| ABOUT THE TOUR GUIDE | RATES | RESERVATIONS | CONTACT |
| OTHER TOURS: | NEW AMSTERDAM TOURS | ZONING ORIGINS: REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IN LOWER MANHATTAN | GREENWICH VILLAGE - URBAN RENEWAL HISTORY | 3 TRIBECA TOURS | JEWS IN NYC | WTC TOUR | GERMAN TOUR |
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TOUR OF AMERICA'S ZONING ORIGINS: Real Estate Development in Lower Manhattan  This tour focuses on development in Lower Manhattan and includes a walking lecture of how America's Zoning started New York City because of the bulk issues created at the Equitable Building in 1916 and the tour winds its way past several of the World's Tallest Buildings up to City Hall Park and ends on the Brooklyn Bridge looking back at the Eastside of Manhattan. Once steel construction and elevators turned the real estate market upside down, and each developer tried to build the world's tallest building, New York City was forced to try regulating bulk and use. The Supreme Court upheld NYC's zoning regulations in the 1926 case of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Corp. This tour gives the history while passing the actual locations. It also includes a city park created by the transfer of development rights and discusses several urban renewal projects in the area. The Tour starts at the former U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green and goes up to William and Beaver Street up to Wall Street and then over to Broadway and northwards to the Brooklyn Bridge. This is a double-tour for 3 hours. It can be broken up into two separate tours. Depending on time and interest, we can also include a short discussion of the World Trade Center as we pass by. |
 1. The Tour starts at the former U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green. (Subways- 4 & 5 & R & W & 1)
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 2. Walk to Beaver Street.
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 3. This was the site of the former "Corn Exchange Building", a 17 story office building that went in-rem for back taxes and was sold at City Auction for $13.1 million in 1983.
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 4. The same property where the developer walked away for back taxes was demolished and a new building was constructed starting in 2005 and is now the 44 story Beaver House. This shows how property values can change in a "down cycle".
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 5. We will then walk up to Wall Street and see the building that was almost the tallest in the world.
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 6. We will go by the building with no signage and which "terrorists" bombed. If you didn't know who owned this building, then you had no business going in.
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 7. Now we will walk down Pine Street and see how the sun actually hits the ground on June 21st at noon during the summer solstice. The woman smoking walked along with the sunlight during her lunch break smoke.
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 8. Looking skywards on Pine Street you can really understand the need for zoning set-backs.
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 9. After 1916, the Zoning mandated set-backs so that the sunlight could reach the sidewalks for most of the day. This is an example of set-backs from midtown.
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 10. This is the Equitable Building which showed the public what could happen if buildings were not regulated. In 1916, the City of New York created height and set-back zoning regulations due to this building.
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 11. This is a public plaza created by the transfer of development rights. The bulk was transferred to the large building across the street. There was a Choc Full O' Nuts restaurant on the ground floor of the previous building that was permitted to stay until its lease ran out. It looked like an ancient ruin since the top floors were removed.
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 12. World Trade Center
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 13. This building shook so much on 9/11 that all of the granite panels had to be removed from the facade. You can see that the newer replacements are of a different color.
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 14. This building had less damage even though it was closer to the WTC because it had few windows on the northern facade.
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 15. We will see where the American Institute of Architects was founded.
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 16. We can pass the bronze sculpture that was relocated in the park, but that was covered with debris on 9/11.
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 17. We pass the Corbin Building, which was the tallest building in the world when it was constructed. It is next to the Fulton Transportation Hub under construction. If time permits we can go and see where George Washington sat when he prayed in Church.
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 18. The building that now contains the "J & R Music World" was once the tallest building in the world, and the top cupolas were used for tourists to see the views.
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 19. We pass the Woolworth Building, which was the tallest building in the world until the Chrysler Building surpassed it.
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 20. On the former Urban Renewal site near City Hall and Pace University, we will pass the Frank Gehry luxury apartment house under construction.
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 21. We will go on to the pedestrian path of the Brooklyn Bridge to go halfway and look back at Manhattan.
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 22. We will be able to see the South Street Seaport from the bridge.
