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Solo Walks · Manhattan

The East Village

Bagels, Tompkins Square and a diner counter

Distance
about 1.7 km / 1 mi
Time
about 2.75 hours with stops
Stops
6
After dark
Mostly a daytime walk

The solo kit

When to go
Monday-Saturday, start around 10:30am so you reach Veselka for an early lunch. Ottendorfer Library is closed Sundays; the Strand opens at 10am. The Infatuation notes Veselka is busiest before noon, especially on weekends, so a weekday is easier for a counter seat.
Your seat for lunch
Veselka. It has a classic diner counter with stools, and it seats walk-ins first come, first served.
Sit and watch
Tompkins Square Park. NYC Parks park from Ave A to Ave B, E 7th to E 10th Sts; highlights include the Temperance Fountain and the Hare Krishna Tree.
Restrooms
  • Tompkins Square Park Public Restroom — Inside the park (Aves A-B, E 7-10 Sts) Public
  • Ottendorfer Library (NYPL) — 135 Second Ave (stop 5) Public · library hours
  • Tompkins Square Library (NYPL) — 331 E 10th St, ~140 m from the park Public · library hours
  • 14 St-Union Sq subway station bathroom — Enter at 14 St & Union Sq East (~300 m from the Strand) Public
After dark
The commercial stops stay open late (Veselka midnight or later, Strand 9pm) and the park is open until 1am by default, but the library closes 5-7pm and NYC Parks restrooms around 4pm.
Photo of yourself
Temperance Fountain, Tompkins Square Park. A freestanding fountain canopy listed by NYC Parks as a park highlight, set in an open paved area; prop a phone on a nearby park bench and step back to frame yourself with the canopy.
Subway
In: 1 Av (L). Out: 14 St-Union Sq (4/5/6/L/N/Q/R/W).

The walk

  1. 1

    Tompkins Square Bagels

    Pick up a bagel at the Avenue A flagship across from the park.

  2. 2
    Snow-covered paths and bare trees in Tompkins Square Park

    Tompkins Square Park

    Eat it on a bench, then walk the paths past the Temperance Fountain, the Hare Krishna Tree and the Slocum Memorial Fountain, all listed by NYC Parks as park highlights.

  3. 3
    St. Marks Place at night, rain-slick pavement reflecting lit storefronts

    St. Marks Place

    Leave the park at Avenue A and walk St. Marks Place west to Second Avenue.

  4. 4
    The corner storefront of Veselka in the East Village, with its yellow sign band, painted windows and a sidewalk chalkboard.

    Veselka

    Lunch at the counter of the Ukrainian diner that has been on Second Avenue since 1954: pierogi and a bowl of borscht.

  5. 5

    Ottendorfer Library (NYPL)

    Step into the branch library half a block south at 135 Second Avenue for a quiet sit and a restroom stop.

  6. 6
    The Strand's red-awninged corner storefront at Broadway and East 12th Street

    Strand Book Store

    Cut up Stuyvesant Street to Broadway and finish browsing the Strand at 12th Street; Cafe Fred is inside.

More solo walks

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