The Best Early Spring Walks in NYC

By Troy Segal

Spring is starting, the blood is stirring—time to get the legs moving farther than the closest subway station. Here are several stimulating walking tours around New York in the upcoming weeks. (And since the weather can be treacherous this time of year, we’ve included some indoor expeditions, too.)

Artful Moves: Experience avant-garde sculpture, paintings and multimedia installations on a tour of various galleries in Chelsea, aka the heart of New York’s (and arguably the world’s) contemporary art scene, led by a docent with a doctorate in arts ed. Saturday, Mar. 5… Or, if you prefer a more thematic tour, there’s an exploration of displayed works by gay and lesbian artists throughout Chelsea, led by a guide/teacher of gay studies. Saturday, Mar. 12. Both, New York Gallery Tours.

Working Spaces: It’s not exactly Bourbon County, Kentucky, but a lot of spirits are being produced in our own Brooklyn. This 92nd Street Y-sponsored visit to the New York Distilling Company of Williamsburg offers an eyeful on how a local gin and a rye are produced—and you better believe samples will be provided. Monday, Mar. 7…You’ve probably rushed through it countless times. Why not embark on a more leisurely journey through 103-year-old (but looking better than ever) Grand Central Terminal, conducted by Municipal Art Society of New York docents, now departing daily from the main concourse.

Historic Interiors: Once it was the world’s tallest skyscraper. And while the Woolworth Building lost that title long ago, its Cass Gilbert-designed, cathedral-like interior still amazes. A preservationist leads an Untapped Cities-sponsored visit around this usually off-limits site. Saturday, Mar. 12…Untapped Cities also pays a visit to the landmarked, ornate confines of the Bialystoker Synagogue, which dates to 1826, capping off a tour of Lower East Side sites that figured prominently in Jewish immigrant life. Sunday, Apr. 17…Gracie Mansion, the historic home of Hizzoner in NYC, is once again open for public visits. Along with the Federalist-style environs, the public can enjoy an exhibit of period artwork and documents. Tuesdays, ongoing.

Notable Nabes: Enjoy an elevated view of the Meatpacking District on a tour of the High Line, as a guide describes how this abandoned freight line blossomed into an urban park. Saturday, Mar. 12 & Mar. 25…Back in the 1840s, NoHo (the quarter just north of Houston St.) was the ’hood for nabobs like the Astors and the Vanderbilts, and the site of speeches by the likes of Lincoln. Under the auspices of the Merchant’s House Museum, this guided tour takes in charming homes and places of prominence. Sunday, Mar. 13 & Sunday, Apr.10…The West Village can be weird—after all, it’s got a street that intersects with itself. Take a scary stroll, led by a Boroughs of the Dead guide, through its historic avenues, visiting sites of ghostly sightings and grisly doings that inspired authors Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. Saturday, Mar. 19.

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