Street Art

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One of the top walking tours I have listed on my site is dedicated to street art. "Street art" is a term, however, that I realize is foreign or vague to many people outside of major urban areas. What defines "street art"? How is it different than graffiti or vandalism? That's subjective, but here's my take, and my thoughts on why I am passionate for it.

To me, the main thing that differentiates street art from graffiti/vandalism is the level of craft. The stereotypical graffiti-- someone's "tag" scribbled with a spraypaint can on a wall-- takes no effort or time. It's the artistic version of a smashed window. True street art takes time & artistry. One other differentiation is, more and more, street art is being legitimized. Many street artists now work with business & buildings owners to gain access to walls/spaces for their art... it is a good exchange: the artist gets a canvas, and the property owners get new eyes on their space.

Take for example this piece I saw in Brooklyn:
 

This meets both of the above criteria: it was done with permission (as part of the community-wide 'Bushwick Collective') and took days to complete. It is a true piece of art... only the canvas here is a wall.

It's really wonderful to wander around a neighborhood like Bushwick and see the new pieces artists have spread around, and to see the joy and attention this art is bring to visitors.

A major project just completed on Manhattan's Lower East Side is the 100 Gates Project, an effort connecting businesses with artists to create murals on their roll-down gates. Much like Bushwick's collective, this was a win for businesses, artists, and the community.


The most famous example in NYC of popular (and sanctioned) street art is the now-defunct 5Pointz project in Queens, NY. Immortalized in pop culture, the owner of large, industrial warehouse let a street art collective use the entire building exterior as a showcase for artists. The regularly-changing art drew visitors from all over the world.
 

(The building was, sadly, sold and demolished a couple of years ago)

Some street art, however, can be both legitimate and anarchic. Some great examples of this are the unsanctioned works of Banksy, who has gained international acclaim for his guerilla art. Also, the Berlin Wall became covered in street art and graffiti by the end (mostly the western side), as Germans expressed their frustrations with the wall through this art. One section of this wall-- and its art!-- is preserved in a midtown Manhattan office plaza. A surprising example of legitimate, but originally unsanctioned, street art is the famous Wall St bull statue. Contrary to popular belief, this famous sculpture was not sanctioned by the city. Italian-born artist Arturo Di Modica spent $360,000 of his own money to create it, as a gift to the people of New York, and installed it without permission in front of the New York Stock Exchange in December 1989. The city planned to remove the 'vandalism', but kept it (and moved it to its long-standing location by Bowling Green) due to popular outcry. And what would the Financial District be without this beloved icon?


Street art is, to me, a living and breathing sign of a city's creative heart. It takes drab walls and squares and adds color to them. It draws you to neighborhoods and communities you might otherwise not have discovered. This is why I am so passionate about it.

I hope that, by offering these tours, I can pass on this passion to visitors... and help them see parts of the city that are vibrant and alive. And, of course, to continue the discussion of how we define this evolving art form.

The Meatpacking District

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One tour I've been getting a lot of bookings for lately is a 2+ hour walking tour of Greenwich Village, and the High Line. It's a great tour (contact me for info!). Sandwiched in the middle of this tour is a visit to the historic Meatpacking District.

During the early half of the 20th century, this industrial neighborhood was the hub of New York City's food industry... over 250 slaughterhouses and meatpacking plants were operating there around the turn of the century. The current, popular Chelsea Market was at that time the home of the National Biscuit Company (NaBisCo) and the birthplace of the Oreo cookie. After WWII, the industry, and the neighborhood, fell into sharp decline. This article below from today has some great shots of the area at its most desolate... it's quite a fascinating look back:

'Vintage photos uncover the industrial origins of Meatpacking District locales'

What does this area-- which has experienced one of NYC's most dramatic renaissances-- look like today? I would love to help you discover it.

Staten Island, Take The Wheel

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Many visitors to New York take a trip on the (free!) Staten Island ferry to get picturesque views of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC waterfront. Upon arriving in Staten Island, however, almost all get right back on the ferry and return to Manhattan. This dynamic has vexed Staten Island business leaders & politicians for decades.

While the 5th borough does some nice sites-- historic Fort Wadsworth, Freshkills Park, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanic Garden-- very few tourists have felt a draw to the island.

