The Lower East Side’s tenements, synagogues and shopfronts have, within them, the storey of America.

On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll discover how the densest slum in human history became an incubator for comedy, social justice, and entrepreneurship that transformed the nation. You’ll find out how hardship bred both humour and hope in the Lower East Side, from the perspectives of pushcart peddlers, labour organisers, and immigrants dreaming of a better life.

This tour starts at Straus Square, named after a German-Jewish immigrant who rose from selling china plates to owning Macy’s department store. You’ll walk past the building that once housed a daily Yiddish newspaper that championed labour rights, and former synagogues that welcomed thousands of worshippers. Along the way, you’ll discover how mutual aid societies helped newcomers find housing and jobs, and how women led the largest labour strikes of their era.