Tours
NYC tours and tour guides (official links)
Abandoned Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour set for Dec. 7
The Brooklyn Historic Railway Association has announced December 7 as the date for its next tour of the abandoned railway tunnel under Atlantic Avenue.
Be warned that you not only need to wear sturdy shoes and bring your own flashlight, but you have to enter the tunnel through a manhole at the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue.
Tours are led by Bob Diamond, who rediscovered the long-forgotten tunnel in 1980.
The tunnel was built in 1844 and stretches half a mile down toward the East River.
See NewYorkology’s pictures from one of the tunnel tours in 2007.
Picture credit: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Earlier: Waldorf’s lost train off-limits, other tunnels offer tours
Waldorf-Astoria’s private rail platform forever closed
November 19, 2008 2:39 PM Comments (0)
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New tours of old Yankee Stadium added until Nov. 23
 It’s not over until the last out and everybody goes home.
Well, in this case, the last out was in September and everyone’s gone home, except the deconstruction crews — and the tour guides.
Despite yesterday’s warning that today’s tours of Yankees Stadium could be the very last ever, new dates have been added.
Tours of pre-demolition Yankee Stadium will continue through November 23, according to this morning’s update on the Yankees website.
Tickets are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors. Use Ticketmaster or call (212) 307-1212.
November 12, 2008 10:08 AM Comments (0)
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Wednesday's Yankee Stadium tours could be last ever
 The Wednesday tours of Yankee Stadium might be the last.
That’s the official word from Frank Milanesi, the tour coordinator for the New York Yankees.
The November 12 tours at noon and 1 p.m. are the final ones scheduled for the ballpark, which is already being taken apart. In fact, Monday was the first days tours permanently started skipping Monument Park, which is heading over to the new stadium next door.
Post-season Yankee Stadium tours resumed October 1, with the news that they could continue through the end of the year.
In an e-mail to NewYorkology this morning, Milanesi confirmed that Wednesday’s tours are the last ones on the schedule, “however in the event that last minute dates get added (possible) they will be posted on the web site immediately.”
Tickets are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors. Use Ticketmaster or call (212) 307-1212.
The Yankees 2009 home opener in the new stadium is scheduled for April 16.
November 11, 2008 8:57 AM Comments (0)
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Empire State Building raises admission by $2 to $20
It just got a little bit more expensive to make it to the top in New York City.
On Saturday, the Empire State Building added $2 to the basic adult admission price to visit the 86th floor observatory. It’s now $20.
The $18 admission had been in place since January 2007.
The express pass remains $45, which lets you skip the lines. And while it’s still only $15 more to reach the 102nd floor - that higher space has actually been closed for renovations since September 29.
The Empire State Building’s entire admission rates are listed after the jump.
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November 5, 2008 7:43 AM Comments (0)
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Circle Line Uptown to remain biggest of Circle Lines*
Although the New York Water Taxi made headlines Monday for its acquisition of Circle Line Downtown, its uptown rival isn’t breaking a sweat.
Andreas Sappok, the general manager of Circle Line Uptown told NewYorkology that the merger will probably only have a “minor impact” on his 63-year-old Hudson River-based harbor cruise company, which carried more than 1 million passengers in the past year.
By comparison, the Water Taxi last year doubled its business and climbed to only 500,000 passengers with 10 boats, the company’s chief executive officer told the Daily News.
Circle Line Uptown, which is formally called Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, is also known as Circle Line 42 since its boats dock where West 42nd Street meets the Hudson. Decades ago Circle Line split into uptown and downtown factions, with downtown running the boats to the Statue of Liberty.
Sappok noted that it was after the 2001 terror attacks — and the closure of the Statue of Liberty — that led the downtown company to branch out to harbor cruises and the more prominent use of the “Circle Line” name. To witness the confusion, check out the website for circleline.com.
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November 4, 2008 9:11 PM Comments (1)
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NY Water Taxi to acquire Circle Line Downtown
 The New York Water Taxi has entered into an agreement to acquire Circle Line Harbor Cruise, the companies announced this morning.
Circle Line Harbor Cruise, LLC, also known as Circle Line Downtown, last year lost the monopoly to operate the ferry service to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Tom Fox, currently Chief Executive Officer of New York Water Taxi, will be the Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, according to the statement issued by the Water Taxi.
A Water Taxi spokeswoman declined to reveal the price for the acquisition, and said more information will not be available in December. Both companies are privately held and not required to publicly disclose terms of the deal.
“The companies will continue to operate independently until the transaction is completed in December,” according to the statement announcing the deal.
The New York Water Taxi runs a number of tourist-targeted boats, commuter routes often subsidized by the city, and the free service to Ikea in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It has come up for criticism by commuters who complain the service is cut back or canceled during the winter. Currently, the Water taxi was set to cancel its East River commuter service as of October 31, but the website currently advises:10/31/08: New York Water Taxi is working with the City of New York to continue the East River ferry service through the winter months. New York Water Taxi will continue the East River service under the current schedule as we continue our discussions with the City. Thank you very much for your patience and support for the service.
Circle Line Downtown, which for decades has been a separate company from Circle Line Uptown, operates cruises from the South Street Seaport, including the large Zephyr and the Shark speedboat. It has teamed up with the South Street Seaport Seaport Museum and other groups to offer the less-touristy Working Harbor tours as well.
Picture credit: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Earlier: Circle Line adds cruises, but LaGuardia ferry on hold
November 3, 2008 8:54 AM Comments (0)
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Getting to know Staten Island, one pizza slice at a time
NewYorkology contributor Anna Links boarded the Staten Island Ferry last weekend, headed for the press preview of SINY’s new pizza tour. Her report:
Larry Ambrosino knows what you think of Staten Island and he is not impressed.
