The FABulous Hell's Kitchen Walking Tour

Participants will…

• …learn about the history of Hell’s Kitchen, including its working-class immigrant past, the origin of its name, and the evolution of the neighborhood from gangster-run slums into a multi-cultural artistic and gay enclave.
• …see some of the oldest existing buildings in Hell’s Kitchen, including the German Church (now Westside Theater), Hartley House, and row houses that date back to the late 1800’s.
• …discover the home and training ground of numerous celebrities that helped shape Hell’s Kitchen into a pipeline for performers and artists, including Manhattan Plaza, and The Actors Studio.
• …learn about groundbreaking community-based organizations such as Hartley House, Fountain House and the Clinton Community Garden, that have inspired similar organizations across the country and around the world.
• …see tenements typical of the late 1800’s and learn about their sordid history, as well as understand the Special Clinton District.  Understand the difference between a Pre-Law, Old Law and New Law Tenement, and how these names came about.
• …get to know the story behind the gangs that ruled Hell’s Kitchen, and some of their most infamous leaders like Owney Madden, Battle Annie, and Mickey Spillane.
• …hear colorful and sometimes tragic stories about Hell’s Kitchen’s gay past and present, including the OUT Hotel, Sanctuary, Manhattan Plaza, the Ritz/Q murders, and Posh Bar/FLEX Bar.
• …have fun with a charismatic and energetic licensed guide, “BFAB”, who has called Hell’s Kitchen home for over a decade!