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Sunday, May 3, 2015 | Day Three Schedule
Time/Place
Walk Details: Title/Leader/Meeting Place/Description
9:30am
Manhattan
Hidden Feng Shui Designs within New York City Architecture
Laura Cerrano, CEO & Founder, Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island
Meeting Place: Red Lobster in Times Square on the corner of 41st St and 7th Ave
10:00am
Brooklyn
Walk the streets of NYC with certified Feng Shui expert, Laura Cerrano, and develop your Feng Shui eyes
to see hidden Feng Shui architectural designs. This walk covers two Feng Shui design inspired sites,
Times Square and the Trump International Hotel and Towers. These two locations offer perfect real life
examples of everyday Yin and Yang energy that flows through the city streets of New York.
Brooklyn’s Red Hook: History and A Rapidly Evolving Future
Deborah Gardner, Historian and Curator, Roosevelt House at Hunter College
Meeting Place: Smith/9th Street stop on the F and G lines, descend to street
Red Hook is changing rapidly. In the past, it was oriented towards the port and industry with plentiful
working class jobs. It declined after WWII and became known for a large public housing project, crime,
and isolation, cut off from surrounding neighborhoods by a major highway. Fast forward to the present,
it’s safe and in the midst of accelerating gentrification, with a big box store (Ikea) and food magnet
(Fairway), small start-up businesses, vibrant sports fields, food trucks, an urban farm, distilleries, citysponsored waterfront parks, new cultural energy (art, movie locations, music), a new independent
school, and new luxury housing.
Celebrate Beach Plums at Plumb Beach
Mickey Maxwell Cohen, American Littoral Society naturalist
Meeting Place: Plumb Beach Round House, off Belt Parkway in Brooklyn
Enjoy the profusion of Beach Plum blossoms while learning about the ever-changing Plumb Beach with
American Littoral Society naturalist Mickey Maxwell Cohen. Learn about heroic plans to halt the most
severe ongoing beach erosion in our area. Binoculars and a magnifying glass will be helpful! This is a
Gateway N.R.A. / American Littoral Society Partnership Program. Directions by car: Eastbound on the
Belt (Shore) Pky. Entrance to (free) Plumb Beach parking is from the eastbound side, just east of Knapp
Street exit. Careful, it’s very easy to miss.
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
10:00am
Manhattan
Historic Little Italy: Stories From Behind the Counter
Lou Di Palo, Friends of Eizabeth Street Garden
Meeting Place: The Elizabeth Street Garden (North of Spring St., between Mott and Elizabeth)
10:30am
Manhattan
Lou Di Palo, proprietor of the family-owned food shop that has been the treasure of the neighborhood
for more than a century and author of "Di Palo's Guide to the Essential Foods of Italy," shares not only
his favorite places in the neighborhood but also his family's storied history and engages in a discussion
of the Little Italy's past, present and future.
“Reflecting Absence": Experiencing the September 11th Memorial
Judith Pucci
Meeting Place: in front of 4 World Trade Center, across from the Memorial at the corner of Liberty and
Greenwich Streets
A powerful, factually accurate exploration of the historic events of 9/11 and the massive memorial pools
honoring the nearly 3,000 dead. Learn about the concepts and symbolism the designer, Michael Arad,
used to create a contemplative and dignified memorial. Gain insight into what being at the Trade Center
was like that morning. Hear the remarkable story behind the Survivor Tree. Observe the ongoing
rebuilding of the World Trade Center and learn about the innovative construction methods developed
especially for this massive and unique urban renewal project.
10:30am
Staten Island Life in the Balance: Ecological Diversity in Staten Island
Georgia Trivizas
Meeting Place: 10:15am at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, 4 South Street, NYC—the group will gather
in front of the elevator/escalator to board the 10:30am ferry
11:00am
Brooklyn
The variety of lifestyles on Staten Island goes beyond the mix of its human inhabitants. From the peeper
frogs that appear in the spring to the migratory bird flyways, from the marine life found on beaches to
the nesting ospreys and eagles, Staten Island's diversity is unique. The interaction of the human
population with its natural surroundings presents an interesting look at life on the edge.
A Man, A Plan, Stranahan: Realizing Prospect Park
Matthew Wills
Meeting Place: Meet by the Stranahan Statue, at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park
Olmsted and Vaux are revered for designing Brooklyn's Prospect Park, but the political power behind
the designers has largely been forgotten. In his day, however, James S.T. Stranahan, president of the Park
Commission for 22 years, was so well known and respected that the City of Brooklyn rushed to complete
the unveiling of a life-sized bronze in his honor while he still lived.
