The Epic of 1898: When Brooklyn and Manhattan Became One
The New York City we know today is the result of a consolidation of numerous municipalities and townships surrounding Manhattan that, in 1898, voted to become one city. Prior to this Great Consolidation, the City of New York was just the borough of Manhattan, while the neighboring municipality across the East River known as Brooklyn was its own independent city.
The two cities were neck-and-neck in competition as America’s leading cities, with New York ranking first, Chicago ranking a close second, and Brooklyn ranking third. But Chicago was very quickly catching up to New York as America’s largest and wealthiest city. The proposal to consolidate came from Andrew Haswell Green (pictured above), who wanted to ensure that New York remains America’s flagship city. However, the proposal was not met without resistance.
Brooklyn and New York may have been connected via the East River, and eventually with the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, but this did not mean that Brooklynites were willing to surrender their autonomy to another city. So how did the Consolidation happen? What were the events leading up to it? And what became of the aftermath?
This tour seeks to answer those questions, beginning in Lower Manhattan, setting the context for the leadup to Consolidation, and ending in Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge, the iconic symbol of Brooklyn-Manhattan unity. Along the way, we will gain a deeper appreciation for New York’s legendary urban past—and its exciting urban future.
The Empire Strikes Back: War and Freedom in Colonial New York
When asked which city comes to mind when thinking about American Independence and the Revolutionary War, one may guess Boston or Philadelphia, and yet, it was New York City where Washington commanded the Continental Army in the summer of 1776, where the British made their last stand until 1783, and where the first capital of the United States was declared.
It was in New York that the British Empire declared its capital on the American continent, striking back against the rebels in 1776 when they declared their freedom. And for seven years thereafter, New York remained a British-occupied city, divided internally by a population consisting of both American Patriots and a large number of British Loyalists.
New York thus became a city of contradictions: a wildly diverse metropolis that still displaced its Indigenous populations and a symbol of freedom where slavery was still upheld. Indigenous communities and enslaved Africans fought on both sides of this war, hoping that it would yield a more just outcome for them, and setting the stage for future struggles for a free society.
In this tour, we will trace the footsteps of the Revolution in New York, visiting a park where a statue of King George once stood before Patriots took it down; a tavern where battle strategies were drawn up; the sites of Washington’s Farewell Address as General and Inauguration as President; the burial place of Alexander Hamilton; and more.
Policing Gotham: A People’s History of the NYPD
This walking tour offers “a people’s history” and “a history from below” of the New York Police Department (NYPD), arguably the most (in)famous police department in the world.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is arguably the most (in)famous police department in the world. It has been featured in countless movies, documentaries, and books, and is practically synonymous with the very word “police.” However, despite its fame (or infamy), very little is known about the NYPD’s origins and its complex relationship to the city and its people.
In this walking tour, we offer one perspective by drawing from the frameworks of “a history from below” and “a people’s history'“ to tell the 400-year history of the NYPD. How was this police department formed? How did policing relate to the institutions of power, the organs of commerce, and the rights of property? How did everyday citizens support or challenge various forms of policing in their communities and neighborhoods?
Our tour will begin with an introduction to the origins of policing in New York City, followed by a walk through sites that will tell us stories like that of of the NYPD’s various transformations, the relationships between the police and local political figures, the numerous riots of Downtown Manhattan (some of which were led by the police themselves), the protests against police brutality, and the efforts of legal resistance to the NYPD’s discriminatory policies like brutality, stop-and-frisk, and surveillance, and will end with a portrait of the present-day state of policing. Some of the sites we will discuss these themes on will include Wall Street, Foley Square, City Hall, Columbus Park, and One Police Plaza.
Remembering Little Syria: The First Arab Americans
If you walk through Washington Street in Manhattan’s Financial District today, you would never know that once upon a time, the area was home to the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States. Once known as the “Syrian Quarter” in the late-19th century, this area became the Mother Colony from which the Arab American diaspora sprung.
It was here that the first Arab immigrants to the United States settled in the late-1800s and cultivated a vibrant cultural hub of businesses, houses of worship, and communal life, where one could imbibe the fragrances of Levantine pastries and cuisines wafting through the air as one walked its narrow streets.
It was here that Kawkab America, the first Arabic language newspaper in the US, was printed in 1892. It was here that the Linotype machine first began to use Arabic characters, revolutionizing Arabic language journalism all over the world. And it was here where Kahlil Gibran and Ameen Rihani participated in the Pen League, a collective of prominent Arab writers and intellectuals.
Today, only three buildings from the era remain, but this tour brings the stories of this neighborhood to life once more.
Before the tour, we invite you to take a digital tour of the area developed by our partners, the Washington Street Historical Society: https://alqalamjourney.org/en.
