The Final Steps (Of This Section) - (Ninth Leg)

So, dear readers, this is my final report from the first day of our walk (from 213th Street down to 130th Street, along the Hudson River) -- and just in the nick of time, as the second leg will commence this Sunday, starting on the "low road" at 145th Street, strolling all the way to 72nd Street (more about that later).

We exited the amazing Riverbank State Park at 138th Street, onto an elevated part of Riverside Drive.

Opps...another side-bar for diners...my hub and I did get to The River Room (which I mentioned in the last leg) for brunch last Sunday. The pros: great view of GWB and Hudson River northward; good Southern-style food (cheese grits, fried chicken, collards and the like -- as much as I think I'm going to love cheese grits, they never, ever have much flavor -- even when I had them down in Mississippi.) Side-bar to the side-bar...I just had a revelation that I must have a thing for following rivers. The hub and I drove down along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Baton Rouge last spring. Quite an eye-opener for we "died in the wool" New Yorkers...they don't know the meaning of "low fat" or "lite" food there. Loved the moss-dripping pre-Civil war mansions and the "juke-joints" along Highway 51, but can't say I was overly impressed with the food and restaurants (except in St. Louis and Memphis). And, much of the area was depressed way before our current fiscal mess...but one of the most scenic highways I've driven is the Natchez Trail.

Back to the side-bar on The River Room. One more pro: at Sunday brunch, they have an excellent "soft-jazz" singer and guitarist.

The cons: room has little atmosphere and way too many bus tours and birthday parties...and the service was terrible. Food isn't expensive at all at brunch, but didn't get everything we wanted and had to (literally) chase after the hostess to give her our bill and credit card. Major "I don't care" attitude on part of hostess, and waiter and busboy were too overburdened with the large groups to take care of the few small tables there. I might bring out-of-towners for the view, music and Southern food at good prices, but hope the service improves (as I doubt decor will).
From the vine-covered stone wall that separates strollers in Riverside Park (now right next to the Drive) from the West Side Highway, we had partially-blocked view of the River and, below some warehouse buildings that now looked liked they housed clubs and restaurants. Naturally, we had to investigate. A recon party of two was formed and down the path we walked... And quite the flower-laded path it was!

There is nothing so lovely and satisfying to the soul as finding flora among the urban diaspora where you least expect it. So, it was an even greater surprise when the path spilled out to a community garden, tucked between the walls of Riverside Drive and the warehouses of the Hudson.

These community gardens must be "God-sends" for those who like to "play in the dirt" but are usually surrounded by little more than concrete and greenery in pots and planters. Kudos to Bette Midler and others that have fought to keep these little "oasis of green" in our granite, glass and marble world.

And, wonder of wonders, we also found the northernmost end of Twelfth Avenue...

...and it's a restaurant row! Nothing stirs my gastronomic spirit more than finding cool, little, off-the-beaten-path restaurants, especially in the City I thought I knew inside and out. Observation: I must have more shots of Nature Girl's "nether side" than is decent...but she just keeps jumping into the camera's frame, no matter how I try to push her out! Look at her below, turning with a studied "surprised stance" as I snap...Do you buy it?

Covo was the most charming of the Italian, Thai-Spanish and Latino restaurants/night clubs along this warren of brick warehouses. There were outdoor tables at every restaurant, but the inside of Covo was a cross between a Boston wharf warehouse and a Tuscan country kitchen. A week after we walked, the hub and I came over here for Sunday brunch. Lo and behold, another jazz duo...this one more funky and high-energy than the guys at The River Room. And, the food here is excellent Italian trattoria food...yummy thin-crust, brick oven pizzas with interesting toppings (a nod here and there to the African American and Hispanic influences in this nabby). We thoroughly enjoyed it...and had a parking spot right across the street from the restaurant. Parking in Manhattan on any given Sunday is a joy as you can park practically anywhere. But, in the summer, it's even better as fewer New Yorkers are around so finding spots quickly and close to your final destination is a given. Now, watch that I won't be able to find a spot near 72nd Street this Sunday at the start of section two of "the walk." Only downside for these restaurants is that they have no view of the River because a north-bound on-ramp to the West Side Highway is flanking the river side of the building.

We walked around the restaurants towards the river and found this......about 60-odd paces north of Fairway, where we started our day with water purchases and bathroom breaks. And, that's pretty much how we ended it.