Two huge new projects by the ferry terminal hope to change that. One is an outlet mall (the first in city limits). The second is more ambitious: The New York Wheel, designed to be the largest observation wheel in the world (eclipsing the London Eye and others in Las Vegas and elsewhere). The first pieces of the wheel are being delivered this week, with project completion expected in the Spring of 2018.

Does this project pique your interest? If so (or not!), why? Share your thoughts!

The Little Chapel That Stood

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St. Paul's Chapel on Broadway, directly east of One World Trade Center, is Manhattan's oldest surviving church. It not only survived the Great New York City Fire of 1776 (which destroyed the original, older Trinity Church), but also the collapse of the original World Trade Center in 2001. Its history is rich (George Washington celebrated his Inauguration Day mass there on April 30, 1789) and is integral to tying downtown to its pre-American Revolution roots.

After a large interior restoration project, the church will formally re-open to the public on October 30, for its 250th anniversary. This is a must-see visit.

I offer tours of historic downtown & the World Trade Center area. Coming to NYC this Autumn or Winter? I'd love to show you "the little chapel that stood".

Vacationing Off The Beaten Path

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Visiting a major city is fun, but also a struggle... which sites and areas do you prioritize? Specifically, how do you make sure to see the "off the beaten paths" part of a city while also seeing the highlights?

For me, I always find I most remember & treasure those smaller areas & tours more because I feel like I discovered a hidden treasure. Everyone traveling to London will see Big Ben and ride the London Eye. And certainly no trip there would be complete without those highlights. Less, though, go to east London and wander around the Brick Lane flea markets on a Sunday to sample the street foods and vintage goods.

These are the areas of a city that feel truly alive.

One of my favorite vacation memories is an afternoon wandering around Dublin. After joining many other tourists to look at the Book of Kells at Trinity College, we started walking east past the Grand Canal docks with no specific end-point in mind. We stumbled into the suburban neighborhood of Ringsend. This was a quiet & pretty tree-lined area that was a hub of shipping and industry. We hadn't planned on going there, but we had a relaxing and fun afternoon wandering its small streets before crossing the River Liffey to the heart of the Dublin ports.

Personally, I think the best way to see any city is on foot. Things like tour buses give you an outsiders point-of-view. The street is where the local view is. (As an aside, I generally walk 10-15 miles a day on a vacation in a city... that's of course not necessary to have a good trip, just my preference). If this sounds similar to how you like to explore a city, then Custom NYC Tours is the place for you.

My hope is to provide visitors to New York a similar experience in my hometown. I'd love to show you the highlights of NYC (historic downtown & the World Trade Center, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, etc), but also the lesser-known treasures of Brooklyn and Queens. What do you hope to get out of your NY trip?

Let's talk today!

NYC in the Fall

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Autumn is my favorite season, and especially for touring. It is just the right weather for a good walking tour, and in the period between Summer and the holiday season, there is so much to see and do in New York City.

One reason visitors love to come to the New York area this time of year is the Fall colors and foliage. Central Park, the New York Botanical Gardens, Forest Hills, our historic cemeteries... there are countless places to get great Insta-worthy views of the season.

Have any favorite NYC Autumn experiences or memories? Tours you want to try? Let me know in the comments or by email!

Welcome to my blog!

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Welcome to my blog for Custom NYC Tours!

I founded this company to share my love of exploring New York City with others... whether visitors or locals. Even before I became a tour guide, I loved to find areas of the city I had never seen before, and spend a day walking and exploring them. Not only its many neighborhoods, but all the secret places the guide books never mention. This is a passion I hope to use now to give customers a tour experience they cannot get anywhere else.

The World Trade Center, The High Line, Greenwich Village, Central Park. Let me share their secrets with you. Or show you my favorite parts of the city. That's what Custom NYC Tours is about.

I want to also use this blog to start a conversation. Are you a local? Or an upcoming traveler? Ask me questions, ask for advice, or share your stories! I want to hear from you today.

NYC historic neighborhoods: Why Greenwich Village, Park Slope, more districts are so special

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Link.

"In a city that is constantly changing, historic districts keep the memory of New York City’s past alive.

Tasked with achieving such a goal is the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, which handles the lengthy and thorough process of designating historic districts and landmarks throughout the five boroughs...."

Why do tourists need a private guide?

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Why do tourists need a private guide?


