2012 Neighborhood Walking and Bicycle Tours
Meeting locations and directions for tours will be provided upon registration. Tours generally last two and half hours. Space is limited.
Van Cortlandt Village
Van Cortlandt Village, Bronx
WALKING TOUR led by Anthony W. Robins, architectural historian
Once the site of Revolutionary War-era Fort Independence, Van Cortlandt Village developed into a residential enclave in the 20th century. Built on a winding street plan designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, responding to the hills and views of the area, the neighborhood consists of small Neo-Colonial and Tudor revival homes and apartment buildings, including the Shalom Alecheim Houses, an early cooperative housing project. The tour will be led by architectural historian Anthony Robins, author of the Van Cortlandt Village Cultural Resources Survey. A representative of the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association will also attend to talk about their ongoing preservation and awareness efforts.
Van Cortlandt Village: SOLD OUT!
~If you would like to add your name to the waiting list for Van Cortlandt Village please email us at [email protected] with your name and number. We will contact you if spots open on this tour, or if another will be held in the future.~
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Visit Bay Ridge, a quintessentially New York neighborhood filled with a variety of historic housing, well-maintained parks, vibrant commercial streets and impressive institutional buildings. As we ride along Shore Road and the bicycle path, the tour will focus on some of the open spaces and significant sites along the area closest to the waterfront including Bliss Park, the Barkaloo Cemetery, the Narrows Botanic Garden, the Arts & Crafts style Gingerbread House, the former site of the New York Crescent Club & Polo Grounds, the cul-de-sac block Colonial Gardens and the Greek Revival-style Bennett-Farrell House. The day will end with a tour of the military site, Fort Hamilton, an active base with numerous historic structures, founded in 1825. Bikes will not be provided.
View images of this great event!
Morningside Heights, Manhattan WALKING TOUR led by Andrew Scott Dolkart, architectural historian and author of “Morningside Heights: A History of Its Architecture & Development”
Morningside Heights, Manhattan
Morningside Heights is characterized by architecturally-unified apartment buildings and row houses and is home to the largest concentration of institutions in the city. The neighborhood is situated between Riverside Park and Morningside Park, two scenic landmarks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Morningside Heights Historic District Committee is working towards city designation of this elegant neighborhood developed mainly between 1900 and 1915. Andrew Scott Dolkart will examine the diverse architecture of the neighborhood and the tour will also feature a short discussion of current preservation efforts with a representative from the Morningside Heights Historic District Committee.
Morningside Heights, Manhattan – SOLD OUT!
Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens
Far Rockaway Beachside Bungalows, Queens
WALKING TOUR led byNancy Solomon, folklorist and executive director of Long Island Traditions
Once upon a summertime, Far Rockaway was the vacation spot for working-class New Yorkers. Although recent decades have erased much of this history, just off the Boardwalk on Beach 24th, 25th, and 26th Streets rows of beach bungalows built between 1918 and 1921 still stand. The Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association is seeking to preserve and revitalize this unique collection of approximately 100 buildings. Guide Nancy Solomon will discuss this unique grouping and attendees will get to see inside several bungalows, many of which retain their simplicity and historic charm. For those interested in a day at the beach afterward, the boardwalk is just steps away!
July 14th- SOLD OUT!
August 25th- SOLD OUT!
Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn
BICYCLE TOUR led by Nicole Francis, Beverly Square East Neighborhood Association
Victorian Flatbush
Located in the heart of Brooklyn, Victorian Flatbush is known for being the largest concentration of wooden Victorian-style homes in the country. The area presently has five New York City Historic Districts, but the blocks in between them remain undesignated and unprotected despite architecture of the same vintage and style. Six local groups representing Beverly Square East, Beverly Square West, Caton Park, Ditmas Park West, South Midwood and West Midwood have joined together with the Flatbush Development Corporation to “complete the quilt” of city designation of their neighborhoods. Nicole Francis, one of the leaders of this effort will take attendees on a leisurely ride through this picturesque community. Bikes will not be provided.
SOLD OUT!
Port Morris Gantries, Bronx
BICYCLE TOUR led by Harry J. Bubbins, director of Friends of Brook Park
In the South Bronx neighborhood of Port Morris, a pair of ferry gantries deteriorating in an empty lot may seem an eyesore to some, but the Friends of Brook Park sees them as the centerpiece to an engaging public space. Taking inspiration from other New York City waterside parks, this new park will combine recreation, education, and preservation of New York’s history for residents and visitors alike. This tour will visit the exterior of the gantries site but also examine other historic areas of Port Morris. A limited number of bicycles are available upon advance request, otherwise bikes will not be provided.
SOLD OUT!
Six to Celebrate is generously supported by The New York Community Trust.
Additional support for the Six to Celebrate Tours is provided by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and from New York City Councilmembers Inez Dickens, Daniel Garodnick, Stephen Levin and Rosie Mendez.