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New York City Meet the locals

Our most recommended New York City Meet the locals

Harlem: Sunday Gospel Service with Locals

1. Harlem: Sunday Gospel Service with Locals

Discover an iconic scene often captured in film and photographs, beautifully dressed women with impressive hats in Harlem heading to church for Sunday worship. Go beyond the pictures and see how worship and church family form an integral part of life and a source of weekly spiritual sustenance. Sunday Gospel in Harlem invites you to be a part of this custom by respectfully joining a local church family for an hour of worship. This is a non-traditional worship service which includes singing and praise dance. Learn neighborhood history and importance of houses of worship. Visit a local church and participate in gospel worship with parishioners. Enjoy a sense of community and camaraderie. See former residences of some of Harlem's notable residents associated with the Harlem Renaissance.

Wall Street Insider Tour

2. Wall Street Insider Tour

On this unique 75-minute guided tour of Wall Street you’ll see world-famous financial landmarks such as the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Reserve, and Wall Street. While walking along the streets of Lower Manhattan, your guide will tell you stories that only an insider would know about. You’ll be entertained, informed, and even shocked! Stops include the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, House of Morgan, Trump Tower, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Federal Reserve, Charging Bull, Trinity Church, and more. You’ll learn about the 400 years of history that traces the original Dutch trading outpost to modern Wall Street, and see where billion-dollar deals are negotiated and where the fate of the economy is determined. This tour has been featured on television and in newspapers, including CNN, BBC, Reuters, and The New York Times. The Wall Street Insider Tour aims to demystify and personify Wall Street through personal interaction with an insider and hearing of their first-hand experiences.

NYC: New York, City of Contrasts Guided Bus Tour

3. NYC: New York, City of Contrasts Guided Bus Tour

Discover why New York City is the city of contrasts on a guided bus tour. Drive through Harlem, visit the Yankee Stadium, and see the Jewish Quarters in Williams. Board your bus at the Manhattan at Times Square Hotel. Then, head north in Manhattan, going through the neighborhood of Harlem and crossing into the Bronx. Visit the Yankee Stadium, home of the legendary NYC baseball team, and take a restroom, picture-taking, and shopping break. Continue to Grand Concourse Avenue and enter the famous police Precinct 42. Proceed to the South Bronx to see graffiti and street art masterpieces. Hear the stories behind each of the most famous pieces, snapping photos along the way. Head then to Queens, the largest and most multicultural borough in New York. See the most expensive neighbor out of Manhattan, MALBA. The next stop is Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. There you'll find the Mets' Stadium and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Next, stop in Queens on Roosevelt Avenue, one of the borough’s main streets. See firsthand how immigration and culture prevail in a neighborhood replete with multicultural stores and restaurants Move on to visit Brooklyn. See the Jewish Quarters in Williamsburg, a stark contrast to the trendy areas made famous by movies and TV shows. Finally, head to the Manhattan Bridge where you can decide where to end the tour. Choose between walking towards the Brooklyn Bridge, and visiting the Dumbo neighborhood and panoramic views cross Manhattan Bridge for Chinatown and Little Italy, where you'll find the best Italian food in NYC.

NYC: Wall Street and Financial District Walking Tour

4. NYC: Wall Street and Financial District Walking Tour

Get deep insights into how consulting firms, investment banks, and financial markets work on Wall Street, the financial capital of the world. Explore the 2008 financial collapse and the more recent headline news of GameStop and cryptocurrencies. Learn why, in 2020, oil prices plummeted from $18 a barrel to -$37. Yes, oil producers were paying people $37 a barrel to take it off their hands. Later, visit the Wall Street District and the World Financial Center. Choose the optional Statue of Liberty upgrade to include admissions to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Marvel at the Statue of Liberty, a universal symbol of freedom that has greeted millions of immigrants, embodying freedom and opportunity. The Immigration Museum is teeming with historical displays dedicated to the millions that passed through its gates. Both islands are self-guided experiences, where visitors are encouraged to explore until closing.

New York City Harlem Highlights w/ Gospel Concert & Transfer

5. New York City Harlem Highlights w/ Gospel Concert & Transfer

Fill your heart with joy on an incredible tour of Harlem and discover New York City's most exciting neighborhood. Learn its origins as a rural Dutch farming community to its transformation into a summer retreat for the city's most prominent families.  Get an insight into how urban black culture developed following the Great Migration of the early 20th century by African Americans from the southern states. Hear how artists and writers flocked to the area to create the rich cultural landscape of the Harlem Renaissance.  See iconic sights, such as the Apollo Theatre, legendary Cotton Club, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Duke Ellington's former apartment. Visit some of Manhattan's oldest homes such as the Morris-Jumel Mansion. Lastly, listen to the beautiful sounds of the ARC Gospel Choir at their mid-week concert and be inspired by their powerful songs of praise.

New York City: Private Tour with a Local Guide

6. New York City: Private Tour with a Local Guide

Explore the city with a local guide on this walking tour. Share in your guide's passion for the city and get insider tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your visit. Customize your tour to include the sights that interest you most. Choose from 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7- and 8-hour tour options. Meet your guide directly outside your accommodation in the city center of NYC and begin your walking adventure. Customize your tour to include seeing the city's top sights like Central Park, Times Square, or Grand Central Station, or expand your tour to include lesser known destinations. Get familiar with the neighborhood, find out about the best places to eat and shop. Learn about the easiest ways to get around and the top things to see and do from an authentic local. Feel more comfortable navigating the city and become more confident that you have all the information you need to make the most of your stay.

