Columbia University in the City of New York: The Unofficial Tour!

Hello! I'm Jared G. Fall in love with NYC with me! Private & Custom touring in & near NYC is my favorite since the 1980s. Touring is all I do since 2005, my profession and passion, for first-timers, returners, and locals. I've lived in and around New York City since 1967. In high school I worked at my parents' sports public relations business, and then the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I started giving tours for Columbia in 1985. NYC was unbelievably gritty and dangerous back then. That was instructive, but there was also affordable fun to be had. I worked & volunteered in non-profit housing and community development across NYC. I own an apartment in a legendary neighborhood since 1991. I've been community gardening, walking my dogs, or community organizing. I have seen this city transform and met those who struggled & innovated to make better than it has ever been. New York is now the Safest Big City in America, and all that goes with it, including welcoming you & sharing NYC's stories. Ideal if you are curious, open-minded, and passionate about something NYC-related. If you like architecture, history, art, parks, bridges, urban affairs, classic or unusual local stores & restaurants, we are in for a great time. Flexible, fun, & informative; I go at your pace and care about you. Words that can describe me: kind, compassionate, responsive, fair, ethical, witty, generous, smart, knowledgeable, inquisitive. Family tours are incredibly memorable for parents, kids, and grandparents. Touring with the kids is an art, and so I adapt. I engage. I take cues. If they're happy, then everyone is. I am also sensitive to people traveling with pain or different abilities. I take great portraits, and know great views. Let's explore Neighborhoods & Districts: famous highlights or unusual. Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island! I like developing custom theme tours. What do you like? Music, art, literature, ethnic, social struggles, nature, immigration, great buildings, eras, biographies. . . ? Please message me about it. I also like improvisation within a plan. If you find yourself interested in something along the way, then I give you choices so you can prioritize how to spend your precious time here. What may intrigue you along the way? Is it a vintage vinyl record store? a theater bookshop? an artwork? a neighborhood? a conversation with a local? We can go with it, or move along. I want to match you with possibilities to connect with the unique. This is what travel and memories are all about! We use itineraries to cover many things, with opportunities to go in-depth. I pace based on reactions and comfort level. Or we can cover the sights and neighborhoods for your planned 'bucket list' of iconic NYC if you have a couple of hours. My tours usually hit them all, and more. Is New York City, 'the biggest small town in America'? Let's encounter Mom-and-Pop Shops in residential neighborhoods or economic districts, like 300 villages. This can lead to 'magic New York moments, ' like when a business owner in Harlem or the Lower East Side tells you about growing up with it; or a 9/11 attack survivor reflects, or an eavesdropper adds something unforgettable… I am open to it if you are; or diplomatically getting us away. I also like ideas. Is New York City the birthplace of the modern city? Is NYC a social laboratory, and the birthplace of American Democracy? What makes NYC different and great? I also want to give you a sense of what it is like to live here. Walking and public transit is part of it. I can help you get us a NYC Taxi Cab, or help you get your UberXL or Metrocard. Professional Tour Guiding has also given my life more meaning and purpose. My goal: Transform you into an honorary New Yorker, connected with our past, in awe, caring about New York City's special future. If my calendar indicates unavailability, please message me anyway. Sometimes bookings change. Or we may plan a shorter, prorated tour. Let's experience NYC's magic & majesty! Jared G. NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Sightseeing Guide Licensee #1212490-DCA through March 31st 2020. Licensed since 2005, with a star for high exam score. Guides Association of New York (GANYC), Certified Tour Guide 2018. Red Cross Adult & Child CPR, AED, & First Aid Certification 2015 & 2016. American Heart Association Adult & Child CPR, AED, & First Aid certification for 2018-19. Guides Association of NYC Vice President 2007-9. Newsletter Editor 2007-8. 'Tour Guide of the Year' from NYC Tour Operator 2012-13. Developed walking tours of World Trade Center and 9/11 Memorial and South Street Seaport for public tour operator, and East Village Community Gardens tour for NYC Department of Parks. Victorian Society in America Architectural Summer Session in Newport 2012. NYC Architecture and History, Cooper Union 2014-2015. Tourism Certificates of Excellence 2016 and 2017. Insured. B.A. Columbia College, Columbia University NYC, and M.B.A. Columbia Graduate School of Business. I focus on providing excellent tours. No restrictions :)