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New York's streetscapes have a definitive signature that has been captured in countless visual mediums. Lettering has been a central player in forming these urban environments that seduce the eye. But the grand inscriptions and humble signboards that penned figurative love notes to our city are vanishing amidst the wrecking balls of a building boom. Unique pieces of lettering are being destroyed, erasing the literal handwriting of New York City. Tobias Frere-Jones, renowned typeface designer and urban letter savior, has condensed years of research and exploration into a two and a half hour tour of the city's endangered art. He will guide walkers through Manhattan's alphabets, uncovering hidden gems and hardy survivors. Come raise a salute to the typographic voice of a city with its biggest champion.

The tour will start at the corner of Chambers and Centre, and go through Civic Center, Chinatown, Little Italy, and the Lower East Side.

Bring your walking shoes and your camera
Duration: 2 - 2.5 hours
Tour length: approximately 3 miles