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Midtown, the Postcard Mile
Four buildings everybody recognises, in the order that makes them walkable.
Quick answer
How long does the Midtown, the Postcard Mile route take? About 3 hr 40 min in total — 3 hr at the 4 stops plus roughly 40 min getting between them on foot, over 2.3 km. Every stop has a free audio guide you can play while you stand there.
The route, in order
Times are what the stop actually takes, not a minimum. Travel time between stops is listed on each leg.
- 1
Grand Central Terminal
Start under the ceiling. Look for the backwards constellations.
Stay about 40 min - 20.7 km on foot
Rockefeller Center
Seven blocks north-west. Top of the Rock looks at the Empire State; the Empire State looks at everything else.
Stay about 50 min - 30.6 km on foot
Times Square
Loud, and worth ten minutes more than you think, then leave.
Stay about 30 min - 41.1 km on foot
Empire State Building
End high. The 86th-floor deck is the open-air one.
Stay about 60 min
How to use this route
- Open the first stop's guide before you leave — the audio is free and plays in the browser, so there is nothing to install.
- Each stop links to its own guide. Play it when you arrive, not before: the narration assumes you are standing there.
- The times below assume you are travelling on foot. Shift the whole plan later in the day if you want the last stop at sunset.