Open House NY: A Follow-Up

I had written earlier about Open House NY, a weekend where the secret spots of NYC are open to all. I take part in this event every year, and this year was a lot of fun.

Here are some of the sights I visited:

The Wyckoff House: Most people assume that the oldest surviving building in New York City must be in Manhattan, but it's actually this Dutch farmhouse, in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, built in 1652, and restored as a museum in the 1980s. Dutch settlers in then New Netherlands far pre-date the English colonials who eventually founded "New York".

And then...

The City Reliquary: NYC is known for its world-famous museums. It also has numerous small & eclectic ones. This one is housed a former bodega and features a wide display of city relics and artifacts.

Then off to Manhattan to see a similar sight...

Mmuseumm: NYC's smallest museum(s) are Mmuseumm 1 (on left) and Mmuseumm 2 (far right), housed in a former freight elevator & loading dock, respectively. They are open weekends in Chinatown's unique Cortlandt Alley.

Then up near Gramercy Park for...

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace: 28 E. 20th St is no ordinary Gramercy Park brownstone... it was the birthplace & childhood home of Theodore Roosevelt. This beautifully preserved home is managed by the National Park Service.

The next day, I started in historic Harlem to see...

The Apollo Theater: This historic Harlem venue first opened in 1914 as Hurtig & Seamon's New Burlesque Theater, reopening as the Apollo in 1934. It has been a home to rising talent for over 80 years, and is anational landmark. 

Next, down toward Lincoln Square for...

WABC Studios: This TV station and production facility is the home to Live With Kelly!, local Eyewitness News, and other ABC productions.

My final Open House stop was the closest to home...

Kings Theatre: In the 1920s, Loews opened 5 "wonder theaters" in the NYC area. The fates of each vary, but the Kings Theatre in Flatbush reopened in 2015 after a $95M renovation. It is a stunning 3,000-seat venue for music, theater, and movies.

The thing that makes Open House weekend great is getting jaded New Yorkers to visit the parts of their city they might normally have the chance to discover. That same philosophy is why I founded Custom NYC Tours... to help guide folks to the New York City that we all take for granted.

Where do you want to go today?

Washington Square Park: The Village's Beating Heart

Since its creation in the 1800s, Washington Square Park has always been the cultural center of Greenwich Village. The land evolved from marshes and farm-land to a military parade ground to a rural hamlet for NYC's elite to a bohemian paradise to a bustling part of downtown New York. On most days, the park today is radiating with energy and noise, in a way that is unique to any other city park.

I have been doing a lot of walking tours of the area this month, and though I would share some images I have taken:

Beyond its central fountain, we see the famous Washington Square Arch (now marble, originally constructed of plaster & wood for the centennial of George Washington's inauguration in New York), as well as a row of Greek-revival townhouses dating back to 1832.

Moving west in the park..

Paul, who lives in a rent-controlled apartment in the neighborhood, is a staple of Washington Square. Known affectionately as the "bird man" or the "pigeon man", he can be found on the same bench every day, feeding the birds he considers his old friends. 

On the southwest corner, at Macdougal Street...

This corner of Washington Square features chess tables where masters &  novices gather to play every day (some for money, some for sport). Child prodigy Bobby Fischer, director Stanley Kubrick, & many others played these tables in their youth. 

Are you interested in joining me on one of my next walks/tours? I'd love to share some of the amazing sights of the Village (a home dating back to 1799, the "Friends" apartment, Bob Dylan's old haunts, the birthplace of the LGBT movement, & more!), as we take in its beautiful, tree-lined streets. Every visitor I've had finds something new to discover.

Contact me for dates and options!

Open House New York

For New Yorkers who love to explore their city, Open House NY Weekend is their Christmas. Open House New York is a non-profit founded to "celebrate the best examples of design and planning throughout the five boroughs". While the organization offers events year-round, it is most known for its weekend in October where OHNY and the city open up over 250 sites across the city, many of which are normally not public.

