a toss-up on which avenue to take to get through 50th down to 20th. I used to pick a new avenue each time I’d do the walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

I can name a few walks in the Bronx (where the traffic would be sketchy) too.

Definitely going to look into Queens routes now - thanks to the OP!

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pizzawolves t1_ira64or wrote

+1000 for the bay ridge > sunset > park slope walk, three wonderful and different neighborhoods all worth exploring

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GlitteringHighway t1_ira6daq wrote

There’s great loop from Greenpoint to LIC via Pulaski Bridge. Then LIC to midtown via 59th Street Bridge, once in Manhattan, go down to the Williamsburg Bridge and back to Williamsburg/Greenpoint.

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halox t1_ir89ank wrote

This is the kind of post I would love to see more on r/nyc. I have walked throughout queens and in the neighborhoods you described so i could easily visualize your meticulous details, hope you continue posting

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fecklessdrifter t1_irag5a0 wrote

I'm glad that the city has changed enough that walking through unfamiliar areas is no longer foolhardy. Suffice to say that back in the 1970s and 1980s I wanted to explore NYC on foot, but a few experiences showed me that wasn't a good idea.

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drpvn t1_ir78s8h wrote

I like this, this is the kind of thing I used to do when I was a kid.

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endofthen1ght t1_ir7p6dw wrote

Great write up, appreciate the detail. Another good walk could be Myrtle Ave starting in Glendale to Downtown BK; super diverse all along the way.

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Belikekermit t1_ir78g66 wrote

How long did it take?

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iFlunkedChemistry OP t1_ir7s166 wrote

I didn't keep exact track of time but I would say somewhere in the range of 3 hours. I didn't make any stops, though, and if I were to do it again I would probably spend more time checking out places that I passed by.

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JohnnyWall t1_ir7swhx wrote

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FreightProgram t1_ir860kx wrote

Can you count, suckas? I say, the future is ours... if you can count! Now, look what we have here before us. We got the Saracens sitting next to the Jones Street Boys. We've got the Moonrunners right by the Van Cortlandt Rangers. Nobody is wasting nobody. That... is a miracle. And miracles is the way things ought to be. You're standing right now with nine delegates from 100 gangs. And there's over a hundred more. That's 20,000 hardcore members. Forty-thousand, counting affiliates, and twenty-thousand more, not organized, but ready to fight: 60,000 soldiers! Now, there ain't but 20,000 police in the whole town. Can you dig it?

CAN YOU DIG IT?!

CAN YOU DIG IT?!

Great movie.

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yiannistheman t1_ir8cq27 wrote

Movie? To the folks who watch Fox News that believe NYC is a crime-ridden hellhole, it's a documentary.

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stinking_badgers t1_ir7w077 wrote

5th Ave in Brooklyn from Atlantic Ave heading south is a great long walk that will take you through park slope, sunset park, and Bay Ridge. Also as someone else suggested, Broad way from the southern tip of the Bronx will take you all the way down to the Staten Island ferry.

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[deleted] t1_ir7gx3m wrote

Interesting post. Love taking long walks myself so thanks for the write up!

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nobiwan t1_ir871yh wrote

I live and commute through these neighborhoods every day and sort of take it for granted. It was great to read your writeup!

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ethanseyler58 t1_ir7v731 wrote

I’ve done the Metropolitan Ave walk, from Williamsburg to Jamaica. It’s got it’s ups and downs as well.

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rieslingmagic t1_ir89vl4 wrote

Interesting - walking from the G Metropolitan stop to Flushing. Straight route? And how long will it take?

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sherkhan25 t1_ir8ju2n wrote

Its about 10ish miles so few hours depending on how leisurely your pace is.

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Advanced-Wallaby9808 t1_ir8rz8e wrote

>Afterwards, I walked past Citi Field. That part was also not great, since obviously it's a stadium and you're not gonna have houses or shops nearby, only parking spaces. It was just generally pretty bleak.

Historically many baseball parks were surrounded by 'houses and shops'/the city. Ebbetts field being the classic New York example of this. The alienating architecture/city planning of modern stadiums is unfortunate.