Brooklyn Bridge Park: Pierhouse and St. Ann's Warehouse
Jonathan Marvel, Marvel Architects
Meeting Place: Bargemusic, 2 Old Fulton Street
Jonathan Marvel, founding Principal of Marvel Architects, will lead a walk in Brooklyn Bridge Park
covering issues relating to public-private development within the 88 acre park. Special focus will be on
the construction sites of Pierhouse and 1 Hotel and St. Ann's Warehouse - rather than a hard hat tour,
the tour will walk around the two project sites and describe the relationship between the buildings, the
Park, and the city. Jonathan will compare decision making between new construction issues with an
adaptive reuse of a beloved ruin.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
DUPBO: Down Under the Pulaski Bridge Onramp
Mitch Waxman, Newtown Creek Alliance
Meeting Place: St. Anthony's Church, 862 Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint
Join Newtown Creek Alliance Historian Mitch Waxman for an intense exploration of Newtown Creek's
Greenpoint and Hunters Point neighborhoods, walking along the East River and over the Newtown
Creek. A colonial center and 19th century industrial powerhouse, Greenpoint is a thriving neighborhood
cursed by environmental catastrophe. Explore this ancient North Brooklyn neighborhood, and learn its
incredible industrial history, while moving inexorably toward the Newtown Creek.
East New York: Past, Present and Future...Frontier!
Farrah Lafontant
Meeting Place: New Lots Reformed Church, 630 New Lots Ave
East New York has been called and meant many things to many people over the years, as of late it has
gained a new title of "The Next Frontier". As the supply of available land dwindles in New York City and
the demand for housing stock increases, it appears that folks may be heading "East". So if you feel like a
pioneer, join me as we stroll down memory lane and see why East New York has and will always be a
neighborhood with great moxie.
Free Flow: Tracing the South Brooklyn Waterfront
Keith Biesack, ITGLOWS
Meeting Place: 39th Street and 1st Ave in Brooklyn
How does the structure of the city structure the way we walk? The way we think, talk and feel? When we
enter parts of the city that are in transition, this is an opportunity for us as walkers to open up to the
new. To shift our intention, our direction, our gaze. On this walk we will see what is and what could be.
Prisons in disguise leak the sounds of stuck-out-of-sight lives; abandoned factories shed the dust of their
past out over the unreachable waters of the Gowanus bay; these waters breathe in/out the Brooklyn
borough, taking us all the way to liberating views of the Gigantic Apple.
Jewels in the Crown: Crown Heights
Irv Weitzman
Meeting Place: 847 Eastern Parkway
11:00am
Manhattan
Crown Heights is a neighborhood rich with history and architectural contrasts. Some of the biggest
mansions in New York City exist next to row-houses, some with front gardens, as well as elegant (past
and present) and dilapidated apartment houses. It contains one of the widest boulevards in New York
City as well as two of Brooklyn's longest streets. It is the historical home of the Brooklyn Dodgers (the
ONLY Dodgers -- L.A. is simply not recognized whereas Yankee fans are cautioned).
Amsterdam Avenue: Grit, Greed and Glamour
Gilbert Tauber
Meeting Place: Southwest corner of 96th Street & Amsterdam Ave
The blocks along Amsterdam Avenue from 96th to 110th Street, site of the pre-grid village of
Bloomingdale, provide a rich cross-section of Manhattan’s history, from traces of colonial roads to a
former residence of Barack Obama. Along the way we'll discuss topics such as the evolution of building
controls, the urban renewal scandals of the mid-20th Century, space needs of charitable and health-care
institutions, and Manhattan's dwindling stock of affordable housing.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
Central Park: The Lungs of the City
Michael Graff
Meeting Place: Meet outside Tavern on the Green, on the northeast corner of West 67th Street and
Central Park West.
What would life in Manhattan be like without Central Park? Why did every major city want a park just
like it? Starting at West 67th Street and Central Park West, we will explore the birth of landscape
architecture with its iconic buildings and varied landscaping that attracts over 40 million visitors yearly.
CIVITAS Reimagines the Waterfront from 96th to 114t Street on Manhattan’s East Side
Emma Marconi Bologna and Maura Smotrich, CIVITAS
Meeting Place: Meet under the FDR at 96th Street
The tour will explore 3 special nodes identified in the newly released CIVITAS Vision Plan for the East
River Esplanade prepared in conjunction with Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects. We will first meet
at 96th Street and begin the walk by discussing the proposed new gateway to the Esplanade at that
location. Boat storage and access are integral parts of this concept. We will proceed up the Esplanade to
Pier 107, where we'll consider both the Pier's temporary re-opening and long term reconstruction.
