Walk it out

If you really want to become familiar with New York City and dazzle your friends with shocking facts, intimate knowledge or esoteric information about of some of the big apple's most notorious events, infamous characters or remarkable structures, then I would suggest taking a walking tour.

Maybe you are interested in seeing how the other half live and marveling at their posh residences and swanky hangouts. Maybe visiting the various outdoor art installations about the city is more your speed - discovering little known frescos or world famous sculptures. Or maybe you are more interested in seeing the locales associated with some of the most legendary scandals. Whatever you're into, there is a walking tour for you.

If, for instance you were to take a walking tour of Greenwich Village, you might learn how the Dutch settlers' agricultural habits in the 1600's influenced the curvy and meandering city blocks we know today. You might learn how an outbreak of yellow fever led to the construction of the colonial rowhouses or how the close quarters of Italian, Irish and German immigrants in combination with the establishment of NYU led to the bohemian atmosphere that the Village is famous for.

Are you really interested in structural design? If so then there are tours that explore the myriad of architectural styles here in NYC including: Romanesque, Classical, Baroque, Queen Ann, Gothic, Renaissance, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modern and Post Modern architecture. All of which can be seen in walking tours of different neighborhoods. There is a great tour of the Brooklyn Bridge that reveals how Emily Roebling, the world's first female engineer, and her family built the engineering marvel. There are even tours about the gargoyles in the city.

Speaking of gargoyles, perhaps you have a penchant for the macabre side of the city. If so, you might be interested in hearing of Nellie Bly's experiences as she went undercover as an inmate of the Bellevue Lunatic Asylum in the 1880's or the ghost stories and reported haunted places that influenced the writing of Edgar Allen Poe or Washington Irving. If you like that you would undoubtedly enjoy following in Harry Houdini's footsteps to see where his spiritualist investigations took him.

I joined an event this last week presented by The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation that revealed the theatrical influence of some of the Village's more noteworthy characters of the 1950's and 1960's. It was truly captivating to learn how some of these individuals got their start and how they were influenced by their cultural background and the neighborhoods in which they resided. It provided an entirely new perspective to a subject I was already quite interested in.

There are walking tours for any interest whether it is a literary walking tour that includes visiting some of the writers' favorite wateringholes or Broadway tours that share the secrets of the Great White Way or ethnic tours that explore the contributions of different ethnicities and how they have impacted the culture of New York City.

Walking tours are good exercise and a fun group or family activity. They are a great way to really get to know the city and you usually have a knowledgeable and friendly guide who can answer questions and who has insight into some of the more fascinating aspects of the city.

Here are some great sites to help you find the walking tour that's right for you.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
http://www.gvshp.org/

New York City Talks & Walks
http://www.newyorktalksandwalks.com/

Big Onion Walking Tours
http://www.bigonion.com/

New York City Cultural Walking Tours
http://www.nycwalk.com/

Central Park Walking Tours
http://www.centralpark.com/pages/walking-tours.html


Insider Tips:

• Ask questions in advance: How long is the tour? How much walking in required (distance)? Is it all outdoors or are you visiting establishments as well?
• Find the tour that is right for you. There is a tour for practically every interest. Don't go on a tour of warehouses of the 1700's when what you really want to see are battlements of the Revolutionary War.
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Bring a bottle of water

Adventures at the Natural History Museum

This last week, my BF and I visited the American Museum of Natural History. I always loved the Natural History Museum. I love seeing examples of other cultures and reading about the traditions and ceremonies of the people. I am thrilled by the reassembled fossils of prehistoric creatures and seeing how groundhogs (for example) have evolved. I am inspired by the exhibits about space travel and the study of our galaxy and beyond.

We literally spent hours studying one exhibit after another and we still did not see everything. (I overheard one patron mention that they had been there for 7 hours.) I strongly advise you to take a few minutes at the beginning of your excursion to study the museum map and determine which exhibits you are most interested in seeing. Begin with those. Of course you will end up traveling through the "Animals of South Africa" section on your way to the "Creatures of the Sea" exhibit and there is no reason not to take a few moments to marvel at the gorilla diorama. But there is so much to see that mapping out your interests in advance will help insure that you will get to see all the things that are on the top of your list.

I would also suggest visiting the website http://www.amnh.org/ in advance of your visit to see if there are exhibits that are especially exciting to you. We, for example were disappointed to find that we had missed the "Mythical Creatures" exhibit by about a week. The museum also hosts lectures and presentations that might be of interest.

This is a great trip for the entire family. The dinosaur exhibits are particularly alluring to kids, but many of the displays are kid friendly offering interactive things to touch or try. It is truly a joyful experience to witness 3 ten year old boys as they excitedly explain to each other the idea of continental drift.

As with most attractions, weekends tend to have much larger crowds, which can add to the excitement and energy of the day. However, if you prefer the quiet serene of calmly strolling through the museum, I suggest going during the day on a weekday.

Admittedly the first 20 minutes of our visit was a little overwhelming as we traversed the throngs of families and tried to orient ourselves. However, we quickly found a cozy little spot to have a bite to eat and what better way to start our day than to have lunch while pondering the giant fossils a woolly mammoth? From that point on, the day was filled with discovery and fun.

Insider Tips

• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Take the time to study the museum map and determine the exhibits you are the most interested in. Start with those.
• You can bring food and drinks to the museum. If you are planning to spend the day, you can either bring your lunch or buy nourishment from the museum cafeteria.
• Check out their website in advance of your trip to find out what special events are going on or what new exhibits are on display. http://www.amnh.org/.