Name: Exploring Fort Greene & Clinton Hill + The Fort Greene Jazz Festival
Start: 2025-09-06T18:00:00.000Z
Location: Brooklyn Public Library for Arts and Culture

This tour is repeated from the one held last Sunday, July 27th.

RSVP's open Wednesday, July 30th at 9:00pm. Space is set aside for new members, first and 2nd timers who land on the waiting list. Email me at hankorenstein@gmail.com to request a spot after you have registered.

This tour is free with a welcome donation to your guide/organizer at the end via cash, Venmo or Zelle.

**To Bring:** Water to drink and sun protection.

**SCHEDULE:**
**4:30pm**: Meet in front of Barnes & Noble on Broadway between 82nd-83rd Streets. Arrive early to use the restrooms in the cafe upstairs.
**4:30pm - 7;00pm**: Guided walking tour
Optional social gathering, enjoy a bite and/or a drink at Pier 1 Cafe in Riverside Park

**OVERVIEW**
Back in 1890, the Upper West Side and Central Park West looked like the picture above! What happened? This free tour (with voluntary donation) will cover the Upper West Side from 89th Street - 72nd Street.

From its humble beginning as the hamlets of Harsenville and the village of Bloomingdale, the Upper West has evolved over the past 100 years as one of NYC’s most desirable neighborhoods and one of the most densely settled places in America. Join us on this guided walk to learn about the history and development of the West Side from farms and country estates to the iconic apartment houses, brownstones and architectural treasures.

The Upper West Side is home to NYC's largest historic district and some of the world's most magnificent apartment buildings and beautiful brownstone streets. We'll also talk about the history of Broadway as a major thoroughfare, having started out as an American Indian trail. We'll bring to life the creation of both Central Park and Riverside Parks and their impact on the development of the neighborhood. We'll visit the site of Edgar Allan Poe's mid 1800's home, and the "Villa Julia" mansion which functions today as a children's school.

**Optional afterparty**: The tour will end in Riverside Park's Pier 1 at 70th Street restrooms, and food and drink available for purchase (credit cards accepted). Below is a link to the menu.
https://www.piericafe.com/

Cheers from Hank!

hankorenstein@gmail.com
646-596-3005

Exploring NYC History and Neighborhoods

Hank Orenstein

Carlos

Kimberly

Joan

AODI zilkha

Eileen

Alice

andreea.draghicescu

Betty

Tanya

Julie

Stefan

Lynn Buchalter

Andy Dsida

Philip Gold

Beth W

Joyce M

Janice

Rosemary S

Manhattan's Upper West Side:  The Evolution of a Neighborhood 

Barnes & Noble

RSVPs begin 2 weeks before the tour on Saturday, August 23rd at 10:00am. This tour is free with an optional donation to your organizer/guide at the end via cash, Venmo or zelle.

Space is set aside for new members, first and second timers who land on the waiting list. If you fall into one of these categories feel free to email me at hankorenstein@gmail.com to request a spot.

**To bring**: Water and snacks recommended, as is a hat for the sun. Be sure to check your transportation route in advance so you can be on time, given weekend changes: https://new.mta.info/

The free Jazz Festival is outdoors and runs from 3pm - 7pm. The tour portion will end at Fort Greene Park between around 5:00pm. There are regular restrooms at the festival site and staying for the jazz is optional. There is seating on the grass and nearby benches (for the grass bring something to sit on).
https://www.fortgreenepark.org/calendar/jazz-festival-090625

**TOUR OVERVIEW**
I love the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. We'll stroll through some of New York's most beautiful and historic residential streets - filled with architectural treasures includes lovely townhouses, magnificent churches, mansions, along with the spectacular Pratt Institute Campus which features NYC's largest outdoor sculpture park. Fort Greene Park itself is a historic place and feaures the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument honoring American prisoners of war who perished on British ships anchored in the East River during the American Revolution.

Before there was Carnegie Hall in Manhattan (1891), there was the Brooklyn Academy of Music (1861) The Brooklyn Academy (BAM) is one of NYC's great places for movies, music, dance and theater. BAM is part of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District that we will traverse during the first portion of the tour which has many unique arts organizations including Urban Glass, the Center for Fiction and the Polansky Shakespeare Center.

We'll end our walk in Brooklyn's first park, Fort Greene Park, for socializing and the Jazz Festival which runs until 7:00pm.

**Restrooms Before the Tour:** Please try and take care of business beforehand. There are public restrooms right at our meeting place up the escalator leading to the public library or across the street at the Center for Fiction.

To bring: Water to drink; sun protection.

Cheers!

Hank
hankorenstein@gmail.com
646-596-3005

Exploring Fort Greene & Clinton Hill + The Fort Greene Jazz Festival

Brooklyn Public Library for Arts and Culture

Hank Orenstein's Exploring NYC History and Neighborhood

Search {networkName}

Groups

{PRO_NETWORK_NAME} is on Meetup Pro with more than {PRO_MEMBER_COUNT} members across {PRO_GROUP_COUNT} Meetups worldwide. Meetup Pro is the professional tool for organizing and communicating a network of users, partners, contributors and members.

Hank Orenstein's Exploring NYC History and Neighborhood

Hank Orenstein's Exploring NYC History and Neighborhood

Who we are

Search Hank Orenstein's Exploring NYC History and Neighborhood

Upcoming events

Groups