The Beginning / Par 5 – Kitty Craft
Our walk began at 7:30 a.m. on May 7th, 2025. Unofficially, it started the week before. One of my friends and I chose to start preparing for the 32 miles to come a bit earlier than the anticipated day. We planned out all the necessary preparations: snacks, a condensed “training plan,” and a playlist. In all honesty, we cared most about the playlist and compiled 174 songs between the four of us that best fit six sections of our choosing—including, “Chill (with lyrics),” “Extra chill (no lyrics),” “Bounce vibes,” and an entire section dedicated to The Beatles!
Given our carefully curated playlist, we were in a generally good mood to start out. In the week of preparation beforehand, we made a habit of walking home from school, which added up to about four miles. By the time we would get home, we agreed that it would be perfectly doable to complete the same length 7 more times.
The Shorewalkers / Oysters in My Pocket – Royel Otis
I spent roughly a week and a half reading about the walk around Manhattan and people who have completed the trek. I found that its rise in popularity is thanks to The Shorewalkers, a non-profit that organizes what they call The Great Saunter.
The Great Saunter, organized by the Shorewalkers, happens on the first Saturday of May; this year, it fell on May 3rd, 2025. Our rudimentary training plan was mostly walking home from school, a four mile walk, after school when we could and the morning of May 3rd. On our walk to school that Saturday—we had to come in for stage crew—we first went through Fort Tryon Park, part of the Great Saunter. We spotted a couple just a little bit ahead of us with backpacks and sun hats on their heads. They walked along the winding downhill, and we followed through since we were going the same way. I imagine they were doing the Great Saunter on their own, but knowing now how hot it was that day, I hope they were able to finish it off.
In the case that you decide to complete the walk, keep in mind your preferred weather and keep track of the weather of potential dates for at least a week before. We were lucky to find the one day in the middle of a rainy week to go (although, we were prepared to walk in the rain if need be). I wouldn’t recommend walking in the rain unless you are well equipped with the proper shoes, bags, and resources.
Mapping it Out / Harvest Moon – Neil Young
If you’re considering doing the walk yourself, I suggest starting and finishing as close to your home as possible. By the end of our walk, we were very grateful that we ended up in our neighborhood soon enough. This also means choosing which direction to head in, from the East to West Side or from the West Side to the East Side. Keep in mind that navigating through unfamiliar territory is a task that should be delegated to when you’re functioning at maximum physical and mental capacity. If you’re less familiar with the East Side, like we are, try starting from there and making your way back through the West.
The East Side of the Great Saunter is also significantly longer than the West, more isolated, and less straightforward. I’d say that the safer option, regardless of where you start, is maneuvering through the East Side first since there is less of a path and you’re in close proximity to cars and highways.
As our designated guide, I used the Shorewalkers’ map for the entire walk and referenced Apple maps to make sure we were on track. The map includes restrooms, checkpoints, and clarifying directions along the way for difficult areas—it proved to be quite the lifesaver!
Alongside me were three other New York City high school students: Lucy Spooner ’25, Ari Wee ’25, and Lily Gibbons ’25. We kept each other sane for the 35 miles it ended up being and distracted each other from pain and boredom, so I definitely recommend taking up the excursion with friends. The beautiful views along the city’s perimeter should single handedly keep you from any boredom, however.
Observations of a Ambling Crowd / Can You Hear the Whistle Blow – Default
“Squish!”
As we made our way across the East Side, we were met with a couple of bikers and runners passing through the same narrow path. To make sure we didn’t disturb them we thought of a word to shout when someone passed by to signal that we needed to get in a line and stick to one side. We opted for “squish,” which definitely got the idea across.
To sum up the East Side I would describe it as urban and a walk with many bridges. By the time we arrived at the Brooklyn Bridge, we had already walked beneath the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, the Queensboro Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Manhattan Bridge.
The closer we were to downtown, the more frantic the waters became. Unlike the serene waters from the north end of the city, waves crashed along the fenced sidewalk near the Brooklyn Bridge. Since the East River is considered an estuary and the waters are shallower on the southernmost end of the city, the movement of the water is more prominent.
Away from the dense city and just a few steps away from skyscrapers, we became better acquainted with some of our neighbors: birds.
Lucy said, “I didn’t expect to feel so connected to the bird life of New York City, but the hundreds of pigeons sitting on signposts near Battery Park, the seagulls on the East Side, and the family of geese on the West Side made me really appreciate our avian companions.”
Moving a few blocks in one direction, it wasn’t difficult to note all of the consistencies and inconsistencies compared to our view just five minutes before.
The height of the buildings, our slowed pace, and the attitude of the birds (all justified as New Yorkers), indicated new environments. It seemed that the closer the birds got to the ground, the more familiar the four of us became with our surroundings. On the West Side, we were met with a mother goose pushing her chicks forward in an orderly fashion towards the water. We shuffled along with them, trying to keep up given the state we were in at that point.
Daylight was coming to a close, so we resorted to speed walking and something that closely resembled running to keep the energy going. We paced with our phone flashlights on and intervals that alternated between fast and slow.
Regulated Spontaneity and Preparation / Loretta – Ginger Root
In the case that you choose to take on the task, you’d benefit from at least some planning. 32 miles is no joke! To prevent injury, there are a few details you need to consider.
First off, assume that the walk will be more than 32 miles. Truthfully, we ended up with 35 miles recorded, and I’m not sure where those three extra miles ended up coming from!
