“A, you’re adventurous; B, you’re brave; C, you’re crazy; D, you’re dead” was a simple nursery rhyme repeated by many New Yorkers when visiting Alphabet City in the 1980s. What was once a bucolic fishing site for the Lenape and later filled with bowerijes (bouweries) by Dutch settlers, this neighborhood’s face and reputation have changed dramatically since its inception. On this tour we will visit the sites and haunts of punk rockers, Nuyorican writers, Tammany Hall politicians, and the Astors. We will discuss how this neighborhood survived one of the worst maritime disasters in New York’s history, and the continued relentless work of community organizations to support the neighborhood. We will cover the many waves of immigrants that called Alphabet City home, and answer the question “Why can I see a statue of Lenin from Houston Street”?
All tours are Eastern Time.
Tour