The tiny Tenement Museum in New York's Lower East Side is often overlooked by tourists in favour of the more 'glitzy' and well known museums such as the Natural History Museum or the Met. But in my opinion this beats them all hands down.

97 Orchard Street is a wonderful slice of NY history and it really helps you see past Macys and Banana Republic to the real New York - the urban working class immigrant families who built the city to the one we know today. The building itself was home to scores of families through the ages - each of whom lived in tiny cramped apartments. And it's these apartments you can visit, restored to how they would have looked in different eras.

The restorers have been really clever, and researched specific families to get an authentic version of their life, and there are real belongings and photos within the apartments. You can walk through the 1870s, 1890s, the 1930s and so on. And you really feel that you get to know the specific families, and can imagine how difficult it was to build a family and survive in such a tiny space.

It's absolutely magical, and worth every cent of the $17 it costs for the guided tour. In my opinion, this is a must-see venue in NYC, and it might take your mind off trying to find the ultimate cheap designer jeans. Suddenly shopping seems terribly unimportant in the face of such real poverty.

Once visited, this museum will leave an indelible mark on you, and you'll be recommending it to all your friends.

97 Orchard Street, Lower East Side, NYC. www.tenement.org/

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends

Everyone interested in New York City, history and/or food should take Big Onion Tours' Multiethnic Eating Tour.

It's a nifty way to learn about immigration and ethnic neighborhoods in New York, as it leads participants through the lower east side, Chinatown and Little Italy (which often overlap, strangely enough).

You get commentary and picture-taking ops in all three areas, plus pickles, Jewish pastry, Italian cheese, dim sum and other typical offerings in each neighborhood. Guides are grad students in New York City history and culture.

You can find out in advance of your visit when this and other theme tours are available at bigonion.com.

The cost for the eating tour is $20, $15-17 concessions; all other tours are $15 and $12, I think. You should really take an afternoon and do this and/or others of their offerings - it's a great deal.

Delancey and Essex street, NYC; check Big Onion Schedule at www.bigonion.com

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends