Shorewalkers: Members Only Group

Time to repeat this popular walk, this time co-led with Tabitha!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Having pored over the weather forecast for Saturday all week, it appears that Saturday will be a wash-out. But the GOOD NEWS is that the weather forecast is for much nicer weather, so the walk is still on. Just a day later! Ever been to a cemetery consisting almost entirely of tin grave markers? Seen a genuine old-fashioned brass firehouse pole that's still in use? This walk offers these, as well as beautiful churches, a cathedral, parks, colorful wall murals, urban gardens, industrial waste land (yes, that too) and much more.

We will meet at 9:15am sharp on Sunday, January 11, at the Starbucks near the 46th Street-Bliss Street 7 Train Station. If you wish to use the restroom at the Starbucks, please come early so we can start our walk on time.

From our meeting point, we will be walking over the Kosciuszko Bridge to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and from there we will explore Bushwick, Brownsville, and parts of East New York. This part of the walk will take us through many lesser-known parts of Brooklyn, offering many unexpected and pleasant surprises. We will then walk through Lincoln Terrace Park (bathrooms available, but may not be open!) in Crown Heights, and then pass by some beautiful houses in the heart of Lubavitcher Chassid country, eventually making our way to Prospect Park. From there we will head west, gaping at some of the elegant brownstone houses in Park Slope, eventually making our way, via Cobble Hill, to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. From there, it's over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan, where we will end our walk.

Total distance is around 17 to 20 miles, give or take, with several stops along the way, hence the relatively late end time for this walk. There are a number of drop out points (both subway and bus), as well as a few public restrooms at various points of the walk, but, as of New Year's Day, some were closed, so be forewarned. While there will be some bodegas and a few coffee shops along the way, you're strongly urged to bring food, snacks and water with you. It goes without saying, warm clothes and comfortable shoes are a must!

If you have any questions or issues the day of the walk (now Sunday, January 11) you can text Tabitha at 917-697-0085 or Alex at 929-919-6022. As usual, we ask you, out of respect to others, to sign up only if you are serious about coming on this walk, which we assure you, promises to be both fun and interesting! Please no double-booking!

NOTE: In case of bad weather (more than just a drizzle), we will reschedule the walk for the next day, same meeting time and place. We will let you know Friday evening, based on the latest weather forecast for Saturday.

This moderately paced 4 1/2 mile walk is all about artisanal chocolate.

• We will start at Columbus Circle.
• The walk will last about 4 hours on city streets, including visits to at least 5 chocolate shops with numerous drop-out points along the way.
• We will end in SOHO at a boutique/cafe with a selection of frozen and hot chocolates.

Our stops include a mix of international, national, and local small batch artisanal chocolate makers, all highly rated.
Chocolates range in price from $1 to $5 per piece, to approximately $65/lb.
There may be some sampling as well.
It is recommended that you bring cash and/or credit cards if you’d like to purchase chocolate (keep in mind that there will be at least 5 unique chocolate makers).

The group is limited to 20 walkers due to the size of some of the chocolate shops. No guests are allowed, for this reason. Only those walkers on the "Going" list may attend. (Meet-up automatically moves those on the waiting list to the "going" list if people drop out.)

Meet:
Columbus Circle, inside the building on Broadway at the top of the escalators for Whole Foods at 12:45 pm. We will leave promptly at 1 pm.
Subways: 59th street station (Columbus Circle): A, B, C, D, or 1 train.

Important:

• Bring extra water
• Eat lunch before you come, but save room for chocolate.
• Use bathrooms before the walk in Columbus Circle shops (Wholefoods or upstairs).
• We will have a bathroom break in Greeley Square (about half-way).
• We walk in all weather, except for thunderstorms.

If your plans change please cancel as early as possible so that someone from the waitlist can join us.

Hosts:
Barbara Lanzara (917) 623-2589
Alissa Rivin. (347) 782-1431 (co-host)

Please use phone text if you need to contact us on the day of the hike. Include your first name at the end of the message. (We will not be able to communicate using the MeetUp app during the hike).