Out From Midtown

Step off the beaten path of Fifth Avenue and into the rich cultural history of New York City’s five boroughs.

Beyond the crowds and tourist traps of dazzling Midtown Manhattan are layers of history waiting to be discovered. Even for locals, who each day pass the shadows of New York’s immigrant beginnings, the city holds a secret history to be revealed—if only you know what to look for.

Out From Midtown transforms the city from a bustling metropolis to a virtual archaeological dig. Simple walking directions and transit tips guide the traveler through the most distinct and diverse points in the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Learn to see New York three-dimensionally through the eyes of history, where architecture, grave sites, and street corners hold the clues to a fascinating past and the wonders of an adventurous present.

For five decades, historian Bob Swacker has led tours through the neighborhoods of New York City. His tours combine decades of historical research in libraries, cemeteries, and historical societies; interviews with borough residents; and many miles traveled on foot in the field. He has taught at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn since 1970 and for many years he has taught courses on New York City at Saint Ann’s and at New York University. Dr. Swacker is the author of New York City History and co-author, with Leslie Jenkins, of Irish New York. He lives in Stuyvesant Town.