WALK NYC SIGNS, FLUSHING

MOST likely a testament to my being out of action for several months from mid 2022-late 2023, I had not encountered this genre of signage designed to point out highlights in NYC neighborhoods and the time needed to get to them on foot. Since so many New Yorkers tend to race walk, and I am the slowest walker imaginable, I add a couple of minutes to everything shown here. These signs were installed by Walk NYC, a division of the NYC Department of Transportation, which has installed these “fingerpoint” signs, as these are called, as well as neighborhood maps seen on larger street kiosks as well as ferry and Citi Bike stations.

Years ago, when I rode the Boston T, I marveled at the detailed neighborhood maps I saw in the stations and wondered why NYC couldn’t do something similar. My question has been answered here. The directional signs are a good design, with the black signs and white type inspired by Bob Noorda’s subway signage for Unimark in the 1960s.

I doubt these signs will be used universally…too many will clutter up the streetscape. I was intrigued to find them on Northern Boulevard; I hadn’t walked it between Flushing and Murray Hill in several years.

But how soon before the local youth do their appointed, unpreventable work on them?

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6/4/24