Explore Fifth Avenue: Stories Hidden Behind the Storefronts
Georgina Castanon
Meeting Place: Pomona Fountain in front of the Plaza Hotel
“Fifth Avenue will always be the street against which all others will be measured.” —Steven Gaines.
Experience the Avenue as never before through its history, legends, myths, and stories of love and
betrayal. This walk goes beyond the facts of a place and focuses on the people behind them and their
stories. You will be entertained by the collective knowledge and culture of the city's people, villains,
ghosts, artists, benefactors, and superheroes.
Financial District, Historic Downtown, 9/11
Ed Perlmutter
Meeting Place: 2 Broadway, directly across from Bowling Green
We'll visit the first part of NYC to be settled in the 17th century by the Dutch and follow its evolution
into the Financial District. Some other highlights include: “Occupy Wall Street” and Zuccoti Park, St.
Paul’s Chapel, World Trade Center and September 11, Battery Park City, City Hall complex and Municipal
Building, NYC Municipal Government, “Newspaper Row”, 17th Cenury New Netherlands/New
Amsterdam and the British takeover in 1664, South Ferry, Fraunces Tavern, Bowling Green and the
“Charging Bull” sculpture, Steamship Row, History of Broadway ticker-tape parades, Trinity Church, and
much more!
The Ghosts of Penn’s Demolition: Discovering Remnants of the Old Pennsylvania
Justin Rivers, playwright of “The Eternal Space”
Meeting Place: On the corner of 7th Avenue and 31st Street in front of the old Pennsylvania Station
Eagle
Take a walk in and around the current Penn Station and discover remainders of McKim, Mead and
White’s Beaux Arts architectural marvel. This walk will be accented with photos from three
photographers who witnessed the station’s demolition first-hand and will be led by playwright Justin
Rivers. His play, The Eternal Space, centers on a photographer documenting Penn’s destruction and will
begin its off-Broadway run this November.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
Jane, Walk It Out!
Ms. Amparo Abel-Bey, MPH, Walk It Out!
Meeting Place: Meet in front of the Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, West 122nd Street and Mt. Morris
Park West
All of us are aging every day. Senior citizens are the fastest growing sector of the U.S. population. In the
next 20 years, the senior population will double in size! But, old age does NOT mean sickness. It is our
responsibility as young people to take care of our “village elders”, because their well-being affects the
greater good! The goal of the Walk It Out! Program is to encourage seniors to be more physically active
in their neighborhood spaces, to be the eyes on the street, and to educate them about healthy choices so
that they will avoid disease and illness as they age.
Reconnection: From Hudson Square to Lower Manhattan
Margaret Newman, Executive Director, Municipal Art Society
Meeting Place: On the southwest corner of Spring Street and 6th Ave, next to the Citibike station
Think like a designer, and walk like an urbanist. Join Municipal Art Society Executive Director Margaret
Newman on a walking tour that explores how careful design can reconnect our city’s neighborhoods.
Witness the beauty of the World Trade Center Transport Hub and the ingenuity of a sustainable
streetscape plan. Ogle the rising “starchitecture” as well as the small public spaces taking shape
throughout TriBeCa and Lower Manhattan and discuss their impacts on the community. In proper MAS
fashion, “Reconnection” observes the power of thoughtful design at all scales.
The Artist and the Scientist: Home is Where the Heart Is
Heather Hart, artist; Mary Miss/City as Living Laboratory
Meeting Place: Southwest Corner of Houston and Avenue D
Mary Miss/City as Living Lab organizes artist-scientist led WALKs in urban settings, with the goal of
engaging communities, artists and scientists in conversations about important environmental social
issues. Artist Heather Hart and sociologist Dalton Conley will explore what their art and research tells us
about urban life. Hart creates interactive installations, including the recent “Oracle of Epicure,” based on
her family history, part of the Crossing Brooklyn exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.
The Bowery: From Tap Dance to Punk Rock
Sally Young and David Mulkins, educators and historians, Bowery Alliance of Neighbors
Meeting Place: Chatham Square, by the arch and memorial statue of Lieutenant Kimlau
“…one of the great American streets, as charged with historical significance as Beale Street in Memphis
or Basin Street in New Orleans” --Luc Sante Originally a Native American footpath and Dutch farm road,
the Bowery is NYC’s oldest thoroughfare, with diverse architecture representing nearly every decade
since 1780. Lincoln’s famous anti-slavery speech was made here, and America’s first streetcars operated
here. The gritty stomping ground for the Astor family, sporting men, the working class and immigrants,
Stephen Crane called it “the most interesting place in New York.”