Larry is a third generation Staten Islander and the executive director of SINY, an initiative dedicated to promoting his often overlooked borough. Beginning November 8 at 11 a.m., SINY will offer the Staten Island Pizza Tour to lure you beyond the ferry terminal.
For $40, you’ll travel by mini-bus for slices at four of Staten Island’s finest pizzerias with several local attractions interspersed for the benefit of both your digestion and Staten Island edification.
Moreover, your money buys you a day trip to a New York you’ve probably never seen, except maybe on television.
The pizza is good.
However, the Staten Islanders themselves are the attraction. You may have some notions about them. Before you deliver another Staten Island joke though, visit them in their natural habitat. There’s a powerful community feeling to the restaurants and to the tour: a lot of handshakes and announcements of who went to school with whom and who used to coach whom in football. Since the tour functions to promote the hidden charms of Staten Island, the tour members on Saturday were treated as distinguished guests. It’s essentially public relations through pizza.
At each pizza stop, we were greeted by the owner of the establishment and ushered to a banquet room. Piping hot pizzas were swiftly delivered and devoured. Cheese pizza was the standard at Joe & Pat’s and Lee’s Tavern, (pictured, whole pie.)
At Jimmy Max we tried the Max Special margherita (pictured, slice at top) and DeNino’s gave us small slices of both cheese and margherita. Pitchers of soda were ordered up for the tables. Be aware there are distinct pizza factions. At DeNino’s, in fact, we met a patron who grew up in Brooklyn, lives in New Jersey and travels to Staten Island for his pizza.
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October 30, 2008 11:16 AM Comments (0)
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December tour of library's 'stacks' will be last ever
If you’ve ever wanted access to the closed stacks under the New York Public Library, you’ve got only one chance.
The stacks, which cover seven stories below the main Rose Reading Room of the Humanities & Social Sciences Library, open for tours once a year during the Holiday Open House. And this year’s event, on December 7, will be the very last time they’ll offer access to the stacks.
 Celebrated British architect Norman Foster has been selected to design a major renovation of the main branch of the New York Public Library that will transform the stacks into a new circulation library with computer work stations, children’s rooms and views of Bryant Park.
So this year’s tour will be the last.
To get a spot on the tour, you’ll first need an invitation to the members-only party, which you can secure with a donation as small as $40. (There’s also free food, drink and entertainment at the party, and you’ll get other member benefits during the year.)
Invitations to the holiday party are going out this week, but even people who join later will get a pair of passes in their welcome kit, Friends of the Library staff told NewYorkology.
In past years, once you get into the party, the tour passes have been given away first come, first served as the event begins. While photography was allowed in 2006, it was prohibited in 2007 - and will be prohibited this year, too.
 During the 2006 tours, the shelves were crammed with books and arcana from days long gone, including wooden card catalogs, the library rules from 1921, shelves of newspapers awaiting transfer to microfilm, and the book dumbwaiter.
See NewYorkology for pictures of the stacks tours in 2006, and Gothamist for archival images of the stacks.
Picture credits: In the stacks in 2006. Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
October 29, 2008 1:27 PM Comments (1)
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This week's fall foliage cruises timed for leaf peaking
The Hudson Valley is finally in peak foliage while NYC remains at midpoint.
There are a number of cruises on offer allowing you to take in the view from the riverways — often with free food and drinks.
On Tuesday, the Classic Harbor line will take its Yacht Manhattan up the Hudson to to Bear Mountain National State Park, returning to Manhattan by motor coach. The $150 ticket is also a fund-raiser for Portside NY.
Classic Harbor offers other fall foliage cruises, including several this weekend.
Circle Line Downtown’s fall foliage cruises, scheduled for November 1 and 9, travels up to West Point and back for $120.
Circle Line Sightseeing at 42nd St. offers its own foliage cruise to Bear Mountain, which is priced at $45. November 1 is the final date for the season.
The New York Water Taxi’s $45 cruises remaining on November 1, 2, 8 and 9.
Update: In order to give the non-profit Portside credit for the cruise, you need to make reservations at (212) 627-1825, ask for Meghan and mention that you are calling on behalf of Portside NY.
Separately, NY Waterways is also offering a $40 fall foliage cruise weekends through November 8. but be warned, if you book online, NY Waterways charges an extra $9.50 (but no service fee if you book by phone or buy a the pier.)
Related: New York waterways webcams
Image source: Classic Harbor Line’s Yacht Manhattan
October 27, 2008 12:02 PM Comments (0)
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Norman Foster design to open NY Public Library stacks
The New York Public Library has chosen British starchitect Norman Foster to design a $250 million building-within-a-building renovation of its main branch that will convert the basement and seven levels of “the stacks” into publicly accessible space with views of Bryant Park, the New York Times reports.
 The stacks — which have only open to the public once a year during its members-only holiday open house — would house a new circulation library with computer work stations and children’s rooms, according to the Times.
The books in the stacks would be moved to the existing three-acre storage area that’s literally under Bryant Park. The park and library occupy the space formerly used by the Croton Rervoir, a section of which can still be seen in the NYPL.
The lionized main branch, formally known as the Humanities & Social Sciences Library, is located at the corner of 42nd Street Fifth Avenue. A $40 “friend” donation gets you a pass for two to the holiday open house if you join before invitations go out.
Picture credits: Amy Langfield/NewYorkology
Note to photographers: Although photos were allowed during the 2006 Open House tour of the stacks, guides prohibited photography during the 2007 tour.
Earlier:
In the stacks at the New York Public Library (on the 2006 tour)
October 23, 2008 8:37 AM Comments (0)
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