Greenwich Village: History, Music and Activism
As one of the most iconic neighborhoods in NYC, it is no surprise Greenwich Village is also one of its most historic and politically charged. From NYU and Washington Square Park, to its legendary music venues, to the famous people who lived there, to its cultural impact, the Village is as popular today as when Dylan, Springsteen, Hendrix, Ginsberg and others roamed the streets looking for gigs.
Join Brad for an entertaining and historic tour of a portion of this great neighborhood and learn why Greenwich Village is still, well, the “Village” - an interesting microcosm of all things NYC.
Next Tour Dates:
Saturday June 10th at 11am
Jewish Gangsters?
The late nineteenth and early twentieth century witnessed a rise in organized crime in New York City. Pickpockets, extortionists, armed robbers, bootleggers, gamblers and contract killers were commonplace not only in the notorious Five Points neighborhood, but also in the growing Jewish ghetto of the Lower East Side. And as more Orthodox Jews settled in the area, so did unscrupulous and vicious gangs of Jewish Gangsters! These not so nice Jewish boys who loved their mothers and grew up attending Synagogue, also poisoned horses, robbed and torched pushcarts, sold illegal whiskey and drugs and were some of the best hit men in organized crime.
Join urban historian and educator Bradley Shaw on a walking tour of the Lower East Side as we visit where these Yiddish-a Gangstas lived and did their illicit business. We will not only not only profile the very famous like Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Arnold Rothstein, but meet the less known and quirky like “Dopey” Benny Fein, “Big” Jack Zelig, “Lepke” Buchalter and the Shomer Shabbos hit man Samuel “Red” Levine.
Next Tour Dates:
Sunday May 21st
Sunday Oct 29th
Historic Synagogues of the Lower East Side
At the beginning of the last century, there were more than 500 synagogues throughout the streets of the Lower East Side. It was likely to encounter a synagogue or Jewish immigrant society on nearly every block. Very few still exist in their original form; most are distant memories or have been altered to serve completely different functions – as residences, churches, event spaces and empty lots.
Join licensed NYC tour guide and historian Bradley Shaw as he explores the evolution of the Lower East Side through the fate of its synagogues. You’ll learn about the ones still in existence; t, the ones that were lost, and the ones transformed to fit the needs of a changing neighborhood. Also discussed will be popular food spots (past and present) and other points of interests including a Lower East Side connection to a former President.
About 2 hours with 1.5 miles of walking
Next Tour Dates:
Sunday June 4th
Sunday Oct 18th
