Tag: Walking Tours

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Interviews

Searching for Subway Secrets with Rayn Riel

We love showing off the history of New York on the city streets, but now we are ready to go underground for a whole new type of tour!

Rayn Riel is a tour guide and native New Yorker who has been riding the subway since his earliest memories. He has recently created a fantastic tour for Bowery Boys Walks — The NYC Subway: Secrets Beneath Lower Manhattan.

We caught up with Rayn (when he wasn’t on the subway) to chat about his passion for New York City transit, how he started giving tours, and what you can expect on this new experience from Bowery Boys Walks.

You are a New York native. Can you offer a little background on your experience growing up here?

I grew up in New York and was always fascinated by how the city works, especially the subway. Like a lot of kids here, trains were part of everyday life, but for me, they became a real source of curiosity. I was drawn to maps, systems, and infrastructure from a young age, and that curiosity eventually led me toward urban planning and transportation. Now I get to share that sense of wonder about how the city functions with other people.

When did you take your first NYC subway ride?

Very early on. Sometimes we would ride the subway just to ride it. There is even a New York Times article from the late 1990s about that phase of my life, which still makes me smile.

Rayn leading a subway tour in 2019.

Have you been to every subway stop in all five boroughs?

I have traveled across the entire system, but the subway is so vast that there is always more to discover. Even stations I have passed through many times can reveal something new if you slow down and really notice the details. There is always more to learn, and that sense of endless discovery is part of what makes the system so fascinating.

When did you decide to become a tour guide and share your love of New York subways?

In 2019, I connected with the city’s tour guide community and realized that people were leading thoughtful, in-depth tours of the subway and other infrastructure. I had no idea that was even an option. I have always loved exploring the city and showing visitors around, so it clicked right away. I began developing my own unique approach, and when tours returned after the pandemic, I focused on refining an experience that helps people appreciate how remarkable the subway system really is.

A subway tour is very different from a walking tour. What was your process in developing the structure?

A lot of learning from mentors and fellow guides, plus a lot of iteration. Over time, I developed a unique route that blends history, engineering, operations, and everyday rider experience. I am very intentional about highlighting the skill, care, and coordination it takes to run a system of this scale. There are so many dedicated people at the MTA doing complex, behind-the-scenes work to keep New York moving, and the tour is meant to give people a window into that effort.

Can you give us a teaser of one of your favorite “secrets” on the tour?

I love pointing out small, easily overlooked design details and engineering choices that quietly make the subway work. Once people start noticing those elements, they tend to walk through stations with a new appreciation for just how thoughtfully designed the system is.

Do you have a favorite subway line?

I am bad at picking favorites, but I have a soft spot for the J line. I live off it, and it runs along some of the oldest elevated rapid transit structures still in use in the city. Riding it feels like moving through layers of New York’s transit history.

Rayn leading a tour in the Oculus Transportation Hub

If you could give subway tours in other cities, which would you choose?

London is an obvious dream city, given the history of the Underground, but I would love to explore doing tours in other cities, too. I would only feel comfortable leading tours elsewhere if I were fluent in the local language and had spent enough time there to really understand how people use the system day to day. Transit systems are deeply tied to local culture.

Any final thoughts on why people should book your tour?

The tour is designed to be a celebration of New York’s subway, how ambitious it is, how well it works at scale, and how many people it takes to keep it running. What makes this experience special is the unique route and the focus on the “why” behind the system, including why it was built the way it was, how it operates, and the great work being done every day to maintain and improve it. I hope that people leave with a deeper appreciation for the subway and for the people who make it possible.

Thanks, Rayn! 

Head underground to learn the secrets of the New York City subway system!

Sign up for a tour with Rayn now!

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Interviews

Talking and Walking Bob Dylan with Ann McDermott

Have you seen A Complete Unknown starring Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan? Released at the end of 2024, the film has inspired a renewed interest in the music and story of Bob Dylan’s early days in New York.

