The Arts & History   

This tour will stop at many of the most iconic places in Harlem including the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the Apollo Theater, the Harlem Walk of Fame, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and Strivers Row. As we walk, we will enjoy the beautiful brownstone architecture and wide boulevards of Harlem, and we will note the many ways in which great African Americans are honored there.

Optional, non-included lunch afterward: Harlem Shake, 100 West 124th Street, at Malcolm X Blvd. and Lenox Ave. Everyone orders and pays individually at the counter. Burgers and salads are available, along with the best milkshakes in NYC!

Charm meets menace in this psychological thriller starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine. A whirlwind romance leads to a shadowy marriage where love is clouded by lies and fear. Fontaine’s Oscar-winning performance anchors a story rich with ambiguity, as Hitchcock invites us to question everything we see—and everything we want to believe. Join us to unpack the film’s unsettling suspense, iconic visuals, and the controversial twist that still sparks debate today, and to understand why "each time they kissed... there was the thrill of love... the threat of murder!"
 

In 1967, the Summer of Love was a cultural revolution that was the defining moment in the overall counterculture movement that lasted into the 1970s. It represented a large-scale public expression of alternative values and lifestyles that challenged mainstream society, particularly through its embrace of peace, love, and free expression, centered in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Discover the music, fashion, art, and key figures and movements that shaped the era while examining its darker side and enduring legacy.

In a largely illiterate world, seminal stories and messages had to be communicated through visuals. The resplendent stained glass of parish churches and soaring cathedrals served as vehicles for these narratives, from Biblical stories to saints’ lives to even the quotidian lives of guild members. This lecture will showcase the splendor and stories encased in the lead-framed stained glass windows all across medieval Europe—a treat for the spirit as well as the eye!

Embark on a captivating journey through Manhattan’s "Lower" Upper West Side with this history walking tour with Leigh Hallingby. The adventure begins at Lincoln Center, where you'll explore its remarkable transformation during the early ’60s, evolving from a former residential area into one of the world’s premier performing arts centers. Then visit and learn about two nearby monuments dedicated to the American Civil Rights Movement, reflecting on the movement that shaped the country’s social landscape. The tour then heads to Riverside South, to unravel the intricate tale of its development from the historic NY Central freight railroad yards into a sprawling complex of apartment buildings and an extension of picturesque Riverside Park.

Along the way, you will encounter charming relics of vintage New York City, including a quaint horse trough, a rare Dutch-style church, and a 19th-century firehouse, each offering glimpses into the city’s rich architectural and cultural heritage. Finally, we will learn more about two great Upper West Side museums: the American Museum of Natural History and the New-York Historical Society.

Join us for this tour and fascinating journey through time and culture, revealing the stories and transformations that have shaped this iconic neighborhood into a cultural epicenter.

With spring as our backdrop, we will explore eight timeless myths of gods and mortals—tales of love, transformation, and the changing of seasons—brought to life through Western art. From Psyche and Cupid to Persephone’s return from the underworld, the fleeting beauty of Hyacinth, and the fateful race of Atalanta, these stories symbolize renewal and rebirth, and along with countless other Greek and Roman myths, they have inspired a multitude of works of art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art alone holds over 14,000 related works. This lecture features more than 100 artworks from private collections and over 90 museums, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Tate, and the Met. Join us for a journey through myth and masterpiece, where gods and mortals meet in moments of passion, metamorphosis, and the eternal cycle of nature.

What do the Night Before Christmas, Oreos, and cowboys in New York City have in common? Learn that and much more as you take this two-hour walk through the history of Chelsea, including a look at the former National Biscuit Company building—now Chelsea Market, the funky Hotel Chelsea, and the General Theological Seminary (the world’s oldest Episcopal seminary.)

Join Ginny Poleman, as she shares the stories of this revitalized area of restaurants, high-end shops, art galleries and mid-19th century brownstones.