From the historically diverse communities to cosmopolitan hot spots, the Lower East Side, Bowery, and SoHo have a fascinating history captured by the area’s architecture. During this tour, we discover this history by looking at some of the defining architectural typologies of these neighborhoods including the cast iron industrial spaces of Soho and tenement apartments of the LES as well stand-out contemporary buildings such as the New Museum by SANAA, Prada flagship boutique by Rem Koolhas, and Copper Union by Morphosis.

2 or 4 Hours, Private Walking Tour

Famous building featured on this walking tour:

NY by Frank Gehry, Frank Gehry, 2010
City Hall, J. Mangin & J. McComb, Jr., 1812
Tweed Courthouse, Kellum Leopold Eidlitz, 1881
Hall of Records / Surrogate’s Court, Horgan & Slattery, 1907
Municipal Building, McKim, Mead & White, 1914
Engine Co 31, Napoleon LeBrun & Sons, 1895
Chatham Towers, Kelly & Gruzen, 1965
Eldridge St. Synagogue, Herter Brothers, 1886
Lower E. Side Tenement Museum, 1863
Bowery Savings Bank, McKim, Mead & White, 1895
New Museum, Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA), 2007
Little Singer Building, Ernest Flagg, 1904
Condict (Bayard Building), Louis Sullivan (Architect), 1898
NYU Silver Towers, I.M. Pei & Associates, 1966
51 Astor Place, Fumihiko Maki, 2014
Cooper Union Engineering, Morphosis, 2009

Your guide:

Dr. Ivan Shumkov is a New York based licensed architect, urban planner, entrepreneur, and professor with more than 20 years of experience across the private, public, and academic sectors. He is the founder of Build World and Build Academy, organizations dedicated to providing professional solutions and education for the built environment.

Ivan combines his experience of practicing and teaching architecture with his passion for discovering and sharing the history and secrets of New York. His tours provoke curiosity, show hidden urban gems, and give opportunities for experiencing and understanding art and architecture in a unique way. He helps his guests to see and connect the city through the eyes of an architect. They are activated and transformed by these immersive experiences and view the city in a new way.