Walking tours are not only for tourists. They are a great way for locals to discover something new about their hometown while enjoying some fresh air and exercise. Summer is a great time to check out one (or more) of the many walking tours offered in Queens.
Long Island City Gallery Walking Tour
(New York Tours)
The two-hour tour takes contemporary art lovers from Long Island City’s MoMA PS1 to local galleries and artists’ studios. Only ages 13 and up are allowed on the tour.
Rates (including tax):
Adult Telephone Rate: $32.08
Adult Internet Rate; $27.08
Student Rate(with ID): $16.28
Reserve online or call toll-free at 888-880-9108.
Queens Scenes NYC – Around The World With A MetroCard Tour
(NEWrotic New York City Tours)
NEWrotic describes its tours as “urban adventures” that are “not about visiting conventional landmarks or cultural organizations where others go.” Its Queens Scenes tour travels through Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, where you’ll take a ride on the 7 subway line, visit the McDowells fast food restaurant made famous in the Eddie Murphy movie “Coming To America,” wander around ethnic supermarkets and more.
For rates and more information, call 718-575-8451 or fill out an online form.
The Geography of New York City with Jack Eichenbaum
Jack Eichenbaum, who holds a doctorate in urban geography and was appointed Queens Borough Historian in June 2010, offers tours that go through several Queens neighborhoods, including Flushing, Long Island City and Jackson Heights, and have different themes, such as “Planning & Redevelopment,” “Life Along a Subway Line,” and “Changing Cultures.”
For tour schedules and more information, visit GeogNYC.com or email jaconet@aol.com.
Queens Streetwise Tour
(Street Wise New York)
Streetwise’s Queens tour takes you around many of the borough’s culturally diverse neighborhoods, starting with Corona, followed by Elmhurst’s Chinatown, Colombian and Indian Jackson Heights, Astoria and ends in L.I.C.’s Gantry Park and its spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.
Rates:
Small private groups
$200 (2 hours – half tour)
$300 (6 hours – full tour)
*$50 additional charge for groups larger than 4
Email Tours@StreetwiseNewYork.com to book a tour.
Native New Yorker Walking Tours
Licensed tour guide Charles Schwartz gives three different tours in Queens—a four-hour tour of Forest Hills and Roosevelt Island, a 6-hour tour of the Jamaica Wildlife Refuge and a tour of Astoria, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Corona and Flushing, which varies according to preference. If you are not interested in any of the tours offered, the company will create one for you.
Rates (groups of 1 to 6):
$100 (Forest Hills and Roosevelt Island tour)
$200 (Jamaica Wildlife Refuge tour and Astoria, Sunnyside, Jackson Heights, Corona and Flushing tour)
Visit www.nyc-by-foot.com to arrange a tour.
NoshWalks
Food lovers can choose from 14 different walking tours, focusing on the culinary delights of Queens. You can taste Greek food in Astoria, Chinese in Elmhurst, South Asian in Jackson Heights and more of the borough’s many ethnic foods. Each tour is approximately three hours.
For fees, schedules and to sign up for a tour, visit www.noshwalks.com.
