Josh Richards sets out to cover every corner of New York City with nothing but a cup of coffee and his trusty hocus.
The Bushwick resident has walked and run nearly 3,000 miles of concrete jungle in just two years, giving him an up-close-and-personal view of the Big Apple neighborhoods that even the most avid New Yorker never gets a chance to see. I put it in.
“Every neighborhood has its own unique charm,” said Richards, 46. “Most people take little snapshots of different places. We're very lucky to have this wide view of the place.”
Richards is following in the footsteps of William Helmreich and Matt Green, both literally and figuratively. Both men are famous for documenting their 6,000 miles of streets in the Big Apple over the past decade.
But Richards, general manager of a vegan restaurant in Midtown, is picking up the pace. He is often seen running, and is said to run up to 130 miles on the weekends.
“I walk at a pace of about 4 miles per hour. I'm definitely in the 99th percentile of New Yorkers,” he said.
The fast-footed jogger has already checked out much of Brooklyn, the lower half of Manhattan, and the trendy west side of Queens. The main reason is that all walks begin at Bushwick's front door.
Katherine Donlevy
“When you leave the house, you have no idea where you're going. You start walking or running and go in a certain direction, and once you know what areas you haven't covered, you work your way out from there,” Richards said. Ta.
“I got to the point where if I left my house, it would take me about four miles to find something new.”
That's not to say he doesn't have a methodology. Richards typically follows a straight main street for several miles, then turns and winds his way down side streets.
In coastal areas like the College Point Peninsula and all of Staten Island, vegan runners prefer to start at the outer perimeter and work their way inward.
Some paths include more detailed plans. Richards plans to participate in the next marathon because it is the only time of the year when the Verrazano Bridge is open to traffic.
Richards' approach involves a lot of footbridge crossings, which led to several altercations with honking drivers during his two-year journey.
“I've had knives pulled on me and spit on my face,” Richards said, adding that her biggest dislike was honking.
“You really don't think about the people around you. It doesn't do anything! If you just sit at a red light and honk your horn, the car in front of you won't move.”
But arguments and honking are hardly on Richards' radar. Richards said she prefers to focus on the people she's met, the hugs given to strangers and, of course, the elation of exploring a new neighborhood.
He particularly appreciates the tranquility of Brooklyn Heights and the history of Greenwood Cemetery. But Richards' favorite part of his brisk walks is stopping to admire the architecture of churches and religious sites.
“I've loved New York ever since my first day here. I was just blown away by the energy and beauty of this place,” said Richards, who moved to Brooklyn in 2012. Ta.
Originally from Ohio, Richards has lived all over the world, splitting time between Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and California, especially in cities that aren't walkable.
For transplants, New York City's accessibility was a big draw. The transplants had already explored hundreds of city streets by bike over the past decade before starting their mission on foot.
Despite conquering about a quarter of the Big Apple in just two years, Richards has slowed down considerably in recent weeks due to his busy new job. But his mission has given him a new appreciation for even the streets he passes every day.
“When you're in your own neighborhood, you notice things you never noticed before. You can never truly absorb it all,” Richards said.
“For me, it's just fun. If I get hit by a bus next week and don't finish it, that's a bummer, but in the grand scheme of things I'll be fine,” he continued.
