GANYC upcoming events

FAM: Toasting to Time-- A Journey Through Green-Wood Cemetery with Crafted Cocktails (April 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:00:00 GMT

Toasting to Time: A Journey Through Green-Wood Cemetery with Crafted Cocktails

with James Hoffman

Come on a multifaceted journey through time as we explore historic Green-Wood Cemetery, followed by a curated cocktail experience at Fort Hamilton Distillery. We will reveal the connections between these libations and a selection of sites encountered within the cemetery. This spirited stroll bridges the drinking culture of 1800s New York City with its politics, innovations, and societal transformations.

NOTE: The distillery part is an integral part of the tour/experience, and we encourage registrants to allot the full time for this.

Tour Highlights:

-Historical Resting Places: As we wander through past the cemetery's mausoleums and intricate tombstones, we'll uncover the stories of the famous (and infamous!) individuals interred here.

Among other grave sites we will visit:

-Boss Tweed: New York's most notorious corrupt politician and former Tammany Hall leader.

-Niblo Mausoleum: The final resting place of William Niblo, a prominent 19th-century theater owner who even hosted parties in the cemetery during his lifetime.

-Do-Hum-Me: Known as the "Indian Princess" from PT Barnum's American Museum.

-Red Lion Inn: The site of the reported first shots of the Battle of Brooklyn.

-Bill the Butcher: The notorious gang leader of the Bowery Boys.

-Gravesites associated with the tragic sinkings of the Titanic and Lusitania.

And many others.

Cocktails and Distillery: Each member will get two drinks, as a sampling of Ft. Hamilton spirits (mocktails available, if desired). While you sip on your drinks, your guide will delve into how the ingredients and the cocktails themselves connect to the individuals buried in Green-Wood. You'll also gain insights into Fort Hamilton Distillery's mission to revive historically significant spirits.

[REGISTRATION COST: $10 per member.

NOTE: This tour is being operated by a GANYC member, not Green-Wood Cemetery itself. Do NOT contact Green-Wood with any questions about the tour.]

FAM: Thoroughly Modern Midtown Modified (May 04, 2026)

Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

FAM: Thoroughly Modern Midtown Modified
with Robin Garr + Jeremy Wilcox

With a focus on 20th Century Modern and 21st Century Contemporary architecture of east-midtown Manhattan, a hot-bed of innovative architectural design. This tour will look at styles spanning from 1930s Art Deco to Mid Century Modern to International Style Modernism, Post Modernism and today’s sleek glass and steel towers of whimsy, tracing the evolution of inventive architecture of New York City. Featuring important and striking buildings that broke new ground and continue to inspire and influence architecture of today.

Architects and firms covered include Emory Roth & Sons, Schultze and Weaver, Cross & Cross, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gordon Bunshaft, Edward Larrabee Barnes, Philip Johnson, Lord Norman Foster and others.

This walking tour covers approximately 1.5 miles and will run about 2-2½ hours.

[In honor of the late Lee Gelber! Co-produced by Robin and Jeremy]

FAM: Brooklyn Bridge Park (May 05, 2026)

Tue, 05 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

FAM: Brooklyn Bridge Park
with Scott Wooledge

In the year 2000, ground was broken on the Brooklyn Bridge Park. What followed was a decade of planning and construction to create the most innovative, resilient and ecological responsible parks ever.

Designed upon 85-acres of post-industrial shipping piers by world class landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Brooklyn Bridge Park creates space that is not only beautiful and useful to humans but has become an essential part of the NY Harbor biosphere. Learn about the park’s commitment to using native planting and only organic gardening. See how the design was carefully planned to lower the park’s carbon footprint and repurpose and recycle elements of the industrial past. The tour also touches on history of the Great Bridge and Brooklyn waterfront.

We’ll cover about a half mile of the park’s 1.5 mile, 85-acre footprint.

The tour is timed to place us there at golden hour, and it will culminate in the incomparable western view of the sun setting over Manhattan and NY’s harbor. Enjoy.

Site visit to Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (May 06, 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:30:00 GMT

Before our May membership meeting, we have an opportunity to tour the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center.

This tour will be led by Co-founder, Ann Marie Gothard.

30 members only. Registration required.

May 2026 GANYC Membership Meeting (May 06, 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

GANYC MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Wednesday May 6, 2026

The next GANYC monthly membership meeting will take place Wednesday May 6, conducted in-person at: Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (51 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014).

Subway: 1 train to Christopher Street.
Or A/B/C/D/E/F/M trains to West 4th.

Meeting Format

We will have President's Report, and hear from several Committees.

GUEST SPEAKER: Ann Marie Gothard, co-founder and Board Chair, Pride Live.

