Private tour in New York City David S
5.0
(6) reviews
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David S.
4.7
Guide rating
23
Reviews
Tours delivered
9 hrs
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Touring New York City is an adventure. An enthusiastic, passionate guide can combine fun and learning. And that's why you found me. I love this city and you will too. I have been a resident and an artist/photographer of Lower Manhattan for the past five decades. I have been a licensed New York City Tour guide for the past decade. I am eager to share my knowledge and experience of this world-class city which I call home. I'm also willing to share my own photographic skills to guide you in capturing better images of our city. When I moved here as a young man in the early 70's, New York was a very different place. The city was losing population and had a reputation for being dangerous and dirty. My generation of 'downtown' New Yorkers embraced the city and created our own opportunities. These downtown 'pioneered' efforts became important social, political, cultural movements which in return revitalized the urbanscape and made city life more desirable. I began contributing to the city's rebirth by first publishing my photo works in local arts publication, the Soho Weekly News in the mid 70's. By the 80's I was projecting dazzling slide/light shows in the vibrant emerging, downtown nightclubs and art spaces. My own ephemera from that time has been recently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art along with one of my films. I was also honored to do a live analog projection / performance in their Titus Theater. I also published the first international street art publication, IGTimes. This project contributed to a glowing archive, which was acquired by Cornell University Library's Hip Hop Collection. Placing artistic contributions aside for a moment, I also homesteaded an abandoned building on the Lower East Side in the 1980's and have been resident (and a community gardener) ever since. The 70's and 80's were unique times in New York. Yet New York is an unique town where every decade has its challenges and rewards . The Aids crisis, gentrification, 911, social unrest, and our recent Covid-19 lockdowns. My own history in New York has given me an unique perceptive. The more I walk these streets the more I yearn to know the city before my time. Out of sheer personal interest, I took the guide test nearly a decade ago and have been doing tours ever since. I learned of the city's history from the native Lenape people, through the colonial Dutch and English and onto the rapid population growth in the 19th century and the making of a 'skyscraper' metropolis in the 20th. I know the city's streets, its neighborhoods, and its ever-changing tempos. I keep informed of the current cultural trends and the latest in art shows, restaurants and entertainment. I will customize a tour according to you and your group's interest and wishes. I am always here to accommodate your visit and plan an itinerary for a couple of hours, half a day, full day and longer. My goal is to excite and inspire you on your visit - to reveal New York's images, its stories and its soul. And being a photographer I'll make sure you get your best New York City shots. I guarantee we will have fun. New York City tour guide license. I am not a driver. I can accompany you in your vehicle or I can arrange for a separate car and driver.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message David S.
Having a seasoned photographer as a tour guide can be very rewarding. I can show you remarkable cityscapes along with hidden urban sites and provide opportunities for exceptional photography. Plus I can tell you the history, the tales and the current scene of wherever you want to tour. What would you like to photograph - architecture, street art, neighborhoods, people, parks, the waterfronts, sunsets, citylights? Choose your sites and your time. I will plan an itinerary for a couple of hours or all day as long as you want . View this tour as a mini photo workshop or your own personalized location shoot. I know all the NYC sites you see in photography - vintage and current. My photo tour is a New York experience. Allow me to guide you as you observe, document and process NYC through your lens. Its your eye. Open to all levels of photography and all types of cameras - DSLRs, point and shoots, and yes, cell phones and vintage film cameras too.
I will plan our itinerary upon your requests. What sites of New York would you like to see.? Central Park, Midtown/5th Ave, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square. How about Downtown? High Line, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, East Village, Lower East Side, (Downtown is my turf where I have lived for 45 years), Soho, Chinatown, Walls Street, 9/11 Memorial. There is always more. This is New York. Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights. Then there is Harlem, The Bronx, Inwood. Let's not forget - Long Island City, Staten Island, Nut Island. Choose your time of day -sunrise, morning, noon, sunset, nighttime. As we walk, I'll talk about photography, how to compose the city and get your shot no matter what are the weather conditions. I also talk about the city. We are photographers; we like to know what we are photographing. Listed as a 2 1/2 hr tour, you also have the option to extend to a half-day or full day trek. Inquire about these customized options.
Tell your guide which places matter to you, skip what doesn't, and tailor the experience for your group's needs. Not finding what you want? Message your guide to build something unique.
This is a walking tour but occasionally we might want to hop on a bus and subway, or take a taxi to jump ahead and change locations. I will let you know before the tour if this is an option.
New York, New York, United States
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6 reviews
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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