On this 3.5-hour small-group walking tour, we'll start off at Astor Place and discuss beaver belts, real estate, and America's first multimillionaire whose name became synonymous with enormous wealth. The group will proceed to the East Village and learn about Peter Stuyvesant, the peg-legged man who surrendered New Amsterdam to the British. Your guide will explain about New York City's Dutch past as you stroll through one of New York's smallest historic districts. From there, you will walk down Second Avenue, which has been home to large communities of Germans, Russian Jews, Ukrainians, and everyone in between.

Take a break and absorb all of this information by stepping into a 161-year-old Irish pub with saw dust on the wooden floor. After some ale and friendly banter at McSorley's Old Ale House, you will head down the Bowery, once synonymous with bums but now home to trendy hotels, restaurants and boutiques. On the Bowery, you'll learn about Joey Ramone and CBGB's, the famous punk rock music venue.

The next segment of the tour will take you into trendy NoLita, once home to a huge Italian population. Your guide will discuss the Italian past and influence, as well as the area's transformation. You will see what is left of Little Italy and learn a bit about the Italian immigrant experience in New York.

In the last segment of the tour, we'll explore the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District. This famous neighborhood has the highest concentration of cast-iron buildings in America and once housed America's largest artist community. It is now home to luxury stores and multimillion-dollar loft apartments. Your guide will show you some of the most famous buildings in SoHo and discuss the neighborhood's interesting evolution and transformation.

During your 3.5-hours walking your, you'll soak up the street scene and neighborhood life away from skyscrapers and tourist crowds, while learning a lot about the great melting pot that is New York City. Beer, history, culture and sightseeing -- the perfect walking tour.