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BourdainTiffin t1_ir8lg7x wrote

The bleak parts of Flushing around sky view mall and Citi Field are something we need to talk about. Things do not need to be that ugly.

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DailyScreenz t1_ir7vxkz wrote

Cool. I think urban trekking is on the rise. I remember reading about an urban trail that goes through the Bronx via step streets....

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book_of_bobatea t1_ir8btex wrote

What a delight, glad you had an interesting experience. I liked reading your observations! The 7 train has been called the international express iirc. The many neighborhoods are def very cool because of their diversity and how you can trace many of their growths to the country’s (and city’s) history of migration and see how the diasporas bear out. Happy walking!

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LessTalkMoreRock1 t1_ir77z1i wrote

I will read this novel later

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spaetzelspiff t1_ir89fyx wrote

Bro, just take it one step at a time.

Read a few words then sit down and take a break.

Be sure to stretch beforehand.

Also, drink lots of water, you don't want to get dehydrated.

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nonlawyer t1_ir7gya9 wrote

Lol you’re acquiring quite a reading list

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miamimiamimiami t1_ir7z7nq wrote

Nice write up. I miss these kind of things about the city. Sounds like you’re on your way to attempting the Great Saunter - 32 miles around Manhattan’s perimeter.

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juneauboe t1_ir8vxo4 wrote

I am in the Korean part of Flushing, and it's super cool to see all the signs on the storefronts turn from Korean, to Chinese, to Spanish over the course of a couple miles.

I love showing my friends around Queens when they come visit, but so many of them want to go to Midtown Manhattan every time. :(

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IceCreamMeatballs t1_ir8jbqo wrote

I live in Jackson Heights and I gotta tell you. Some of those “hair salons” along Roosevelt Avenue, the men that go in there, don’t go in because they want their hair done…

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Lucialucianna t1_ir7j5i0 wrote

Maybe walking the length of Broadway thru Manhattan - & i remember walking from the Met on 82nd and 5th down to the West Village Washington Square Park, years ago, was great. Not as long but lots of places to stop for awhile.

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Consistent_Rent_3507 t1_ir7kiub wrote

Walk Flatbush Avenue. It literally runs through the heart of Brooklyn from the Manhattan Bridge to Kings Plaza, and if you want to keep walking South, will take you into the Rockaways in Queens. From there you can catch the train back home. I believe there’s also a ferry into the city.

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rachelbluetoo t1_ir7swsl wrote

You can walk Woodhaven Boulevard from the Queens Center Mall until it turns into Cross Bay Boulevard and take it all the way to Rockaway Beach.

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johnla t1_ir886en wrote

He could but honestly it’s not that interesting of a walk especially from Cross Bay to Rockaway

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dimed t1_ira2vqn wrote

From a nature point of view it kind of is, as you walk over two bridges with outlets to the water, as well as past the Jamaica wildlife refuge, which has lots of wildlife (in particular, birds, if you’re into that sort of thing).

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crazeman t1_ir8xcd7 wrote

If you plan on walking near the Winsor Terrace area, Sean Casey is a animal rescue spot that lets you volunteer and take dogs out for walks for up to 45 mins. I used to do it pretty frequently when I needed to get out during the COVID lockdowns.

The Greenwood Cemetery is also a great place to walk around if you've never been.

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brownstonebk t1_ira51ns wrote

When I read stuff like this written by teenagers, it gives me hope for the future.

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spoil_of_the_cities t1_ir7snmi wrote

Don't even know why they called it Transmitter Park when they removed the transmitters. Enormous disappointment to me

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lookslikesausage t1_ir8b5jt wrote

Yeah, wtf were they thinking?! They could at least go with The Park Formerly Known As Transmitter Park and quit wasting everyone's time.

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jellyrat24 t1_ir86r2t wrote

Cool idea and great piece of writing, thanks for sharing!

