Rainy Monday--Does Not Deter our Tenement Museum Tour

About a week ago one of the wonderful Sisters I am blessed to serve with was talking about some of the things she'd sure enjoy seeing/doing while serving here in New York City. One that she mentioned really piqued my interest. So I looked into it-convinced Elder Mumford ( he didn't beed much convincing--he already "knew" I could not navigate on my own "yet")--and invited Sister Kathy Thompson to go on this outing. She was so-o happy to come--and she and I were both so-o grateful to have Ron navigating!! (She must have thanked us 20 times😍)!
The Tenement Museum on the lower East Side--is an area where thousands of immigrants came to from the early 1800's clear up th the 1930's. It was a most interesting tour!! Our Guide was excellent and really told this Immigrant story so well. This museum is located in the heart of Manhattan's Lower East Side. It was an immigrant portal for 200 years--this museum was home to more than 7,000 people from over 20 nations between 1863 and 1935 in this 1 tenement alone.

We went to this restaurant on "Rainy Monday" evening With the Grimleys and the Harris' at Empire Chinese restaurant (Terry Grimley is taking the pic) Terry ordered for us--he loves Chinese--having served them on his 1st mission and then as Mission Pres to Taipie, Taiwan Mission about 3 years ago.

The apartment of the Baldizzi family (actual Italian immigrants) who lived there  in the 1930's. The little daughter of this family was still living in Brooklyn when the "restoration work" on this building began in 1988. She came to the building and asked "what are you doing to my house"-- they had no idea anyone was still living with any connections to the tenement. She was invaluable in helping "recreate" how things "looked and felt". She agreed to "tape record" her memories for use on the tour. That was an especial part of the tour!!

Tenements on the Lower East side of NYC where immigrants found housing between 1860's  to 1930's

All the tenements had a "fire door" to allow the residents access to the fires cape steps. Entrance to this tenement with 20 apartments. Actual tenement bldg "restored" in 1988

See the "firescapes"