Skip to content

home

Private NYC Walking Tours

Private walking tours led by native New Yorkers who are professional historians

Discover Our NYC Tours

Mafia-walking-tour-NYC

Mafia Walking Tour

Challenge everything you know about organized crime on this tour through East Village and Little Italy.

1 hour | $150 (short on time?)
2 hours | $300 (full experience)
3 hours | $400 (extended tour)

Lower East Side History Project Walking Tours

Jewish Lower East Side

The former NYC Jewish slum district is one of the most iconic  neighborhoods in the world.

1 hour | $150 (short on time?)
2 hours | $300 (full experience)

1,000 years of NYC history walking tour

1,000 Years of NYC History

Go off the beaten path, exploring districts and aspects of our city that most excursions overlook.

1 hour | $150 (short on time?)
2 hours | $300 (full experience)

Forgotten New York Walking Tour

Five Points/Chinatown/ Little Italy

Walk through three iconic neighborhoods – places of cultural intersection, conflict, immigration, and transformation.

1 hour | $150 (short on time?)
2 hours | $300 (full experience)

Jewish Mob Walking Tour - Lower East Side History Project

Jewish Mob

From the slums of the Jewish ghetto rose the most powerful underworld mob figures that America had ever seen.

1 hour | $150 (short on time?)
2 hours | $300 (full experience)

Welcome to the Lower East Side

The Lower East Side of NYC is one of the oldest and most historically significant districts in America.

Today, the traditional LES encompasses several neighborhoods, including the East Village, Little Italy, NoLita, NoHo, Two Bridges, and Chinatown.

Why Choose Our Tours?

We Are:

  • A multiple award-winning organization
  • Professional historians, authors and educators
  • Multi-generational native New Yorkers
  • We founded the former Museum of the American Gangster (80 St. Marks Pl.), East Village Visitor Center (308 Bowery), Lower East Side Welcome Center (197 Grand St.)

Hundreds of 5-Star Reviews:

  • star rating  Amazing Knowledge and History - Eric was an excellent guide and adaptable to the specific interests of our group. He was a wealth of knowledge, and we'd highly recommend using the LESHP for neighborhood tours!

    avatar thumb Leotrio
    August 30, 2024
  • star rating  Fabulous Tour  - If you're looking for a unique experience of New York City, I highly recommend Eric Ferrara's Jewish Mob of the Lower East Side walking tour. Eric's depth of knowledge is... read more

    avatar thumb Wendy C
    August 27, 2024
  • star rating  Excellent tour by a professional guide!  - Took my family on Eric's Mafia Tour of Little Italy. He was a great professional tour guide! Teenagers didn't have as much appreciation for the history so we... read more

    avatar thumb Nevets L
    July 25, 2024
  • star rating  Make this a must do on your trip  - After lots of research, I booked this as a present for my partner as he is interested in the mafia.
    As it is a private tour, my daughter,... read more

    avatar thumb roxie2001
    September 8, 2023
  • star rating  Great Walking Tour  - My son (17) and I truly enjoyed the tour with Eric. The tour was packed with local stories and great information not readily available. We really finished with... read more

    avatar thumb Nemsdoc
    December 11, 2019
  • star rating  Mafia walking tour  - Went on the mafia walking tour in newyork with eric ferrera was one of the best things i have ever done was so knowledgable knew everthing about the mob and... read more

    avatar thumb T9400YOmarkh
    May 18, 2019

History Blog

The Dark and Forgotten History of Italian Immigration I bet You Didn’t Know

The Dark and Forgotten History of Italian Immigration I bet You Didn’t Know

I have been doing lectures, giving tours, and teaching classes at universities for over two decades, and to my disappointment,...
Read More
Who planned, funded, and built the tenements of NYC?

Who planned, funded, and built the tenements of NYC?

Historical Context: Urbanization and the Demand for Housing The Lower East Side’s transformation into a dense immigrant enclave began in...
Read More
The History of NYC Bodegas

The History of NYC Bodegas

Bodegas are instantly recognizable: hand-painted signage—often yellow with red lettering—and handwritten signs advertising Lotto or bottled water. The windows adorned...
Read More
Black, Puerto Rican, and Chinese Mutual Aid Movements of the Lower East Side

Black, Puerto Rican, and Chinese Mutual Aid Movements of the Lower East Side

1. Black Mutual Aid on the Lower East Side (1800s–1970s) Long before the Great Migration brought Southern Black families to...
Read More
The Origins of Chinese New Year Celebrations in NYC

The Origins of Chinese New Year Celebrations in NYC

Ancient Origins The origins of Chinese New Year stretch back over 3,500 years to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE)....
Read More
How NYC Pigeons Got a Bad Rap

How NYC Pigeons Got a Bad Rap

How NYC pigeons went from revered companions to "rats with wings," their rich history, role in the city, and why...
Read More