Schedule: Fridays at 2:00pm Although the site of New York's
second deadliest riot -- a two-day confrontation between Protestant and
Catholic, rich and poor, patrician and slum-dweller -- Astor Place was
at the time the most elegant address in the country bar none. Still the
home to some of New York's most prestigious institutions, it is one of
the best preserved blocks in all New York. The richest men in the world
all left their durable mark on Astor Place: the ruthless Vanderbilt;
Cooper, philanthropist and genius; Stewart the honest deal man, and, of
course, the wily Astor himself. Among a dozen sites along the way, we
will drop in on the Merchant House, the Public Theater and Cooper
Union, all still alive with 19th century history.
Reservations: Not Required, you can pay your guide. Fee: $15, Duration: 1.5 - 2 hours, Distance: 14 blocks Meet: East Village Visitors Center, 308 Bowery (btwn E. Houston & Bleecker) Directions: F, or V train to 2nd Avenue/Lower East Side or 6 train to Bleecker/Lafayette