The Municipal Art Society of New York is trying to get your eyes off your phone and laptop and onto the streets this weekend in the annual Jane’s Walk. On May 3rd and 4th, in honor of activist Jane Jacobs, MASNYC is offering 100+ free guided walks throughout NYC. The tour guides for Jane’s Walk 2014 are made up of local residents, urban experts and people who love their communities. With over 100 guides spanning two days, it is difficult to pick out the best in the bunch. To help your decision making, we picked out some of the walks that have peaked the interest of us here in the Untapped secret offices.
May 3rd
1. To learn how the city shaped the lives of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife,First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, take part in this two-parter exploring the Roosevelt House and FDR Four Freedoms Park. [Previously coverage of these spots on Untapped here and here].
2. Everyone should know that the “real” Little Italy is on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Walk by Fordham University, The Bronx Botanical Garden, and after the tour, you can head over to the best hidden pizza shop in the city; say hi to Sal for us.
3. We are sure some of you did not make the one day only showing of the inside of the famous World’s Fair Pavilion earlier this week. While you will not go inside, this tour of Flushing Meadows will emphasize on the history of the deteriorating monument and more.
4. Learn the history and future plans of the area that is currently home to the famous Domino Sugar Factory. A treat for those who walk through the area is a great display of finished and work-in-progress street art that has become part of the landscape surrounding the Brooklyn waterfront. Take a video tour inside the Domino Sugar Factory with us here.
5. The National Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island is one of those famous locations that many New Yorkers do not take advantage of. With a history that can be traced back to the Revolutionary War, this is a prime opportunity to view a piece of American history.
1. Greenwich Village will always be known as a place where the people you see on every college syllabus in the country worked. It is also where Bob Dylan got inspired to make the music that would represent his generation. This tour guides you through his NYC. Afterwards, you can check with our Inside Llewyn Davis Film Locations post, which features many historic Greenwich Village locations.
2. How did a West Village street earn the name Death Avenue. This tour explores the clashes between commerce and humanity in all shapes, colors and forms.
3. Beginning in Brooklyn’s Borough Hall and passing through several point of interest, this residential and commercial tour of Brooklyn Heights is said to represent Jane Jacob’s vision of urban diversity.
4. What distinguishes Manhattan from all of the other boroughs is its many skyscrapers. This tourexplains why Manhattan is home to the skyscrapers of NYC, as well as the history and current discussions of the NYC skyscraper.
5. Artist Moira Williams will guide you through some of the tallest and oldest trees in NYC. The different kinds of trees in Inwood Park have myths from various cultures. The artist will help those who come on this tour create a tree myth of their own.
To help him pick out comfortable shoes for all the tours he plans to go on, contact the author @TatteredFedora
