Spatial Dynamics

I’m back in New York City for the first time since just before the pandemic. Four-plus years is a long time to be away, and when you haven’t been to Manhattan in a while, you tend to forget just how crowded and bustling it is in the city.

I’m a big proponent of walking around New York City, both because it’s interesting and because it’s quicker and a lot less frustrating. Our cab ride in from LaGuardia, where we were caught in a crosstown traffic snarl, provided all the reminder I needed that hoofing it is the way to go, so I spent a fair amount of time walking midtown yesterday. That means I was quickly reintroduced to the concept of spatial dynamics, New York City sidewalk-style.

Successfully navigating Manhattan sidewalks means having your senses on high alert and exercising snap judgments without a second thought. There are so many people on the sidewalks, penning you in and heading in so many different directions, that you can’t just lollygag. You need to dive into the pedestrian currents and be keenly aware of who is going where, who might be emerging from a doorway, and potential obstacles to be avoided.

On any given section of sidewalk there might be a speed-walking guy coming up on your right, an oblivious teenager listening to music on their headphones just ahead, and tourists suddenly stopping and gaping at skyscrapers to your left. Add in a baby carriage and people exiting a taxi and trying to cut through the sidewalk flow to get to their building, and you’ve got some complicated sensory input. And all the while your brain is calculating distance and speed and thinking: if I move slightly to the left can I smoothly move through that rapidly closing gap and get ahead of the crowd?

Fortunately, the spatial dynamic reflexes seem to come back quickly, and before you know it you’re back in the swing and feel like a seasoned Big Apple footslogger. Of course, those reflexes vanish when you get back to your hometown and its relatively empty sidewalks, but it’s nice to know they are still lurking in your brain somewhere, ready to be reengaged on your next trip to NYC.