Join us for a walk through the historic streets of DUMBO as we explore how the water has shaped Brooklyn, and vice versa. DUMBO’s history encapsulates the history of the borough’s 131-mile shoreline – once an agricultural hinterland, this area became America’s first suburb after the introduction of steam ferries, then emerged as a shipping and manufacturing powerhouse rivaling the city across the river. The landscape of DUMBO was built on innovation and hard labor, and we will hear stories of both the captains of industry and ordinary workers who built Brooklyn. We will also explore the deindustrialization of Brooklyn, and the remaking of DUMBO into one of New York City’s most desirable neighborhoods, a commercial and residential district ringed by parkland where piers and factories once stood.
Health and Safety: In-person tours are being offered with modifications to protect the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and the public. Before booking, please review our full statement and guidelines on COVID-19 health and safety.
Tours Info
icon-calendar Available for Private Tours
icon-clock-o 1.5 hours
Walking tour
icon-map-marker Empire Stores, Brooklyn
This tasting exploration showcases the vendors of the Lower East Side’s Essex Market, founded in 1940 and now housed in a new, bustling facility home to over 40 vendors. This 90-minute walking and tasting tour visits 6-8 vendors, with generous tastings that may include top-quality olive oils, tacos, empanadas, fresh-baked breads, handmade chocolates, and a selection of cheeses and charcuterie. Along the way, we will explore the past and present of New York City’s public market system, from open-air pushcart markets, to the retail and wholesale network built by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, to markets’ role today providing quality food to communities and creating opportunities for food entrepreneurs to launch and grow new businesses.
Public Tours
icon-calendar SAT 10am / THU 6pm
icon-clock-o 1.5 hours
icon-male Walking tour
icon-cutlery 6–8 generous tastings included
icon-map-marker Lower East Side, Manhattan
From farms to pushcarts to public markets, this 2-hour walking and tasting tour explores historical aspects of New York’s food system and the influence of Caribbean and Latin American cultures and cuisines on the past and present of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Once known for its pickles and kosher meat, today the eastern section of Williamsburg serves up herbal tea remedies from Mexico, sounds of salsa, and traditional ingredients. Based on more than 20 oral history interviews with neighborhood residents and local business owners, and on original archival research, this tour explores the history of Brooklyn’s “Avenue of Puerto Rico” and takes an in-depth look at the Moore Street Market, built in 1941 to mark the end of the pushcart era and today a centerpiece of the Spanish-speaking community. The tour includes 6-8 generous tastings from market vendors and local eateries.
