A Half Day Walk Between the Skyscraper Clusters of Manhattan

6 hours Free cancellation Private tour

McNulty's Tea and Coffee — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Hudson Yards — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

This tour is perfect for suburbanites and commuters who want to explore the rich and fascinating neighborhoods, sites and spaces in between the skyscraper clusters of Midtown and the Financial District.

Options for this tour include beginning (and ending) at either Grand Central or Penn Station, making it easily accessible to all regional rail transit (MetroNorth, LIRR and NJ Transit).

Make no mistake that this IS a hisotry tour, but special attention is paid to all the specialy food shops and stores along the way! This "between-the-skyline" walking tour covers 3.5 miles and enough time is allocated for your private group to stop, eat, drink and a few chosen places.

You'll learn the history of the city as well as the iconic neighborhoods of Chelsea, Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. A ferry back to Midtown allows a unique perspective to see the path we walked from the water.

Half-day Tours Bus Tours Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours City Tours Water Tours

At a glance

Duration: 6 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: English
Operated by: Manhattan Unlocked Historical and Architectural Walking Tours

What is included

Included

Included: Expert guide

Not included

Not included: Food and drink
Not included: intra-city transit (subway, bys and ferry)

Itinerary

Hudson Yards

10 min

The excursion begins at one of the city's newest developments, Hudson Yards and the High Line. We stroll a bit of the elegant, marble-clad mall of mostly high end shops. Views of the Hudson River and the rail yards are a great segue for a history talk.

The Vessel and the Shed are two grand works of architectural "folly" that dominate the courtyard.

From here we enter the High Line and one of the greatest transformations in New York's built environment history.
The High Line

30 min Admission included

One of the city's most successful redevelopment projects was turning an old elevated freight rail into a park of native flora. We take in the scenery of New York City from the third story level and learn the fascinating history of Chelsea, an early upscale neighborhood. Stunning new architecture continues to rise along the park's 1.4 mile length.
Chelsea Market

35 min Admission included

The Godmother of food halls is constantly updating and expanding its curated offerings. This is a perfect place to break for a snack.

The building itself was part of the system for which the "high Line" existed; trains for freight went through the buildings themselves, here, for Nabisco (National Biscuit Company--"NBC" can be seen on the building). It was said for Oreo Cookies the flour came in one side of the building and came out the other as cookies. Today the building houses dozens of specialty, international, rare and exotic food purveyors.

We allow enough time here to sample a bite or two.
Meatpacking District

10 min Admission included

We walk through the atmospheric streets of old metal sheds and loading docks that now house chic establishments.
West Village

15 min

We stop at Myers of Keswick, "A traditional British store in the heart of NYC." The British products in a converted mid-19th Century home is one of many unique experiences. Groups are encouraged to try their sausage rolls, pork pie, scotch eggs, or Cornish pastry.

Next is Magnolia Bakery (famous from Sex and the City). Around the corner is the brownstone Carrie Bradshaw lived (the show's main character), one of the city's most beautiful brownstone blocks.

We continue to McNulty's, a century-old coffee and tea shop where the smell of coffee grounds permeates. A short walk around the corner is the apartment building from "Friends."

A cloistered church garden provides a short respite before Bleecker Street and a string of specialty foods, including Bleecker Street Pizza, among the consistently top-rated pizza places.
Greenwich Village

20 min Admission included

Along Bleecker Street we'll visit a few store fronts that together capture the unique character of this iconic block: Ottomanelli's and Sons, a butcher shop that has been more than half a century on the block; a Lotto Store "lounge" (the only place you can purchase lottery tickets with plastic!) where you can hang out, drink coffee, and pick numbers; and the Pop Up Grocer, an Instagram-driven venue of goods curated on the criteria: new and interesting, made responsibly, and packaged appealingly.

We walk the iconic awning-clad, vibrant blocks of Greenwich Village with its famous venues, clubs and restaurants, and some fascinating residential conversions.

The tour takes on a different attitude for a moment when we pop into the Chess Forum, a local institution for all things chess. Before crossing Houston Street into SoHo (for SOuth of HOuston) we stop at Leon's Bagels, and one of the city's more unique shopfronts (approximately 50 sq. ft?).
SoHo

30 min

Houston Street retains fascinating architectural evidence from when it was widened about 100 years ago.

The history is non-stop with eras of homes, cast iron and steel frame warehouses and factoires, but the food is optional. We pass (or stop at) Dominique Ansel's, renowned baker and originator of the cronut, and then there's the Ice Cream Museum on Broadway.

Here we learn the rich history of SoHo and see the more complex history of the city's move uptown. Here we see the unmistakable role geography played in the city's move uptown.

Within a few blocks SoHo transitions into the tenement-rich blocks of Little Italy, and the beginning of the Lower East Side.
Little Italy

20 min

We pass through Little Italy with the option of stopping at Ferrara's, sometimes referred to as "Disney World for Desserts," and/or the Cannoli King. Traditional "Little Italy (there are a few historic Italian sections in Manhttan) now occupies the blocks of Mulberrry Street above Canal, and is largely restaurants and souvenir shops. The outdoor restaurant seating, elaborate signage, the booths in the street, the promoters, the foliage and vibrant decor, have transformed these sidewalks of Manhattan in a way like no other part of New York. Cars driving single file between the restaurant seating would seem like gondolas if they slowed down.
Chinatown

30 min Admission included

We pass through the markets and street scenes of Chinatown and talk about the history of the Bowery and the tenement history of the Lower East Side. We explore the tangle of streets and engaging streetscapes that lead down a hill (and history) to the Old Five Points and Mulberry Bend, and the end of the walking part of the tour.

From here we catch a bus that takes us to a ferry, and a trip back to Midtown on the water where we will get to see the track of land we covered on the walking tour between the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan and the Financial Distrtict.
Brookfield Place

20 min Admission included

We catch a ferry at Brookfield Place back to Midtown. Depending on the wait time for the ferry we may have the opportunity to explore this site.

The 12-minute ferry ride back to Midtown provides a remarkable opportunity to put the day's walk in the context of the greater city. Many of the sites from the beginning of the day will be seen now from a completely different perspective.

From Pier 79 we catch a bus to either Grand Central Terminal, or Penn Station, depending on the customer's tour option.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

exact meeting spot tbd
Meet at the clock in Grand Central. This meeting point is convenient to MetroNorth and LIRR travelers.

End point

exact meeting spot tbd
Meet at the clock in Grand Central. This meeting point is convenient to MetroNorth and LIRR travelers.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Three modes of public transit (including a 20-minute ferry ride) are included in the price and time-length of the tour
There is about 4 miles or more of walking on this tour

Options

Meeting point at Grand Central

Different start and end points

Starting point:

Grand Central, 89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, USA
Meeting point at Penn Station

Different start and end points