If you will be in the city this weekend, I cannot recommend enough finding a few events to see a new side of the city. {*anticipate some lines at the more popular OHNY offerings}

For those planning to attend the weekend, here are my suggestions of some of the more interesting open offerings:

Wyckoff House Museum: First built in 1652, this old farmhouse is NYC's oldest surviving building. Though it is not in the most convenient location (East Flatbush, Brooklyn), its history makes it a nice off-beat visit.

Kings Theater: Loews built 5 "wonder theaters" in the late 1920s, most of which were left to decay for decades. The Brooklyn theater reopened in 2015 after a massive renovation. They will be open for visitors on Sunday afternoon.

United Palace: This was another of the 5 Loews wonder theaters. This Harlem theater will be open for a few hours on Saturday.

Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine: This is the world's largest gothic cathedral. Its location in upper Manhattan's Morningside Heights neighborhood makes it far less visited than St. Patrick's Cathedral in midtown, but this church is far grander and worth a trip uptown.

Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse: Popularized from the 1942 childrens book "The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge", this lighthouse will be offering a rare chance to visit the inside. It will be open for a few hours on Sunday.

Manhattan Municipal Building: This 40-story building is a key part of the downtown skyline. The office of the Manhattan borough President will be open for a few hours on Saturday.

New York City Hall: The municipal building's smaller neighbor, City Hall will be opening its doors on Saturday from 12-4. Visitors can see the gorgeous rotunda, City Council chambers, and some other historic rooms.

Mmuseumm: One of my favorite off-the-beaten-path NYC "attractions" is Mmuseumm... New York's smallest museum. Housed in a street-level freight elevator in Chinatown's Cortlandt Alley, it offers a rotating set of unique artifacts.

Lowline Lab: The success of the High Line has people looking for new spaces to create parks... this time, underground. Plans are being developed to convert the old Williamsburg Trolley Terminal, in the Lower East Side, into public space using new solar technology. Their test lab on Essex St can be visited both days this weekend.

New York City Marble Cemetery: This gated East Village cemetery will be opening its doors on Saturday and Sunday.

New York Marble Cemetery: Right around the corner from the above is this similarly-named, but unrelated, cemetery. This one is unique because its deceased residents are stored in vaults without traditional cemetery tombstones. Also open both days.

Brooklyn Navy Yard: This site was once key to NYC's waterfront and Naval history. After it was decommissioned, it has slowly become a key home to the new industrial boom in Brooklyn. On Saturday afternoon, the Yard and many of its businesses and studio spaces will be open for visitors.

Taking advantage of this weekend is something I look forward to every year. If you are planning to do so as well, let me know which sites you are hoping to explore!
 

Baby, It's Cold Outside

As the temperatures in NYC rapidly declines, the cliche is that there is less for visitors to see and do. As a guide (and a lifelong New Yorker!), I will offer a rebuttal. Visiting NYC in the winter months simply provides different opportunities.

Besides the many indoor activities NYC has to offer-- nearly 100 museums alone-- there are plenty of things outdoors worth putting on the extra layers. Many New York parks are worth exploring in the winter... seeing the lakes of Central Park covered in ice, and its rolling hills covered in snow, are a beautiful sight. Go to the Central Park Zoo and see the red panda, snow leopards, and polar bears in their preferred weather. The New York Botanical Garden's holiday train show (which runs through mid-January) is worth the trip up to the Bronx. Enjoy an afternoon of ice skating at any of NYC's numerous outdoor rinks... Wollman Rink, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park. And much more.

And if you are planning to come to New York between Thanksgiving and New Years, the city is and endless trove of holiday activities: holiday markets, the window displays along 5th Avenue, the Rockettes, SantaLand at Macy's, and much more.

If you are considering coming to New York in the winter months, take the plunge (like the Polar Beach diving into Coney Island's waters on New Year's Day). New York is the city that doesn't sleep. And it doesn't hibernate either.

Street Art

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

Insider Tips!

10 insider tips for navigating New York like a pro
 

"NYC may be a pretty straightforward grid, but that doesn't mean it's always easy to get where you're going. From hidden codes to handy mnemonic devices, here are ten useful tips for finding your way around the city."

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

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?

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?"

9 Non-Tourist Activities in New York City

The suggestions here are all great... in particular, island-hopping is a fun way to explore.