Customer Reviews

Fun on Foot in New York

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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A big city doesn't mean you need a car to have fun. "Fun on Foot in New York: The Runners' and Walkers' Guide to New York City..." is the guide for running and walking enthusiasts who want to better enjoy New York City. Outlining routes and urban trails, and accompanying them with nearly one hundred maps, authors Warwick Ford and Nola Ford do well in making a complete and comprehensive runner's guide to the Big Apple. Anyone who enjoys these activities and is going to be in New York should get "Fun on Foot in New York".

As its name implies, "Fun on Foot in New York" covers numerous walking and running routes in the New York City area. However I was pleased to discover that it also devotes extensive coverage to the surrounding areas. I've lived in central New Jersey for almost 20 years, and I really appreciated that this book covered many of my favorite running and walking routes and even introduced me to several new ones. Author Warwick Ford's attention to detail is exceptional; his landmarks are meticulous and accurate and he provides details on parking, amenities and attractions that give that little bit extra to ensure a pleasant outing. And the author's breezy and economical style gets the needed information across in a concise and pleasurable way.

The last couple of years I have also taken several walks and bike rides in Manhattan with a native-born New Yorker. We have especially enjoyed the newly-renovated trails along the Hudson shore on the west side of Manhattan, and this book does a great job of describing these routes, how to get to and from them and suggestions for where to get a bite to eat (or find a restroom!).

Last year we also tried some of the less well marked trails along the Upper East River on the east side of Manhattan, and even my NYC friend had to spend some time figuring out which way to go at several points (and this was after consulting several internet sites beforehand!). Mr. Ford, however, has clearly done his homework here and if his book had been available a year ago it would have saved us a lot of frustration. His book includes clear directions along with accurate information and maps that could only have been generated by someone who had taken the time to thoroughly investigate the routes and make sure the descriptions are dead-on accurate.

An excellent book and I highly recommend it to my fellow walkers and runners!

How many times have you read a book about walking or running, and say "That makes sense!" or "That's a great book!" Then you go out, apply it to your own training, and realize you wished you had eaten your words?

Well, I am pleased to announce that "Fun On Foot In New York" is NOT one of those books.

"Fun On Foot", written by fellow runner, Warwick Ford, sets out to both educate and demystify the perils associated for the fellow walker or runner, who wants to run in a location but is just unsure as to where to go. He does so by creating the most comprehensive guide to running and walking in the Greater New York City and NJ area...EVER!

Taking "copious notes" as he mentions in his Preface, Warwick along with the help of Nola (his wife), has put together a compendum of routes with descriptions, pictures, deviations on courses,maps, diners nearby (lol), times to run, etc., that you will not find on any online running course mapping program. In short, you will find and every little nook and cranny that a runner would want to know before taking a course head on.

The extent of Warwick's knowledge seems endless. This makes the application of this knowledge for the fellow walker/runner useful....AND FUN!

But to just say that it was written well is perhaps a bit conclusive. So, I decided to challenge Warwick's findings, by actually RUNNING some of the courses he mentioned in the book.

I am here to tell you that I am extremely pleased by all of his course descriptions. It is a wonderful resource for New Yorkers, and outsiders alike. Enlightening and dead-on accurate.

"Fun On Foot" caters to walkers/runners of all abilities. It won't just give you the longest course in a given park (for ex.), but several ones if there are several ones available. It is written to be easily digested, too. In short, you don't need to be a world-class athlete to fully understand or enjoy the amount of information that's available here.

Finally, "Fun On Foot" is user-friendly to the out-of-town traveller looking for a place to walk or run, and is extensive enough to the local dweller, interested in exploring more of their own neighborhood.

If it sounds like I am a bit excited, it is because this was a book that should have been written decades ago. Finally, it is here, and now we can all benefit from it.

I for one, have decided to even do my own "Fun On Foot" exploration, and started running through routes I've never even knew existed. So far this has been a lot of fun for me!

In short, this is a gem of a book and I highly encourage it to the fellow walker or running enthusiast. Great stuff!

What a great book for runners and walkers who either already know and love New York or are new to the city.

I have lived in New York City (three of the five boroughs) for 30 years -- and yet in owning this book for a few short months I have already explored several gems of neighborhoods and parks I have NEVER been to in my life. The Fords have found and presented so many great running/walking trails that I can imagine going a long time without ever repeating a route if I don't want to.

The maps are just OK, though. I realize they are simplified because of space reasons, but a few are a little confusing to use for navigation in the real world.

The Fords also have a great companion website with additional information.

[...]

I have lived on the Jersey side of the Hudson River for the last three years now and I am always on the lookout for new runs to cut the monotony of training. Fun on Foot is an excellent resource for new trails. The narrative is a little long-winded and the maps/keys aren't the highest quality but they get the job done. The running routes are diverse and easy to follow. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to add to their running repertoire.