Brooklyn Tour

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: Architecture, History, Your Perfect Trip...
Duration: 3 hours
Location: New York

Photos & Highlights

Embark on an in-depth exploration and history of Brooklyn's major neighborhoods and their transformation over the years
Led by an urban historian
City Hall, Brooklyn Bridge, and DUMBO

Tour Description

At once intensely historical and painfully cutting-edge, Brooklyn is a world apart: home to some of the city's oldest brownstone buildings, and birthplace of the hipster. Of all the ways to explore Brooklyn, venturing out on foot is among the best option for locals and visitors alike. In this Brooklyn tour, we'll move beyond Manhattan, walking the Brooklyn Bridge to paint a portrait of the social and economic history, the architecture, and the dynamic cultural makeup of New York’s most fascinating borough.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge

Beginning on Manhattan, and walking across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, we’ll approach New York’s largest borough by looking at its development during the 19th century, when it exploded both commercially and culturally. Our historian-led walk focuses strongly on the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights—the historic area directly across from lower Manhattan—and the surrounding neighborhoods, shifting gears from architectural and social history to contemporary politics, art, culture, food, and ethnic identity.

(For more on Brooklyn's evolving cultural identity, check out our primer on sustainable shopping in Brooklyn.)

As this Brooklyn tour continues, we'll consider the development of Brooklyn Heights in the 19th century as a refuge for genteel families from the squalor of Manhattan Island. Looking closely at the Federal-style brownstones, clapboard houses, and mews along lush, tree-lined streets, we'll trace the development of a distinct Brooklyn character over the centuries and consider such figures as Carson McCullers, one of the Heights' many resident authors who wrote how, "it is strange in New York to find yourself living in a neighborhood."

City Within A City

Our Brooklyn tour will also include a stroll through DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), a former warehouse district that has become a trendy gallery zone. Here we'll walk some of the docks and waterfront to trace the origins of Brooklyn as a maritime port and discuss the importance of trade and commerce to the city until the 1970s when larger, deep water ports in New Jersey surpassed the shallower ones in the East River. Our stroll might also take us along the Promenade, to visit Henry Ward Beecher's Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, a famous stop on the Underground Railroad.

For more of New York City's contemporary culture, check out our Chelsea walking tour of contemporary art galleries and our Williamsburg tour.

FAQ

Where do we meet? Where does it end?

Generally speaking, the walk begins on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. We begin the tour by walking over the bridge into Brooklyn together. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point details along with a map, and our 24/7 phone number. The walk typically ends in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, often near Montague Street.

What if it’s raining?

Tours operate rain or shine, but in the case of inclement weather, your expert will modify the tour so more time is spent indoors. It never hurts to have an umbrella on hand.

Is this tour good for kids?

Yes! We have some excellent family friendly experts who can appeal to the learning styles of children. Please book privately if you have children under 13. Feel free to provide us with information about your children such as favorite school subjects, and hobbies. This way we can match you with the best possible expert.

Is this a walking intensive tour?

This walk covers about 2 miles overall. There are occasional opportunities to sit, use the bathroom, and get something to drink if needed.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Albert

Albert has delivered New York City tours for over 14 years and it's his passion. He loves to introduce the city to new tourists as well as locals who are interested in discovering the history and development of their own backyard. Albert has an MFA from New York University and you may have caught him on screen or on broadway! He is an actor, singer and dancer and is also a teacher in theatre and dance. Blue Bloods, The Cobbler and Ragtime are just a few of his professional engagements. Albert brings NYC history and neighborhoods to life through his unique way of storytelling, engaging his clients from start to finish. As a professional guide and performing artist, actor and educator, he brings excitement to each tour, connecting the city's history to clients in unexpected ways.

Tristan

Tristan is born and raised in Brooklyn and is passionate about connecting others to his native city. He holds an interdisciplinary master's degree in American studies and is interested in the evolution of cultures and identities throughout modern history. Tristan has taught ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) across Latin America and New York City for over a decade. As an educator, he believes in experiential learning and hopes to create lasting connections between people, places and history. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Ethan

Ethan Angelica has been working in the arts and culture sector as a tour guide, experience designer, consultant and programmer for nearly two decades. He is the founder of Angelica & Associates, LLC, an audience-building project focused on crafting unique experiences in museums and culture spaces to encourage new attendees. He has created tours of museums, cities and cultural site on every continent except Africa and Antarctica, and worked with organizations as diverse as the National Park Service, the Central Park Zoo, SFMOMA, The National Museums of Norway, California Academy of Sciences, Chicago Cultural Alliance and Te Papa Tongarewa in New Zealand. A seasoned storyteller, Ethan loves to dig for the little-known backstories and unique personal histories that make spaces and places come to life. When he's not leading a tour or designing a new program, Ethan can be found sipping craft beer, strolling his home neighborhood of DUMBO and teaching the Audience Development course as a part of Baruch College's Arts Administration MA program.