OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto by Benjamin Waldman for Untapped Cities

On April 27th, Untapped Cities History Editor Benjamin Waldman will be leading a walking tour of Lower Manhattan focusing on the world’s tallest buildings in NYC. We will delve into little-known facts and stories about some of the city’s landmarks, focusing in period between 1890 and 1974, when New York City held the record for having the world’s tallest building. The tour will end with a cocktail at the historic Fraunces Tavern.

The tour will also explore the evolution of the city’s skyline from a single church spire to the skyscraper-filled skyline recognized worldwide today, and trace the transformation of the city from a classical European colony to a modern metropolis. Highlights will include the Woolworth building (exterior), Trinity Church, and the site of the Singer building, the tallest building ever peacefully demolished.

In addition to being the History Editor and a writer for Untapped Cities, Benjamin Waldman, has written for The New York Times, the Columbia Magazine, and Curbed. He has lectured at venues around the New York metropolitan area on topics including “A Walk Through Parisian History” and “Edgar Allan Poe’s New York City” (which was part of a National Endowment for the Arts grant). Benjamin is a licensed New York City tour guide and leads tours through the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy for groups including the 92nd Street Y, Columbia University, and Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford.

See more from Untapped Cities tours, including a tour of the inside of the Woolworth Building:

VIP Tour of the Woolworth Building