FAM: Hart Island Tour-- Part 2 (May 12, 2026)

Tue, 12 May 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Urban Park Rangers: Hart Island Tours
Arranged by Jeremy Wilcox

Our tour last year-- led by the Urban Park Rangers-- focused on the north side of the island. This follow-up tour will cover the island's south half.

Long known as NYC's most famous "potter's field", Hart Island is also the largest natural burial ground in the United States. Historically, it has served various purposes, including a quarantine station, psychiatric hospital, and even a prison. Discover how it continues to evolve today.

Registrants should expect to be at the docks at 9:30am for check-in ahead of a strict 10am ferry departure.

FAM: Uptown Fashion-- How New York Dressed the World (May 13, 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Uptown Fashion: How New York Dressed the World
with Meri Haitkin

If you've assumed New York has always been the undisputed global capital of fashion, think again. New Yorkers spent nearly a century fighting to snatch that tiara from Paris.

New York's unique tapestry of cultures, artistry, innovation, and grit made it the iconic birthplace of Vogue, Fashion Week, the Met Gala, Bergdorf Goodman, Studio 54, hip-hop street style, and Project Runway — and that's barely scratching the surface. Join me for a walk through Manhattan's East 60s and 70s, where Gilded Age mansions share sidewalks with the boutiques of Tom Ford, The Row, and Ralph Lauren.

Within these two miles, the fashions created and worn here have reflected every cultural, political, and economic shift — and quietly served as the "Cerulean Blue" moment for a whole world of people, whether they love fashion or couldn't care less. Fashion is art. Fashion is fun. Fashion is self-expression.

Dress code: whatever makes you feel most like yourself — just make sure that look includes good walking shoes.

[****If the reference to cerulean blue is unknown to you, I’m excited for you to watch The Devil Wears Prada both for this iconic Meryl Streep monologue as well as arguably the greatest New York fashion montage in cinematic history.]

GANYC Networking Event, 5/13, 6:00PM - 8:00PM, Clinton Hall, 90 Washington St. (May 13, 2026)

Wed, 13 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Come join your fellow guides for a night of yummy snacks and chatting at Clinton Hall on the cormer of Washington and Rector Streets in Lower Manhattan, a quick walk from the 4/5, R/W or 1 train.

Food is on GANYC, drinks are cash bar!

Always a fun time, bring a fellow guide friend or two!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

FAM: Fort Independence and the Battle for the Bronx (May 14, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

FAM: Fort Independence and the Battle for the Bronx

with John Semlak

In celebration of America 250, this walk will visit some historic sites in the Bronx that played a role in the American Revolution. During the war, the Bronx contained vital crossroads leading to and from New York. The area saw fighting as Washington's army and later other patriot forces tried to maintain control of the area. We'll discuss the role the area played in the way and visit several key sites.

FAM: Rock and Roll History in the East Village (May 27, 2026)

Wed, 27 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT

FAM: Rock and Roll History in the East Village
with Tom Kincaid

Let's rock out on this walking tour in the East Village and follow in the footsteps of music legends.

Step into Andy Warhol’s vibrant world at the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, where the Velvet Underground left an indelible mark on the music scene.

See the Fillmore East, called the “Church of Rock and Roll” in the late 1960s and the Pyramid Club, where music and art converged in the 1980s.

Discover the spots immortalized in classic album covers for Ramones and Led Zeppelin.

End at CBGB where punk rock was born with Ramones, Talking Heads, and Blondie.

FAM: The "Real Little Italy"-- Arthur Avenue in the Bronx (May 29, 2026)

Fri, 29 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

FAM: The "Real Little Italy"-- Arthur Avenue in the Bronx
with Joseph Pizzingrillo

Bring your appetite and explore unique authentic Italian delicacies along one the most famous cultural spots in all of New York City. Hear the stories, history, and what makes Arthur Avenue a must-see visit.

Among the highlights, visit the Arthur Avenue Retail Market with its amazing bakery, meat market, produce stand, and café. Get ‘The Big Mike’ at Mike’s Deli, and see the best cigars in NYC made in full view. Try Madonia’s Bakeries ‘olive bread’, see Cosenza’s Fish Market’s open-air raw bar, and check out the famous Calabria Pork Store’s unique ‘pork chandelier’. So many original Italian restaurants to choose from, you can’t go wrong with Ann and Tony’s, Mario’s, Dominick’s, Enzo’s, Zero Otto Nove, Pasquale’s or Frankie’s.

Get a slice from ‘Full Moon Pizza’, grab a mozzarella from Casa Della Mozzarella and take home some Borgatti's ravioli too!

[On our tour will cover a brief history of Arthur Ave, The Bronx, as well as evolving cultural influences that shape this area today. We will also visit pastry shops, bakeries, pizzerias, deli’s etc so we can make brief stops if you would like to indulge in some local delicacies. Most take credit cards but some are cash only.]

Education Committee Meeting (June 17, 2026)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 22:00:00 GMT