Washington Square and the Birth of 5th Ave

Celebrate Fifth Avenue’s 200th anniversary with a walk through the historic stretch where the city’s most famous boulevard first took shape. Stroll past some of the oldest surviving mansions near Washington Square and learn how this once–rural area transformed into New York’s first elite address, inspiring the lavish lifestyles that later defined the Gilded Age. Along the way, you’ll spot the last original gas lamp in Manhattan, wander through Greenwich Village’s picturesque alleys, and uncover hidden corners that reveal the neighborhood’s rich past.

The tour also explores how early Fifth Avenue’s refined “blue blood” society gave way to the bohemian spirit that Greenwich Village became known for. Visit one of Manhattan’s oldest cemeteries tucked on a quiet side street, hear the story behind a Village townhouse turned into a bomb in the 1970s, and discover how Washington Square evolved from a potter’s field into an iconic cultural hub. This walk offers a lively look at two centuries of transformation in one of NYC’s most storied neighborhoods.