Ever wondered what waterways weave beneath the West Village? Or how Washington Square Park came to rest atop a cemetery plot? This tour will peel back the palimpsest that is Manhattan—or Manaháhtaan, as the Lenape called it. The goal: to reveal the powwow spots, cobblestone streets, and orchards that eventually gave way to today’s concrete jungle.
Attendees aren’t just tourists; they’re time travelers, traversing centuries of topographical upheaval in the West and East Villages. We’ll explore how successive waves of colonial rule shaped and renamed the land, yet never fully erased the Lenape. (Times Square, in fact, could not have existed without a Lenape trail.) Sneakers and water bottles are ideal. Visitors can rest their feet beneath my favorite unsung landmark: the city’s oldest tree, the last living witness to this buried history.
Accessibility
Anyone who regularly traverses Manhattan streets will be able to handle the ~30 minutes of walking along sidewalks and through a park. The distance is 1.5 miles. We are near Union Square, Astor Pl, & West 4th Street so thankfully many subway lines and bus routes lead to our tour start and end!
Location Information
RSVP is required and capacity is limited. Meeting location, ending location, and directions will be provided via email before walk date.