More importantly, because you’re going to be walking for roughly fourteen hours, you’ll need to have enough food and water. All of this time means that you have to sort out when you eat your meals (before, during, or after your walk) and what you’re eating. If you split up the planning and food with friends, the weight balances out. I recommend eating snacks little by little along the way to ensure that you’re sufficiently energized at all times.
Here are a few snacks we packed that I’d recommend:
- 2-3 sandwiches or another small food of your choice that is easy to pack and digest; these counted as our meal during the day. I’d recommend three if you typically skip breakfast —it’s better not to stray too much from your normal routine so you don’t risk feeling sick later but to still eat enough food. These should be filling enough and nutritious.
- Trader Joe’s fruit patches; easy to snack on when you’re not quite hungry but need the sugar for energy.
- Clif Energy Bars; good for something extra to eat at your own pace. I ate mine after the first hour since I don’t usually eat breakfast first thing in the morning.
- A large but lightweight water bottle. Given how time-consuming the walk is and the nearing heat of the summer, consider filling up your water bottle until it’s roughly ¾ filled the night before and put it in the freezer. The next morning, fill the rest of it with cold water. All the ice from the night before will eventually melt, leaving you with cold water for a large chunk of the day.
- A sweet treat! One of my friends packed fruit roll-ups and Nerds gummy clusters which were easily portable and shareable. They were a good source of extra sugar in the case that we needed any. By the end of the walk, I still had my fruit roll-up left, but it was good knowing that I had the option to eat it.
We also packed a few other items to ease the pain later on including Advil, bandaids, and Salonpas Pain Relief Patches. Luckily, neither of us came across blisters during the walk but bandaids would’ve come in handy if they had. In the final stretch, the patches helped with any muscle aches.
By the end of the packing stage, we realized that the weight didn’t amount to much; keep in mind though that after fourteen hours of walking, any weight at all will feel like a burden to carry. We took two longer breaks, during which we stretched and jumped around a bit to keep our bodies moving and refreshed to continue.
Despite the immense amount of pain we were in by the end of our walk, we woke up the next morning recovered (for the most part)—and I wholeheartedly credit this to being well-fed throughout our walk!
At around mile 25, we had just passed the Statue of Liberty and were now making our way along the pier. Frequent breaks became necessary to massage our feet and to take a sip of water.
Given the state of our feet in the last six miles, it is safe to say that morale can get low at some points. But, if you go in with certain expectations, it becomes easier to meet them! Starting our walk, accompanied by Kitty Craft’s ‘Par 5,’ it never even occurred to us that we wouldn’t complete the entire thing.
Post-walk debrief / Cardamom – Weyes Blood
Weyes Blood’s voice echoed throughout the tunnel and serenaded us in the final stretch at 9:30 p.m. Cardamom accompanied us despite the muffled sound of my speaker, which I had stored in my closed backpack miles ago. The sky was nearly completely engulfed by darkness, and any rustling of passersby had completely vanished at this point; the echoing and drawn-out notes made the experience all the more haunting, yet simultaneously peaceful.
Aside from this peace, though, was detriment, exhaustion, and pain. The exhaustion was bearable—we were all excited to sleep, just as anyone is after a long day. The pain, however, was what got to us. If we didn’t think about it the pain would subside, but ignoring it was not the easiest task. A limp in a friend’s walk and a slouch in another one’s back gave it away; disassociation from it felt like a blissful dream. Nevertheless, I had so much fun, and would definitely do it again.
Although I wouldn’t discourage anyone from giving it a shot, I recommend this walk the most to native New Yorkers. As good of a job it does in seeing the city, there is only so much you can see from the outside looking in, especially if you haven’t seen much of the city yet. Given that it took us from dawn to 10 p.m., there is also the concern of safety and navigation—if you aren’t well-versed in any section of the city’s perimeter, it will take longer to navigate. For a similar reason, I recommend going in a group. It is no question that Manhattan is not the safest city at night, so being in a group definitely helps with peace of mind and also allows for a diverse playlist!
Walking the perimeter of Manhattan has helped me put a few things into perspective: if I really want to, anything less than 35 miles is technically a “walking distance away.”
Four miles to and from school everyday seems especially more doable and something that I’ve put more effort into considering before and after school everyday. I realize that even eight miles, which would take about 2.5 hours, is not completely out of the question, as long as my day is flexible enough to accommodate walking over using public transportation.
In the past three weeks, we found that spontaneous walks have generally left us in a better mood and more satisfied with how we spent our day—no matter how arduous the walk, it is significantly less boring than standing around on a bus or train for an hour. And as we neared the end of the school year, it’s been easier to opt for walking given the extra free time.
A more unexpected consequence of our walk was an improvement in my own time management. I’ve noticed that it has become easier for me to delegate when I work on my projects across different times as opposed to doing assignments all at once, which was what I would normally opt for before.
In my opinion, it is better to fill up your time experiencing new adventures rather than grieving ones that already happened. This way, you are actively reminded of the feeling of accomplishment that you had previously. It may even help boost your fond memories of past adventures and leave you in a better mood than you started.
Go out there and venture around Manhattan! I promise that it is so worth it. Best of luck!
Link to our Great Saunter Playlist
I spent roughly a week and a half reading about the walk around Manhattan and people who have completed the trek. I found that its rise in popularity is thanks to The Shorewalkers, a non-profit that organizes what they call The Great Saunter.