What we’re about
The Shorewalkers:Members Only Group is open to active members of Shorewalkers. Our volunteer hike leaders lead over 250 walks a year, on weekends and throughout the week. To become a member, visit our website Membership Levels - Shorewalkers.
Who We Are:
Shorewalkers is a non-profit environmental hiking organization founded in 1982. Our mission is to promote and preserve New York City’s waterfront and raise awareness of its shorelines by leading invigorating hikes throughout the metropolitan area. Our signature event, The Great Saunter, is a 32-mile trek along Manhattan's shoreline, held annually on the first Saturday of May. Additionally, we host the Great Saunter Fall Challenge, a virtual event in early October.
To send a message to the Shorewalkers organization, use the link Contact Us - Shorewalkers or email Support@Shorewalkers.org.
You can access a video with instructions on how to use and navigate meetup at https://youtu.be/TCYG-xV7cbM. If you are having technical difficulties with Meetup, click the "HELP" link at the bottom of any Meetup page or submit a ticket at Submit a request – Meetup.
Some of our walks allow for members to bring a guest. Guests must sign our Waiver and Release (http://bit.ly/4hI8VB5) to participate.
Come join us for a walk and experience NYC at 3 mph!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Gallivanting through Green-Wood's GreeneryGreen-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY
Green-Wood's green as can be this year, so we'll be taking advantage of the greenery and the relatively mild temperatures forecast for Wedensday to enjoy the trees, plants, and flowers as we walk through the the 478-acre Green-Wood Cemetery. This being Pride Month, we will be stopping by the graves of some of the notables, such as Leonard Bernstein, Emmas Stebbins, and Paul Jabara. We will also be honoring pioneers associated with Juneteenth, in addition to actresses, activists, artists, enterpreneurs, politicians, and scientists who are interred here. We will be walking approximately 4-5 miles on uneven terrain and uphill paths.
We will start at the Gothic arches, make our way up Battle Hill, and then zigzag our way through the cemetery, making frequents stops to talk about the lives of the people along our route, as well as the art and architecture of the monuments, several of which are historic landmarks. Please note that this is a "stop and look" walk, rather than a fast-paced steady walk.
Green-Wood is charging us a fee of $1 per person instead of their normal $5 per person rate for outside groups such as ours. I will be collecting your dollar bills at the beginning of the walk.
Meeting place and time: Our meeting place is just past the Gothic arches.
Meet at 12:50 PM just past the left arch. The restrooms and water fountain wil be on your left. The walk starts promptly at 1 PM and should end around 5 PM. Note that the end time is approximate and will depend on how much time we spend looking at each of the monuments on our list.
Directions to the Cemetery: Take the R train to 25th St (and 4th Ave.) and walk uphill on 25th St to the cemetery gates on 5th Ave. Continue to walk uphill through the gothic arches. You can also take the D or the N train to the 36th Street station and either transfer to the R or walk a block to Fifth Avenue, and then uphill to the entrance at 25th Street. the Restrooms are to the left of the arches. Drivers can park inside the cemetery, on the right side of the road, unless otherwise noted. Please do not park on the grass.
Drop-off points: There are no official drop-off places. If you want to leave early, please use your maps to find the nearest exit.
Note: Green-Wood is an active cemetery, so please be respectful of funerals in progress and people visiting gravesites. The cemetery also cautions visitors against leaning on gravestones and other funeral-related structures. Please note that there are no places to sit down during our walk, so participants should be prepared to be on their feet. The leader will, however, look for spots where you can sit down for short periods, but not picnic.
Please note that there are no bathrooms or shelters of any kind along our route.
Bring water, snacks, a hat, and/or rain gear, depending on the forecast for Wednesday afternoon, and insect repellent. Green-Wood does not permit picnicking on the grounds so bring food you can eat while walking. We will be stopping for short breaks where we can sit on the stone steps or other dry spots. You can pick up lunch or snack items from the bakery across the street from the cemetery. Walk up the street from the subway station and turn right for the bakery.
