Private tour in New York City Gary D
4.9
(11) reviews
2 hours
30 minutes
1
2 hours
30 minutes
1
Gary D.
5.0
Guide rating
159
Reviews
Tours delivered
4 hrs
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I am a native New Yorker, born and raised on the Upper West Side, who's lived and worked my entire life almost exclusively within three blocks of my childhood home. I am the product of an insanely competitive family of "know it alls. " My parents, younger brothers and I all love New York City history and growing up, our dinnertime discussions were a chance to show off what you knew and get some parental attention for being historically correct and entertaining at the same time. I also old love movies, read up on Hollywood and Broadway history, studied old theaters and their architects, and ultimately threw all that into the dinnertime plea for attention. I'm the only one who ended up a New York City tour guide, so that gives you some idea of the depth of my passion for this place (or my desperate need for attention). Up until a few years ago, I owned and operated one of the largest independent movie rental stores in NYC, so unique and comprehensive that it was voted "Best in New York" by several publications including New York Magazine. In 2006, I petitioned the City of New York to rename West 103rd Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue) Humphrey Bogart Place to honor the late actor, whose childhood home on the block now bears a plaque with a dedication I wrote. That is me, by the way, with the late Miss Lauren Bacall in the picture to your left. Another New Yorker, she was just shy of 82 and was still breathtaking. Those eyes . . . I love this city and all it's peculiarities, and I love sharing it with new-comers, returning visitors or native New Yorkers—anyone who wants to know not only why Wall Street is called Wall Street, where is the "square" in Times Square or where are the batteries in Battery Park. I'll tell you these and other fascinating things you never knew about this amazing place I call home because "there are 8 million stories in the naked city" and I will share with you as many as possible. Licensed by The Department of Consumer Affairs of The City of New York. I am a veteran New York City tour guide. Proud member of the Guide Association of New York City.
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Every time I am on the Brooklyn Bridge, it is as if I am there for the first time. I am struck at how beautiful it is, the sweep of the cables is mesmerizing. And each time I am also reminded of what it took to build it. The story of the most famous bridge in the world is incredible. The engineering, the beauty, the determination of an incredibly stubborn family to get this job done and the sacrifices they made is a story that I love to tell. The Brooklyn Bridge, built by two great cities to link together without the forces of nature posing any sort of obstacle. The bridge is the pinnacle of late 19th century engineering and design. Once upon a time the Brooklyn Bridge was called "The Eighth Wonder of the World".
We had an amazing tour with Gary. He has a great personality and was really able to bring the history of the area to life in a fun and informative fashion. The tour was well paced and allowed for a lot of personalized interaction, unlike the large group tours. I would highly recommend taking any of Gary's tours.
Tour was exactly what we were looking for! Gary was definitely 5*. We learned so much more being in our small group. I never want to do a large group tour again! Gary was so knowledgeable and enjoyable. We would love to take a tour with Gary again
Gary provided a thoroughly entertaining and informative tour.There were four of us on the tour, and we all absolutely loved it!!
Fun tour, and Gary was really knowledgeable and funny. Really enjoyed the pizza spot and ice cream he recommended at the conclusion.
Gary is the best, he's very passionate, i really like the tour with him, i highly recommend him
We had a phenomenally good experience with Gary as tour guide of the Great Bridge. In a nutshell, Gary's passion for and his love/commitment to New York shines throughout. His knowledge, enthusiasm, and grasp of history regarding the iconic structure exudes. He is an obvious history and beautifully explained and illustrated how the caissons worked. This was a spectacular tour, not to be missed.
We will meet in front of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, at the intersection of Chambers Street and Centre Street. Due to space limitations on the Bridge, we will discuss the construction and history of the bridge, the political shenanigans, get an overview of the history of where we are, and then proceed on to the bridge. We will stop for photo ops at various points on the way. We will then tour a bit of DUMBO at the Brooklyn end of the bridge. We will end at the Fulton Ferry landing in Brooklyn Bridge park. The entire distance walked is 1. 7 miles, including the Bridge. There is a moderate uphill to the middle of the Bridge, but then a moderate downhill will follow. *There are several food choices (from Juliana's and Grimaldi's Pizza, Shake Shack to the River Cafe), 2 of the best ice cream spots in NYC (Ample Hills and Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory) as well as spectacular (I do not use that word often but you will see why I do), iconic views of the Bridge and lower Manhattan.
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Walking. The bridge has an arc to it. There is some up hill walking, then down hill once passed the middle of the bridge. To get to the subway lines after Fulton Landing there is some walking to do and it is up hill.
New York, New York, United States
Airport: ,Cruise: ,ByGuide: We will meet in front of the Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, at the intersection of Chambers Street and Centre Street. This site is close to several subway lines.
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2 hours
30 minutes
1
2 hours
30 minutes
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