NYC Subway

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I recently made some 2-minute videos exploring the NYC subway system, which are the arteries that keep the city moving.

This first one explores the history of the subway, including a look at some of its oldest stations:

In this second video, we look at the evolution of the system. The subway has been adding more modern trains, and this year saw the debut of the first open gangway trains in the system. Currently, there's just a couple of them running on the C line, but more trains are being added over the next few years

Contrary to the usual media sensationalism, the subway remains the best way to get around New York. And at $2.90 a ride (capped at $34 in a 7-day period, no matter how much you ride), one of the best bargains in town.

Here's a 2-minute video looking at this:

2024 Tour Schedules

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As 2024 approaches, our tour schedule remains largely the same. We have two regularly-scheduled public tours: Art Deco & Midtown Architecture (Monday, Wednesday, Fridays at 10am) and Central Park (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays at 10am).

And we remain available most days for private, custom tour requests (inquire for morning or afternoon availability).

Private tour options include: Street art tours, Greenwich Village, High Line & Hudson Yards, Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO, Bronx Art Deco, Billionaires Row, Prospect Park, holiday tours, and more. And of course we always take custom requests.

We hope to see you on tour soon!

A Phenomenal Journey

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Getting praise from a fellow tour guide is always amazing, and I got such praise in the form of my now favorite review earlier this year. A tour guide from Mumbai went on my Art Deco architecture tour, and left the below review.

To have a fellow tourism industry professional absolutely nail the way I crafted to this tour to be appealing, made my week. I hope that I convey this same spirit to all my guests on my many tours.

Summer Streets 2023

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On the first 3 Saturday mornings in August, a series of streets in Manhattan are closed to cars (and therefore open to cyclists and runners and pedestrians!), from 7am to 1pm, so people can enjoy and celebrate their city in a unique way. The current route runs from just north of the Brooklyn Bridge up to 125th St in Harlem.

Run by the DOT (Department of Transportation), the program's goal was to help New Yorkers imagine transportation and streetscape alternatives.

While this video focuses on the Manhattan Summer Streets, this year also marked the first time Summer Streets dates were made available for the other 4 boroughs of the city.

Videos: Moynihan Connector, Central Park Reopenings, 6 1/2 Ave

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Here’s some recent walkthrough videos, shot in the past week:

1. A look at recent reopenings in Central Park: the revamped Chess & Checkers House, and the Boathouse and restaurant (not dead, despite rumors last year!):

2. The first extension of the High Line beyond the borders of the original rail line upon which it was built. Called the Moynihan Connector, it connects the northern spur of the High Line into the Manhattan West complex, where you can walk to Moynihan Train Hall/Penn Station:

3. A walk through 6 1/2 Avenue, and then through to Rockefeller Center. This thoroughfare connects several privately owned public spaces into a cohesive city pedestrian avenue in Midtown:

How to Become a New York City Tour Guide

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I was recently interviewed for local publication The City for their article, ‘How to Become a New York City Tour Guide’.

The article explores how the NYC government legally defines a tour guide, the licensing and exam process to become a legal guide in the city, and what it takes to be a successful guide in a crowded industry. This is a career that I truly love, and one I proud to represent through my side volunteer work with the Guides Association.

Featured in StreetEasy!

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New York City is known for being a concrete jungle, and for its large buildings and bridges and streets, but some of my favorite places in the city are its massive green + open spaces. Near where I love in Brooklyn, I love having easy access to both Prospect Park (526 acres), and Green-Wood Cemetery (478 acres).

So I was thrilled to speak with StreetEasy about the best green spaces in the city beyond the obvious ones, like Central Park. Here is the article:

9 Underrated Parks in New York City (and the Neighborhoods with Easy Access)

Next Stop: Grand Central Madison!

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This week, Grand Central Madison-- the largest expansion of Grand Central since this iteration of the complex opened in 1913-- had its official/soft opening. It was the culmination of discussions begun in 1963 of bringing the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) into the east side of Manhattan. In the LIRR's long history, its one and only stop in Manhattan has been Penn Station on the west side. Finally breaking ground in 2001-- after decades of all talk and no action-- the "East Side Access" project was then projected to bring an additional 250,000 commuters a day into Grand Central (no projections today, given changing post-pandemic work patterns). The final cost for the project ended up around a whopping $12 billion.

Many have read that this new hub is deep underneath the original Grand Central complex. How far? I filmed this video to explore!

In the first section (time: 0:00): I show how long it takes to get from the platforms (where you'd disembark the train) up to Grand Central's original concourse, and then out to 42nd St. It took right around 11 minutes, so feel free to scroll through the video at whatever pace you prefer.

Next section (time: 11:49) : What is it like to transfer from Metro-North to the LIRR (or vice versa) at Grand Central? Pretty simple, and without need to hustle back up to the landmark Main Concourse.

Third section (time: 13:51): How about transferring from the subway at Grand Central to the LIRR concourse? Also pretty simple.

Architectural Digest Video Compilation

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My Midtown architecture tour remains my best seller, so I know that there are a lot of architecture lovers coming to my site. Welcome!

The magazine/website Architectural Digest has been doing a series of videos over the last few years, featuring architects + experts exploring some of NYC’s most impactful landmarks. After watching their excellent new video on the Chrysler Building today, I thought it might be worth compiling here some of the best in that series. Enjoy!

  1. The Chrysler Building:

2. Rockeller Center:

3. Grand Central Terminal:

4. The New York Public Library:

5. The Plaza Hotel:

Bonus 1: Breaking down common NYC apartment styles:

Bonus 2: The Architecture of the NYC Subway

Featured in Gothamist!

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I am in featured on the website Gothamist for their new article, "Tour guide picks for where to take out-of-town guests this holiday season".