"The people of this profession are often the lucky ones, as for them the work is also a hobby. That’s why they are always passionate about what they do, they are not in a bad mood and their positive energy is enough to charge people around them. Why not take advantage of their inspiration and make a vacation in a good company?"

Do NYC in Four Days

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For those who don’t mind a non-stop vacation (always on the move!), here is my outline of how to see the best of NYC–- all 5 boroughs of it!–- in 4 days, assuming you get an early start each day and have good weather.

DAY ONE: Fair or not, most people dismiss Staten Island and the Bronx as the lesser of the boroughs, so let’s get those out of the way first (while also doing a small part of Manhattan and Brooklyn).


Start your day at Battery Park, the lowest tip of Manhattan. From there, you can take the Staten Island ferry. Not only will you sail past the Statue of Liberty, but you can cross Staten Island off the list, and get right back on the next boat back to Manhattan! Once back, walk up Broadway (hey there’s the Wall St bull!). Veer right once you hit City Hall Park, and look for the Brooklyn Bridge. Once you get across, continue the path into downtown Brooklyn. Look for Borough Hall, where you can get a Bronx-bound 2 train. Take that to Pelham Pkwy, and treat yourself to a few hours at the Bronx Zoo. Exit the zoo at the western pedestrian exit (by W. 183rd). Walk east to Arthur Ave, then up that street to experience the ‘Little Italy’ of the Bronx. Turn east on Fordham Rd, and get a B or D train down to Yankee Stadium to catch a game.

DAY TWO: For the second day, you’re returning to Brooklyn!


Start the day by taking the L train to the Bedford stop in Williamsburg, and explore the heart of NYC hipsterdom. When you’re done, walk over to Metropolitan Ave, and head east… at Havemeyer St, be sure to take a detour into the The City Reliquary Museum for an off-beat look at NYC history. A few blocks from there, take the G train down to Hoyt St and transfer to a Manhattan-bound A/C for two stops to High St. From there, walk down Old Fulton St until you get to Brooklyn Bridge Park. After exploring all of that, head to the south end of the park, and turn up Atlantic Ave, then south again at Court St. Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens is a really nice area to walk through, and quintessentially Brooklyn. Turn east when you hit Union St, and you’ll get to walk past the Gowanus Canal (so toxic! so hip!) on your way through Park Slope. Where Union ends, you’ll find yourself at Grand Army Plaza and and the northern entrance to Prospect Park. You’ll want to take your time exploring this park. When you get to the south end of the park, head for the subway (the F train at Fort Hamilton if the west side; the Q at Parkside if the east side), and head to the end of the line and Coney Island. End your Brooklyn adventure with a hot dog at Nathan’s, riding some historic rides, and taking in the people watching on the boardwalk.

DAY THREE: Get ready for a day of exploring the queen to Brooklyn’s king.
Start the day by taking the 7 train to Vernon Blvd and your first neighborhood of the day… Long Island City. There’s a really nice waterfront park here, and a lot of new development along the river. From this area, walk north into Astoria. If you’re into pop culture, you will want to aim for the Museum of the Moving Image on 35th Ave. From there, take a Queens-bound R train to Roosevelt Ave/Jackson Heights. This area of Queens is very diverse, and will be heaven to fans of ethnic foods. After this, get on a Flushing-bound 7 train and go to 111 St. Walk down to Flushing-Meadows-Corona Park, which is bigger overall than either Central Park or Prospect Park, though showing its age far more. Check out the old structures from past Worlds Fairs, and the panorama at the Queens Museum. Head south along the pedestrian bridge that crosses the LIE to see Meadow Lake and the southern end of the park. When you get to the end of the park, start walking west (even past Queens Blvd) until you get to Forest Hills. Wander to the southeast end of the neighborhood (look for the private streets) to see what, I think, is NYC’s most gorgeous residential neighborhood. Grab dinner somewhere along Austin St, then treat yourself to a LIRR ride back to Manhattan.

