New Date! MURRAY HILL: J.P., Stanford, & Eleanor and Franklin!

Hopefully, no rain this time!

This tour is dominated by The Banker, The Architect, and The Newlyweds!

Murray Hill, that bastion of Gilded Age "old money", actually gets its name from the Revolutionary War-era Murray Family, whose mansion Belmont dominated this land. First, we will learn how matriarch Mary Lindley Murray's seemingly innocuous tea party may well have saved the Continental Army from capture. Then, we'll delve into tales of our major personalities: The gloomy girlhood of young Eleanor Roosevelt and her early marriage to cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with his ever-present mamma Sara nearby; an incredible four still-extant buildings from the "starchitect" Stanford White, and poignant stories of his more silent partner, Charles Follen McKim; and top it off with the banker whose name still spells high finance a hundred years after his death, J. Pierpont Morgan--how he held the key (literally!) to solving the Panic of 1907 and built one of the most amazing art treasure collections in the country. But that's not all: our supporting players include a dangerous anarchist, a runaway wife, and the stuffed polar bear that sailed on the Titanic! Join us on a walk back into quiet streets just barely concealing these truly remarkable stories.

Some modifications and precautions due to COVID 19:

1. As you know, mask wearing is largely optional these days. Even so, I will suggest that you DO wear a mask on a tour, because you will be spending two hours or more with a group.
2. I have had every single booster shot. I will NOT wear a mask, simply because tourgoers have to be able to hear me clearly above city traffic.
3. For the time being, fee collection will continue to be 15 minutes before the start of the actual tour, so please have exact change to make this easier.

Specifics for THIS tour:

Where to meet: On the SE corner of Park Avenue and East 38 Street, directly in front of the Church of Our Saviour, 59 Park Avenue.

When to meet: 12:45 pm for a 1 pm start. I will be holding a sign that says "Murray Hill".

Train: The nearest train stations are "Grand Central" (4,5,6,7) and "33 Street" (6). Check MTA Weekender for any updates before heading out: http://web.mta.info/weekender.html

Fee: $25 cash, $20 for seniors 65 + with proof of age; exact change appreciated! Please bring bills, not coins.

The tour will be approximately 2.5 hours long. For sunny days, be sure to bring a hat and a bottle of water. Check the weather reports on the day of the tour; if there is a chance of rain, please bring your own umbrella. While Friendly Native tours usually do take place on the date and at the time they are scheduled, on occasion they will be postponed in cases of high temperatures or high probability of rain, and an email sent out to that effect to all who have registered for the event.

Sorry, please do not bring dogs or minor children age 17 or below on the tours. No audio taping or video taping allowed.

The nearest restrooms to this location are in various eateries on Fifth Avenue. Buy something and use the facility as a customer. You could also use the excellent restrooms at the brand-new Stavros Niarchos branch of the New York Public Library (formerly Midtown Manhattan branch), located on Fifth and West 40 Street. Please be sure to "take care of things" before the start of the tour!