Two Bridges NeighborFood: Tour The Diverse Markets of Two Bridges & Chinatown Through a
Local Lens
Michael Tsang and Dan Ping He, Two Bridges Neighborhood Council
Meeting Place: 80 Rutgers Slip
Two Bridges Neighborhood Council invites you to join us on a tour of the diverse, local markets in the
Two Bridges / Chinatown neighborhoods. Meet the people behind the area’s family-owned businesses
and supermarkets, while gaining insight into selecting the best fresh and affordable products for your
family.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
11:00am
Staten Island St. George, Staten Island: Bohemia by the Bay
Andrew Blancero
Meeting Place: St. George Ferry Terminal (Staten Island), in front of SI Arts' space.
11:00am
Queens
St. George is on the cusp of a long-awaited renaissance. The neighborhood also has a surprising history
and unique culture worth exploring. What do you know about Staten Island? What do you know about
St. George? What can we make of being "the next big thing"? Join me and discuss!
The Queens Park Greenway: A Transparency of Time
Kevin Walsh, webmaster, Forgotten NY
Meeting Place: Dutch Kills Green, Queens Plaza, meet at the Dutch Kills millstones in the center of the
park
12:00pm
The Bronx
The Queens Park Greenway links Dutch Kills Green with the East River. In just 1,400 steps, less than the
distance between Bryant and Central Parks, is a story of New York that we bet you never knew. Along
one spot is vista that exists nowhere else, not even in Manhattan. Any idea what that will be? At another,
once a place of natural beauty, are monuments to American industry and commerce. Elsewhere hear of
the Queensboro Bridge, iron that knitted a city, and Sunnyside Yards, where rails wove a nation. Can we
do such achievements today?
Bronx Week Starts at the Bronx Post Office
Jay Valgora, Founder & Principal, STUDIO V Architecture
Meeting Place: On the corner of 149th Street and Grand Concourse, across from the subway stop
12:00pm
Manhattan
Jay Valgora, Founder and Principal of STUDIO V Architecture will provide the historic fabric and facts of
the stately Bronx Post Office building, as well as describe the transformation the building will go through
in the next year as it converts from a post office to a commercial hub of retail stores, offices, restaurants,
marketplace, and a smaller post office - for 21st century uses.
The Arches of Central Park: Saving Lives Since 1859
Matthew Falber; Central Park Arch Project
Meeting Place: East 67th Street and 5th Ave
12:00pm
Queens
An epic six hour walking tour of Central Park's original 39 arches and a discussion about their
significance to pedestrian safety. The arches were originally deigned to separate pedestrians, carriages
and riders on horseback. Over the years, some of the arches were destroy and some of the park's roads
revised. In recent years, bicycle and pedestrian collisions have increased at crosswalks. The city has
responded with increased ticketing and signs at crosswalks. We will explore an alternative solution:
restoring arches.
Dutch Kills Green: Dancing in the Street!
Savona Bailey-McClain, Executive Director & Chief Curator, The West Harlem Art Fund
Meeting Place: Outside the Jet Blue Office Building, 27-01 Queens Plaza North
Dutch Kills Green is a re-invention of the tour experience. Usually, participants gain knowledge or
understanding from a built environment that is privately controlled. The West Harlem Art Fund is
offering new experiences in the public realm where people can interact with each other more and
connect. The team, The Fleet, in collaboration with the curator Savona, developed six dance videos at
Queens Plaza.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
12:30pm
Manhattan
A People’s History of Wall Street
Rebecca Manski, Educator, Tenement Museum
Meeting Place: At the entrance to the park in front of the Museum of the American Indian, meet by the
sign that says "Bowling Green"
This 2 hour walk tells the story of American capitalism from the People's point of view, from the mouths
of Occupy Wall Street activists with backgrounds in law and public history. This tour will undo the
mystique of this infamous street, allowing us to see past the grand institutional facades of this
neighborhood and lay bare the lies, injustice, and fraud committed every day.
Inwood Hill Old Forrest: Biodiversity Walk
Jim Cole, Board Member, Conservancy North and founding member & assistant principal, The Manhattan
Middle School for Scientific Inquiry
Meeting Place: We are meeting on the corner of 218th Street and Indian Road at the entrance of Inwood
Hill Park
Join Jim Cole of The Manhattan Middle School for Scientific Inquiry and Conservancy North on an
exploration of Inwood Hilll Park, a unique forest island in the heart of New York City. We'll visit trees
that are hundreds of years old, see evidence of the Native American community that once lived there,
and observe some of the plants and animals that call this forest home.
