Matt Green NYC Walk Marker

A plaque at the corner of this nondescript parking lot marks the start and end of an extraordinary achievement: Matt Green’s walk across every block of every street in New York City. It took Green more than twelve and a half years and an estimated 9,954 miles to finish.

Why did he do it? Says Green: “I don’t know why, and I never really tried to come up with a nice-sounding explanation.”

The unremarkable location–chosen at random–perfectly demonstrates Green’s philosophy that anywhere can be interesting and worth walking if you’re curious enough. He continues to publish photos and research from his walk on his blog.