If you’ve been on any of our tours then you know we have, hands down, THE BEST tour guides in NYC!
Whether it’s Tony, Paula, Marc, Angela, Bruce or Rusty, you’re in store for a great time on the bus.
Today we celebrate International Tourist Guide Day. It’s a day to raise public awareness that tour guides are cultural ambassadors of the regions they represent.
Well we take that very seriously, which is why all our guides were born and raised right here in Brooklyn.
Get shown around Brooklyn by a guide who’s not from Brooklyn?
FUHGETTABOUDIT!
So we thought we’d ask our cultural ambassadors what they love about being tour guides and showing you around Brooklyn.
We got some great answers, and a few stories that’ll make you laugh as well.
Tony
What do you love about being a guide?
“Being able to show people from around the country, and around the world, all the amazing foods, neighborhoods, culture, landmarks and history that Brooklyn has to offer.”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“That’s easy: the pizza! :)”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“Not so much funny or strange, but I love running into celebrities during a tour. It’s Brooklyn so you never know who you’ll see or run into during a tour! Off the top of my head there’s been Hugh Jackman, William Hurt, Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Joey Fatone, cast members of The Sopranos, sports figures…you name it.”
Paula
What do you love about being a guide?
“I really enjoy hanging out with tourists. I learn much more about the world through our guests than I do reading a newspaper. I also love seeing Brooklyn through fresh sets of eyes!”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“It’s dynamic chutzpah! (Yiddish for spirit)”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“We were doing a Christmas Lights Tour during a storm and there was a total neighborhood blackout! Oy! As we always say, ‘never a dull day with A Slice of Brooklyn.’”
Marc
What do you love about being a guide?
“People spend most of their lives (and their money) trying to see the world. When you’re a tour guide in New York City, the world comes to you. While it’s no substitute for travel, getting to meet different people from all walks of life is a great pleasure and a constant source of inspiration. I’m also in love with history, cultures and storytelling; my job allows me to express my passion and communicate all that Brooklyn has to offer. I also get free pizza.”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“My favorite thing about Brooklyn is its incredibly diverse population, history, and its amazing progress. From its early origins as a benchmark in American History to its cultural impact today as a hotspot for artists, musicians and food. Brooklyn is a perfect place to start out and a perfect place to end up!”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“Funniest thing that’s happened to me on a tour was when I started learning about the history of Coney Island, I found out that the owner of Steeplechase park (and also the somewhat creepy/smiley face of Coney Island aka “Tilly”), was actually my great great uncle. And now when I tell the story people are pretty quick to point out that I resemble the creepy smiley face.”
Angela
What do you love about being a guide?
“I love showing off my city. Best job in the world getting paid to eat and talk.”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“Duh, pizza of course!”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“My funniest tour moment was directing everyone’s attention on the bus to the cannon, known as a “Rodman Gun” in John Paul Jones Park in Bay Ridge only to find a man naked from the waist down in front of it and being asked by a passenger if he was the Rodman gun.”
Bruce
What do you love about being a guide?
“I do the Christmas Lights Tour of Dyker Heights and I love interacting with families in a relaxed way while they enjoy the lights in my neighborhood . Since I also work on an ambulance responding to 911 calls in New York City, this is a great stress reliever .”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“The great variety of food from different countries and the fact that Brooklyn is so close to Manhattan which makes it convenient to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“I have not had any really funny incidents but many people approach me and ask, “Are you Tony who we spoke to on the phone?” They also ask me if my Brooklyn accent is real or fake, which I find very funny.”
Rusty
What do you love about being a guide?
“What I love best is meeting people from all over the world. Every tour is a new adventure.”
What’s your favorite thing about Brooklyn?
“Best thing about Brooklyn…what else? the pizza!”
What’s the funniest or strangest thing that’s ever happened to you on a tour?
“Funniest thing was an elderly, conservative looking woman was on tour and as she was walking I noticed something dangling out of her pant leg around her ankle. I pointed it out because I didn’t want her to trip and fall. She reached down and pulled it the rest of the way out of her pant leg & held up a pair of red, lacey, tiny panties. She blushed like a schoolgirl and said she was so tired from her flight into town the night before that she was half asleep when she’d taken those pants off to get in to her pj’s. It’s anybody’s guess what her taste in pj’s might be ;-)”