The Artist & The Scientist: Microbial Maps
William Lamson, artist; Chris Mason, geneticist; Mary Miss/City as Living Laboratory
Meeting Place: The Broadway/Lafayette subway station for the B, D, F and M trains, meet on the
mezzanine level of the station.
1:00pm
The Bronx
Mary Miss/City as Living Lab organizes artist-scientist led WALKs in urban settings, with the goal of
engaging communities, artists and scientists in conversations about important environmental and social
issues. Artist William Lamson and geneticist Chris Mason will discuss their shared interest in bacteria.
Lamson’s Hydrologies included two projects set in opposite hemispheres in which the mutual acts of
adding and removing water from the landscape become catalysts for generative works.
1920s & 1930 Bronx Apartment Heaven
Cuyler Christianson
Meeting Place: 2197 White Plains Road, meet outside the Rainbow Restaurant and Coffee Shop, just
south of the Pelham Parkway
When the subway reached the Pelham Parkway South neighborhood between 1917 and 1920, a feast of
beautiful six-story apartment buildings went up over the twenty years that followed. Styles include Art
Deco, Art Moderne, Tudor, Mediterranean, Renaissance, ect. The neighborhood attracted a large number
of Jewish residents as they migrated uptown from the crowded Lower East Side. Over time, the
neighborhood would transition many times and today contains a classic New York mixture living in
harmony in this neighborhood known for it's a low crime rate and the beautiful buildings that remain!
Environmental Justice Waterfront Tour (Landmark South Bronx)
Mychal Johnson, co-founder, South Bronx Unite
Meeting Place: Mott Haven Bar & Grill, 1 Bruckner Blvd
Resident members of South Bronx Unite, a local environmental justice organization, will lead a
waterfront walking tour of landmark sites throughout the Mott Haven-Port Morris neighborhood of the
South Bronx as well as sites along the Mott Haven-Port Morris Waterfront Plan, a community-designed
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
blueprint for alternatives to decades of policies that have perpetuated air quality degradation and unjust
land use.
Way Out in Norwood: 8 Bronx Landmarks in 2 Hours
Vivian Carter
Meeting Place: Mosholu Parkway stop on the 4 train, meet on the sidewalk at the bottom of stairs on
the west side of Jerome Avenue
1:00pm
Brooklyn
See a monumental water pumping station, then journey to the place where The Grand Concourse ends,
with time to peek at a landmark church and police station. Walk through a rowhouse historic district,
gaze at the borders of the New York Botanical Garden, and take in one of the city's earliest intact
fieldstone farmhouses. Stroll along one of the many parkways Robert Moses built, and stop near the
landmark cemetery where his remains now rest, just across from America's first municipal golf course.
Eyes on Brooklyn Heights
Sandy Ikeda, Purchase College, SUNY
Meeting Place: Brooklyn Borough Hall, by the broad steps
When you think of a city you like, what comes to mind? Can a city be a work of art? How do parked cars
serve pedestrians? Most of the interaction among people, bikes, and cars is unplanned. How does that
happen? Why do people gather in some places and avoid others? Is it possible to create a neighborhood
from the ground up? What is a “public space”? How can the design of public space promote or retard
social interaction? The beautiful and historic neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights offers excellent
examples of Jane Jacobs’s principles of urban diversity in action.
Gowanus Mural Tour
Groundswell
Meeting Place: Groundswell Studio, 540 President Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn
Join Groundswell (www.groundswell.nyc) on a tour four murals created in the Gowanus neighborhood
of Brooklyn that deal with issues such as women's empowerment, street safety, environmental
protection, and housing equity.
Know Your Trees: Identify and Engage with the Street Eyes on Brooklyn Heights
Sophie Plitt, Urban Forester and ISA certified Arborist, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
Meeting Place: Driggs Ave & Manhattan Ave, meet by the entrance of McCaren Park (directly across the
street from Bar Matchless)
On this walk we'll meander the tree-lined streets of Greenpoint and look closely at bark, buds, leaves
and tree crowns to develop the skills to identify the species growing on your block. We will discuss how
trees are planted in New York City and walk through the life cycle of a city street tree. Together we'll
explore how trees and people interact in our dense urban jungle, and how we can better understand and
enhance the relationship between people and their most immediate natural resources.
NAG’s Industrial History Tour of Williamsburg
Neighbors for Allied Good Growth
Meeting Place: Grand Ferry State Park, at Grand Street and River Street
1:00pm
Manhattan
This area along the East river became a robust industrial and manufacturing center during the 19th and
20th centuries. Today, as a result of the 2005 rezoning, much of these industrial uses have given way to
luxury apartment buildings. Yet, many buildings still remain as homage to the area’s bustling industrial
legacy.
