Gargoyles in Manhattan Walking Tour
We don't see them but they see us
Gargoyles * * History * * Architecture * * Interesting Pictures & Stories
The tour is guided byAlfred Pommer a college graduate, a licensed New York City guide and a native New Yorker who has spent over 19 years researching, creating and leading walking tours in Manhattan's many diverse neighborhoods.
I will talk about gargoyles, their original function, types of gargoyles and legends / myths connected to gargoyles along with New York City history and stories connected to the four neighborhoods we will walk through in the three hour tour or the two neighborhoods (Flatiron District & Gramercy Park) in the two hour version.
- Each participant will get an itinerary with over 20 stops (3 hr. tour) or 14 stops (2 hour tour) -buildings with gargoyles or caryatids.
- Caryatids are scarce ancient female ornamentations that are sometimes taken for gargoyles. I compare them.
- I discuss each landmark building's architect, age and style. I also include interesting New York city stories such as: the site and story of the infamous murder of a famous turn of the century architect by the jealous millionaire husband (pleaded 'America dementia') of world's most beautiful woman
- Find out about the meanest man in New York City
- The block & site where Edith Wharton was born and raised
The Western Union Office Building Annex, Henry J. Hardenbergh
- Find out about the Fifth Avenue Hotel, at one time New York City's most luxurious hotel, frequented by the elite
- Find out about "Seward's Folly"
- Sohner Piano Co. building
- The Goelet Building
- Calvery Church
- Find out about Humphrey Bogart, Edwin Booth, and John Barrymore
- Edwin Booth's statue and mansion
- Stuyvesant Fish Mansion
- The site where Winston Churchill's mother was raised
- A beaux Arts styled court house built in 1899 with 4 beautiful caryatids "Winter" "Autumn" "Summer" "Spring"
- Croise Building built in 1912 has several large panther gargoyles overlooking the street
- The first Art Nouveau memorial in America
- Saint James Building has 5 lion head gargoyles and several other gargoyles
- The Flatiron Building has over a dozen gargoyles
- Impressive Gargoyles overlooking Gramercy Park and more outstanding gargoyles
on Irving Place
- The obelish and grave site of Major General William J. Worth
- The birthplace and childhood home of Teddy Roosevelt, Theodate Pope Riddle and much more.
- The old cast iron Lord & Taylor Dept. Store building form turn of the last century’s Fashion Row
- See some of the sites listed in the novel "Time and Again" :
where Sy and Julia hid over night in Madison Square Park
the boarding house where Julia worked & Sy lived
- From the novel, "The Alienist" see the sites of:
967 Broadway, the address of the accounting firm where Sara and John (Moore) go while tracking down the serial killer.
And the site (and picture of) Delmonico's where Dr. Kreizler, John, Sara & the 2 detectives ate meals
the site of Madison Square Gardens (a picture of it) where John took Mary Palmer for tea
Stops Included on the Three Hour Walking Tour:
A walk through Madison Sq. Park / the Flatiron District, Gramercy Sq. Park Historic District, Union Sq. ending in Greenwich Village.
At the first stop over 70 great gargoyles greet us and 3 hours later at our last stop we see several of the same gargoyles again! Did they fly over a mile just to say goodbye?
- Bank of Metropolis Building, built in 1903, has 12 lion head gargoyles
- The Margaret Louise Home, a lodging house in 1890 with 2 gargoyles and a
Romanesque Revival style
- Judge Building with a Roman Revival style by McKim Mead & White in 1888
has 42 gargoyles
- The Decker Building, more pianos
- The American Woolen Building, sheep head gargoyles
- The Church of the Ascension
- Lincoln Building built in 1890 with 1 huge gargoyle and Romanesque Revival style
- Find out about President John Tyler, Thomas Wolf and Dead Man's Curve
- Originally: The Lockwood de Forest Town House with a truly unique, intricately carved teakwood bay window
- Six beautiful caryatids
- From the novel, "The Alienist" see the site of:
Dead Man's Curve where John meets Dr. Kreizler, Sara, Marcus & Lucius at Papa Brubacher's cafe
Meet in front of 51 Madison Ave. between E. 26 St. & E. 27 St.
Interested in a private "Gargoyles in Manhattan Walking Tour" ?
Call: (212) 979-2388 for details www.nycwalk.com
About three hours long or a short two hour version
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