I work in New York City.  Arguably, New York is one of the most fascinating places.  I have worked here on and off for several years.  During this time, it had always been a shame that I had never ventured out during lunchtime or after work.  Yet, there is almost an unwritten rule that you are either a tourist or a native (I don't distinguish people who live in the city from those who just work there.  Neither group fits within the tourist camp).  I suppose I let that hold me back from exploring in the past.  When you're a tourist, you look up, you look around, you take pictures, you ask questions and you visit places.  These are activities that would automatically label you as a tourist.

 

The sad fact is, most tourists do not get to do or see even a fraction of the things they would like to when they come to New York.  It's just too big of a city to catch all of it in a day, a weekend, or even a week.  Even if they could see and explore all of Manhattan in a day, there are four other boroughs that have great aspects as well.

 

Another motivation is that I also need to exercise.  I was sitting in my office from the time I get in to work until the time I leave.  Granted, I move around to speak with people or use the restroom.  I may go to the usual spots for lunch but these are typically about two minutes from my office.  I also do a little bit of walking to get to and from the office.  But this is not enough exercise to speak about.

 

So my thinking is, why not use exploring the city as a way to get some exercise?  It's a heck of a fun way to move about and at the same to I get to learn about the city.  That's the premise of this site.  It's a journal of my discoveries.  I can't always guarantee that I will be able to make daily excursions but I will make every effort to head out at least two or three days a week.

 

There you have it.  I am The Lunchtime Tourist!

 

You're probably thinking by now, how the heck am I going to be able to get around the entire city in just one hour?  I'm not.  My plan is to enlist the help others that have a similar interest in getting some exercise with learning about the city.  My goal is to get coverage from different areas around the entire city.  I also plan on using the time coming into, and getting out of, the city and document those excursions as well.

 

I do not want to limit this just to New York.  I am looking to enlist people from other cities that would like to participate in this endeavor.  I believe this can be a fun and exciting experience that can be shared by many.

 

Let the journey begin!