BROOKLYN CITY TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Walking the Routes of Arrival: Migration and the Formation of the Lower East Side
A focused, 2.5-hour private walking tour from Foley Square that traces immigrant histories across the African Burial Ground, Five Points, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Jewish Lower East Side.
Walking the Routes of Arrival: Migration and the Formation of the Lower East Side.
This guided walk through Brooklyn and lower Manhattan follows the traces of successive migration waves that remade the city: from the African Burial Ground through the notorious Five Points and Mulberry Bend to Chinatown, Little Italy and the Jewish Lower East Side. The tour uses streets and landmarks as primary sources, revealing how legal, social and cultural forces shaped neighborhoods and the people who lived in them.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
From the African Burial Ground to Five Points
Visit sites that document the earliest and most contested chapters of New York’s settlement: the African Burial Ground and the Five Points neighborhood, places that illuminate the intersection of enslavement, law and urban development in the city’s formation.
Chinatown and Little Italy: Living Neighborhoods
Contrast the immigrant experiences that reshaped these blocks—Chinese and Italian arrivals left distinct cultural and commercial imprints visible in streetscapes, storefronts and community institutions.
The Jewish Lower East Side and the City’s Evolving Polity
Trace the Jewish Quarter’s role in the city’s social and legal transformations, part of a broader narrative that links multiple immigrant waves to changing policies and community formation.
What the day feels like
What the walk feels like
This is an interpretive walking tour that moves through neighborhoods and landmarks, weaving archival narrative and on‑the‑ground observation to reveal how successive immigrant communities shaped—and were shaped by—the city’s physical and legal landscape.
THE HISTORY
From the African Burial Ground to Five Points
Visit sites that document the earliest and most contested chapters of New York’s settlement: the African Burial Ground and the Five Points neighborhood, places that illuminate the intersection of enslavement, law and urban development in the city’s formation.
THE COMMUNITIES
Chinatown and Little Italy: Living Neighborhoods
Contrast the immigrant experiences that reshaped these blocks—Chinese and Italian arrivals left distinct cultural and commercial imprints visible in streetscapes, storefronts and community institutions.
THE ARC
The Jewish Lower East Side and the City’s Evolving Polity
Trace the Jewish Quarter’s role in the city’s social and legal transformations, part of a broader narrative that links multiple immigrant waves to changing policies and community formation.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this tour suits
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Approximately 2.5 hours.
The tour meets at Foley Square.
Operated by Cicerone Travel.
A walking route through the African Burial Ground, Five Points, Mulberry Bend, Chinatown, Little Italy and the Jewish Lower East Side that focuses on immigrant histories and related legal and social themes.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the tour?
The tour runs approximately 2.5 hours.
Where does the tour start?
The meeting point is Foley Square.
Which neighborhoods and sites does the tour visit?
Stops include the African Burial Ground, Irish Five Points, Mulberry Bend, Chinatown’s Bloody Angel, Little Italy and the Jewish Lower East Side.
Is this a private tour?
Yes; the experience is described as a private tour.
Who operates the tour?
The tour is operated by Cicerone Travel.