It’s one thing to familiarize yourself with history and culture inside a museum, but it’s a very different experience to walk the streets and neighborhoods that helped shape New York City—and that still reflect that history and culture today.
Ahead of National Travel and Tourism Week (May 7–13), we compiled this list of walking tours across the five boroughs to give you a street-view glimpse into the City, from the music and rhythm of Harlem to the Chassidic community of Crown Heights.
Jojo's Ventures NYC
The Bronx
Jojo's Venture - Mott Haven tour
Good for: architecture buffs
Price: $45
Length: 2.5 hours
Settled by Swedish sea captain Jonas Bronck in 1639, Mott Haven became one of the first communities to be urbanized across the Harlem River. Its industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries was tied to German, Irish and Italian immigration, and is brought to life today by this tour of its elaborate brownstones. Among the fun facts you’ll learn: a booming piano manufacturing business once existed in the area.
Jewish Tours: Cultural Tours of Chassidic New York
Brooklyn
Cultural Tours of Chassidic New York – Crown Heights
Good for: neighborly New Yorkers
Price: $74
Length: 2.5 hours
Learn about the symbolism, history and day-to-day life of Crown Heights’ Chassidic Jewish community with this intimate glimpse into the neighborhood. On up to 15 stops, you’ll view Jewish artifacts believed to date back to the time of Moses, find out about various cultural practices and explore a synagogue, all in an open atmosphere where questions are enthusiastically encouraged.
Like A Local Tours: Sustainable Brooklyn Food & Fashion Tour.
Like a Local – Sustainable Brooklyn Food & Fashion Tour
Good for: eco-friendly shoppers, groups of three or more
Price: varies according to size of group
Length: 3 hours
Did someone say eating and shopping? A good time for a good cause is promised on this forward-thinking private tour through the best of Williamsburg’s artisanal and eco-conscious food, fashion and design. While learning to lessen your environmental impact, you’ll make room for funky vintage finds, one-of-a-kind antiques, small-batch global brands and vegan treats. Stops include Williamsburg pillars like Artist & Fleas and Awoke Vintage, with time to enjoy vegan crepes at Little Choc Apothecary or a vegan sandwich at Guevara’s. Note that for the moment, this tour is only available as a private one for groups rather a regular public event.
Welcome To Harlem: The Harlem Rhythm and Rhyme Walking Tour
Manhattan
Welcome to Harlem – The Harlem Rhythm and Rhyme Walking Tour
Good for: music buffs
Price: $56.25
Length: 2.5 hours
Get to know the rhythm of Harlem on this music-centric tour. Join longtime resident and historian Debi Kops on a journey of the words, music, people and art that made this neighborhood the cultural heart of NYC. Among the stops are the home of Langston Hughes, a poet synonymous with the Harlem Renaissance, and Hotel Theresa, aka the “Waldorf of Harlem,” with live readings of speech and poetry along the way.
SusanSez NYC Walkabouts: Astoria Queens Flavors of the World
Queens
SusanSez Walkabouts – Astoria, Queens: Flavors of the World
Good for: adventurous foodies
Price: $75
Length: 3 hours
With people from around 100 countries living side by side, Astoria has one of the most diverse food scenes in the City. You may know it for its Greek and Egyptian dishes, but on this tour you’ll also discover and taste specialties from its Italian, Colombian, German, Balkan, South American and Southeast Asian culinary heritages—across a range of restaurants, cafés and stores.
Historic Richmond Town Guided Tour
Staten Island
Historic Richmond Town Guided Tour
Good for: amateur historians
Price: $10
Length: 1 hour
Historic Richmond Town’s costumed interpreters celebrate ordinary people from the 1770s, 1820s and 1860s. Across the village’s campus, they demonstrate trades, reenact the rituals of domestic life and give daily talks on everything from the fashion of the time to innovations that helped build the country. Walk along Main Street, where the County Courthouse was the center of town, or stroll to the Outer Village, set against a forest on the town’s outskirts. General admission gets you access to the historical museum and walking tour.
Visitors can find additional guides that specialize in a range of tours across New York City at ganyc.org.
