Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the “new” Times Square. Weekday walking tours are $12; weekend
tours are $15. Reservations may be required depending on the tour, so
it's best to call ahead. The full schedule is available online or by calling
&
212/439-1049.
The
92nd Street Y
(
&
212/415-5500;
www.92ndsty.org)
offers a wonderful variety of walking and bus tours, many featuring
funky themes or behind-the-scenes visits. Subjects can range from
“Diplomat for a Day at the U.N.” to “Secrets of the Chelsea Hotel,”
or from “Artists of the Meatpacking District” to “Jewish Harlem.”
Prices range from $25 to $60 (sometimes more for bus tours), but
many include ferry rides, afternoon tea, dinner, or whatever suits the
program. Guides are well-chosen experts on their subjects, ranging
from respected historians to an East Village poet, mystic, and art
critic (for “Allen Ginsberg's New York” and “East Village Night
Spots”), and many routes travel into the outer boroughs; some day
trips even reach beyond the city. Advance registration is required for
all walking and bus tours. Schedules are planned a few months in
advance, so check the website for tours that might interest you.
Myra Alperson, founder and lead tour guide for
NoshWalks
(
&
212/222-2243;
www.noshwalks.com), knows food in New York
City and where to find it. For the past 6 years, Alperson has been
leading hungry walkers to some of the city's most delicious neigh-
borhoods. From the Uzbek, Tadjik, and Russian markets of Rego
Park, Queens; to the Dominican coffee shops of Washington
Heights in upper Manhattan, Alperson has left no ethnic neighbor-
hood unexplored. Tours are held on Saturday and Sunday, leaving
around 11:30am and 2:30pm. The preferred means of transport is
subway; tours last around 3 hours and cost about $33 not including
the food you will undoubtedly buy on the tour. Space is limited, so
book well in advance.
Harlem Spirituals
(
&
800/660-2166
or 212/391-0900; www.
harlemspirituals.com) specializes in gospel and jazz tours of Harlem
that can be combined with a traditional soul-food meal. A variety of
options are available, including a tour of Harlem sights with gospel
service and a soul-food lunch or brunch as an optional add-on. The
Harlem jazz tour includes a neighborhood tour, dinner at a family-
style soul-food restaurant, and a visit to a local jazz club; there's also
an Apollo Theater variation on this tour. Bronx and Brooklyn tours
are also an option for those who want a taste of the outer boroughs.
Prices start at $49, $39 for children, for a Harlem Heritage tour, and
go up from there based on length and inclusions (tours that include
food and entertainment are pay-one-price). All tours leave from
