The City Speaks: Experience the Languages of New York City

5.0 (20 reviews) 2 hours Free cancellation

out of 5

20 reviews

5.0

The City Speaks: Experience the Languages of New York City — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

The City Speaks: Experience the Languages of New York City, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

A walking tour meets street theater in this immersive performance of New York language and slang. Set in the historically linguistic melting pot of the Lower East Side, this two hour interactive experience brings the slang, accents, and languages of NYC to life through a performing guide in character as "The Tour" — but all guests participate.

•Break the ice with a small talk activity where chalk becomes the marker of your personal space.

•Participate in a scavenger hunt for stickers printed with common words New Yorkers pronounce in a funny way

•Find newspapers hidden in odd places as a delivery boy recounts in verse the impact media has on our everyday speech.

•Dance like it's 1990 in a demonstration of hip hop moves that originated in NYC

•Hail a ride from a multilingual Chinatown dispatcher...just be sure you know what street you're on.

•Listen to "Nico Ramone" rant about the problems in his bohemian life as you try to guess the words he borrows from Yiddish.

Private and Luxury Cultural Tours Art Tours Walking Tours Literary Tours Excellent Quality Weather Dependent - Moderate

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Up to 20 people
People per booking: 1–4
Guide: English
Operated by: The City Speaks

Ages: Youth (12–17 years) · Adults (18–64 years) · Seniors (65–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Guide

Not included

Not included: Meals
Not included: Gratuities for quality service are strongly encouraged.

Itinerary

Sara D Roosevelt Park

15 min

Make small talk with fellow guests in an ice-breaker activity about personal space and making acquaintances.
Arlene Grocery

5 min

Is it a "bodega" or a "deli"? Do you pronounce a place where one can buy everyday food items as a "gro-ce-ry" or a "gro-SHER-y" store?
Orchard Street

5 min

Know your Yiddish slang? Guess which words have been borrowed from this language while interacting with "Nico Ramone" as he endlessly monologues about the problems in his bohemian life.
Tenement Museum

Passing by

Solve riddles and join a scavenger hunt that partners you with a fellow guest in search of stickers printed with common words that New Yorkers pronounce in funny ways.
Seward Park

15 min

Find newspapers hidden on the street while a newspaper delivery boy performs in verse about the slang we've borrowed from media.
Chinatown

20 min

Decode not only the logic behind Chinese characters ("Hanzi") but also hail a ride from one of Chinatown's multilingual ride service dispatchers...just be sure you know what street you're on.
Beastie Boys Square

5 min

The storefront featured in the iconic album cover of "Paul's Boutique" serves as a backdrop for a dive into the world of hip hop as an old-school b-boy demonstrates the words and dance moves that originated in NYC.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

*NOTE* This is NOT a physical address, but an approximate location.

Tour begins at the top of the steps to the entrance of Sara D Roosevelt Park next to the M15/21 bus stop and basketball courts. The closest Subway station is Second Avenue (F train), with an entrance across the street.

End point

*NOTE* This is NOT a physical address, but an approximate location.

Tour begins at the top of the steps to the entrance of Sara D Roosevelt Park next to the M15/21 bus stop and basketball courts. The closest Subway station is Second Avenue (F train), with an entrance across the street.

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.
The operator may cancel if too few people book; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
PLEASE ARRIVE 10 MINUTES EARLY for check in. We cannot accommodate late arrivals, and once we begin we cannot answer the phone out of respect to other guests. If you are unsure you will be able to arrive on time, please contact us by email, and we will reply as soon as the tour is over. To plan accordingly, Subway commutes from Midtown and the Financial District are approximately 20 minutes; taxis and Ubers are also abundantly available but may take longer due to Manhattan traffic.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking across a distance of 1.8 miles/2.9 km over 2 hours