The Gilded Age is synonymous with opulent mansions, grand parties and unimaginable wealth, but there is another side to the era. This tour will discuss the lives of the other residents of New York at the time: the poor tenement dwellers, the staff who worked for the rich, the politicos and journalists of the time, and the emerging army of city workers. 

We’ll wander through the very streets where New York City churned and bubbled, including some of the most famous blocks in the city, like Mott Street in Chinatown and Mulberry Street in Little Italy. Along the way you’ll learn how the lives of the rich and poor differed enormously in this era, but also how they intersected in direct and indirect ways. We’ll also discuss the architecture of numerous buildings along the route, from large public buildings that mined the same architectural styles as the famous Fifth Avenue mansions, to humble tenement buildings designed to house as many as possible for the least expense.

This tour starts near City Hall and ends near NoHo, passing through Chinatown and Little Italy.

LENGTH:  2 hours
COST: $55 per person (includes a snack)
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