Free Tours By Foot NYC

March 12th was snow joke 124 years ago! The Great Blizzard of 1888...

2012-03-11T22:31:00.001-04:00

Madison Avenue

Not unlike this year, the weekend of March 9th, 1888 was unseasonably warm. A balmy Saturday was followed by a drizzly Sunday, and New Yorkers were looking forward to an early Spring. No one was prepared for what happened that Monday, Macrh 11. A blizzard moved in, accompanied by 85 mile an hour winds, creating snow drifts of up to 20 feet high.

Trolleys stuck on the Brooklyn Bridge

In just under twenty-four hours, 21 inches of snow fell bringing the city to a standstill. Subzero temps froze the East River, and commuters --unable to take the trolleys paralyzed by the storm -- walked between Brooklyn and Manhattan on the frozen river.

Despite the hardships caused by the storm that crippled the city for 14 days, one good thing came out of it: so severe was the damage to overhead telegraph, electric and telephone wires, that New York's Mayor Grant ordered all overhead wires to be buried. The result? A beautiful city that remains uncluttered by cables that criss-crossed throughout the streets. Just look at the before and after pictures of Park Row site of the former domed beauty, the City Hall Post Office.

So make the best of the great weather this week and take one of our tours!

New York City skyline changes over a span of 137 years

2012-03-01T21:39:00.000-05:00

How Much Electricity is Used in Times Square

2012-03-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

There's nothing quite like it on earth, save for the Las Vegas Strip. Twenty-four hours a day, Times Square is lit up like it was mid-afternoon on a sunny day. Every so often, visitors to New York will ask us, "How much electricity is used to keep Times Square going at any time"? It's an intriguing question, and as guides we wondered as well. So we posed this question to the nice folks at Con Edison, New York's electricity provider.

The answer, lots. Well, of course. We knew that. But, how much? It turns out, the answer is impossible to know for certain, as Times Square, which runs from 42nd St. to 47th St. at the intersection of 7th Ave. and Broadway, is part of the larger Theater District, which stretches out several blocks more in all four directions. Additionally, the Theater District shares a distribution grid within Manhattan with its next door neighbors.

So, what's the estimate? The associate at Con Ed estimated that at the peak of the peak electrical use in the Theater District is approximately 161 Megawatts of electricity being used at any one time. We have read that 1 megawatt could power 1 thousand U.S. homes. That's 161,000 U.S. homes - and Americans aren't exactly known as energy conservationists. That would keep an small power plant busy just on its own.

Learn more about this and other interesting trivia on our Midtown Manhattan Tour.

Around town this March- Parades, Art Extravaganzas and our Free tours

2012-02-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

St. Patty's & Flamenco

This month in NYC there's something for everyone: Start with Cindy Sherman at MoMA, featuring photographs spanning the artist's career from the mid-1970s to today. Celebrate Women's History Month at the Fusion Film Festival or the

The Orchid Show

New York City Center's Flamenco Festival. Beginning in March and running through the end of May is the always highly anticipated Whitney Biennial, but this month also features The Art Show and The Armory Show, two of the City's biggest art fairs. And those who are eager to welcome spring will want to check out The Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden and the Macy's Flower Show.

And you always have us! Check out our March calendar of tours.

Travel + Leisure's affair with Brooklyn is still aflame!

2012-02-22T23:35:00.000-05:00

T+L Design Awards 2012 names Jane’s Carousel Pavilion, located in Brooklyn Bridge Park as "Best Public Space". T+L writes lovingly, "In a completely unexpected pairing, a richly detailed carousel (1922) and a see-through minimalist shed (2011) jointly occupy a dramatic waterfront site in the shadow of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. The carousel is open to the public, and after sunset, the pavilion’s acrylic walls are illuminated, creating a light show visible across the river and from the bridges above."
The carousel is $2 a ride and happens to be located a few streets away from the end point of our Brooklyn Heights walking tour starting up again in April. Join us for a historic stroll then take a spin on a historic painted pony!

the Lower East Side...there's an App for that!