#SaveNYC: Hyper-Gentrification and Appropriation on the Bowery
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
Kyle Supley, preservationist
Meeting Place: Bowery Bar, 4th Street and Bowery
Block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, the city is being filled with chain stores and luxury
retail. Join us and #SaveNYC. Recently, blogger and journalist Jeremiah Moss launched #SaveNYC, a
grassroots initiative aimed at protecting small businesses and cultural institutions in New York City. As
the city hyper-gentrifies, it is losing its unique character. Block by block, neighborhood by
neighborhood, the city is being filled with chain stores and luxury retail. One of the most dramatically
changed neighborhoods is the Bowery.
Protests and Public Space: Past and Present
Generation Citizen
Meeting Place: Washington Square Park, meet at the fountain in the center of the park
How can streets, parks, and public place play a role in bringing community members together to act on
important issues, from gun violence, to police brutality, to womens' rights? How can art and music
inspire the same collective awareness and action? We'll walk the paths of activists past and present from
Washington Square Park to Union Square Park, while discussing the role of public spaces, art, and music
in social change. Learn more about how Generation Citizen is empowering young people to be engaged
and effective citizens at www.GenerationCitizen.org!
Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York
James and Karla Murray
Meeting Place: In front of St. Mark's Church in the Bowery, 131 East 10th Street
The traditional storefront in New York City that has prevailed in some cases for over a century is facing
several new setbacks. These family-run businesses started out as traditional mom-and-pop stores
passed down from generation to generation, and there was a time when they defined our
neighborhoods. Many were humble stores tucked away on narrow side streets, while others had become
well-known institutions on historic avenues. Each store turned out to be as unique as their customers,
run by owners with a commitment to tradition and special service. Not only are these modest small
businesses falling away in the face of modernization, gentrification, and conformity, the once unique
appearance and character of our colorful streets suffers in the process.
Summer Streets Reprise: The Art & Architecture of Park Avenue
Anne Lewison; Snøhetta; Caterina Roiatti, TRA studio; Abby Suckle, cultureNOW
Meeting Place: In front of the Seagrams Building, 375 Park Ave
Every summer Park Avenue is closed for Three Saturdays in August from Foley Square to 72nd St to
allow New Yorkers to experience a pedestrian city. The street is filled with artworks commissioned for
the occasion. Last summer cultureNOW partnered with the Department of Transportation to create a
self guided tour of the architectural highlights near the rest stops along the 7 miles.
"The Longest Street in the World": At the Start of Broadway
Dr. Jacques Behar
Meeting Place: In front of the Alexander Hamilton Custom House, at the iron fence around Bowling
Green
Stand at the foot of "The Longest Street in the World" a.k.a. Broadway. We'll use the term "street" (which
always sparks controversy), because there are certainly longer highways and interstates. The name may
change, but it's the same street from The Battery to the Canadian border. (Think about it: is 6th Avenue
a different street than the Avenue of Americas?) Together, we'll see where the original shoreline was
and understand why Broad Street is wider than any other in lower Manhattan.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
1:00pm
Queens
The New Queensbridge: Exploring the Largest Public Housing Development in North America
Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Urban Upbound
Meeting Place: At the corner of 21st Street & 41st Ave, at the top of the escalator of the F train 21st
Queenbridge stop
1:30pm
Manhattan
Does gentrification eliminate poverty? What's life like growing up in Queensbridge? Walk a short
distance from the gentrified, "downtown" vibe of Vernon Blvd and the gleaming high-rises boasting
panoramic views of Manhattan and you'll find yourself near Queensbridge Houses; a stark contrast to
the Vernon Blvd nightlife. Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North
America.
Glamour and Glitter: New York's Diamond District
Michelle Szpilzinger
Meeting Place: 1211 6th Ave, meet in the plaza in front of the News Corp. Building
2:00pm
Brooklyn
Join us as we get an inside look into the glamorous yet gritty world of the Diamond District--where
hawkers line the street, and deals are made with nothing more than a handshake. Learn about the
history of the trade, the influence and impact on the Jewish community of New York, and the various
groups of people who spend their days buying, selling, grading, and cutting tiny gemstones worth
millions of dollars. Discuss the changes to the neighborhood as well as where new technology and an
increasingly global market will take this industry in the future. One city block can only hold so many
secrets...
Art at Pratt and Beyond
Anna Efanova
Meeting Place: On the corner of Dekalb Ave and St. James Place
Walking through the Clinton Hill neighborhood we will travel between the two centuries and look at the
nineteenth century architecture as a background for contemporary art on the grounds of Pratt Institute.
