Walking Midtown New York

Empire Building and Midtown, New York

This is a short walk in midtown Manhattan that will take you from St. Patricks Cathedral, past the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, onwards to Grand Central Terminal, and finally end up at the United Nations. We start our walk at St. Patricks Cathedral on Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets.

St. Patricks Cathedral, New York

St. Patricks Cathedral is New York City's major Roman Catholic catherdral. It was designed by James Renwick and built between 1853 and 1879. When first built, St. Patricks was almost too far from the center of New York to be popular with the parishioners of the day. Today, it appears to be dwarfed by the Olympic Tower (in the background of the picture above).

If you have time, be sure to visit St. Patricks. The wonderful stonework will remind you of Gothic cathedrals in Europe, complete with cross-ribbed vaults, stained-glass windows, and a monumental organ.

Our walk continues West along 51st Street towards Madison and Park Avenues. If you enjoy shopping, you might want to stop at Saks Fifth Avenue, a well-known exclusive shopping emporium in New York which is across the street from St. Patricks.