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THE GENERAL INTRODUCTION
From tip to toe, Manhattan is a patchwork of villages: Two
Harlems, East and
West; the eclectic Upper West Side; the posh Upper East Side;
razzmatazz Broadway; the
bustling Garment District; suddenly trendy Chelsea; bohemian
Greenwich Village; dwindling
Little Italy; overcrowded Chinatown; artsy SoHo; the Financial
District; historic South
Street Seaport; edgy Lower East Side. Each village has its history,
reflected in its
architecture and ever evolving ethnic mix. Our guides blend history,
gossip, tall and
short tales, facts and figures to bring every neighborhood to life.
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WALK!
Our exclusive walking/bus/subway/taxi tour of the city, and the best
way to capture the
sights, sounds, and smells of the city. Starting from the hotel,
couples or small groups
of guests explore the area around the hotel and then set off an a
whirlwind tour of the
city, hopping from one type of transport to another, deciphering
taxi cab drivers'
accents, stopping at a local coffee shop for espresso, all the while
being regaled with
stories of the city by our expert guide. The exact itinerary depends
on the desires and
interests of the guests. Those who have been to The Big Apple before
might want to subway
to Brooklyn, or "Take the A Train" to Harlem. Others might
wish to explore one
specific neighborhood or discover secret shopping sources of New
Yorkers who never pay
retail. It's the perfect "whatever" tour for both the
first time visitor to the
jaded veteran, and always a resounding success. Back
ROBBER BARON NEW YORK
The fortunes of the Rockefellers, Fricks, Whitneys, Trumps and other great, and often brash, entrepreneurs determined the look and set the tone of New York. This tour covers all the usual sights, but interprets them through the history of the great post Civil War and contemporary fortunes. Beginning with breakfast at J.P. Morgan's former pied-a-tierre overlooking Wall Street, and ending at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, this is an informative, amusing and politically incorrect look at why New York is New York. Back
THE MAFIAS OF NEW YORK
Who owns New York? The Genoveses control the $1 billion Fulton Fish
Market. The Colombos
and Lucchese clans pave the roads and mix the cement. The Gambinos
stitch away in the
Garment District. Gotti builds. Garbage, cargo at JFK, it s all a
family affair. Not to be
ignored are the Russians, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Colombians
and other immigrant
groups, all with their own territories. This tour looks at
kickbacks, no shows, and
skimming and why a quart of orange juice costs $10 at the Jacob
Javits Convention Centre. Back
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE
UGLY
THE best tour of New York, bar none. A full day tour of the five
boroughs (Manhattan, The
Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island), including a lively
discussion of immigration,
politics, economics, social issues, and everything else that makes
New York diverse and
challenging. Lunch at a deli or local restaurant, snacks aboard, and
return to Manhattan
via the Staten Island Ferry and, client willing, the subway. Each
tour is customized to
the specific interests of the group, be it architecture, art, city
government, medicine. Back
NEW YORK MARATHON
Own the Brooklyn Bridge for 20 minutes, enough time to run or race
walk from the beginning
of the bridge in Brooklyn towards that magical skyline. Departure
rain or shine. At the
end of the bridge, superstretch limousines, stocked with juices and
soft drinks await for
another race, a Manhattan treasure hunt ending at lunch where
winners collect their
prizes, usually ridiculous stuff like dead chicken key chains, taxi
boxer shorts and
"Big Shot" New York license plates. Back
HARLEM GOSPEL AND
SPIRITUAL
Discover the many histories of Harlem: The once bucolic suburb for
the upper and middle
classes; the hub of black culture; the upheavals of the 60's; and
gradual rebirth in the
90's. Harlem today is a fascinating mix of posh enclaves and down-
and-burned-out blocks.
The tour covers the famous neighbourhood's heyday, today and
tomorrow. Rousing gospel
singing is available every Sunday and Wednesday, and by special
arrangement. Back
ART IN THE 90'S
What goes into a great corporate or private art collection?
Participants will visit a
noted art dealer in her home and learn how some famous collections
were put together. In
this intimate setting (30 guests maximum) visitors will have an
opportunity to ask
questions about collecting, buying and selling art, as well as to
visit a handsome
Manhattan interior. Back
BEHIND THE SCENES:
BROADWAY
What does it take to put a show on Broadway? Why are some
playwrights such as Neil Simon
and David Mamet turning their backs on the Great White Way in favour
of Off-Broadway
theatres? Why do shows cost what they do? Do Les Miserables and
Phantom of the Opera make
more money from merchandise than ticket sales? Would Broadway
survive without the British?