Join us on this adventure to the past and discover new local attractions and stories. There are treasures
all around here!
Transit Museum Takes On Gowanus
Katherine Reeves, NY Transit Museum
Meeting Place: Carroll Park, on the southwest corner of Caroll Street and President Street in Carroll
Gardens, just off the F/G train.
2:00pm
Manhattan
Tiny and little known by comparison with its fellow landmark bridges, the Carroll Street Bridge and its
surrounding Gowanus neighborhood is packed with fascinating history – and an unusual city ordinance
and resulting penalty still posted on the bridge to this day! Join Transit Museum Educator Katherine
Reeves to explore one of the country’s oldest surviving “retractile” bridges, trace the route of the former
4th Avenue elevated, and discover former stable sites that were converted into garages once cars
became popular.
Discover Hidden Gems of the East Village: Walking the Side Streets
Betsy Bober Polivy, Manhattan Sideways
Meeting Place: Dorian Grey Gallery, 437 East 9th Street
9th Street is a village within the Village. A small urban world of its own, the blocks between Avenue A
and 2nd Avenue are chock full of whimsical shops, mouthwatering eateries, and artistic corners. The 9th
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
Street specialty stores offer something for everyone, from a classic men’s hat shop to an earthy den of
herbs and candles. All eras are represented, from modern day toy shops to antique stores.
Lost and Found Murals of East Harlem
Kathleen Benson, East Harlem Preservation, Inc.
Meeting Place: Outside of the 103rd Street subway station (#6 train)
Learn about East Harlem's famous "buildings as canvases" tradition as you stroll through the
neighborhood to see dozens of outdoor artworks! East Harlem Preservation, Inc. has long showcased
local community art through public awareness and outreach, and worked to preserve and repair
endangered works. This spring, we are embarking on a new initiative to restore the 107th Street mural
honoring Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera in partnership with the Historic Districts
Council.
Manhattan West: From the High Line to Hudson Yards
Adam Lubitz
Meeting Place: At the corner of Gansevoort and Washington Streets
Jane Jacobs believed a successful “sidewalk must have users on it fairly continuously, both to add to the
number of effective eyes on the street and to induce the people in buildings along the street to watch the
sidewalks in sufficient numbers.” The High Line asks, what if this sidewalk was an elevated park and ran
the length of a neighborhood? Any conversation about New York’s history at least implies the perpetual,
visceral tension between development and preservation. What better way to honor Jane’s legacy here
than by experiencing and conversing along one of the greatest recent successes in historic preservation.
Patriots to President: New York and the Revolution (1776-1789)
Bruce Racond
Meeting Place: South end of Bowling Green park, right outside the black fence
Stories and surprises abound as we discover the early history of the United States from the Revolution
to the first President. Don't know much about early American history? Do you think a tea party is
something you have at the Plaza Hotel? That Alexander Hamilton got his picture on the ten dollar bill for
fighting in a dual? That the Declaration of Independence was a divorce announcement? Get caught up on
this tour in Lower Manhattan.
Towering Masts to Towers: A Conversation about the Past, Present, and Future of the Seaport
Margaret Flanagan and Roland Lewis, Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance
Meeting Place: Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, at the corner Fulton and Water Streets, meet by the park
benches next to the tower
2:30pm
Brooklyn
Walk through the historic Seaport District with experts from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance to
better understand the transitions in the neighborhood and what that means for us as a port city. Look
for threads from the past that remain, reflecting Dutch entrepreneurship and the great days of sail.
Appraise the pier renewals happening now that are literally re-shaping our waterfront. Examine
proposals for restoration, re-use and redevelopment in the District, and try to imagine what Jane would
say. The comings and goings of a seaport have always inspired the exchange of information and ideas,
particularly important now as plans develop for the future of this unique, historic public space.
Gowanus Mural Tour
Groundswell
Meeting Place: Groundswell Studio, 540 President Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
3:00pm
Brooklyn
Join Groundswell (www.groundswell.nyc) on a tour four murals created in the Gowanus neighborhood
of Brooklyn that deal with issues such as women's empowerment, street safety, environmental
protection, and housing equity.
The Fight for Bushwick Inlet Park
Jens Rasmussen, North Brooklyn Boat Club
Meeting Place: At the Bushwick Inlet Park Building, Kent Ave and N 9th Street
3:00pm
Manhattan
In 2005, the City of New York promised the 28-acres as park land as part of a massive rezoning. Almost a
decade later, tens-of-thousands of new residents have moved in because of that rezoning, but very little
of Bushwick Inlet Park has materialized. In the wake of a massive fire it has become clear that unless the
community sends a forceful message to city hall, the promised park will never be delivered. Join us on a
walk along the perimeter of our promised park and learn the stories and strategies of community
fighting for the open space its children need, and the city promised.