Wear footwear appropriate for paths with cobblestones, tree roots, and other obstructions. Hiking poles would be helpful. Please note that this is a slow and leisurely walk; leader sets the pace.
RSVPs open today, Sunday June 15, at 6 PM, and close at 10 AM on Thursday. Please check your schedule, your availability, the subway schedule, and the weather forecast before registering for this walk. I will be monitoring the weather and reschedule if there is a chance of rain after noon time on Wednesday.
Guests are welcome; please make sure that they sign the waiver and release through this link.
Leader: Prathima Christdas, christdasp@yahoo.com
- Juneteenth: From Forgotten Grounds to a Celebration in Seneca VillageHarlem 125th Street Metro North Station, New York, NY
Time: 9:15 a.m.–1:00 p.m.; total distance about 6–6.5 miles, from Harlem to Seneca Village in Central Park, moderate to brisk pace.
Meet location: Metro North Harlem-125th Street Station, E 125 Street & Park Avenue.
Bring: Water, lunch, snacks.
Restrooms: Inside the Metro North station; Tennis Center in Central Park (St. Nicholas Park, if needed).ABOUT
On Juneteenth, a significant day marking the end of slavery in the United States, we will begin with a tribute to the unnamed souls laid to rest in Harlem's African Burial Ground. This unmarked site, where enslaved and freed Africans were buried from the 1660s to the 1860s, was sold and repurposed in the mid-19th century. The burial ground was rediscovered during the Willis Avenue Bridge Reconstruction project in the early 2000s.We will visit the former cemetery site to pay our respects, though no visible traces remain—the land is now occupied by a decommissioned MTA bus terminal. From there, we will walk through Harlem, stopping at historic landmarks that celebrate the achievements of African Americans. Our walk will culminate at a Juneteenth celebration in Seneca Village, hosted by the Central Park Conservancy.
DETAILS
We will meet at 9:15 a.m. and depart promptly at 9:30 a.m. to ensure arrival at Seneca Village in Central Park before 1:00 p.m., when the Juneteenth celebration begins.Along the way, we will pass several historical landmarks, including:
- Astor Row;
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (closed during our walk);
- Abyssinian Baptist Church;
- Strivers Row;
- Harlem Walk of Fame;
- The Spirit of Harlem Mosaic;
- Harriet Tubman statue, honoring this trailblazing conductor of freedom.
If time allows, we will make a short detour to Morningside Park to view sculptures from the Harlem Sculpture Garden before continuing to the Frederick Douglass sculpture. From there, we’ll enter Central Park and head to Seneca Village, near W 85th Street.
We'll eat our lunch when we get to the site of the Juneteenth celebration, which begins at 1:00 p.m. and will feature performances inspired by the lives and legacies of Seneca Village’s former residents, including:
- The Rakiem Walker Project, known for their soulful, electric jazz-infused sound;
- Poetic tributes from Kai Diata Giovanni;
- 2024 New York City Youth Poet Laureate Kayden Hern;
- 2023 New York Gubernatorial Inauguration Poet Laureate Jayden Antwine;
- Acclaimed poet and storyteller Courtney Symone Staton.
We will walk approximately 6 miles at a moderate to brisk pace.
Hike Leader:
Brigitte – text or call 646-651-3911 (on the day of the walk only).***
New York was a major center of slavery for over two centuries, with a significant enslaved population contributing to the city’s infrastructure and economy. Despite the association of the North with freedom, nearly half of colonial households in New York held enslaved individuals. Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, commemorates the delayed emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, which occurred over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation due to limited Union presence.
http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/history.htmThe Harlem African Burial Ground, established in 1660, served as a cemetery for African-descended New Yorkers for more than 200 years before urban expansion led to its sale and displacement in the mid-1800s. Rediscovered in the early 2000s, the site has since been the focus of preservation efforts led by the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative.
https://edc.nyc/project/east-126th-harlem-african-burial-ground-project
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_African_Burial_Ground
