Historic Landmarks & Urban Walks with Eyes on Manhattan

New York City has many unique squares each with its own unique history and culture. We’ll explore peaceful Gramercy Park and its surrounding historic buildings, the busy and crowded Union Square, and the numerous monuments and buildings surrounding Madison Square Park. This walk traces how each of these squares came to exist and developed into either exclusive residential areas, commercial enterprises, home to artists, and sites for public demonstrations. Along the walk, we will stop many historic buildings that helped shape New York City.

Journey through three unique squares in Manhattan and visit some of the neighborhood’s famous sites and attractions. You’ll learn about the transformation that has occurred in each square over the past several generations.

Led by prominent neighborhood expert, Richard Soden, a custom-made walking tour will include:

1. Pass by famous statues in Union Square including Washington, Lincoln, Gandhi, and Marquis de Lafayette
2. Learn about “Tammany Hall” and see where its headquarters were
3. Visit the outside of the historic Pete’s Tavern where O’Henry may have written the “Gift of the Magi”
4. See the only private and locked garden in Manhattan (Gramercy Park)
5. Pass by the home of Theodore Roosevelt
6. Walk along the “The Historic Ladies Mile” where fashionable stores once stood
7. See the famous Flatiron Building
8. Learn who’s buried in the Worth Monument
9. Pass by the original locations of Madison Square Gardens
10. Stroll through Madison Square Park and see the many statues