East Village 1970s Music Venues Walking Tour
Stand where the biggest names in rock launched their careers
A two-hour walking tour of East Village music venues from the 1970s, led by a guide with years of experience in NYC's music business. You'll visit the sites of Fillmore East, CBGB's, The Bottom Line, and lesser-known clubs like Club 82 and Great Gildersleeves where artists honed their craft before fame. The tour covers legendary performances—Bruce Springsteen at The Bottom Line in 1975, Patti Smith at CBGB's in 1976, The Who and Pink Floyd at Fillmore East—and touches on the disco era at the site of Infinity, destroyed by fire in 1979. Children from age 12 are welcome.
2h
Step-by-step itinerary
Visit iconic 1970s East Village music sites
- Travel back to 1970s East Village
- Visit Fillmore East site
- See former CBGB’s location
- Explore The Bottom Line site
- Walk to Club 82
- Visit On the Rocks
- See Great Gildersleeves
- Recall Bruce Springsteen at The Bottom Line
- Recall Patti Smith at CBGB’s
- Revisit The Who and Pink Floyd at Fillmore East
- Recall New York Dolls at Mercer Arts Center
- Visit site of Infinity disco club
The Experience
The Fillmore East, CBGB's, and The Bottom Line anchored the East Village music scene when apartments were cheap and you had to show up in person to buy tickets. This walking tour takes you to those landmark sites and the smaller venues—Club 82, On the Rocks, Great Gildersleeves, the Mercer Arts Center—where artists first built their following before selling out arenas. Your guide draws on years working in NYC's music business to connect the venues to the performances that mattered: Springsteen's Born to Run debut at The Bottom Line, Patti Smith's early CBGB's shows after Horses, The Who and Pink Floyd at the Fillmore, the New York Dolls at Mercer Arts Center.
The route also dips into the disco world at the site of Infinity, a dance club that burned down in 1979. Walking the neighborhood itself—the streets where musicians lived and worked—fills in the texture of what made the 1970s East Village different from what came after. The tour runs two hours and covers the ground on foot; all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and the route works for all fitness levels.
What’s included
A live guide in English who draws on years of experience in NYC's music business; access to the sites of Fillmore East, CBGB's, The Bottom Line, Club 82, On the Rocks, Great Gildersleeves, the Mercer Arts Center, and Infinity.
Operated by Ann McDermott
Is this one for you?The tour starts in the East Village itself, so if you're staying in the neighborhood or comfortable with public transportation, you walk the route without needing a car or arranging separate transport to reach the venues—they're all on foot from the meeting point.
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Top questions
What venues does the East Village 1970s music tour actually visit?
The tour visits the sites of Fillmore East, CBGB's, and The Bottom Line, plus smaller clubs including Club 82, On the Rocks, Great Gildersleeves, and the Mercer Arts Center. You'll also see the location of Infinity, the disco club destroyed by fire in 1979.
Can I bring my children on this walking tour?
Children are welcome from age 12 and up. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and service animals are allowed.
Who leads the tour and what do they know about these venues?
A live guide in English leads the tour and brings years of experience working in the music business in New York City, so they can connect the venues to the actual performances and artists who played there.
How long does the tour take and is it accessible?
The tour runs two hours and covers the East Village on foot. All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible, and the route is suitable for all physical fitness levels.
What performances does the guide talk about at these venues?
The guide covers Bruce Springsteen's 1975 debut of Born to Run at The Bottom Line, Patti Smith's early shows at CBGB's after releasing Horses, The Who and Pink Floyd at Fillmore East, and the New York Dolls at Mercer Arts Center.
