Washington Square and the Birth of 5th Ave Virtual Talk

Talk Highlights:

• Hear how the first grand houses on Fifth Ave inspired the excesses of the Gilded Age 
• Discover the last original gas lamp in Manhattan
• Peer into Greenwich Village’s iconic residential alleys 
• See the Greenwich Village townhouse that was turned into a bomb in the 1970s
• Learn about the oldest cemeteries in Manhattan tucked away on the corner of a Village side street

About this Event:

Fifth Avenue turned 200 this year! In 1824, the central avenue of Manhattan’s radical new street grid system began at the foot of a potter's field and cut through 13 blocks of marshy farmland in old Greenwich Village. Its creation would turn that field into Washington Square Park and the intended Mayfair of New York was born. As soon as the first mansions rose up on the new dirt avenue the roots of the Gilded Age were born with lavish balls and royal hosts.

Join Justin Rivers to examine the relationship between the Village’s iconic Washington Square and the genteel age of early Fifth Avenue. In this virtual event, you'll see extant 19th-century mansions, discover hidden Greenwich Village alleys, and look upon one of the oldest cemeteries in New York City. Learn how the old “blue blood” age of early Fifth Avenue gave way to the excesses of the Gilded Age and then the later Bohemian era we all associate Greenwich Village with today.

Want to experience Justin's Birth of Fifth Ave tour in-person? Book a ticket to one of our public tour dates here. Untapped New York Members get $10 off with the code on the button below.