Tours
ZOOM tours of the Garment District, Flatiron and Lower East Side
Mike has re-created his walking tours as closely as possible, virtually, through ZOOM. The tours incorporate a whole lot of the signature Mike Kaback schmaltz thrown in for good measure, including his Grandmother, Momeleh. (Who wouldn’t wax nostalgic?) The ZOOM session even manages to include visits to several garment factories, both present day and of yore.
Below are the dates for tours offered by Mike Kaback for the month of May, 2021. Most are free but those offered through the N.Y. Adventure Club are for a $10 fee.
Please e-mail mikenyctours@yahoo.com for more information and to sign up for any of these tours.
- Garment District Free Tours
- May 4th @ 1pm
- May 11th @ 7pm
- May 19th @ 7pm
- Flatiron District Free Tour
- May 9th @ 11am
- NY Adventure Club Tours: requires a $10 fee to join
- May 7th @ 5:30pm - Lower East Side Chronicles
- May 21st @ 7pm - A crash course on NYC's garment industry
- May 25th @ 1pm - Flatiron District NYC
- Mike’s own personal experiences in the Fashion Industry and Garment District over the last half-century.
- Changes in Fashion through the years
- Immigrants and the growth of the NYC apparel industry.
- Factories and workers.
- visit into several factories over the years
- The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911.
- Unions and Gangsters.
- How the Garment District of today relocated to its current location.
- Fashion Ave and The Fashion Walk of Fame.
- A look into the future of the Garment Industry.
- And Much More!!
Fashion District History Walking Tour
Over the years I have entertained and instructed many groups of fashion interested adults and students from organizations and schools across the USA and Canada.
The tour that I will do is about 2 hours in duration and contains most of the following:
- The history of the apparel industry in NYC from Henry Hudson to the present and aforecast into the future.
- Some significant events in the evolution of the industry: Mass Production, The sewing machine, the development of ‘sizes’, the invention of synthetic fibers and the impact there of, The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, and the evolution of “Fashion”. How the garment center of today arrived at its current location.
- The immigrant labor force that has driven the apparel industry from its beginning, and how it has changed yet stayed the same over the years.
- During the course of the tour we will make visits to most of the following locations
depending on availability:
- A showroom, where I may be able to get an intern to explain how (s)he got the job, what is required on the job and what their goals are. Perhaps a sample sale as well.
- A factory where garments are spread and cut prior to sewing.
- A visit to some meaningful garment center artwork.
- Visit the location where Calvin, Donna Ralph and Oscar have their workspace.
- A visit to Mood Fabrics, familiar to a"Project Runway” fans.
- A walk through the historic streets of the fashion district.
- The Fashion Walk of Fame
- And much more.
I myself, have spent over 35 years in the industry in many different capacities and am able to relay interesting anecdotes that I have witnessed first hand, such as the evolution of Children’s Flammable Sleepwear & how garments are designed costed produced, marketed, financed and more.
Email: MikesNYCTours@yahoo.com
Telephone: (917) 952-4610
The Jewish Lower East Side
Your guide, born and raised on the Lower East Side strolls with you through this ever-changing neighborhood. Visit the various religious and cultural institutions including the Educational Alliance, orthodox tenement shuls, the RJJ and Seward Park. Sample the experience of your grandparents. Grab a bialy at Kossars, a perfect dill pickle and visit Streitz’s Matzoh factory. Play a quick game of hopscotch, stoop ball or skully — become a genuine Lower East Sider for the afternoon. Tip: Wear comfortable shoes!
DURATION: approximately 2 hours
Email: MikesNYCTours@yahoo.com
Telephone:(917) 952-4610