Accessibility: This tour does involve going up and down some steps on a pedestrian footbridge. For private bookings, the tour can be customized to avoid this route.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be combined with our From Mecca to Manhattan, The Forgotten Immigrant “Lower West Side”, and Ottoman New York: An Empire in the Empire State tours.
Socialism and Synagogues: The Jewish Lower East Side
Perhaps no other neighborhood in the country is more synonymous with historical immigration than the Lower East Side. Though this reputation no longer stands with it today, the vestiges of 200 years of immigrant communities remain with it today. In particular, the LES was home to a growing Jewish population, so large that it became the most dense neighborhood on earth. In this tour, we explore both the religious and the secular past of the Lower East Side, with a focus on these Jewish communities. We will learn about everything from labor uprisings to religious institutions to bagels and knishes!
Perhaps no other neighborhood in the country is more synonymous with historical immigration than the Lower East Side. Though this reputation no longer stands with it today, the vestiges of 200 years of immigrant communities remain with it today. In particular, the LES was home to a growing Jewish population, so large that it became the most dense neighborhood on earth. In this tour, we explore both the religious and the secular past of the Lower East Side, with a focus on these Jewish communities. We will learn about everything from labor uprisings to religious institutions to bagels and knishes!
Muslim Harlem: The Black Mecca
Harlem, the uncontested capital of Black America, has an unparalleled history that is hard to match by any neighborhood. In this tour, we focus on the Muslim side of this neighborhood history. Muslims have been central to Harlem's history and Harlem has been central to Muslim history in New York and the wider United States. From Sunni Islam to the Nation of Islam to the Five Percenters, numerous sects still thrive in this neighborhood. With new waves of West African immigration, Islam in Harlem has continued to evolve. In this tour, we will hope to get a taste of all of the above.
Harlem has been regarded as the uncontested capital of Black America for over a century. The largest neighborhood in Manhattan, one can never fully appreciate it in one tour. In this walk, we focus on just one aspect of the neighborhood: its Muslim history.
Muslims are central to Harlem's history, and Harlem is central to Muslim history in New York and the United States. From Sunni Islam to the Nation of Islam to the Five Percenters to new waves of Sufi immigrants, there are numerous sects, schools of thought, and theological interpretations that thrive in this neighborhood.
Our walk will place great emphasis on Islam in Harlem as a lived religion, which evolves and is shaped by time and social context. For many Black Americans, Islam continues to serve as a source of social camaraderie and a fuel for resistance in the face of racial oppression and injustice. We will engage with these themes to gain a deeper appreciation for religion and its intersections with urban space.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be combined with our "Malcolm X's Harlem" tour. You may also consider purchasing this tour in a bundle with our "Muslim Bed-Stuy" tour.
From Mecca to Manhattan: An Intro to Muslim New York
Muslims and Islam have been on continential North America for over 400 years, long before the idea of "America" itself. But that history is not as well known or appreciated. In this tour, we take a walk of Lower Manhattan, narrating the history of the city through the perspectives of Muslims. Along the way, we will learn about the first Muslim to own property in the US, African slave rebellions, Bengali ship workers, Arab merchants, and much more. We will end in the contemporary era, as we discuss the aftermath of 9/11, and the shape of Muslim New York today.
The history of Islam and Muslims on continental North America goes back nearly 500 years. This may come as a surprise to many due to the popular perception of Muslims in America as a recent immigrant community. This perception misses the Black and Indigenous Muslim experiences that have been central to the American story. In addition to that, American perceptions of Islam and Muslims, and American relationships with the Muslim-majority world, have long shaped domestic culture.
In this tour, we tell the story of Islam and Muslims in America dating back to the first Muslims to arrive here, both free and enslaved. Along the way, we visit the site that was home to "Anthony the Turk," the first free Muslim (and the first to own property) in the US; the former "Little Syria" colony; the 9/11 Memorial.
We will learn about African freedom fighters in the 18th century, Ottoman diplomats in the 19th century, Arab merchants and Bengali dock workers in the 20th century, and new waves of Muslim immigrants in the 21st century. We end our tour in the present day, focusing on Black and immigrant Muslim communities and how they fare in New York in the present day.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be tailored to your specific interests and needs, and can be combined with our "Ottoman New York," "Lowest West Side," "Little Syria," and "Policing Gotham," and "Wall Street from the Margins" tours (among others) based upon request.
The Forgotten Immigrant “Lower West Side”
On this tour we celebrate what was once a unique, multi-ethnic neighborhood that no longer exists. Often unofficially called the “Lower West Side” by local preservationists, it is now the World Trade Center. But once, 27 nationalities called this area home in 1917. In this tour, we uncover that past. We will learn about the transformations of this neighborhood, and along the way, will see the last few vestiges of the area, including a Community House, a tenement, and a former Syrian Church.
Immigration is the classic New York City story. When we think of historic immigration to New York, we typically think of the Lower East Side. However, there is a lesser known history of immigrants who settled on the west side of Manhattans from the 1840s up to the 1960s. These immigrants included Germans and Irish, Middle Easterners, and Slavic groups, among many others. In 1917, twenty-seven nationalities among 8,000 inhabitants were reported to have lived here.
Today, the area is known as the World Trade Center and the Financial District. While the immigrant hub called the “Lower West Side” by local preservationists no longer exists, this tour aims to uncover its history by taking us back to that era to remind us of what once was—and what could still be possible elsewhere.
On our tour, we will learn about the first Dutch and British settlers in the area, followed by a look into what became “Millionaire’s Row” after the American Revolution, which came to an end after a great fire causing the wealthy Anglo-Saxon residents to move upwards to Greenwich Village. In the 1840s, Irish and German immigrants took their place, followed by Ottoman immigrants in the 1880s, including Arabs, Greeks, and Armenians. Finally, Slavic immigrants moved in by the early-1900s, turning the neighborhood into a true melting pot.
On this walk, we will see the last few vestiges of that era, including the site of the first Dutch settlement, the shrine of the first US-born person given the title of “Saint,” a tenement from the time, and the façade of a former Syrian church. Along the way, we will learn about the history of immigration, the duality of preservation and development, and the future of urban planning in New York.
In Honor Of: This tour was developed in consultation with (and in honor of) Joe Svehlak, local historian and preservationist who grew up in the area in the 40’s, and who has been instrumental in preservation efforts to keep its legacy alive through his organization, the Friends of the Lower West Side.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be combined with our Remembering Little Syria: The First Arab Americans, Ottoman New York: An Empire in the Empire State, and Wall Street from the Margins tours.
Wall Street from the Margins: Rebels, Activists, and Workers
The name of Wall Street is synonymous with finance and the economy. It is often pejoratively associated with corporate greed and excess capitalism. In this tour, we explore the 400-year story of Wall Street through the perspective of its “Others,” as we traverse through sites connected to slave rebellions, indigenous resistance, immigrant labor, and social activism.
The name "Wall Street" today is synonymous with global finance and trade, and since the 1600s, it has been a center of trade and commerce for Dutch, British, and American settlers. It evokes images of wealthy bankers and financiers, unaccountable plutocracy, and cold capitalism. But Wall Street has not gone unchallenged.
For 400 years, since the first Dutch settlers established the "wall" that this street was to be named after, Indigenous and African peoples continued to find ways to resist their oppression in creative ways. Their struggles gave way to the arrival of newer immigrant communities, and with every generation, whether they were Irish or Italian, Jewish or Chinese, Bengali or Guyanese, the fight against social and economic depredation did not end.
This walk will narrate the story of Wall Street through the perspective of its "Others," the people who made New York from the bottom up. We will learn about New York's first slave rebellions, its first indigenous battles, immigrant struggles, and contemporary protest movements like Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter.
Consider it a "People's History" of Wall Street. In the end, we hope you leave with a greater appreciation for grassroots struggle and the ongoing quest for justice.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be combined with any of our tours covering Lower Manhattan, including "Mecca to Manhattan," "Lower West Side," and "Policing Gotham" (among others).
Tour Highlights:
The Greats of Greenwich Village: Poets, Writers, and Critics
There are few—if any—neighborhoods in the country that can boast contributing as much to American literature as Greenwich Village (and its extension, the West Village). From Thomas Paine’s “American Crisis” to Emma Lazarus’s “The New Colossus” to Kahlil Gibran’s “The Prophet” to Malcolm X’s Autobiography, the literary production of this neighborhood is unparalleled. On this tour,
There are few—if any—neighborhoods in the country that can boast contributing as much to American literature as Greenwich Village (and its extension, the West Village).
In this tour, we will visit the homes, apartments, and sites associated with novelists, journalists, and writers like Kahlil Gibran ("The Prophet"), Mark Twain ("The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"), Emma Lazarus ("The New Colossus"), Angela Davis ("Freedom is a Constant Struggle"), Eleanor Roosevelt ("The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt"), James Baldwin ("The Fire Next Time"), Richard Wright ("Black Boy"), Thomas Paine ("The American Crisis"), Alex Haley ("The Autobiography of Malcolm X"), E.B. White ("Charlotte's Web"), Edgar Allen Poe ("The Raven"), Margaret Mead ("Coming of Age in Samoa"), Jane Jacobs ("The Death and Life of American Cities"), Lorraine Hansberry ("A Raisin in the Sun"), and Louisa May Alcott ("Little Women").
