May 20th, 2026

Join us for a 2-hour walking tour of the East Village with historian Joyce Gold.

Peter Stuyvesant, Director General of New Amsterdam, was the first owner of the farmland now known as the East Village.  He had planted a pear tree on the Bowery (Dutch for ‘farm’) which is now called ‘Pear Tree Corner’ 

Later, Irish laborers moved into the area to build ships along the East River. Germans also thrived here, until a tragedy resulted in the death of over 1000 of their people. As Germans left the neighborhood, Italian, Jewish, Polish, and Ukrainian immigrants moved in, bringing new life, food, and traditions.

Highlights include:
St. Marks-in-the-Bowery Church & Stuyvesant’s Pear Tree Corner
McSorley’s Old Ale House
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Arts and Sciences
The Astor Place Opera riot
The General Slocum Disaster
Yiddish Rialto theatres

Lunch to follow the tour for those interested (Dutch treat).

Please click here to purchase your ticket.