This walk is a two-hour rivalry story told on the actual battlegrounds: the park Moses wanted to cut a road through, the urban-renewal towers he did build, and the SoHo blocks his expressway would have flattened. Guide Aaron Schielke, an architecture graduate, connects Jacobs's ideas about street life to the Village scenes that inspired them. If you care about why New York looks the way it does, this is the most satisfying history lesson of the weekend.
What to expect
The group sets off near Christopher Park and walks about a mile and a half through the Village into SoHo, ending at Vesuvio Playground. Expect frequent stops, historic images and a lot of discussion about planning and preservation.
Good to know
- Take the 1 train to Christopher St–Stonewall; the exact meeting place is emailed after booking.
- The route covers about 1.5 miles at an easy pace.
- The tour is best suited for ages 16 and up.
- Listen to the Bowery Boys episodes on Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs for background.
- Good for urban planning fans, architecture students and longtime New Yorkers.
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Common questions
Where does the Jane Jacobs tour start and end?
It starts near Christopher Park in Greenwich Village and ends at Vesuvio Playground in SoHo.
How far is the walk?
About 1.5 miles over roughly two hours.
