From a Dutch fort to the skyscrapers: a city that reinvents itself on every corner.
New York began as a Dutch trading post at the tip of Manhattan and, in less than three centuries, became the city of skyscrapers. Its streets hold the nation's first capital, crimes that were never solved, forgotten burial grounds and landmarks the whole world knows. Three free walking tours through Lower Manhattan and Midtown, at your own pace.
Choose your free tour
All routes are free and can be combined. If it’s your first visit, start with the essentials.
From the Dutch fort to the balcony where Washington took his oath: two centuries of history in a mile of Lower Manhattan.
A headstone in code, a well with an unsolved murder and a forgotten burial ground beneath the skyscrapers.
Manhattan's icons in a single walk, with the stories the postcards leave out.
The map
The routes cross in the old town. Tap a point to see which story awaits you there.
Filled points already have a published article; the rest are in the works.
Loading the map…
A day in the city
Link the three routes and you will see the best of the city on foot, for free: the essentials in the morning, history in the afternoon and legends as the sun goes down.
Morning
Afternoon
Early evening
Where to eat. Try Pastrami on rye at Katz's Delicatessen.
What to eat
The dishes you can’t leave without trying, and the classic spots that have been serving them for years.
Beef brisket cured, spiced and smoked, then hand-sliced thick and piled high between two slices of rye bread. It is the great legacy of the Jewish delis of the Lower East Side; Katz's has served it since the late 19th century.
Where to try it
A boiled-then-baked bagel spread with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon, red onion and capers. It is New York's quintessential Sunday breakfast, handed down by Jewish appetizing shops like Russ & Daughters, open since 1914.
Where to try it
A wide, thin crust, a coal-fired oven and slices so big you fold them in half to eat standing up. Neapolitan immigrants brought it to Little Italy in the early 20th century.
Where to try it
Dense, creamy cream-cheese cake on a cookie crust, with no unnecessary frills. The New York version is richer and firmer than its European cousins, and two of its temples are Junior's in Brooklyn and the Italian pastry shop Veniero's.
Where to try it
In the 19th century New York Harbor produced so many oysters that they were cheap street food. Today you can have them raw or in a classic oyster pan roast, stewed with cream and butter, under the tiled vaults of the Grand Central Oyster Bar, open since 1913.
Where to try it
