New York Neighbourhoods: Brooklyn Bridge, SoHo and the High Line

The fastest way to like New York is to stop moving between landmarks and spend a day in three or four neighbourhoods on foot. This route covers about nine kilometres and works in any season.

Morning: the bridge

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan side before 8:00, when the pedestrian lane is still usable; later in the day it becomes a slow-moving queue. The crossing takes 30 to 40 minutes. On the Brooklyn side, go down to DUMBO for the Manhattan Bridge frame and the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, then take the subway back.

Afternoon: SoHo and the Village

Start at Prince Street and Broadway for the cast-iron buildings and the shops, then work west to Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village. MacDougal Street and Bleecker Street are busy but still worth a coffee stop. If you want a quieter block, walk the side streets between Sixth and Seventh Avenue.

Late afternoon: the High Line

The elevated park runs from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street, about 2.3 kilometres. Enter at the south end, walk north, and drop into Chelsea Market halfway for food. Sunset from the section above 23rd Street looks straight down the avenues.

Practical notes

• Wear shoes for 9 km of pavement; the bridge deck has no shade.
• The High Line is narrow: mornings are calmer than weekends after 11:00.
• Public toilets are rare; use the ones in Washington Square or Chelsea Market.