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Stickyfynger t1_ir88vl9 wrote

Just read the whole article and enjoyed it very much. Tyvm

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LongIsland1995 t1_ir8movy wrote

Dominicans and Mexicans are also among the largest ethnic groups in Corona

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Shawn_NYC t1_ir8odno wrote

Taking long walks or bike rides through NYC is one of life's simple pleasures that absolutely never gets old. 🙂

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savageo6 t1_ir8uyhf wrote

Umm it's HIPSTER not hippie sir....

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quinnlez t1_irafb4v wrote

I've done pretty much this same route, but in reverse! You picked a good one and described it well. Also the food options along the way are so good.

As for another walk recommendation: start at the top of van Cortlandt park, walk south through it then along Mosholu parkway. You'll reach the NY Botanical gardens/Thain Family forest (good time for a stop on Arthur ave for amazing food), keep walking south until the Pelham parkway. Go east along Mosholu-Pelham Greenway all the way to Pelham Bay park. Lots of seafood options in City Island. Great views everywhere. Total trip of ~8 miles.

Pretty straight forward looking at google maps but reach out if you need any guidance (or food recs!). Have fun out there!

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SwampYankee t1_irajgvp wrote

Nice write up. That stretch of Rosevelt Ave is my favorite part of NYC. When you hear melting pot, cross roads of the world, yearning to breath free and all that this is what they are talking about. The most divisive stretch of road in the world. Don’t like one cuisine, walk 2 blocks and find another one. Only mistake you made was not stopping and eating everything in site (I know, hard to walk after that). I just point and it. Once I had marinated grilled beef hearts and some purple hibiscus drink and it was wonderful. Get in trouble!

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pk10534 t1_ir8a3un wrote

As someone who didn’t get the chance to grow up near NYC, this is super cool to hear that you had that experience. Also that’s just really great exercise too. I hope you get to do more walks like this and stay safe!

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sexyginger420 t1_ir8lm1k wrote

I’m glad you walked through flushing and corona. Great part of queens that a lot of people overlook. Both neighborhoods have so much to offer

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TetraCubane t1_ir8voaa wrote

Try walking on Francis Lewis Blvd all the way from Whitestone to Rosedale.

Or Hillside Ave from Lakeville Road to Kew Gardens.

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Malfunctioned t1_ir9z1j1 wrote

Isn't Francis Lewis Blvd north of L.I.E./Cunningham Park just a wide multi-lane roadway with a few shops but mostly boring residential houses. Nice to drive through though.

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TetraCubane t1_ira7cgi wrote

Its a nice place to jog/run though because of the greenery around. We used to play Little League games in the baseball fields there.

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griffmeister t1_ir8x5nv wrote

This whole thing reminds me of the sequence in Forrest Gump where he runs across the US and i love it

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_Lappelduviide t1_ir9o7bu wrote

I fled NYC in the summer of 2020 to escape an abusive relationship. I miss it every day. I actually lived on Greenpoint Ave for almost two years. I was literally in tears reading this post, OP. Such a great write-up and you really captured the energy of the city 🥲

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[deleted] t1_ir9tyta wrote

[deleted]

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Visual_Ad_3840 t1_iuim4xe wrote

Ikr? I love how everyone sees trash and poverty everywhere, ZERO beautiful architecture or modern structures of any kind, cars/trucks lawlessly parked on sidewalks everywhere like it's a car lot, and profess how AWESOME Queens is. It's like no one has been to better planned-cities in the world. Ironically, East Asian capitol cities (Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, etc.) are cleaner, less poor, more orderly (no cars parked on sidewalks), and well-developed and modern.

NYC never REALLY improves structurally because too many people are in love with being seen as "edgy" and tough to live in NYC. Its so stupid.

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jeffwhat t1_ir9usoq wrote

Cool write up. I love walking. You should take some photos next time of your favorite looking shops.

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mvk2424 t1_ir9xxxg wrote

Not so fun fact, Corona, Queens is one of the sex trafficking capitols of the U.S.

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jesuschin t1_iraai0t wrote

Take the Port Washington line to Great Neck. Explore Great Neck and then walk to Northern and traverse down Northern all the way to Flushing. You'll walk through Little Neck, Douglaston, Bayside, Murray Hill, etc.

