The Gangsters’ New York Scavenger Hunt

Recommended by the New York Times and Time Out New York

Discover bygone clubhouses and battlegrounds as you roam the streets of Chinatown and Little Italy, where gangs ruled, tong wars raged, and wiseguys got rubbed out. You’ll see locations featured in such movies as The Godfather and visit the notorious Five Points spot that inspired the book and movie Gangs of New York. You might even find Jimmy Hoffa. But you’ll learn much more than gangster lore—you’ll also discover cafés, bakeries, teahouses, colorful stores, exotic sidewalk markets, historic buildings, and the streets where Irving Berlin sang, Christopher Walken’s goons had a gunfight, and the Sex and the City gals strolled.

As you might expect, these neighborhoods aren’t keen on putting up plaques telling you about bygone gangsters, so the hunt will give you the historical notes and tales that paint a vivid picture of the old days. Part of the thrill of this hunt is that the streets are narrow and twisting and often confusing to most visitors—but with our clues, directions, and map, you’ll feel like a master navigator.