A Stroll Above The Big Apple

It was a Sunday morning, and dozens of furries squished together at the back of Moynihan Train Hall (connected to Penn Station) in New York City. As more rail passengers were gathering to have a bite in the food court, the furries decided to move to an empty hallway near the west exit. Badges were handed out. On them: "NYC FurWalk".

This was the second fursuit walk around Manhattan, organized by Champion Zane and Fane Vuh'uni, two furs from New Jersey. (The irony is not lost on them.) The first, held at the start of February, had ten partial fursuiters and around twenty participants, Zane told me. The second, held last weekend, attracted around 70 furries, with just over two dozen suiters, and one who brought her full fursuit. Most of the non-suiters wore furry-designed shirts.

Outside in the plaza across from 9th Ave, people donned their suits in the chilly but clear weather, and set out walking around 11:30 a.m. The route took us through the High Line, the elevated rail-turned-park in Chelsea, along with stops to see a giant pigeon statue called Dinosaur; the visitor attraction Vessel; the artificial island Little Island at Pier 55; and ending in Chelsea Market. (The Little Island security staffer initially wouldn't let us in, but eventually a deal was negotiated.)

Bystanders were largely curious by the sight of people in animal costumes, taking photos and videos as they passed by. Some politely asked to have photos with the fursuiters. A few passers-by correctly identified our group as being a part of the furry fandom, while others asked what this was all about, and had never heard of the subculture. Narrow paths in the High Line brought the fursuiters into a tight line at some points, making a parade like the kind you'd see at a furry convention.

The furwalk was inspired by a small meeting of friends back in January 2025 that Zane had been invited to. "That was probably only about ten people or so, just was a very low-key gathering of friends who wanted to come to the area," Zane told me. That meeting, essentially NYC FurWalk 0, also took them through the High Line, with "no issues at all, we just got to do our thing, have a little fun in the city." Fane was also there, taking photos and videos, and was brought on board to organize, with Fane also working on creating the graphics and maps for the event.

For the first NYC FurWalk, on February 2nd 2025, "I kind of came up with it about three days before the thing happened," Zane said. He spread the word in local and regional furry group chats, and was pleased with the turnout: "[The] attraction for that [was] unprecedented to me."

Since then, word has spread further about the event. Furs not only came from New Jersey and Long Island and Westchester County, but also from Philadelphia and Washington D.C. There's an extensive rail network in New York City, connecting people throughout the tri-state area and beyond to the Big Apple. It's a desirable location, but only a few furry events are held there.

Zane and Fane both plan to do more furwalks throughout the year, with different routes. Central Park, Chinatown, Prospect Park, and iconic bridges are on the table, but riding the subway in suit might not be a part of it, at least officially. "We're looking for some really nice routes," Fane said. They want to do walks every four to six weeks, and to have a rotation of routes.

"I would say that it exceeded expectations and went amazingly well," Fane told me afterward.

While the furwalk ended at Chelsea Market, a separate furmeet was held an hour after, at the Gem Saloon in Kips Bay. The event, slightly smaller and hosted by Princess Zara, had a large overlap of people from the furwalk. There, furs relaxed, had a few drinks, socialized, and ate from platters. (The entry fee was $20, but it was worth it.) Into the evening, there was discussion on establishing a New York City furry convention, expensive as it may be. Will there be a con in the city? Maybe.