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AGirlNamedPanini t1_irb0uxu wrote

Great write up! I really enjoyed reading this.

My wife and I lived in various sections of Brooklyn for 12 years. When the pandemic hit, we starting biking everywhere. I highly recommend Greenpoint to Bay Ridge.

Start at McCarren Park and just head in the southwest general direction. Swing by Prospect Park on the way and reward yourself with some delicious Italian food when you get to Bay Ridge.

🍝

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therealgyrader t1_iuf3vyo wrote

Fantastic write-up! I always enjoy an perspective from someone who isn't local, but goes in to check things outnin good faith. I think you nailed it and are a budding urbanist. Your comments about Citi Field are spot on. These civic gathering places shouldn't feel like a pedestrian wasteland when events aren't happening.

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capybaramelhor t1_ir8grjf wrote

You might enjoy a walk through Astoria. There are some different parts. Steinway is known as little Egypt for example. I’d walk down Ditmars, through Astoria park, you could either walk back on 30 Ave or Broadway (east to Steinway) or walk down to Socrates/ Rainey park and then walk over, and also walk some of the length of Steinway. Not as diverse as the walk you posted here, but also a nice walk. And 31 Ave has a small open street on the weekend

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ken81987 t1_ir8msly wrote

Id recommend going through corona park rather than along Roosevelt and citifield. Or along the Marina behind citifield

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DURO208 t1_ir8pjl2 wrote

That's cool. Metropolitan Avenue is also a good walk/bike trip. Start out in Queens and it goes through Brooklyn to the Brooklyn Bridge.

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readyforthehausu t1_ir9rmhf wrote

Nice write up bud. With a friend, take a walk down Grand Concourse in the Bronx or Flatbush Ave in Bk. Just keep your wits about you.

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TheJoePilato t1_ira0gpl wrote

Bruh the Greenpoint bridge heading West is awful--even worse on bicycle. But you do occasionally get to see it open up to let a ship pass, which is always cool. I walk through Woodside-Jackson Heights-Corona often; walk it different times and it can look completely different. Also just going one block off the main drag can shift things dramatically. You might also like walking down Woodside ave--it's like an all-inclusive tour of SouthEast Asia (they actually just named one strip of it Little Thailand a few weeks ago)

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drxnkmvnk t1_ira2ggg wrote

5th avenue in Brooklyn

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reinventor t1_ira40mp wrote

Thank you for sharing, very descriptive!

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Kadaven t1_ira7lu5 wrote

I've done that walk many times myself, there's an old NYTimes article about it. I recommend a detour through Sunnyside on Skillman or QB rather than heading down Greenpoint Ave. And it's always worth checking on the Cavalry Cemeteries in that area.

The only good thing in Blissville is the Bantry Bay Public House.

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SSundance t1_iragpc2 wrote

I made it the 2nd paragraph and I’m filled with regret.

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capt_dan t1_iraj1nu wrote

walking the length of myrtle ave through queens/brooklyn would be fun. there’s a ton to see, scenery changes a lot along the way, great spots to eat and the walk through forest park is beautiful!!

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mclepus t1_irau3sh wrote

great walking tour! thanks!

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brook1yn t1_irau603 wrote

running is also an interesting way to take in neighborhoods.. might not be able to stop and enjoy food but its worth trying for the experience. every mode of transportation in nyc offers its own unique perspective.

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Frostynyc t1_irb4qi5 wrote

As a lifelong NYer who grew up in Queens, I love your post. Glad you enjoyed a part of NYC so many miss out on!

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soyeahiknow t1_irdnd69 wrote

Those sidewalk carts are really good. Dont worry about not knowing what to order. I just point since i have no idea the names of the food.

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winstonpartell t1_ir9a2yx wrote

Flushing <-> Jackson Heights : on weekends it has this refugee camp vibe...

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TwoCats_OneMan t1_ir9mhso wrote

If you're not an expert don't spread things on the internet.

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