2012-02-08T23:24:00.001-05:00

Lower East Side Visitor's Center now offers a free iPhone app to help you find your way in this super-cool, super-fun, super-culturally diverse and historic neighborhood.

The Lower East Side is a feast for your senses. Hear, see, taste and yes, unfortunately occasionally smell New York City when wandering the streets of the LES.

If you'd like an inexpensive start in your exploration, take our LES food tour with Free Tours by Foot. Free, tip-based walking tours. Let's face it, an app is great, but a human is better!

New York Giants do it again! Tickertape Parade on Tuesday Feb. 7th

2012-02-05T23:42:00.000-05:00

Official information from the City website, www.311.gov: The parade will begin at Battery Place and Washington Street at 11:00 AM and continue northbound up the Canyon of Heroes to Worth Street....The parade will be followed by a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, at which the Mayor will present the NY Giants with Keys to the City. Access to the parade route along the Canyon of Heroes will be entirely free and open to the public.

Huh? Canyon of Heros? There's a canyon in New York? Come find out about the Canyon and more of Lower Manhattan on one of our tours!

Empire State Building roots for the New York Giants on Superbowl Sunday

2012-02-05T18:39:00.000-05:00

Giants at the Polo Grounds, their original stadium

The Empire State Building is Blue and White this Super Bowl Sunday.

According to the indispensable Bowery Boys podcast/blog, the NY Giants are football's oldest existing NFL team--and among its greatest -- with 7 total championship victories since their debut in 1925. Let's see if they add one more tonight!

By popular demand- LOWER EAST SIDE TOUR added for Sunday 2/5

2012-02-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

The weather has been glorious for February in New York City and what better way than to take a stroll through the fascinating, fun, and delicious Lower East Side? The Lower East Side is known for its blend of cultural diversity and rich history. It's also known for its great food. Our food tasting tour is the perfect way to discover the LES.
Click here for more information and to RSVP!

February is HOT in New York City! Art, Music, History and more!

2012-01-23T22:34:00.000-05:00

Even if temperatures are cold, the city is red hot!

Among the Top February Events in New York City are Renoir, Impressionism, and Full-Length Painting at The Frick Musuem, the innovative Philip Glass Tune-In Music Festival, the always-popular Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and the not-to-be-missed Barneys Warehouse Sale Feb. 16-26.

February is also Black History Month with events throughout the city all month.

So why not check out our popular free Harlem walking tour Saturdays Feb 4th and Feb 18th. RSVP now for a spot!

Vote for your favorite New York City Walking Tour on ABOUT.COM

2012-01-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

ABOUT.COM's 2012 Readers Choice Awards is accepting nominations until February 15. Voting will run from February 22 - March 21, 2012. winners will be announced March 30, 2012. No prize, except knowing that you like us! So get out the vote for Free Tours By Foot NYC!

Winter bargains and deals- a great time to visit New York City!

2012-01-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

2 for 1 Broadway shows!

Dozens of NYC's best restaurants
at an incredible price!

Hotel Upgrades, Free Nights and More!

and the icing on the cake?

FREE TOURS BY FOOT!

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD- a list of lists of the best of the bests!

2012-01-04T23:18:00.000-05:00

For the elite foodie, check out New York magazine NYC’s 101 Best Restaurants, the New York Times 50 favorite restaurants and their December list of the Ten of the Best Inexpensive Restaurants of 2011.

On a budget? NYC blog Real Cheap Eats, lists a borough-by-borough list of great dishes for $10 or less. And of course the Village Voice best of NY issue contains an extensive food and drink section with reasonable price ranges.

Food carts are in! Check the Vendy Awards for best food carts in the city and Street Meat Palooza for best of the Midtown area food carts. Vegans fear no more- New York has caught on. Smart, savvy website Serious Eats. has compiled a list of Where to Eat Vegan in New York.

And if you haven't already sussed it out, Brooklyn is where the REALLY GREAT food is. L Magazine focused on its favorite borough for the Brooklyn Restaurant Awards in September of 2011 and the local Brooklyn Paper in November also came up with a list of Brooklyn’s 30 best meals, mainly under $10.

