VANISHING NEW YORK

VANISHING NEW YORK

One of the many purposes of my tours is to show people how New York was and how it has evolved to what you see today. While there are many remnants of the New York that I grew up in, much of it has changed into the thriving trendy metropolis we see today. It’s the City that attracts people from far and wide to live in and visit. However, there is the other New York that existed that either has changed or has vanished from our presence and memories. Not only buildings but people, their cultures and whole industries which no longer are here to see and experience. The ones that helped build New York into a major city through grit, hard work, suffering and hope that there would be a better tomorrow. There was a better tomorrow for many but for some, it was just a way to force them to relocate because they couldn’t compete with new forces and people who gravitated to this greatest of cities.

There is a great website named “Vanishing New York” that show pictures of the sights of New York that are no longer there. The views of New York that many of us along with our parents and grand parents remember. This is one of the reasons that I started Ben and Marty’s Bagel Tours of New York. I wanted to show people neighborhoods and sights of New York as they are now but also to give them an historical perspective of what is was like. This is true for the Lower East Side that was the American cradle of civilization for many ethnic groups who arrived here (and still is). Its true for SOHO that was for many years a major industrial site for manufacturing goods and now it is now a trendy shopping area. The same goes for the High Line/Meatpacking district that is now also a very trendy area with only minor examples left of its prior industrial and food market activities. Grand Central Terminal on the other hand is an example of a major symbol of New York that saw better days but was recognized for its grandeur and historical significance to both New York and America and was rehabilitated to reflect this.

These are the areas that Ben Bagel can take you to. They show the best of New York and what they represent to the City as well as the nation. You learn about the history, culture, architecture and foods that made them well known. And, most importantly, you have fun when you explore them with Ben Bagel. If this doesn’t entice you to come along, I don’t know what will. Check out our website and sign up for a tour of New York .