Really stupid NYC question
Jan 10th, 2002, 01:56 PM
#1
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Really stupid NYC question
I've never been to NYC, but have been reading all the post-WTC magazines lately. I think I'm map-stupid, but could someone give me an idea of the distances in Manhattan? For example, how long of a walk would it be from Rockefeller Center to the financial district? How about to Central Park?
Jan 10th, 2002, 01:58 PM
#2
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nothing wrong with asking
Rockefeller to Central Park is a great walk; walking from Rockefeller to the Financial District would be a long, long hike. Some might enjoy it, but better to hang out in Mid-town area, walking to Rock, Central Park, Times Square, etc; then, if you want the financial district, take a cab there and see the NYSE and Wall Street and South Street Seaport
Rockefeller to Central Park is a great walk; walking from Rockefeller to the Financial District would be a long, long hike. Some might enjoy it, but better to hang out in Mid-town area, walking to Rock, Central Park, Times Square, etc; then, if you want the financial district, take a cab there and see the NYSE and Wall Street and South Street Seaport
Jan 10th, 2002, 02:01 PM
#3
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Roughly 20 north/south blocks is a mile. east/west blocks are longer. Rockefeller center (about 50th st & 5th av) to wtc is about 5 miles, walkable if you like to walk and are in no rush. Greenwich village is more or less in the middle. Central Park itself runs for many blocks. The southernmost part is at about 60th st, about 1/2 mile north of Rockefeller center.
Jan 10th, 2002, 02:03 PM
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Roughly speaking, every 20 blocks is about a mile. So from Rock Center to the start of Central Park (59th St.) you talking about 10 blocks or 1/2 mile. To the about the center of Central Park, whihc is around 85th St, give or take a few blocks, you are talking about 2 miles.
From Rocker center to Wall Street, you are easily talking about 3 to 4 miles.
From Rocker center to Wall Street, you are easily talking about 3 to 4 miles.
Jan 10th, 2002, 02:11 PM
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There are approx. 20 north/ south streets to the mile in Manhattan. Therefore, from Rockefeller Center (around 50th street) to where the WTC was, (about 20 blocks below Houston Street--which is the equivalent of 1st street) is about 70 blocks or 3 and one half miles. There are avenues involved (Rockefeller Center is further East) but this gives you a rough idea.
Rocekefeller Center (50th street and 5th avenue) to Central Park's southern entrance (59th street, 5th avenue) is about a half mile. The park goes as far north as 110th street (do the math) and is about 3 avenues or half a mile wide.
Avenues are figured at about 3 times as long as streets, so about 7 to the mile, but in truth, that varies greatly, In midtown Manhattan, that's not a bad estimate, though there are some sneaky short avenues that come up on some streets . But, especially at the very tips of Manhattan, (which is something like 12-13 miles long) , the avenues are shorter.
Does this give you the perspective you were looking for?
Rocekefeller Center (50th street and 5th avenue) to Central Park's southern entrance (59th street, 5th avenue) is about a half mile. The park goes as far north as 110th street (do the math) and is about 3 avenues or half a mile wide.
Avenues are figured at about 3 times as long as streets, so about 7 to the mile, but in truth, that varies greatly, In midtown Manhattan, that's not a bad estimate, though there are some sneaky short avenues that come up on some streets . But, especially at the very tips of Manhattan, (which is something like 12-13 miles long) , the avenues are shorter.
Does this give you the perspective you were looking for?
Jan 10th, 2002, 07:05 PM
#7
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I would add that what most people are doing nowadays is setting up shop in Midtown (close to Times Square, Broadway, Rockefeller, Central Park) and taking a quick subway or cab ride if they want to see the WTC. As I am sure you have seen on other posts, the WTC area is at risk of becoming a tourist trap. Please visit it with respect, as I am sure you will.
Jan 11th, 2002, 08:02 AM
#8
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what makes any of you think than inthesticks is thinking of visiting NYC? I thought he/she was trying to understand things he's been reading about NY in terms of "how close to home" these events are for natives or tourists in NY, not asking if he should visit ground zero or other sites, take a cab, subway, or walk...
Jan 11th, 2002, 09:43 AM
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NYC is comprised of five boroughs (i.e., Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, The Bronx and Manhattan). NYC encompasses approximately 300 square miles. However most vistors never venture off of the island of Manhattan. Therefore, for your purposes, Manhattan is approximately 1.5 miles wide and 13 miles long. For most tourists, there is not as much to see in do in the upper parts of Manhattan as there is in midtown and the lower parts of the island.
