You'll learn about the East Village's exciting history from the Dutch years of early New York (1600s) to when it was known as Kleindeutschland, (1860s) and German immigrants dominated the area; from the counter-culture scene of the 1950s and ‘60s to the punk rock explosion of the 1970s and the current vibrant scene of the neighborhood.
One cannot experience the East Village without tasting a few of its ethnically diverse and inexpensive snacks. We'll stop to taste just a few:- Ukrainian varenyky for for 75 cents each!
- Middle-Eastern falafel balls just $1.50
- Chinese Fuzhou cumin lamb sandwich only $3.00 (an Anthony Bourdain favorite!)
- and if you have room, classic Italian pastries such as cannoli and sfogliatelle $2.25 and up
And don’t worry – we’ll walk off the calories as we visit the following
sites:
- Tompkins Square Park, with an exciting history of German beer halls in the 1880s to notorious NYC riots in the 1980s
- 80 Saint Marks Place, former jazz club where Thelonious Monk and Frank Sinatra played
- Site of the former Fillmore East, music venue that hosted dozens of 1960s rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who & Led Zeppelin
- St. Mark’s Lutheran Church built in 1847
- Arlington Hall, site of the infamous 1914 shootout between Dopey Benny Fein’s gang and Jack Sirocco’s mob
- the homes, hang-outs and haunts of dozens of artists, writers, musicians and political activists such as Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Abbie Hoffman, Leon Trotsky, Charlie Parker, Iggy Pop, Joey Ramone, William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Norman Mailer;
So come join me for my Free East Village Walking Tour.
Tour meets at Starbucks next to the Astor Place subway stop.
