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| Williamsburg may be the most interesting neighborhood in the city. Once a resort in the 19th century, it became an industrial power, based on the sugar industry and others, with its own main street (Broadway) and banks. After the building of the Williamsburg Bridge in the early 20th century, Williamsburg became an extension of the Lower East Side ghetto, a densely populated tenement area. There were born such native sons as Mel Brooks, Henry Miller, and Leonard Lopate.
After World War II and the building of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the neighborhood declined, with industry and residents moving out. New arrivals included Hasidic Jews escaping the Holocaust and Puerto Ricans moving north to New York City. After much decline through the 1970s, the neighborhood began to revive, and in the 1980s artists and other urban pioneers started moving across the river from the East Village. Now Williamsburg is one of the hottest neighborhoods in New York, though not wit hout ongoing struggles about environmental safety, gentrification, and public housing and other amenities.
The tour will include the Hasidic enclave of South Williamsburg, home to the neighborhood's historic library and mansions from the 19th century industrial barons that have since been converted to religious use. Also, it will include the historic Broadway corridor near the Williamsburg Bridge, home to several banks (one converted to an art gallery) and the famed Peter Luger steakhouse (left) .
Then we will travel through the gritty Southside, which had the city's most densely populated block in 1920, to a vest-pocket riverside park next to the neighborhood's last sugar refinery. From there, we will proceed to the rapidly gentrifying, artsy Northside, home to an astonishing array of restaurants, bars, and galleries. The tour will end near the L train stop at Bedford Avenue. Dinner options will be suggested.
Remember: this tour includes a *lot* of walking, so be prepared. Two and a half hours. We will visit the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, unless it's closed, so there will be a $3 donation on top of the basic $15 tour cost. Total cost: $18.
 MEETING PLACE: Southheast corner of Marcy Avenue and Broadway, outside the first Brooklyn stop on the J train. You can pick up the J at multiple locations in Lower Manhattan and the Lower East Side, but always check the MTA web site. We end at the L train at Bedford Avenue and N. 7th Street, so if you're driving, you'd want to park near the end of the tour or somewhere in the middle.
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| This tour *does not* include the Hasidic enclave of South Williamsburg, but rather starts on the historic Broadway corridor near the Williamsburg Bridge, home to several banks (one converted to an art gallery) and the famed Peter Luger steakhouse. Besides a look at the history and landscape of Williamsburg--the gritty Southside, the waterfront, and the rapidly gentrifying, artsy Northside--we'll stop briefly in several art galleries.
At the end of the tour, we'll deliver you for the optional, free tour (it's fairly brief and often crowded) of the Brooklyn Brewery, the city's leading craft brewery. Yes, you'll get a sample, and after walking for a couple of hours, you'll have earned it. Whether you stop at the Brewery or not, we'll be near the L train stop at Bedford Avenue.
 MEETING PLACE: Northeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Broadway, outside the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. It's a longish walk from the L to Bedford and slightly less longish walk from J to Marcy. Remember: this tour includes a *lot* of walking, so be prepared. Two and a half hours. See Schedule page for date/time.
We end near the L, so those driving will have to take a longish walk or a short car service or bus ride to return to the starting place. You can always park in the middle.
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| This tour *does not* include the Hasidic enclave of South Williamsburg, but rather starts on the historic Broadway corridor near the Williamsburg Bridge, home to several banks (one converted to an art gallery) and the famed Peter Luger steakhouse.
The tour will start outside the (closed) Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. We'll take a peek at some galleries as we will travel through the gritty Southside and up through the rapidly gentrifying, artsy Northside. At the end of the tour, there's an optional stop at the Brooklyn Brewery, the city's only craft brewery. Beer is served until 10 p.m. ($3 extra, optional.) We'll end near the L train stop at Bedford Avenue. |
Remember: this tour includes a *lot* of walking, so be prepared.
Two and a half hours. See Schedule page for date/time. $15/person.
MEETING PLACE: We meet at the NE corner of Broadway and Bedford (see above). |
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