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ABOUT THE TOUR GUIDE
"NEW AMSTERDAM" TOUR
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON YOUR OWN "NEW AMSTERDAM TOUR" CLICK HERE Every year in November is "Dutch Days" in New York City with multiple events and exhibits held throughout the five boroughs. An annual highlight is the tour of “New Amsterdam” put together by Rick Landman, Esq., AICP, a longtime member of the NY Metro Chapter. Landman gave a tour to relate how early Dutch roots had an impact on New York City's physical form as well as its taxation procedures, zoning regulations and religious freedoms. The tour, which not only included the usual stop to the foundations of the old Dutch City Hall but included a walk around the borders of old New Amsterdam, seeing the Dutch memorials (most of which are on land-fill that didn't exist back then) and discussion of Dutch history and its impacts. Landman noted that the narrow tax lots and the subsequent sky-blocking towers were a direct result from our Dutch origins... Tour starts in front of the Customs House at Bowling Green in front of the eastern most statue and winds it way through Battery Park and up to Wall Street.  Please Click Here to Email for Reservations and please place "New Amsterdam Tour" in the Subject Box.
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 WORLD TRADE CENTER TOURS View from 7 World Trade Center of Lower Manhattan. Tours can include the area from the Battery up to the World Trade Center, or the Financial District up to Tribeca or the Brooklyn Bridge. |
 I took this photo shortly after 9/11 showing "Ground Zero". Living in Southern Tribeca for 30 years, I was displaced from my apartment for approximately one month, returning home in October. I also have pictures showing how the neighborhood was powered and existed during the era when we were a "gated community". So this tour is given by someone who lived through the experience and rebuilding of the neighborhood.
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GREENWICH VILLAGE- URBAN PLANNING TOUR 
These buildings on MacDougal Street were used as the poster pictures for the demolition of the Village as part of the Urban Renewal Plan in the 1950's. But they were landmarked in the 21st Century as being one of the few federal townhouses still left in Manhattan. The tour will include a walking lecture on Eminent Domain, Condemnation as well as the struggles during the Urban Renewal program in the NYU area.
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 This is the rendering from the 1953 Washington Square South Urban Renewal Plan's concept for Greenwich Village, pursuant to the Slum Clearance Plan under Title 1 of the Housing Act of 1949. Notice the Washington Square Arch (in yellow) in Washington Square Park. The "Tower in the Park" concept (which was also emphasized in the 1961 Zoning Resolution) included highways and apartment complexes to replace what is now the Village and SoHo.
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THERE ARE 3 TRIBECA TOURS:  New York Law School Tours: Each year I present several tours for New York Law School including a tour for the incoming students. It is TOUR #1- TRIBECA AND THE COURT HOUSES - Introduction to all the Legal Resources in the area. It not only shows the buildings, but explains what goes on in each of them. 
and other lectures/tours were created for the honor students or Reunions, such as
TOUR #2- Land Use Issues in Northwestern Tribecaand TOUR #3- Trump Condo-Hotel Litigation a lecture about the land use law issues dealing with the new hotel. |
SOUTH STREET SEAPORT TOUR:
This area was created with the aid of Landmarking and Historic Districts and urban renewal plans, and is now under consideration for a new proposed development. |
THE JEWS OF NEW AMSTERDAM/LOWER EAST SIDE:
 Focusing on the early Jewish roots of New Amsterdam and New York City, including several Jewish cemeteries. The tour will discuss the treatment and contributions of the colonies' and America's earliest Jewish settlers, including both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews who came to the "New World" in the 1600's. The life of Asser Levy and the 23 Jews who came from Recife will be discussed. Lower Manhattan contains several memorials and actual locations (buildings now long gone) and remnants of several cemeteries at Chatham Square, West 11th and West 22nd Streets. In addition, we can extend the tour (especially if this is a bus tour) to go to the Lower East Side and see the Tenement Museum as well as several eateries such as Katz's Delicatessen and Russ & Daughters. 
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GAY TOUR OF THE 1970's:
Visit the long gone haunts of the West Village's and a separate tour of the East Village's gay places from a personal perspective. West Village includes: The Stud, The Anvil, The Mineshaft, The Christopher Street Bookstore, Uncle Charlies, The Piers, etc. The East Village includes: The Saint, The St. Marks and Club Bathhouses, Boy Bar, etc.
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Walking Tours are personalized to meet your special interests, given in a way that only a Native New Yorker can give. A week's notice is appreciated if research is required for the personalized tour. Shorter notice is acceptable for standard walks.
Please Click Here to Email for Reservations or and Questions
