Explore centuries of New York City history along the Bowery, one of the city’s oldest streets. This iconic corridor between Chatham Square in the south to Cooper Square in the north is just 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) long. A 30-minute walk passing art museums, performance venues and historical sites highlights the artistic and immigrant tradition that makes the Lower East Side neighborhood unique.

Start your tour of the Bowery with a look to the past at a historical museum in the surrounding blocks, such as the Tenement Museum, the Museum at Eldridge Street or the Museum of Chinese in America. Alternatively, look for clues in the streetscape. The thoroughfare was lined with farms 350 years ago. Notice the many historic tenement buildings, where working-class immigrants settled as the city boomed during the 19th century.

Observe the Bowery’s unusual width and grassy median. An elevated train ran the length of this street, casting a shadow where the city’s underbelly thrived. From gambling houses to dancehalls, the Bowery was a destination for New Yorkers seeking illicit delights. It was also the territory of the Bowery Boys, a notorious gang.

Appreciate the busy atmosphere of the Bowery today. As factories closed and the Lower East Side experienced decline after the 1970s, artists moved in and gave the neighborhood its bohemian, youthful reputation.

Check out the artsy wall at Bowery and Houston Street, where famous painters periodically install colorful, complex murals. Visit one of the neighborhood’s arts venues to experience the community’s enduring creative spirit. As well as presenting global contemporary artists, the New Museum also grants stunning, 360-degree views of Lower Manhattan from its seventh-floor observation deck. Sample a bohemian lifestyle at Bowery Poetry through daily writing workshops and nightly poetry and burlesque performances. Attend a concert at The Bowery Ballroom, where musicians have become famous since 1998.

Opening times and ticket prices vary between venues visit their individual websites for more information. The street itself is free and open to the public to visit. Child-friendly guided tours of the neighborhood are available most days from the nearby Tenement Museum.