Tenement History and Immigrant Life in the Lower East Side
Description
From the Five Points and Mulberry Bend, through the Italian and Jewish immigrant waves, and finally what is today's Chinatown, this tour explores the development of a rustic landscape of lakes and farms into what became the mostly densely overcrowded neighborhood on earth barely 100 years ago. The incremental step-by-step process of putting the need for adequate housing over the drive for profit to house the immigrant poor, from disease-ridden cellar dwelling in tumble down shanties. to pre-, old- and new-law tenements, this tour uses pictures to show what is no longer there, and finds what continues to stand in the street walls today to tell the immensely rich, tragic and redemptive story of New York's Lower East Side.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We begin at the former sites of The Five Points neighborhood and Mulberry Bend, one-time notorious slums in New York City's history. The focus is on the "tenement," the early purpose-built housing for the working class, mostly immigrant poor whose history begins not far from this spot.
Jacob Riis and his seminal work, How the Other Half Lives, helps bring to life the past communities that once occupied the site of today's Columbus Park, between Chinatown and the Court District.
The heart of the tour is along the blocks of the Lower East Side and the non-stop tenement buildings that proliferated in the Lower East Side from the mid-19th to the early-20th Centuries. Not all tenements were associated with slum communities, though living conditions could be hard. We'll identify different tenements types from different eras, and witness the decades-long process of tenement evolution following advancing laws.
We will have a stunning view of the Municipal Building and the Woolworth Building East Broadway, one of Chinatowns most vibrant street scenes with hidden-in-plain-sight historic gems.
One of the most beautiful edifices in the city, The Eldridge Street Synagogue begins discussion of the Jewish experience in the Lower East Side, who, like the massive immigrant waves before them, have their own unique story to tell.
One of the first parks in the neighborhood. It was so crowded on opening day it was standing room only. Here, an array of photos from Jacob Riis' How the Other Half Lives brings the past to life.
A newspaper that was an institution for the Jewish community.
We pass the back of the museum where they replicate tenement life. Outhouses and clothes line help transport one back in time.
DeLancey Street was the clothing discount outlet center of the past.
The Allen Street bath house functioned as such from 1905 until 1975, along with about a dozen in the area. This one lasted the longest and was converted to a church.
We end the tour on the rooftop of Hotel Indigo. Here we'll be be able to see a bird's eye view of the different tenement types, along with a spectacular view of Midtown, a perfect way to end the tour.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Snacks and water are recommended to revitalize
- This walking tour is not associated with Tenement Museum
Reviews(73)
Rob was our extremely knowledgeable guide who took us on the Tenement Walking Tour. He met us at a convenient location and began with an overview of the time period, mid-to-late 1800’s into the early 1900’s. He brought charts and graphs, old photo’s, and a variety of maps to help us get a lay of the land. He covered the myriad groups of immigrants who came to NYC in waves, what their home and jobs were like, and what turf belonged to what group. Rob covered architecture, pre-law buildings and pointed out post-law buildings when windows were added to “inner dark rooms.” We saw Al Capone’s old stomping ground, a Romanian Jewish Synagogoe and back houses that were added to tenement housing by greedy landlords. Rob really knew his history and we can’t wait to take another tour with him this fall. Do yourself a favor; it was worth every dollar.
Wow, thank you for such a wonderful tour! I hope to see you again!
Rob was very knowledgeable, engaged and passionate about teaching us. We learned a ton about the history of the Lower East Side on this walking tour and would recommend it without hesitation.
Thank you! I hope to see you again?
Worth it ..valid experience
Rob was a wealth of information, so well versed on the city, had excellent visual props to help us understand and I swear he should have been a college professor!
Thank you! I hope to see you again!
If you love, history and architecture, this is the tour for you!! went with my husband and our 32-year-old son and 30-year-old daughter-in-law.Wonderful overview of early immigrant life in New York City. Great maps to get your bearings. Lots of history from the past as well as importance of certain current buildings and location. Great tips on eateries that locals love! The history of architectural development is fascinating. Rob is a huge wealth of knowledge and clearly passionate about his tours. One of the best tours we have taken anywhere in the world. Looking forward to doing a different tour with him the next time we visit New York City!
Thank you for such an amazing review! I hope to see you again!
Excellent tour by an excellent guide. He was so knowledgeable about everything about the neighborhoods we visited and New York City in general and obviously loves what he does. Exactly what I was hoping for.
Thank you for the great review!
The ad talks about Tenement Museum but it has nothing to do with the museum. The meeting place is Foley Square which is more than a mile away from the Tenement Museum. When we arrived at Foley Square there was a union rally going on and nobody to guide this tour. TOTAL SCAM.
I'm sorry about your experience. In the future please read any correspondence you may receive regarding your booking as I always alert customers that this tour is often mistaken for the Tenement Museum. The tour started half an hour before the union meeting, but you were late because you went to the museum. I try very hard to avoid these situations but all I can do is contact people beforehand. Had you contacted me, of course I would have refunded you.
Rob is awesome, he went beyond the call of duty.
Thank you, I hope to see you again!
Very informative, interesting. We learned a lot about the history of the city and we will never walk thru the tenement district again without looking up!
Thanks for the great review! I hope to see you again!
Our tour guide, Rob, is definitely an expert in the area’s history. He came prepared with 2 binders of pictures so we could see the development of the different neighborhoods. We were able to really get a feel for the different cultures and decades of life in this area.
Thank you for the great review! I hope to see you again!