With the release of the movie, The Bowery Boys New York History Podcast released an episode, “Bob Dylan’s Greenwich Village: The Neighborhood Which Shaped American Music”, and Bowery Boys Walks launched a new Bob Dylan walking tour soon after, led by tour guide Ann McDermott.

Ann took some time out of her busy tour schedule to talk all things Dylan and how she was inspired to create a special tour about this music legend.

How long have you been a Bob Dylan fan, and what makes his music so special?

My older brother introduced me to Bob Dylan in the early 1960s. He loved his lyrics and catchy melodies.

What was your journey to becoming a Bob Dylan tour guide?

The first tour I wrote was about the East Village music scene of the 1970s, and it ended at my favorite club, The Bottom Line at Mercer and 4th Street. On one of the first tours, I had a guest who said “Oh, I used to work for the man who ran the Bottom Line, Allan Pepper”, she was his babysitter. I was blown away! She actually introduced me to him, and he told me he used to work as a booker at Gerde’s Folk City. I knew of Folk City on 3rd Street, but didn’t realize it used to be on the opposite corner from The Bottom Line. Every time I ended that tour, I knew there was a whole other story to tell about the West Village, where the folk revolution had happened. So, I started reading and doing research, and the result is the tour I do today.

Ann in Washington Square Park. Photo: Stan O’Connor

What did you think of the movie A Complete Unknown? And how do you think it opened up Bob Dylan to new fans and renewed interest for longtime ones?

I loved A Complete Unknown. I thought it did a great job telling Dylan’’s story in broad strokes and included most of the characters who were involved in helping him get his start. Funny thing, I was doing this tour in the Spring of 2024, and every place I went had signs that said they were filming a movie. I knew it was the Dylan movie even though the signs had another title. Then, of course, the movie was filmed in New Jersey, but the story and the music are spot on. Almost everyone who comes on the tour today has seen the movie, including the younger people who seem very curious about how Bob (and others) got started here in Greenwich Village.

Ann McDermott on a tour. Photo: Stan O’Connor

How did you develop the tour and decide where to stop in the neighborhood?

Well, the starting point was easy! The first place Bob had his name in the Village Voice, Gerde’s Folk City on Mercer and 4th, the rest just flowed naturally, Washington Square Park, Bleecker Street, MacDougal Street, the nexus of the Folk Music World in the 1960s. Then there are other sort of “off the beaten path” stops that aren’t far away that add to his story.

What is one of the highlights of the tour for you?

A few weeks ago, I had a very nice family from overseas taking the tour. The husband was extremely engaged and enthusiastic about all the stops and took a lot of photos along the way. When we got to the Hotel Earle (now called the Washington Square Hotel), he started crying. He said, “I’ve been listening to that song (Diamonds and Rust) since I was in High School, and here it is ‘that crummy hotel over Washington Square’”. It reminded me of how I felt when I visited Paul McCartney’s home in Liverpool — to be in the place where the people we loved created the music that changed our lives forever. The whole experience was extremely meaningful!

Finally, what are you top 3 Bob Dylan songs?

1) Tangled Up in Blue – love that melody!
2) Mr. Tambourine Man – because I can actually play it on the guitar
3) Blowin’ in the Wind – what child of the ’60s doesn’t love that one!

Thanks, Ann! 

Take a trip to Greenwich Village to see where Bob Dylan got his start!

Sign up for a tour with Ann right here.

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Uncategorized

Meet Emma Guest-Consales, creator of the “Gilded Age Mansions” Tour

Did you watch the hit HBO show, The Gilded Age? I was glued to my screen for every episode, and now I can’t wait for Season 3! Well, long before that show came on the air, tour guide Emma Guest-Consales came up with the brilliant idea for a Gilded Age-themed tour on the Upper East Side. The result is our most popular walking tour to date — Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue. 

I recently spoke with Emma about the origin of the tour, her favorite characters on the HBO show, and the lavish mansion she would choose to live in.

Emma Guest-Consales (left) on a Gilded Age Mansions Tour

You launched the Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue tour in 2020, long before the HBO show “The Gilded Age” debuted. What was the catalyst to create such a unique tour?