You've got the lists, now go get the grub!

Broadway shows at affordable prices!

2011-12-27T21:02:00.001-05:00

Broadway Week is back! TWO-FOR-ONE tickets to more than 20 Broadway shows! Tickets go on sale January 4 for Broadway shows from January 17 to February 4, 2012. Get more information at BROADWAY WEEK.

Not here during those dates? You still dont have to pay full price to see a show. One discount option is to try for RUSH tickets. These are offered through a lottery system. Tickets are available the day of the performance, are normally about $30 each and cash only. Each theater/show has their own policy. Check out RUSH tickets information. Another option that is more expensive but still less than full price is TKTS info. Three locations to buy tickets. I recommend the Brooklyn location. There is never a line. Tickets through TKTS end up being about $50-75 a ticket. Here's a link to see what's playing on Broadway.

Breakfast at Tiffany's turns 50! Happy Annivesary!

2011-12-14T16:59:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe that Holly Golightly is turning 50!
Seems like yesterday she was gazing in the windows of Tiffany's, strolling on Park Avenue, borrowing books from the New York Public Library then heading home on the Upper East Side.

Though she never visited Brooklyn, she was born there-- in 1958 when author Truman Capote penned the novella from which the movie was born. From 1955- 1965, Capote lived in the basement apartment of 70 Willow Street, a spectacular five-story, Greek Revival townhouse in Brooklyn Heights dating back to the 1838.

The house's owner was a well to do Broadway art director Oliver Smith, who graciously let Capote stay a while and write not only Breakfast at Tiffany's, but its polar opposite, In Cold Blood, about 2 serial killers on the run. In between, Capote wrote a slender non-fiction work called A House in the Heights. Much beloved by Brooklynites (we're a proud people), the essay starts simply: "I live in Brooklyn. By choice."

Want to find out why he made such a choice- not the style of the day back in the 1950s? Come out to our Brooklyn Heights/Brooklyn Bridge tour and you'll see why. Oh, by the way, the house is up for sale and can be yours for a cool $13 million.

Your belly and wallet will both be happy- NYC's Restaurant Week is on its way

2011-12-13T22:29:00.000-05:00

Winter Restaurant Week Jan. 16 to Feb. 10, 2012.
Over 300 of NYC's best restaurant's are offering 3-course prix-fixe meals for $35 for dinner and $24.07 for lunch. RESERVATIONS open January 4th.

The costs of being a sightseer...literally

2011-12-13T22:07:00.000-05:00

Borrowing some stat's from NewYorkology's Price Check, here's just a few activities to enjoy in New York City, and what that enjoyment will cost you:

Broadway show - $159.75

Double-Decker Bus Tour - $84

NY Knicks game - $69.70

Circle Line full-island tour - $36

Top of the Rock - $25

Carnegie Deli pastrami sandwich - $17.95

Gray’s Papaya Hot Dog recession special - $4.95

Subway ride - $2.25

One of our awesome walking tours?

There's a reason we're called Free Tours By Foot. Come find out.

The World's Largest Hanukah Menorah here in New York City

2011-12-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

Everything is bigger in New York! Skyscrapers, Broadway billboards, so why not a giant Menorah for the holiday of Hanukah?!?!

On December 20th, the first night of Hanukah, the 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound steel menorah will be lit. It’s located at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street near Central Park. As Hanukah lasts 8 nights, a new candle will be lit every night at 5:30 pm (except for Dec. 23, at 3:30 pm and Dec. 24, 8:30 pm in honor of the Sabbath). Speaking of Menorahs, this month, The Jewish Museum invited beloved artist and illustrator Maurice Sendak (of “Where the Wild Things Are”) to choose a group of Hanukah lamps for display at a special exhibition. Light up your world and check it out!

Shop Lower East Side Dec 11th and get free coffee, free giftwrapping and a free massage!