These and other questions are answered on a fascinating walking tour
through the Theatre
District. Back
ELLIS ISLAND
"I thought the streets were paved with gold. I didn't realize
I'd be paving
them." Despite letters like this sent to the Old Country,
twelve million hopefuls
poured through the Ellis Island immigration center between 1892 and
1954. They were
fleeing famine, war and persecution, and among them were film star
Rudolph Valentino,
actress Claudette Colbert, composer Irving Berlin, and the Baron von
Trapp family. Today,
the beautifully restored facility offers exhibits of the precious
mementoes immigrants
carried in their one suitcase, a stunning photo montage, and hands-
on exhibitions showing
migration patterns from Germany, Ireland, Austria, Italy, and other
countries. A moving
(bring Kleenex!) film depicts the immigrants as they arrived in the
New World. A
five-minute ferry transports guests from Battery Park at the
southern tip of Manhattan to
Ellis Island. A stop at the Statue of Liberty is also possible. Back
CARS: STRETCHED, STOLEN AND
PRESERVED
A visit to a custom shop that specializes in stretching and armoring
limos, then a
briefing with the NYPD on the stolen car and car parts market. If
that's not enough, add a
visit to the garage which rents vintage cars to the film industry.
NOTE: The police
briefing requires one month's advance notice. Back
BACKSTAGE AT THE
WALDORF
Not just a hotel, the Waldorf is an institution whose history is a
window on the
development and mentality of New York City. This two-hour tour wends
through the mile-long
kitchens, explains the recently discovered mosaics, and includes
lots of gossip on the
Waldorfs and Astors. Back
ARTISTS LIVES AND LOFTS
New York is the vortex of artistic life in the United States. The
eye of the vortex is the
SoHo and TriBeCa areas just south of Greenwich Village. The tour
includes a walk through
these two neighbourhoods and a stop at an artist's loft. Tea, coffee
and cookies are
served as the artist talks about his or her work, living conditions,
and survival in the
spare aftermath of the profligate 80's art market. Back
VICTORIAN NEW YORK
Depicted in the film The Age of Innocence, recalled in the book Time
and Again, the
subject of this tour is a nostalgic journey through Victorian New
York when Park Avenue
was a park and Carnegie Hall's neighbourhood was dubbed "Pig
Hill"; Ladies Mile,
Gramercy Park, the building of the great apartment houses such as
the Ansonia and The
Dakota, the creation of Central Park. Optional lunch at the
exclusive National Arts Club,
where The Age of Innocence was filmed. Back
DISCOUNT SHOPPING SPREE
No self-respecting New Yorker every buys retail. This tour is an
odyssey through some of
the finest discount sources in Manhattan, from a little-known
department store offering
deep discounts on sought after designer labels, to a designer s
loft, to a cashmere
showroom. Back
INSIDE THE FASHION WORLD
What's the difference, besides the price, between a Chanel and a
near-perfect knockoff?
This and other questions about the fashion industry will be answered
on a visit to the
world's largest costume collection at the Fashion Institute of
Technology in the heart of
the Garment District. Included on this insider's tour is a visit to
a fashion showroom or
loft. Back
BEHIND THE SCENES: AUCTION HOUSES
A privileged and fascinating look at the working of an auction
house: How collections are
acquired, how they are merchandised, and a discussion of the ever
evolving role of the
auction house in today's art market. Back
MEET-THE-ARTIST
A customized performance with talent drawn from a Rolodex as long as
Broadway. Performers
might include the voice coach from the Metropolitan Opera,
breakdancers, or cast members
from a Broadway show. The venue might be a stunning Penthouse
overlooking Lincoln Center,
a small rehearsal studio, or the home of a performer. Whatever the
venue, this is an
intimate and privileged peek at some of the creative force that
makes New York, New York. Back
MEDIEVAL NEW YORK
The celebrated Unicorn Tapestries, once used as a cover for French
potatoes, are safely
displayed in their newly renovated quarters at The Cloisters, the
reconstructed European
monastery overlooking the Hudson River. A tour of these and other of
the Cloisters'
medieval treasures is "worth the detour" up to the
northern tip of Manhattan.
The tour continues to The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, a
majestic neogothic
enterprise begun in 1887 and still a work in progress. A modern
force in the surrounding
Harlem community and beyond, the Cathedral is famed for its training
program for
stonecutters and other good works. Back
ONE STREET, MANY HISTORIES
West 67th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue is a
legendary block. Built
mainly as studios for working artists, it is home to celebrities
past and present,
cohabiting more or less comfortably with the ever expanding ABC
television network, high
rises, and the development of Lincoln Centre. Led by a noted
architectural historian, the
tour examines the architectural wonders of the block, chronicles
resistance to the
expansion of the ABC Television Network. By special request, visits
to two magnificent
apartments in the famed "Des Artistes" building may be
arranged. Back
VIP MUSEUM TOURS
The Metropolitan, Guggenheim, Isamu Noguchi and Museum of Modern Art
offer expert docents
for highlight tours or walks through specific sections of these
noted museums. Back
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