Upper East Side Architecture Walking Tour: Gilded Age Mansions to the Guggenheim

This two-hour walk with Build Tours reads the Upper East Side as an architecture lesson, block by block, starting at the Frick Collection on 70th Street and finishing at the Guggenheim. The first half belongs to the Gilded Age. The ornate townhouses here were built for the families whose money helped make New York what it became, and a century on they still carry that slightly tarnished shine. The guide looks closely at Henry Clay Frick's mansion, the facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as seen from Fifth Avenue, the French Consulate and the edge of Central Park, explaining how each building was put together and what it was meant to say about its owner. Then the century changes. The second half turns to modern buildings that broke with all that stone and ornament: Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral for the Guggenheim, and the building Marcel Breuer designed for the Whitney Museum, which the Whitney has since left. Everyone gets a headset, so you can hear the guide over the traffic. Fees and taxes are covered and tips are extra. The walk is outdoors and does not include entry to any museum. Guides are listed in English, Italian, Spanish and French, so check the language on your chosen date when booking. There is a shared group option and a private two-hour option. The route suits all fitness levels and is wheelchair and stroller accessible.