2011-12-07T19:17:00.000-05:00

For the next 2 weekends, Lower East Side's Shop Local campaign is happening. Besides deals at 40 vendors, including chic boutiques, specialty food shops and designer fabric stores, there will also be freebies at the pop-up Holiday Oasis Lounge located at Mark Miller Gallery at 92 Orchard Street.
Stop by for free gift-wrapping, free massages from a licensed massage therapist, and free Blue Bottle coffee.
Check out the list of shops here: SHOP LOCAL on the Lower East Side.

December 5, 1933 was a bad day for NYC's Speakeasys

2011-12-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

New York City had between 30,00 and 100,000 during Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 until 1933. Some of the more famous ones: the 21 Club in Midtown Manhattan, the Cotton Club in Harlem, and Chumleys located in a top-secret location.

If you want to know where it is,how the expression "86 it!" originated and what the secret password is, you'll just have to join us on our Greenwich Village tour.

Empire State Building lights celebrate the holidays--Christmas AND Chanukah

2011-12-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

The ESB lights get more and more creative every year, and honor more holidays and occasions then we even know exist! Between December 23 - 28, the building will have an unusual display - a split lighting scheme in honor of both Christmas and Chanukah. Two sides of the building will be be red and green for Christmas and the 2 other sides will be blue and white, traditional colors for Jewish holidays such as Chanukah.

You can always find out what the special occasion is by looking at the Empire State Building's colors site. And if you want to know even more about the ESB, check out our Midtown Manhattan tour!

New York’s Next Great Park...in Brooklyn!

2011-12-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

In 2002, plans to develop Brooklyn Bridge Park became official and work began on an 85-acre sustainable waterfront park stretching 1.3 miles along Brooklyn’s East River shoreline. Progress has been slow, and the park isn't entirely complete. But over the past few years, the park has finished enough of the project to make it possible for New Yorkers to:
* watch outdoor movies on a Jumbotron every Thursday night during the summer

* ride the historic 1922 Jane’s Carousel year-round in an all-weather pavilion

*kayak under the Brooklyn Bridge with free kayaks sponsored by the Boathouse

.... and of course just lie on the grass gazing at the skyline of Manhattan just across the river.

Here's a short video clip about the history of this waterfront area, from Dutch occupation 4oo years ago until now. And if you want to see the work for yourself, come join us on our Saturday Brooklyn Heights tour. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what you discover!

The most famous Christmas tree in the world...here in New York City

2011-11-30T21:38:00.001-05:00

It was Christmas Eve, 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, when construction workers at the yet to be built Rockefeller Center site, decorated a 20 ft. tree with tin cans and scrap paper.

Eighty years later, and 54 ft. taller than that first tree, the Rockefeller Center tree was lit tonight and will stay lit until January 6, 2012.

Want to learn more about the tree and the magnificent buildings and architectural beauty of Rockefeller Center? Join one of our Midtown Manhattan tours!

Ride a Vintage Subway car in December for the same $2.25

2011-11-28T01:31:00.000-05:00

Maybe the ride will be a bit slower, but the experience will be one of a kind. Click here for all the info you need to take a trip into the past: Vintage Subway Train rides November 26-Dec 24, 2011.

For subway history, check out the amazing podcasts by The Bowery Boys History of the Subway.

Here is a video from last year's vintage train ride. And yeah, it's just like the subway today- even a little fast. But check out the lightbulbs! And leg room!

Lower Manhattan Holiday Festivities Holidays

2011-11-25T15:00:00.000-05:00

Join the Celebrate this season at one or all of the many festive events taking place throughout Lower Manhattan. Some highlights include Gingerbread House making, Irish holiday dancing, Hanukkah parties, a performance of Dickens' Chirstmas Carol, Ballet and Orchestral Yiddish theater and a lot more. Check out Lower Manhattan for the Holidays.

shimmering city

2011-11-23T18:59:00.001-05:00

Midtown Manhattan by Andrew C. Mace.

