The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy Presents Grit, Graft & Grandeur: The Bowery, 4/14

The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy will present Grit, Graft & Grandeur: The Bowery, a walking tour with Eric Ferrara on Sunday, April 14, 2013 at 10:45 AM. Meeting at the southeast corner of Centre and Worth Streets, this two-hour walking tour explores the Bowery, one of the most important thoroughfares of New York City's Lower East Side, as well as the historic neighborhood known as Five Points. Often associated with its 20th century reputation as "Skid Row," this under-appreciated avenue was also once one of the most fashionable addresses in New York and is now a quickly gentrifying artery of the East Village. Ferrara, founder of the Lower East Side History Project and a fourth-generation Lower East Sider, discusses the Bowery's history, evolution and its place in New York City today.

Over the years, the Bowery has been home to cultural figures including Beat writer William S Burroughs, punk rocker Joey Ramone and painter Mark Rothko. Throughout its history, the Bowery has been everything from a vice district central to gangs and dirty politics, to a counter-cultural hub that sparked major contributions to politics, labor, social services and entertainment. At the foot of the Bowery is the storied Five Points district, the setting for Martin Scorsese's 2002 film "Gangs of New York." Ferrara will lead the tour through the neighborhood that was a melting pot of Irish, German, Jewish, African, Chinese and Italian immigrants. The group will continue up the Bowery to explore over four centuries of intriguing New York history, from Native Americans to modern gentrification.

Eric Ferrara is the author of several New York City history books, including The Bowery: A History of Grit, Graft & Grandeur and a columnist for The Villager. He has consulted on several movie and television projects for HBO, Warner Brothers, National Geographic, the History Channel and many more.

Tickets for Grit, Graft & Grandeur: The Bowery are $18 for adults and $16 dollars for seniors and students. Pre-registration is recommended at: http://www.nycjewishtours.org/calender.htm#120912 or by calling 212 374 4100. There is an additional $2 registration fee for tickets purchased on the day of the tour. The tour will meet on the southeast corner of Centre and Worth Streets, on Sunday, April 14, 2013 in Foley Square at 10:45 AM.

The Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving, sharing and celebrating the Jewish heritage of the Lower East Side. The Conservancy aims to raise public awareness of the Lower East Side's distinct cultural identity through innovative public walking tours and other programs, while supporting the neighborhood's community of living synagogues and other historic structures. Private customized tours are available by appointment. For more information about the LESJC, please call 212-374-4100 or visit http://www.nycjewishtours.org or http://www.facebook.com/nycjewishtours .