Gay in Greenwich Village: Literature, Film, and Politics Intertwined
Joe Ehrman-Dupre and Christopher Bram
Meeting Place: The LGBT Community Center, 208 W 13th St, meet outside the front doors of the Center
Have you ever wondered what intimate histories the side streets and torn-down buildings of Greenwich
Village hold? Curious about the sexual revolution that has thrived in this verdant Manhattan
neighborhood for nearly a century? Want to know exactly where Gore Vidal picked up Jack Kerouac and
what movie theater James Baldwin frequented? Why did Willa Cather live here if her heart belonged to
the West and Southwest? Where did Larry Kramer (and his dog) confront their neighbor, Mayor Ed
Koch, over the city's failure to deal with AIDS? And why do so many filmmakers decide to shoot scenes
in the oldest gay bar in New York City? Our walk will examine gay culture in Greenwich Village,
originating as early as the 1910's and moving forward to the present.
Jane’s Boot Camp
Jamie Olen, The Municipal Art Society of New York
Meeting Place: 87th & East End Ave, meet at the entrance to Carl Schurz Park
Jane's Boot Camp will introduce you to a different approach to staying fit in the city...no gym
membership required! Join us for a midday workout and learn how you can use the city itself to live a
healthy urban life. You'll leave with a new appreciation of urban gym equipment—a.k.a. benches, stairs,
and grass—and dripping with sweat.
The NoHo Historic District: 1800 through 2015
Bill Rosser
Meeting Place: Astor Place, at the temporarily-gone Alamo Sculpture at Eighth Street and Lafayette
Street, across from Starbucks
NoHo is unique in retaining intact architectural examples of its 200-year evolution as a Manhattan
neighborhood. From its farmland converted to the bucolic Vauxhall Beer Garden in 1804, to the most
fashionable street in the city, then to intense commerce, later fading to small workshops, to illegal
artist's lofts – followed by a huge turnaround to elegant condos and new structures created by three
different Pritzker-prize-winning architects.
The Arches of Central Park: Saving Lives Since 1859
Matthew Falber, Central Park Arch Project
Meeting Place: Delacorte Theater, Central Park
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.
An epic six hour walking tour of Central Park's original 39 arches and a discussion about their
significance to pedestrian safety. The arches were originally deigned to separate pedestrians, carriages
and riders on horseback. Over the years, some of the arches were destroy and some of the park's roads
revised. In recent years, bicycle and pedestrian collisions have increased at crosswalks. The city has
responded with increased ticketing and signs at crosswalks. We will explore an alternative solution:
restoring arches.
The Secrets of Death Avenue
Owen Crowley
Meeting Place: Meet at the small triangular square just north of 14th Street at 9th Ave, next to the Le
Pain Quotidien kiosk
Change is essential to life, and the West Village has been an incubator for change. A vibrant blend of
immigrants, artists, lefties, financiers, gay and straight, young and old, affluent and hardscrabble, this
area has been one of the world's most fertile spawning grounds of creativity, social change, and protest.
Through conventional exposition, street theater and song — Your participation is welcome! — you will
learn about how the clash of commerce with humanity once earned a West Village street the name
"Death Avenue". Now an unseen danger lurks beneath that same street, at the foundation of the New
Whitney. What would Jane Jacobs do? What can you do? Join us and find out.
Walk the Heights in Manhattan
Nancy Bruning
Meeting Place: Meet at the entrance to Fort Tryon Park's Heather Garden, across from the 190th Street
stop of the A train
5:30pm
Manhattan
Million dollar views on a former millionaire's estate created for you by another millionaire: that's just
part of a Walk in the Heights! This walk explores three parks in Northern Manhattan. Fort Tryon Park is
a 67-acre historic park with breathtaking views of the Hudson River, the largest heather garden on the
east coast, and the Cloisters, which houses a portion of the medieval art collection of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art.
A People’s History of Wall Street
Rebecca Manski
Meeting Place: At the entrance to the park in front of the Museum of the American Indian, meet by the
sign that says "Bowling Green"
This 2 hour walk tells the story of American capitalism from the People's point of view, from the mouths
of Occupy Wall Street activists with backgrounds in law and public history. This tour will undo the
mystique of this infamous street, allowing us to see past the grand institutional facades of this
neighborhood and lay bare the lies, injustice, and fraud committed everyday.
Sunday, May 3, 2015| Day Three Schedule
Walks are subject to change. Please visit www.mas.org/janeswalk for the most up-to-date listing.