I suppose he could also have to travel down 79th a bit, but Manhattan is only about 2 miles wide anyway, right? So like...worst case scenario, a four mile walk.
Okay. That would be a significant walk. Probably an hour or two. But in NYC, how likely is it that you can get to your car, travel to your destination four miles away, find parking, and then walk to your destination (1) in less than an hour, and (2) for less than $9?
Get a bike, bro. Or hey, I hear New York has this fancy new doohickey called a "subway."
I have a coworker who lives less than two kilometers from work and he complained that our workplace doesn't have enough parking spots. There is a bus stop right in front of our building and two bus routes connecting to his neighbourhood, yet he refuses to ever take the bus
For me, a brisk walk is 5.2 km/h (at 8% grade, 135 strides/minute, and I'm totally sweaty after 30 minutes, it would take me about 45 to go 2 miles) because I'm short and 65. With my husband, we would take over an hour because he can only drive his wheelchair so fast before the vibrations make him lose control of his lip-joystick. Add in crappy curbcuts for another 10 minutes. I (or we) would take the bus because I'm not a privileged idiot like him, (and the subway is still not wheelchair accessible) but you should also be aware of your own privilege of youth, stride length, and health.
You expect this man to mingle with the poors? What if he had to talk to someone or got bumped into? Perish the thought of this man interacting with anyone below his socioeconomic status.
I don't live in New York. But it was my understanding that most cities with numbered streets generally adhered to 10 street numbers = one mile. 79 - 61 = 18 = 1.8 miles.