New Tour: East Village Highlights

What do Abraham Lincoln, Blondie, and my great-grandfather have in common? They all did something bold in the East Village—the home of my newest tour.

In 1860, Abe gave a speech at Cooper Union (above) that catapulted his political career. In the ’70s, Blondie blew the punks away at the famed club CBGB. And in 1910, my great-grandfather Morris invented the reversible collar on East 7th Street back when the neighborhood was still called the Lower East Side.

The East Village has always been a place of immigrants, invention, and in-your-face independence. Despite the corporate chains moving in, it still retains some of that iconic edge.

Holy Schist, Batman!

In the 1850s, the area that is now Central Park was mostly a mess of thickets, swamps, and massive boulders like this one. It’s called Manhattan Schist, and tons of it needed to be cleared to make way for the meandering paths, fields, and waterways that make today’s park so special. How did they do it without modern earthmovers?

See that hole in this chunk near 100th Street and Central Park West? Workers would drill these holes into the rock and fill them with black powder—the precursor to dynamite. Light the fuse, and boom: smaller, more easily portable pieces of schist. This lucky boulder was spared, and its blast hole remains as a secret reminder of the monumental work that went into creating the world’s greatest city park.

A West Village Treasure Gets Even Better

Casa Magazines has been nestled in a no-frills storefront at the cobblestone corner of West 12th Street and Eighth Avenue for decades. Recently, they took over the shop next door, installing a sweet coffee window and a curated book and gift shop.

With new tables and benches along the sidewalk, it’s now an amazing spot to read, sip, and watch the world go by in a charming, local corner of the neighborhood. Tell them Jordan the tour guide sent you, and who knows what will happen!

Walk With Me

Get to know New York City through its incredible history, people, and neighborhoods. I lead small private NYC walking tours and curated experiences for visitors, work teams, special events, New Yorkers, and more—along with inside-track recommendations for special spots to dine, drink, and lounge like a local. Newsletter recipients and your friends receive 10% off tours, so cclick here for tour options, and let’s create an amazing NYC walk and experience!

Enjoy Amazing NYC Songs

I created this Apple Music playlist of tunes that tell New York stories from Dylan, Hamilton, Joni, JAY-Z, Sinatra, Sting, two Simons and many more. See and stream it for free here and subscribe when you’re there so it will automatically update when songs are added.