Cyrus Adler, president of Shorewalkers, Inc.

Name, age, occupation, where are you from and where do you live now.
My name is Cyrus Adler. My nom-de-plume is Cy A Adler, no period after the middle A...I was born on a kitchen table in Bensonhurst and grew up in Brooklyn in the 40s.

For about 15 years I taught oceanography and physics, and math at CCNY, LIU, and other schools. I live in the West 90s; I can see the Hudson River and New Jersey from my apartment. Now I serve as president of Shorewalkers, Inc., a not-for-profit organization founded twenty-four years ago to promote shorewalking and the preservation and enhancement of metropolitan shorelines.

You may have read two of my books about the Hudson and NYC waterfront, and developments along their shores: WALKING MANHATTAN’S RIM, THE GREAT SAUNTER; Adventures and Discoveries on the Shores of the Worlds’ Richest and Most Varied Island ($13.95, Green Eagle Press), and WALKING THE HUDSON, BATT-TO-BEAR; From the Battery to Bear Mountain ($12.95, Green Eagle Press). I have also written an environmental book, ECOLOGICAL FANTASIES; Death from Falling Watermelons, and a couple of books on electric vehicles.

I‘ve organized and managed several companies and corporations, including Shorewalkers, Inc., a nonprofit group. In 1984, The New York Times published my op-ed piece regarding walking trails along the Hudson River. This spurred development of Shorewalkers, as well as trails along the Hudson River.

Can you explain what Shorewalkers does?
Since 1982, Shorewalkers has organized over 2,000 waterfront walks. We organize and run a uniquely New York walk called the GREAT SAUNTER, which explores the 32-mile perimeter around Manhattan Island.

This Saturday is your organization's well known Great Saunter - a 32-mile walk around the rim of Manhattan. How do you think turnout will be and why should people participate?
This year on Saturday May 6th, we expect at least 500 people from all over the country and the world, but mainly from New York City. The GREAT SAUNTER is not a race; it is cooler, longer, and sweeter than the Marathon, and one sees much more. Saunterers are more like a motley army of explorers who want to enjoy Manhattan’s extraordinary waterfront. This consists of spectacular sights, as well as twenty parks and promenades. Yes, we go through twenty parks and promenades on the GREAT SAUNTER.

The GREAT SAUNTER is open to everyone; walkers can join or leave at many diverse points along the shore.

For instance, Pete Seeger told me he plans to join the GREAT SAUNTER walk at Inwood Hill Park around 1:30 PM. Pete has done the GREAT SAUNTER, but it took him four years. He worked with me on a Leadbelly-inspired song called the SHOREWALKERS’ SAUNTER:
"You don’t know, You don’t know this town (2x)
Till you join the Shorewalkers and they take you walking around.
It’s about thirty-two miles ‘round Manhattan’s rim (2x)
You can join ‘em for a few miles, next year walk again.
You can take a yellow cab or a subway fast and deep (2x)
But you learn a lot more walkin’ on your own two feet."

The GREAT SAUNTER:
* Raises public awareness of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
* Promotes tourism in New York City
* Introduces people to shorewalking and Shorewalkers
* Promotes health and well-being
* Enhances the quality of life
* Is fun
* Promotes development of the GRAND HARLEM RIVER PARK, the BATT TO BEAR TRAIL and other Shorewalkers projects.

When you think of New York, its waterfront is usually not the first image that comes to mind. However, many of the waterfronts areas in Manhattan and outer boroughs have recently been recently improved or have plans for redevelopment. What are your thoughts on the efforts of the City Government to make the city's waterfront more accessible to the public? How do we stack up against other cities with revived waterfront development like Chicago and Seattle? Are there some areas that you feel need to have their shorelines developed to make things easier for the public to explore?
We have been working with New York City’s governments for over twenty years promoting greater access to the waterfront and greenways along the water. We worked with Ruth Messinger when she was Borough President, and helped plan the path around Manhattan which we call the GREAT SAUNTER WALKING PATH AROUND MANHATTAN’S RIM. We are happy that Mayor Bloomberg is pressing ahead to open up other sections of the waterfront, and we would like to work more closely with him on this. Commenting on my book WALKING MANHATTAN’S RIM, Mayor Bloomberg said. "Exploring our great city at three miles per hour is just the right speed for me." SEE MANHATTAN AT 3MPH is one of Shorewalkers’ mottos. Another is: COLLECTING THINGS IS GOOD, SHOREWALKING IS BETTER.

The city can help develop the waterfront by working with Shorewalkers to create THE GRAND HARLEM RIVER PARK. This park would combine several wonderful parks and green areas on both sides of the Harlem River into one park. It would use the 250 acres of the Harlem River as its axis to create a park which would be bigger and more varied than Central Park. We’ve gotten support from Congressman Charles Rangel, Eliot Engel, Bronx Borough President Carrion, and others for our concept of the GRAND HARLEM RIVER PARK.

With all the walks that your organization organizes, what's the most interesting story/thing you've seen when out on a walk?
As compared to city-walking or forest-walking, one sees more while shorewalking: watery views, palisades, vistas, city infrastructure, as well as birds, ships, sunbathers, fishermen, trees, and flowers

What is your favorite shorewalk in New York City and why? Are there any areas that tend to be overlooked as recreational experiences?
My favorite shorewalk? In Manhattan it’s probably in Inwood and Highbridge Parks, along the Harlem River. But I have favorite walks in all the other boroughs as well, and along the Hudson Batt-to-Bear Trail in New Jersey and in Rockland County.

Do you have any tips for a newbie walker? Ways to stave off blisters and sore feet? Places to go to the bathroom?
New walkers who wish to come on the GREAT SAUNTER should visit Shorewalkers. I would advise them to be in decent physical shape, wear shoes or sneakers with thick soles and two pair of socks, and to wear a hat.

Don’t worry about bathrooms: we know where they are, so we can tell you where to go.

Also, you can join or leave the walk at several points. As an example, I dropped out about ten years ago, when the temperature was 94 degrees and I got woozy after walking 25 miles. I decided to quit at East 34th St. A young man and a young woman he had just met on the walk accompanied me home in a taxi. Incidentally, Joe and Minami married, and now have two beautiful children.

What place or thing would you declare a landmark?
I would landmark the entire Harlem River Valley from Spuyten Duyvil south to the Triborough Bridge.

What advice, if any, would you give to Mayor Bloomberg?
Mayor Bloomberg could learn a few things walking with Shorewalkers.

It would be great if and when the Mayor and City Council dedicate and landmark the 32-mile GREAT SAUNTER WALKING PATH AROUND MANHATTAN’S RIM, and to sign it with purple so that New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world could explore Manhattan’s amazing waterfront on their own.

When you just need to get away from it all, where is your favorite place in NYC to be alone?
Inwood Hill Park, overlooking the Hudson, is among my favorite getaways.

For more information on the tomorrow's Great Saunter or Shorewalkers, visit the Shorewalker's website. You can purchase Cy's book at Green Eagle's website.