There are so many wonderful things to see and do across NYC after you've been to Rockefeller Center (always a must of course!). This article contains a few of my recommendations, plus some others. If you’ve been to NYC before, I always recommend hiring a guide to help you explore some of the city’s hidden treasures, especially those in the outer boroughs!

Dyker Lights: Do's and Don'ts

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I collaborated with friend and fellow tour guide Megan for her latest video, which featured tips for experiencing the best of the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, by yourself or on a guide tour.

One of many benefits of hiring a professional tour guide is to ensure that you get the most out of your time, and you’ll benefit from someone whose job it is to know this city's best spots and traditions inside and out. Don’t miss out on anything… take a tour!

Bring on 2023!

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As we approach the end of another year, I cannot express enough gratitude for all those who took a tour with me this year. After these last few years, I take none of it for granted. NYC has always defied what its detractors predict or project onto us, and this year was no exception, with a recovery that far exceeded most other major US cities.

Heading into 2023, our calendar is open for booking. Our regularly-scheduled tours remain our Art Deco & Architecture Midtown Tour, Central Park, and Victorian Flatbush on select Sundays. All other tours are always available by custom request, schedule permitting.

We look forward to providing you unforgettable NYC memories!

NYC Street Smarts Reminder

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Over the past year, there has been a lot of overwrought media coverage (from a handful of outlets) making it sound like New York has become a crime-ridden hellhole. Then visitors come here and are shocked… to have a totally safe, wonderful experience.

It is true that, like every major city post-Covid, NYC has seen a noticeable uptick in crime. But that is an uptick from… among the safest decades in the city’s history. And so it is also true that NYC remains the safest big city in America, and that the average visitor/tourist is highly unlikely to experience any of what they have seen in the media.

The primary risk to a tourist is from increasingly aggressive scammers, that the city refuses to crack down on. I have written about these in the past, but it’s worth a reminder. My general rules of thumb: A) Do not take ANYTHING that someone on the streets attempts to hand you. Even if it seems innocuous, 9 times out of 10, there’s a scam involved; & B) You do not even owe anyone trying to part you with your money a polite “no thank you”… you can/should ignore them, & keep going.

Anyway, here’s a rundown of the top scams a tourist is likely to experience:

  1. The CD guys.
    Here's how this goes down: a young man (often now a group of them) will approach you, telling you he's a breakout musician, and will practically shove a homemade CD into your hand. He will then autograph it for you. But then he/they will demand payment for the CD. If you don't pay, the CD guys often become verbally aggressive, until you pay up, just to get away. They tend to congregate mostly around Times Square, but are ever expanding. If they insist, call the police!

    Again, your best is to never take anything someone attempts to hand you in NYC.

  2. The fake monks.
    While the Elmos and Doras of Times Square get more press, there are far more insidious costumed menaces roaming the city... the fake monks. You will spot them all over the high-traffic areas of Central Park, and occasionally in popular spots like the Financial District or beyond. Dressed as Buddhist monks, these beggars will approach you, hand you a trinket or bracelet, and then ask for money. They hope you will be too polite or embarrassed to just hand it back and walk away. But that's what you should do.

  3. The Battery Park ticket sellers.
    Battery Park is a lovely park in lower Manhattan, with views of the harbor, Statue of Liberty, and downtown skyscrapers like the World Trade Center. It is also your waterway portal to harbor cruises, the (free) Staten Island Ferry, boats to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, the Governors Island Ferry, & more. But in recent years, the park has become plagued by third-party ticket sellers, many unlicensed, who harass visitors into purchasing boat tickets. Many of them lie to, and scam, visitors about what the ticket they purchased is for. Some will appear as someone attempting to give you directions, then start their sales pitch.

    Your best bet: Do not purchase tickets from anyone on the street. Buy your ticket from the booth or building where the company is based. If you see aggressive ticket sellers, find and inform the nearest police officer.

  4. Street Dancers
    Street dance crews, most commonly seen around the City Hall/Brooklyn Bridge area, or in Central Park, can seem a fun distraction when wandering the city streets. But you're better off ignoring them, and keep moving. Often their "shows" begin by showing their impressive moves. This draws in the crowds. Then, the dancers pull in a few volunteers from the crowd, and line them up. This is where the show grinds to a halt. The dancers will stop, leaving the volunteers standing in the circle awkwardly endlessly, while they shake down the audience for "tips" (often requesting $20 or more). The volunteers will be asked for the biggest tips. Then, after several minutes of going around collecting money, and awkward homophobic jokes at the volunteers' expense, they will perform their brief stunt, and send everyone away a little poorer when they arrived.

    Again, best to keep moving.
     

  5. Times Square character photos
    In Times Square, you will see countless people in costumes (Elmo, Minions, Batman, Statue of Liberty, etc) coming up to tourists, having them take photos with them. This seems harmless fun, and kids of course love it, but please note these unlicensed performers expect a tip in exchange for the photo. Refuse to tip, and some performers may become angry. This is among the most harmless hustles... feel free to grab a fun photo, just be aware a dollar or two is expected in exchange.
     

  6. The Ground Zero street sellers.
    Technically, this is less a scam, and more just predatory sales. But it's a pet peeve of mine, so I'm including it here. Near the World Trade Center (usually on Church St, between Fulton & Vesey), street sellers gather to sell 9/11 photo books, and similar "souvenirs" to tourists in the area. They are not affiliated with any official organization, and certainly not with the memorial. They are vultures, who are profiting off a tragedy. Please do not buy from them.

    Interested in purchasing books related to the World Trade Center? The memorial & museum have an official gift shop & kiosks... where the money goes to a good cause.

But, again, please don't let any of this scare you! 99% of New Yorkers are polite, helpful, and are happy to welcome you to our city! But it is important to be aware of these scams, and have the confidence to avoid them.