Jan 11th, 2002, 10:12 AM
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ooops! Sorry if you think I was sounding
uppity, because that was not my intention. I think people may have misunderstood what the original poster was asking. For example, if I heard that some crime had taken place 10 miles from here, in Yonkers, I wouldn't feel personally afraid because to people in cities, miles rather than blocks seem very very far away. To someone in the country, that could be 'practically next door' and it would have more of an effect on you personally. I thought that's what inthesticks was talking about( but obviously I could be the one who's wrong) and some of the answers have been more on target that way than others.
Again, sorry if I upset you.
uppity, because that was not my intention. I think people may have misunderstood what the original poster was asking. For example, if I heard that some crime had taken place 10 miles from here, in Yonkers, I wouldn't feel personally afraid because to people in cities, miles rather than blocks seem very very far away. To someone in the country, that could be 'practically next door' and it would have more of an effect on you personally. I thought that's what inthesticks was talking about( but obviously I could be the one who's wrong) and some of the answers have been more on target that way than others.
Again, sorry if I upset you.
Jan 11th, 2002, 02:29 PM
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Just to clarify:
I actually live in a fairly large midwestern city. When reading about the WTC attacks, I kept coming across quotes like "he ran 70 blocks" or "saw it from 20 blocks away." Here, if you walked 70 blocks starting in downtown, you would be well out of downtown when you stopped.
Time and Newsweek both had good maps of Manhattan, but never having been, it was hard for me to get a grip on distances. Thanks for all your help; your answers helped in my understanding of some of the distances involved.
I actually live in a fairly large midwestern city. When reading about the WTC attacks, I kept coming across quotes like "he ran 70 blocks" or "saw it from 20 blocks away." Here, if you walked 70 blocks starting in downtown, you would be well out of downtown when you stopped.
Time and Newsweek both had good maps of Manhattan, but never having been, it was hard for me to get a grip on distances. Thanks for all your help; your answers helped in my understanding of some of the distances involved.
Jan 11th, 2002, 05:50 PM
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Understanding Broadway. Broadway runs on a diagonal from 106th Street to around 14th Street. At 106th Street Amsterdam Ave (10th Ave.) Columbus Ave. (9th Avenue), Central Park West (8th Avenue) and 5th Avenue are all east of Broadway. (No 7th and 6th Avenues since Central Park is in the area.) When you get to 23rd Street all avenues from 5th to 12th are west of Broadway.
Jan 12th, 2002, 07:14 AM
#13
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Just returned from NYC and wrote posting yesterday 1/11 about wonderful trip. Several have said in this thread that 20 Streets running north/south are approxmiately 1 mile distance. This equates to less than a football field between Streets (5,280' to mile DIVIDED BY 20 streets = 264' between Streets) which is a very short distance. You can walk north/south Street to Street in 1 to 2 minutes unless you stop to see the wonderfull sights or eat the great food. Walking east/west between Avenues is a longer walk.
Jan 12th, 2002, 10:37 AM
#14
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You've gotten great info about the literal distances involved.
The psychologial distance is also an interesting factor: everyone is enormously affected of course, but the people living below 14th Street in my experience (I am in a mental health profession in addition to having friends etc) were most traumatized, after the surivivors, uniformed people, and victim's families, as 14th St was the first line demarcating a frozen zone.
And also as there's always been a psychological line between "downtown" and the rest of the city in the minds of the people below 14th Street (less in the minds of the people above it I think), who have a kind of tribal consciousness about living downtown.
The sleeplessness, tearfulness, depression,jumpiness lasted longer there (& in nearby parts of Brooklyn and Jersey City--all the nabes where people could see the events from where they lived).
The psychologial distance is also an interesting factor: everyone is enormously affected of course, but the people living below 14th Street in my experience (I am in a mental health profession in addition to having friends etc) were most traumatized, after the surivivors, uniformed people, and victim's families, as 14th St was the first line demarcating a frozen zone.
And also as there's always been a psychological line between "downtown" and the rest of the city in the minds of the people below 14th Street (less in the minds of the people above it I think), who have a kind of tribal consciousness about living downtown.
The sleeplessness, tearfulness, depression,jumpiness lasted longer there (& in nearby parts of Brooklyn and Jersey City--all the nabes where people could see the events from where they lived).
