Remembering Little Syria
The First Arab Americans
If you walk through Washington Street in Manhattan’s Financial District today, you would never know that once upon a time, the area was home to the first Arabic-speaking community in the United States. Once known as the “Syrian Quarter” in the late-19th century, this area became the Mother Colony from which the Arab American diaspora sprung.
It was here that the first Arab immigrants to the United States settled in the late-1800s and cultivated a vibrant cultural hub of businesses, houses of worship, restaurants, and communal life, where one could imbibe the fragrances of Levantine pastries and cuisines wafting through the air as one walked its narrow streets.
It was here that Kawkab America, the first Arabic language newspaper in the US, was printed in 1892. It was here that the Linotype machine first began to use Arabic characters, revolutionizing Arabic language journalism all over the world. And it was here where Kahlil Gibran and Ameen Rihani founded the Pen League, a collective of prominent Arab writers and intellectuals.
Today, only three buildings from the era remain, but this tour brings the stories of this neighborhood to life once more.
Before the tour, we invite you to take a digital tour of the area developed by our partners, the Washington Street Historical Society: https://alqalamjourney.org/en.
Acknowledgments: This tour would never have been possible without the mentorship and guidance of Joe Svehlak and Linda Jacobs, two historians and descendants of the original residents of this neighborhood.
Things to Know:
Accessibility: This tour does involve going up and down some steps and crossing a footbridge. For private bookings, the tour can be customized to avoid this route.
Note: For private bookings, this tour can be combined with our From Mecca to Manhattan, The Forgotten Immigrant “Lower West Side”, and Ottoman New York: An Empire in the Empire State tours.
Feel free to click some of the sites we’ll visit on the map!
Frequently Asked Questions
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The standard tour lasts for two hours and covers between half a mile to two miles (one mile is about 1.6 kilometers or roughly 20 New York City blocks). We walk at a leisurely pace. Some tours may involve taking public transit to shorten the walk. In such cases, one trip is $2.90 and the cost is not covered.
Of course, if you request a private or custom tour, it can be shortened, lengthened, or customized upon request.
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Our default is to run all tours, rain or shine. However, if you prefer rescheduling a tour based on a weather forecast, you must let us know at least 24 hours in advance, and we will be happy to rearrange.
Additionally, if dangerous weather is forecasted (for example, a flood warning or a hurricane), we will be required to reschedule and will reach out to you to let you know.
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You should wear comfortable shoes for walking, and dress appropriately for the weather, as most tours will be spent entirely outside.
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If it’s a public tour, it will begin on time, but every tour involves an introduction that can last at least 10 minutes at the starting location. If you are running later than that, feel free to text your guide to let them know.
If it’s a private tour (meaning, it’s just you and your group), we have more flexibility, but please send us a text letting us know that you're running late!
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Since most tours involve walking on sidewalks and streets, they are wheelchair accessible.
Those that are not will mention it in the tour description. For example, our standard “Little Syria” route does involve going up and down some steps and crossing a footbridge. Other tours may involve taking the subway, and not all stations are fully accessible. This info will be available to you before booking.
However, for private bookings, we can easily customize the tour to avoid inaccessible routes, so please inquire!
We do not provide wheelchairs.
Tour Teaser
““It was amazing to hear how the area that stands today as a boring corporate metropolis used to be teeming with lives from an empire I have been studying the entire semester. It shows how history has literally impacted not just a land far away, but the very city in which I live.” ”
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Individual rates: As of right now, NYN is a one-man operation, so in order to make our labor worthwhile, a private group booking is $50 per ticket.
Institutional rates: We welcome bookings with companies, organizations, schools, museums and other institutions. Please inquire about our institutional rates. We are happy to work something out!
Capacity: An ideal group is 10-15 people, but if you have more than that, we will happily accommodate.
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You are welcome to cancel a tour for any reason up to 24 hours in advance, for a full refund or a voucher to be used for a future tour.
If you cancel later than that, or are a no-show, we cannot offer a refund or a voucher. We apologize for this, but please bear in mind that an enormous amount of labor is spent preparing a single tour.
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We understand that some people have the ability to pay more than others. You are not required to tip, but since NYN is a one-man operation and a labor of love, we’d be grateful to receive any tips. It is entirely up to you how much you tip if you decide to do so!
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Public tours run uninterrupted without any breaks, as they can disrupt the flow of a tour. We often start at locations with bathrooms nearby, and we recommend using it before the tour starts. Food is not included on any tour, though you are of course welcome to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink on our walk.
Private tours can have breaks to buy a snack or use the restroom if time permits.
Smoking is not allowed on any tours.
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We would love if you could give us a review! Since we are a small business, a good review would go a very long way. Here are the links to write us a review on Google and TripAdvisor.
If you didn't enjoy a tour for any particular reason, please do write to us, as we are always looking to improve.
Starting Location
Address: South Ferry Plaza (4 Whitehall St, New York, NY 10004)
Directions: Take the R train to Whitehall Street-South Ferry or the 4 Train to Bowling Green