New York City: Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour

7. New York City: Gangsters and Ghosts 2-Hour Walking Tour

Take a two-hour guided walking tour through some of NYC's most famous neighborhoods and discover their stories of gangsters and ghosts from the city’s past. The Five Points, Chinatown, Little Italy, and Greenwich Village were known as the vice districts during the 1920s and 30s. See the places where gangsters such as John Gotti and Lucky Luciano used to party, make deals, and carry out threats. Visit haunted locations and old crime scenes on a tour led by historians. Spooky tales of the ghosts and gangsters of NYC's streets will be shared along the way. Stop at The Five Points, known for hosting New York's most infamous gangs, Chinatown's "Blood Alley," haunted houses of the West Village, and the many restaurants where mafia murders occurred in Little Italy. Go inside the Godfather-featured Basilica of St Patrick. The tour is family friendly with frequent stops.

From Manhattan: Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn Half-Day Tour

8. From Manhattan: Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn Half-Day Tour

Take an alternative tour of New York and head to the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn to discover the secret delights of New York City. This half-day tour is an excellent opportunity for a unique insight into these lesser-known neighborhoods. Mini-bus transportation makes it easy and efficient to get around the city’s busy streets. Aboard the bus you will cross Grand Central’s bridge, with a view of Grand Central Station, continue to the Upper East Side, one of the most affluent and elegant neighborhoods in the city before going to Spanish Harlem on the way to the Bronx. See Yankee Stadium, the home ballpark of the New York Yankees baseball team, the Grand Concourse, and pass in front of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Stop at Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, where you'll have an authentic Italian-American experience. Visit Italian restaurants, delis, bakeries, cafes and shops. Next, pass by Randall’s Island and through Queens. Finally reach Brooklyn, where you'll visit Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Lastly, return to Manhattan through the legendary Brooklyn Bridge.

NYC: Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour

9. NYC: Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour

Spend your lunchtime or dinnertime learning the history and lore of two of New York's most historic districts: Little Italy and Chinatown. Sample their foods and flavors, wander their streets, and learn all about their history and heritage. The food included is more than enough for lunch. Start in Chinatown with Hong Kong style sponge cakes to go, where your local historian tour guide will lead your intimate-sized group through Chinatown’s winding streets and Columbus Park. Enjoy history and fun facts, and visit a hidden dumpling spot, with views of the One World Trade building. Then, be led down the famous Mulberry St. to Little Italy’s romantic corners. Hear stories of NYC mafia crime and pizza lore as you eat your slice of pizza and enjoy cannolis and music at a 130-year-old bakery. Appreciate a tour that visits favorite family-owned shops and that supports NYC locations that are off-the-beaten-path. Taste the history of food establishments that have been in business for over 100 years. Leave NYC with a newfound appreciation of these two neighborhoods, newly discovered secrets of New York City, and more tips and suggestions for things to do in The Big Apple.

3 Neighborhoods Tour: Soho, Chinatown & Little Italy

10. 3 Neighborhoods Tour: Soho, Chinatown & Little Italy

The 3 Neighborhoods Tour will give you unique insight into three very different places in Manhattan.  Start in Soho, one of NYC's trendiest neighborhoods. Learn about the area's real estate and how this area became one of the most expensive places to live on the island. Stroll into the heart of Soho and see some of the poshest bakeries, shops, and restaurants that Soho has to offer.  Walk down Greene Street and talk about why Soho has such unique and beautiful architecture. See the Haughwout Building and the Old Police Station before heading to the next neighborhood. Make a quick stop in Nolita and sample some cheesecake before working your way into Historic Little Italy. Sample some of the delicious local cuisines such as cannolis, gelato, pizza, and more. Mingle with locals and get the inside scoop about famous spots on Mulberry Street. Chinatown is the last neighborhood. Visit the Mahayana Buddhist Temple and get a peek of the 16-foot Golden Buddha. Pass the Manhattan Bridge and walk into the heart of Chinatown. Enjoy treats from The Original Chinatown Ice Cream Factory while you see where Chinatown got its start.  Walk down Doyer Street and learn how the neighborhood has changed over the years. End the tour by enjoying a traditional dumpling and talking about the infamous Five Points.

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What people are saying about New York City

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 1,074 reviews

Thanks to the gospel tour we had the possibility to dive into Harlem community and spent time with local people. We participated to a true religious function and appreciated its vigorous charm. After the function Keith guided us in Harlem and, thanks to his passion and knowledge, we learned the history of the district, from the beginning up to the more recent days, and we understood a lot about the evolution of the district (on the social and economical side). If you really want to live and learn about Harlem, this tour is a must!

Excellent way to explore Harlem and feel extremely safe. Harlem has got such a bad reputation and it is time to actually realize that times have changed for the better. Harlem deserves for more visitors to come and enjoy the experience. The pastor and gospel choir had such a positive feel about them, it was uplifting.

Very nice Guide with lots of insides of street food. The food was very tasty. Don't eat before that tour. Would recommend this tour to everyone visiting New York. Thanks for that exceptional experience.

Very informative and our tour guide was very pleasant and made it fun!

Very nice, all very well organised. Our guide was excellent!