United States
Big Apple Greeter is a voluntary organisation which was set up to give visitors to NYC a personal insight into the Big Apple.
A Greeter meets you at your hotel and you get an hour's walking tour of your chosen neighbourhood, and it is all free. You even get a subway pass for the day. We had a great time. Check the websites for details.
Everyone interested in New York City, history and/or food should take Big Onion Tours' Multiethnic Eating Tour.
It's a nifty way to learn about immigration and ethnic neighborhoods in New York, as it leads participants through the lower east side, Chinatown and Little Italy (which often overlap, strangely enough).
You get commentary and picture-taking ops in all three areas, plus pickles, Jewish pastry, Italian cheese, dim sum and other typical offerings in each neighborhood. Guides are grad students in New York City history and culture.
You can find out in advance of your visit when this and other theme tours are available at bigonion.com.
The cost for the eating tour is $20, $15-17 concessions; all other tours are $15 and $12, I think. You should really take an afternoon and do this and/or others of their offerings - it's a great deal.
Delancey and Essex street, NYC; check Big Onion Schedule at www.bigonion.com
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