Where did you lead your first walk for Shorewalkers?
It was the Bayonne Bridge walk, back in February 2020.
On that walk, I took the group across the western park of Staten Island via Sailors’ Snug Harbor, over the Bayonne Bridge to New Jersey, strolling along Newark Bay, passing through Port Liberte, a long stretch on the Hudson River Walkway, eventually ending in Jersey City. I have to give a shout-out to Tom Bergen, who scouted this walk with me. He is the epitome of a great walk leader!
What types of walks do you enjoy leading?
I like to lead longer walks with a mix of urban and nature. I especially enjoy themed walks. Last year, I led a series of “Longest Streets” walks in each of the five boroughs of New York City: Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, Tremont Avenue in The Bronx, Northern Boulevard in Queens, Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island and Broadway from south to north in Manhattan. Each had at least a little bit of shoreline, some more than others. I also like leading walks to some lesser-visited parts of New York City, such as through parts of Bushwick, Brownsville, and East New York. I try, in all cases, to ensure a comfortable leisurely pace on my walks so that there are lots of opportunities to stop and take photos or grab a cup of coffee or a snack along the way, and am always open to Shorewalker ‘locals’ joining my walks and suggesting small detours to visit their favorite spots along the way.
Bayonne Bridge Walk via Staten Island
Share a favorite park, greenway, or trail.
Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. I like most everything about the park, but if I have to choose, Two Tree Island at low tide, Hunter Island and an adjacent unnamed island off of Hunter Island, which is only accessible during low tide. Also, dolphin (!) spotting offshore.
Pelham Bay Park
Where can we find you when you’re not leading a walk?
Wandering around randomly, doing my own solo walks! I enjoy taking photos during my walks, especially black and white ones.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Unisphere
What else should we know about you?
Have done seven cross-country (literally) walks in Europe (three across Spain, one across Portugal, and three across France). Love dabbling with foreign languages (German, French and Spanish). I worked as a Radio Officer on the State of Alaska ferry system for several years, sailing mostly in the Gulf of Alaska.
Pyrenees border of France and Spain