Now one of the most famous and illustrious streets in Manhattan, usually associated with luxury shopping and the grand Gilded Age mansions of the Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue's roots start in Greenwich Village. In November 1824, the central avenue of Manhattan’s radical new street grid system began at the foot of a potter's field and cut through 13 blocks of marshy farmland. Its creation would turn that field into Washington Square Park and the intended Mayfair of New York was born.
Join Untapped New York's Chief Experience Officer Justin Rivers for a celebration of Fifth Avenue's bicentennial on our brand new tour: Washington Square and the Birth of 5th Ave!
If you are an Untapped New York Member at the Insider tier or higher, you can join us for a free preview tour on December 8th, a week before we launch to the public!
On this tour, you will see some of the oldest remaining mansions of Washington Square and lower Fifth Ave, uncover the last original gas lamp in Manhattan, peer down Greenwich Village’s iconic residential alleys, learn about a townhouse that was turned into a bomb in the 1970s, visit one of the oldest cemeteries in New York City, and so much more!
All Photos by Justin Rivers
As you explore these fascinating sites, you'll learn about the street's evolution and how the old “blue blood” age of early Fifth Avenue gave way to the radical excesses of the Gilded Age and then the later Bohemian era we all associate Greenwich Village with today.
The first public run of this tour is on December 14th! Tickets are on sale now:
Untapped New York Members at the Insider level or higher can join us for a free preview tour on December 7th. Registration for member-only tickets opens on November 23rd at 12 PM ET. Insider members and above can save $10 off tickets to any upcoming public tour dates.
