Exploring the Secrets & Scandals of Lower Riverside Drive

Curving gracefully along the great Hudson River on New York’s Upper West Side, Riverside Drive is best known for elegance and quiet, and has been home over time to the upper middle class and the exceptionally wealthy. But behind its serene facades overlooking the lush Riverside Park lie shocking tales of headline-making scandals — suicides, baby selling, and more — along with hidden architectural details of the homes where they happened. With the help of a long-time resident and historian who has the inside scoop of the neighborhood, it's time to explore Riverside Drive like never before.

Join New York Adventure Club as we hit the streets to uncover the architectural surprises and scandalous stories of lower Riverside Drive between 72nd and 82nd Streets.

Led by Stephanie Azzarone — a former journalist, and author of the award-winning book, Heaven on the Hudson: Mansions, Monuments, and Marvels of Riverside Park — this in-depth experience will include:

• A visit to the home of a wealthy 19th-century woman who committed suicide while entertaining guests
• Riverside Drive’s only mosque, formerly an exclusive gentlemen’s club
• The site of the full-block, 50,000-sq.-ft. Schwab mansion, whose owner went bankrupt
• A stop at the Hamilton Fountain, whose scandalous history involves sex and stolen babies
• One of the city’s first statues to a “real” woman vs. a fictional one
• A look at the only complete block of extant 19th-century row houses on the entire drive

See you there!

*Please bring a water bottle and comfortable pair of shoes as we’ll be doing a lot of walking!

**This tour will conclude at 81st Street and Riverside Drive

**This tour does not go inside any of the mansions

About Stephanie

Stephanie Azzarone is a native New Yorker who has lived on Riverside Drive most of her life. She has spent many joyous hours learning about the city’s history and architecture, and even more wandering around Riverside Park and up and down Riverside Drive. A former journalist (freelancer for The New York Times and New York magazine, among others), she also ran an award-winning Manhattan public relations agency. Stephanie has a degree in Journalism from New York University and is a licensed New York City sightseeing guide.

Disclaimer

Event takes place rain or shine.

By attending a New York Adventure Club experience, you accept our terms of service.

Categories: In-Person, Neighborhood Tours