Malcolm X’s Harlem: Witnessing the Autobiography
In this tour, we retrace the steps of Malcolm X through the streets of Harlem as we follow his journey from his teenage years until his death, uncovering the centrality of the neighborhood on his development. This tour is based on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley.”
Easily one of the most iconic neighborhoods in the country, Harlem has remained a center of Black culture and politics from the early 20th century up until the present day. The neighborhood incubated myriad Black political movements from the Pan-Africanism of Marcus Garvey to the social gospel of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the Black militancy of Malcolm X.
This particular tour focuses on Malcolm's relationship to the neighborhood. His journey to Harlem began as a young teen who stayed at the YMCA, followed by his central role as the Minister of the Nation of Islam and, eventually, the founder of his own Sunni mosque. While Malcolm traveled all over the world, Harlem was always the home base of his political organizing.
Our walk will begin with an introduction to Harlem and its history, followed by a journey where we retrace Malcolm's steps through the neighborhood from his time as a teenager all the way up until his death. Malcolm will be our “tour guide” as we work our way through Harlem’s built environment.
Things to Know:
This tour is based on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley.” It is highly recommended (but not required) to read the book in advance. Bring your copy with you if you really want to enrich your experience!
There is an extended version of this tour that runs for two and a half to three hours, ending on 116th street. Ask about it if interested!
Tour highlights:
Muslim Bed-Stuy: The Black Medina
The iconic Bedford-Stuyvesant has a storied history as one of the country’s most iconic Black neighborhoods. It is often regarded as the “Black Medina” (in complement to Harlem, the “Black Mecca”), beckoning to two holy Muslim cities. Walk with us as we uncover the stories of Brooklyn’s Black Medina, and learn about cultural ideas, social movements, and perhaps enjoy some bean pie and brisket along the way.
Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant is widely regarded as one of the most iconic Black neighborhoods in the United States, comparable to Manhattan's Harlem in terms of its significance. The neighborhood has been home to numerous Black cultural, political, artistic, and religious movements, among which were those shaped by Muslims. Widely regarded as the "Black Medina" (as a complement to Harlem as the "Black Mecca"), Bed-Stuy has long been a flourishing epicenter for Black, and more recently, immigrant Muslims.
In this tour, we explore how Brooklyn's Black Muslim culture has both influenced, and was influenced by, the city. We will visit historic mosques and restaurants, learn about various Black-led movements, including the Nation of Islam, the Dar al-Hijrah, and Sufism. We will draw connections between the struggles for civil rights and social justice with the contemporary battles for civil liberties and the Movement for Black Lives. We will also discuss the impact of the housing crisis, gentrification, and displacement in the neighborhood, touching upon the future of the neighborhood.
Along the way, we may grab some bean pie--an Black Muslim staple--and maybe enjoy some brisket at the end!
Immigrant Williamsburg: Capital, Creativity, Chaos
Williamsburg’s name has been synonymous with creativity and innovation for over a century and a half. In this tour, we explore some of that legacy through the lens of the immigrants who made it a hub for constant reinvention, looking at Poles, Germans, Italians, Puerto Ricans, Hasidic Jews, and others.
The North Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg has had a storied history as a center of creativity for four centuries. Given its proximity to the East River waterfront, Williamsburg has always had access to commercial trade routes and served as a destination for many crossing over from Manhattan. Today, the neighborhood is often associated with hipster culture, tech entrepreneurship, and high-end restaurants and shops.
On this walk, we narrate the story of a different, lesser-known side of Williamsburg: that of its immigrant and minority communities. These immigrants included Poles, Germans, Italians, Jews, Latinos, and many more. We will explore the themes of capital, creativity, and chaos through the stories of these immigrant communities and learn how they shaped the neighborhood's historical and cultural trajectory into the present day.
Along the way, we will learn about several immigrant-led businesses, old and new, including (but not limited to) the Domino Sugar Factory founded by an English immigrant; Gottlieb's Restaurant founded by a Hungarian immigrant; Pfizer, founded by a German immigrant; the Moore Street Market, a staple for Latino immigrants; and Qahwah House, founded by Yemeni immigrants. We will also visit the home of the founder of "America's first pizzeria" as well as the Grand Rabbi of the Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism.
In the process, we will also learn a little bit about the impacts of economic change through the neighborhood, as well as the challenges faced by these immigrants communities today as they grapple with the housing crisis, increased costs of living, and cultural erasure. A vivid portrait of a diverse and everchanging neighborhood will emerge.