On the Lower East Side, Mr Monkey took a guided tour of the Tenement Museum. This is one house, 97 Orchard Street, that was built in the mid-nineteenth century and occupied by immigrants to New York until 1935, when it was condemned and locked up. Years later, someone noticed the locked up building, unlocked it, and thought it'd be a good place for a museum. Mr Monkey went into the visitor centre at the other end of the street, let Mr Rik buy tickets, then joined the next party into the building. He scampered in through the front door, learned about garment workers' lives, and left by the back door.
You can read about 97 Orchard Street at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum website.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 29 March 2005