DAY FOUR: Exhausted yet? Too bad, you still have Manhattan to explore!
Start your day by taking the A, C, D, or B train up to 125st St in Harlem. Walk past the Apollo Theater, and head to Marcus Garvey Park. From here, head south down 5th Ave. The stretch of 5th between 105th and 82nd Sts is known as Museum Mile, where you can find, among others, El Museo del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Once you are done with this, enter Central Park at the 79th St entrance, and head west toward Belvedere Castle. From there, you can head south through the rambles, cross the Bow Bridge, and see the Bethesda Fountain, continue down through the mall, and down toward the Pond. Exit the park on the southwest tip, and head back down 5th Ave to see NYC’s most famous shopping strip. In between 50th & 49th Sts, head into Rockefeller Center. Continue west from there, and head down Broadway for… you guessed it… Times Square. After avoiding an army of costumed buskers, head east on 42nd St to Grand Central Station. Walk back up to 5th Ave. and head down to 34th St, where you will find the Empire State Building, a favorite of giant apes and tourists alike. Walk down 34th St, and head all the way west. At 11th Ave. you will find thenorthern end of the High Line. You can walk the length of the High Line all the way down into the West Village. You’ll want to make your way east through the Village’s winding streets 'til you hit Washington Square Park. From here, head east into the East Village and/or the Lower East Side, grab a late dinner, and toast yourself to a very full vacation.

And if you need help planning such an adventure, I am happy to help!

[Bonus tip! Unless you like missing flights, never take a cab from Manhattan to JFK Airport (LaGuardia? You should be fine). Grab a LIRR train to Jamaica at Penn Station, transfer to the AirTrain to JFK. Cheaper, quicker.]

DUMBO

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When we organize DUMBO tours in Brooklyn, one of the first questions we get asked is, what does "DUMBO" mean? An acronym meaning 'Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass', this once-industrial hub is now home to Brooklyn's growing tech industry and some of the most expensive real estate in all of New York.

It is also one of my favorites areas to walk around. Join me one of my next excursions!

Red Hook, Brooklyn

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Yesterday, I did a great tour of one of my favorite Brooklyn neighborhoods... Red Hook.

Red Hook has a lot of history, but let’s sum it up briefly: Once a bustling home of shipping and industrial business, then cliche crime-filled pariah, now home to a wonderful re-birth.

There are no direct subway routes that go through Red Hook (though there are bus routes), but there are two easy enough ways to get there. My usual way: Take the F train to Carroll St and walk west across the BQE pedestrian bridge, then to Van Brunt St and down. Or, the one we’ll go with here… the scenic way: Take the Ikea water taxi from Manhattan ($5 on weekdays, free on weekends) from Pier 11 on the South St Seaport area. This water taxi ride will give you great views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Governors Island, Statue of Liberty, and all in between. After about 15 minutes, you will arrive at the Ikea docks.

From here, head up to Beard St and head left. The first place you’ll want to stop is right there, Erie Basin Park, which isn’t nearly as seedy as the linked writeup indicates (as far as I have seen). Past here, continue down Beard St, and make a left on Conover. Here you will find Sunny’s Bar, which has been around since 1890, and is back after Hurricane Sandy knocked it out of commission.

Right past there, at the waterfront, you’ll find Pier 44 Waterfront Garden, which Curbed describes as being “the center of this neighborhood’s eclectic mix of small businesses, arts organizations, and historic structures”. Definitely take some time strolling along this stretch. Continue up this boardwalk and back up toward Van Dyke St. At the corner of Van Dyke & Ferris, you will find Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies, which has been drawing people to the area since before the gentrification. Right past this, you’ll find another waterfront oasis, Louis Valentino, Jr. Park and Pier. The far end of this pier has the best views in all of Brooklyn of the Statue of Liberty.

After the park, head back toward Ferris St. The few side-streets that run between Ferris & Van Brunt (Coffey, Dikeman, Wolcott, Sullivan) have a lot of interesting homes and warehouse spaces on them, and I recommend taking some time to criss-cross these streets. You may even see a large ship at the nearby Cruise Terminal.

Along this waterfront area, you will also the growing craft business boom transforming Red Hook.... wineries, whiskey distilleries, chocolate factories, glassworks, woodworking, metal shops, and much more.

Around this area, on Van Brunt St., there’s also a lot of good restaurants in the area: Fort Defiance, The Good Fork, and Hometown Bar-B-Que. You will also see Brooklyn Crab, a popular beach-style club. As you make your way north up Van Brunt, you’ll come across lots of small shops, dive bars, and small eateries. The most prominent of these are the bakery Baked and the Red Hook Lobster Pound. Continue up Van Brunt for a look at the Red Hook Container Terminal.

From there, you could head east toward Carroll Gardens for the F or G trains, or back down to the waterfront for a water taxi back to Manhattan.