New York Walking Tour Sept. 17

The monument was dear to Benchley.

If you are a fan of Robert Benchley, you know that he was obsessed with the Amiable Child Monument that is across the street from Grant's Tomb. He visited it on his birthday. For several years, I have done the same thing on Sept. 15. This year I am organizing a walking tour around the event that Benchley took part in during the 1930s and 1940s. The information:

Robert Benchley Birthday-1920s NYC Walking Tour

Monday, Sept. 17, 4:30 p.m. 
Meet at Grant’s Tomb, West 122nd Street & Riverside Drive, NY, NY, 10027

New York City’s “Fascinating Crimes” chapter of the Robert Benchley Society is sponsoring the walking tour. It meets in front of the General Grant National Memorial, better known as Grant’s Tomb, at 4:30 p.m.

The walking tour will include sites related to Benchley, starting with the Amiable Child Monument. The walking tour will include Riverside Park and the Upper West Side homes and haunts of 1920s figures, including Polly Adler, Babe Ruth, Dorothy Parker, William Randolph Hearst, George and Ira Gershwin, Heywood Broun, Edna Ferber, and many others.

We will see landmarks, historic sites, and noted architectural sites. The walk is led by Kevin C. Fitzpatrick, a licensed New York City sightseeing guide, author of “A Journey into Dorothy Parker’s New York,” president of the local Robert Benchley Chapter, and founder of the Dorothy Parker Society.

The walk will encompass approximately 25 blocks. Wear comfortable shoes. Bring a MetroCard because we will be boarding an MTA bus to skip over some blocks. The tour will end up approximately 6:15 in a cocktail lounge.

The walk is $10, or free for all Robert Benchley Society members. It is open to the public of all ages; dogs are welcome (but can’t go in the Memorial). For more information: email Kevin Fitzpatrick (Kevin @ dorothyparker DOT com), call 917.526.0597 or sign up on Facebook.