Visit his Flickr for his incredible pictures that capture the glitz,

mystery, joy, exuberance, energy, history, innovation

and uniqueness of New York City.

meet a descendant of the Brooklyn Bridge's famed Roebling Family

2011-11-22T00:09:00.000-05:00

A new book by Clifford W. Zink traces the 200 hundred year history of the great industrial family, the Roeblings,
without whom the world would have been deprived on one of the most beautiful, and innovative architectural wonders of modern times -- the Brooklyn Bridge.

The author will be launching his book The Roebling Legacy on Tuesday, November 29, 7pm at the Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO, the neighborhood where the Brooklyn Bridge was born. Extra special bonus: Kriss Roebling (of the Roeblings) will be there to discuss the family's rich history.

Bone up on your Bridge knowledge by taking our Brooklyn Heights & Brooklyn Bridge tours, Saturdays at 10 am.

Go beyond the Apollo Theater...take our Harlem tour

2011-11-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

Think you can discover the wonders of Harlem on your own with the help of a guide book? Think again! It'snot what it used to be. Sure, you'll find the Starbucks, the Target and the guidebook recommended historic spots along 125th. But wouldn't it all be so much better to hear REAL stories about the 'hood?

Derrick at Free Tours By Foot runs an excellent and extremely entertaining Harlem tour. The tour is free, but guides make our living from tips. Trust me-- you'll want to tip. The tour is fabulous. Derrick is fabulous. Harlem is fabulous.

Weekend subway nightmares and how to avoid them

2011-11-20T18:13:00.000-05:00

The 4 is running as the 3 and the C is on the F line until it runs on the A line and there is no subway service on the L or G or F and WTF?!?

Do yourself a favor- look online before leaving the house at the MTA Subway advisory system just for weekends called THE WEEKENDER .

Little Italy is becoming Littler Italy

2011-11-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

According to the New York Times earlier this year, Little Italy is getting littler. A census survey released a year ago determined that the proportion of Italian-Americans in a two-dozen-square-block area in so-called “Little Italy” had shrunk to about 5 percent.

Still, it retains its charm, its aromas, its historic tales and no matter how small it gets – it will always be Little Italy. Take our Little Italy, Chinatown and SoHo two-hour tour and understand why it is so special.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade celebrates its 85th anniversary on November 24, 2011

2011-11-18T18:46:00.000-05:00

THAT WAS THEN...

THIS IS NOW...

Ever wonder why the Empire State Building is lit up in certain colors?

2011-11-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

Find out what the special occasion is by looking at the official guide to the Empire State Building's colors. Some November colors: Nov. 4 to 6 - orange, white and blue NYC Marathon, Nov. 11 to 13 - red, white and blue, Veteran’s Day, Nov. 14 - blue, blue and white, World Diabetes Day, Nov. 23-27 red, orange and yellow, Thanksgiving.

If you want to find out more about the ESB, check out our Midtown Manhattan tour!

Let the Ice Skating begin!

2011-11-14T22:59:00.000-05:00

Bryant Park's Citi Pond

One of the best skating rinks is Citi Pond in Bryant Park. It's free to skate and if you don't have your own skates (and why would you, especially if you are just visiting), skate rentals are $14. They offer free lockers for your personal items, but the lock will cost you $9. The surrounding park is filled with Christmas shopping stalls, warm food and good feelings.

More than just a pretty place, did you know that Bryant Park was once a potter's field where thousands of people were buried, that George Washington and his troops passed through in their retreat from the Battle of Brooklyn and that it was used for military drills during the Civil War?

Find out even more on our Midtown Manhattan tour!

For other ice skating rinks, check out this list of Ice Skating Rinks in NYC.

Where it all began...MANATUS

2011-11-14T22:27:00.001-05:00

This anonymous manuscript map kept at the Library of Congress is a copy made around 1670 of a map that was probably drawn in New Netherland. The original map is usually dated ca. 1639, but may have been drawn as early as 1630. Learn more--take our Lower Manhattan tour.

The map depicts New York City's bay with the island of Manhattan jutting into the map from the right hand side.