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Sewage, Sex, and Sickness in the Five Points

5.0(4)New YorkFree cancellationNew

About this activity

This two hour walking tour is a deep dive into the dirty history of the Five Points neighborhood in NYC, once called "the foul core of New York City's slums" and an area of "moral leprosy." In a way, it's also a ghost tour, as we'll be exploring a geography (streets and natural features) erased by development and redevelopment. We will uncover the lives of the people who lived in this area (now Chinatown) from 1800 - 1900, discussing how sewage, sex, and sickness pervaded a neighborhood filled with the "poorest of the poor" until it was razed and rebuilt starting in 1897. This is not a tour for the faint of heart! Your guide for this tour is a graduate of the Sanitation Foundation's Trash Academy and has a Master's of Public Administration from Columbia University. This topic is her passion!

Highlights

    What's included

    • Walking tour

    Not included

    • Bottled water

    Itinerary

    1. We will discuss how Collect Pond

      We will discuss how Collect Pond was transformed from a fresh water pond with a park to a reeking, polluted swamp to a foul landfill. In this spot, we will also discuss The Tombs (aka the Halls of Justice).

      15 minutesAdmission free

    2. The tour will stop just east of Columbus Park on Worth Street. We will talk about the historic location and stories of Paradise Square, The Old Brewery, Cow Bay, and the intersection of streets that gave the Five Points neighborhood its name.

      15 minutesAdmission free

    3. New York City Chinatown

      The tour will continue through the historic area of the Five Points, stopping at the former sites of Donovan's Alley, Chatham Theatre, Chatham Square, Park Street, Mulberry Bend, Bandit's Roost, and Bottle Alley. We'll visit the site of a former notorious brothel and see the oldest tenement in New York City. During the tour, we'll discuss sewage, sex, and sickness in the Five Points from 1800 - 1900.

      1h 30mAdmission freeSee on map

    Meeting point

    We will meet in Collect Pond Park on Leonard Street between Lafayette and Centre Streets.

    The map shows New York. The exact meeting point is the address above.Open larger map

    Pickup

    • Everyone meets at the start point

    Drop-off

    • We will end in Columbus Park on the corner of Baxter and Worth Streets.

    Know before you go

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
    • Service animals allowed
    • Public transportation options are available nearby
    • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
    • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
    • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
    • Mobile or paper ticket accepted
    • One per booking

    Cancellation and refunds

    For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

    If you cancelRefund
    At least 1 days before100%
    Between 0 and 1 days before0%
    • Cancelled and fully refunded if the weather makes it unsafe
    Supplied by
    Off the Beaten Subway Track Walking Tours
    Product code
    5559573P7

    Customer reviews

    5.0 · 4 reviews
    5.0
    4 reviews
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    Ratings from Tripadvisor 5.0 (4)

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    $45$41per person