In New York, you can tour the world by subway and travel through centuries on foot. Townhouse Tours offers a range of tours to help visitors and natives alike discover the city's rich diversity.
Private tours. You name the date, and we'll be delighted to provide a personally guided tour for your family, friends, or business group, visiting your choice of New York's most celebrated neighborhoods: Wall Street, Greenwich Village, Harlem, Brooklyn, Rockefeller Center and Times Square and more. Learn the history of famed landmarks and anecdotes of the colorful women and men who created them. Tours last about three hours and can include, if you wish, backstage tours, museum visits, or a delightful meal in a distinctive local restaurant. Bicycle tours and bus tours are also available. Click here for details.
Brooklyn tours. Discover the charm and elegance of classic brownstone neighborhoods, the raucous vitality of Coney Island, the new artists' neighborhoods on the waterfront, the beauties of Prospect Park, the colorful shops of ethnic communities, and, of course, the legendary Brooklyn Bridge. Our tours reflect the many faces of New York's largest borough. Click here for details.
Lesbian and gay tours. Walk the streets where generations of young men and women found the freedom to express their identities. Our tours trace the history of the gay rights movement from the Stonewall bar to today's hottest watering-spots, and visit sites associated with gay heroes and heroines, important institutions, and artistic landmarks. And, of course, feature some colorful dish. Click here for details.
Custom tours. Visit historic houses and learn how earlier generations lived. Trace your family's history on the Lower East Side, in Harlem, or one of our historic cemeteries. Discover an old-fashioned Italian neighborhood in the Bronx or Victorian mansions in Brooklyn. Whether your interests lie in social history, literary landmarks, or urban planning, we'd be happy to propose an intinerary, with transportation on foot, by limousine, bus, or even by bicycle. For details, drop a note in e-mail, explaining your particular needs, or call (347) 693-1484.
Your Host:
Writer, educator, and urban historian Harry Matthews has spent three decades exploring New York's neighborhoods, both celebrated and obscure, and building a library of New Yorkiana. He has organized tours for various civic groups, shown busloads of tourists around town, and participated in seminars and walking tours with other experts. A few comments from visitors....
"A very original way of discovering New York City"
"You showed us a lot about New York's history and way of life. It's good to hear about so many details you can't find in books"
"You are a real New Yorker and know so much"
"Harry Matthews is one of the great raconteurs"