I wrote my Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue tour as my final project for the Guides Association of New York City (GANYC) Certification class. Back in the early 1990s, I did my Master’s Degree in Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts which is in the Duke Mansion on East 78th Street. Later on, I worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, only a few blocks away, and I have always loved the Frick and Carnegie Mansions too. I was always fascinated by the history of those houses and the neighborhood, so the tour developed very easily as a relaxing stroll on the Upper East Side looking at beautiful buildings. As a trained art and architectural historian, specializing in the European tradition from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and early Baroque, the mansions always appealed to me for their European inspiration. 

Did you ever think the tour would prove to be so popular? Your tour is the most booked in Bowery Boys Walks history!

I honestly did not! It was doing very well even before the HBO series came out, in fact, I had no idea people would be so interested in the Gilded Age. I think people are always fascinated by the lives of the super wealthy, so these houses and the stories of their residents have always appealed to people. Most of the groups are mixed between people who are huge fans of the show and others who are just fans of the period in general.

If you could live in any of the Gilded Age Mansions on the tour, which one would you choose?

I would l love to live in the Harkness House at 1 East 75th Street. In my opinion, it is the most elegant and refined of the grand mansions; the stonework and wrought iron fences are so beautifully made! But it is also so large, I think I might prefer one of the smaller houses, perhaps even one of the houses currently for sale, such as Henry Cook’s second home, 973 Fifth Avenue, even though it’s rather a noisy corner! 

The Harkness House in 1908

Now let’s talk about “Gilded Age”, the hit HBO show. Who is your favorite character on the show so far and what do you think of the design — from the costumes to the architecture?

I adore Bertha and George Russell — kind of the anti-heroes of the series. I love Bertha’s drive and how her character was inspired by real people from the Gilded Age, including Alva Vanderbilt. George is also the same, a little bit of Vanderbilt, with maybe some Frick too? George is so devoted to his family, and I think he’s a bit of a softie underneath, but I won’t give any spoilers! I think the design and the costumes are wonderful. I (and other New York City tour guides) have great fun seeing how they recreated spaces and places that we always talk about on our tours. I especially enjoy the architecture, since that’s what I show so much on my tour. I have a still from the show of the Russell’s white stone mansion next to a row of brick and brownstone houses to help guests understand the great change in building style with the Beaux-Arts-inspired buildings of the period.

Now let’s chat about being a tour guide. You were president of the Guides Association of New York from 2019 to 2023, we would love to know what you think makes a great tour guide in New York — something we take pride in at Bowery Boys Walks.

A great New York City tour guide needs to love the city, all of the city, even the parts that make us crazy! You need to know your material and to love learning about everything it has to offer. The city is made of so many layers, there is always something new to learn.

That being said, I appreciate tour guides who know what they are passionate about and who concentrate on their favorite places or aspects of the city history. When you love your subject matter, your love and interest will be communicated to your guests, and that will make all the difference between a good tour and a great one.

Tour guides also need to be flexible and able to think on their feet; you have to be ready for anything that comes, because you honestly never know what will happen when you’re exploring our city streets. Finally, a great tour guide in New York City should be a member of the Guides Association! GANYC is a wonderful resource, a great way to network with other guides, and it provides the best continuing education opportunities for guides in the city.

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Emma. It was great to speak with you!

Are you ready to explore the Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue? 

Sign up for a tour right here.

Categories
Interviews

Exploring Grand Central with Beth Goffe

Grand Central Terminal is one of my favorite buildings in all of New York City. And during the holiday season, it sparkles just a little bit brighter. There’s something about walking through the main concourse with the steady flow of commuters rushing by that always gives me a jolt of inspiration — especially at this time of year. 

Someone who really knows the hidden corners and secrets of this cherished building is Beth Goffe, a tour guide who leads our wonderful Glorious Grand Central Revealed Tour. 

I recently sat down with Beth to chat about this legendary train station and what makes it so special to New Yorkers and visitors alike.

  • Beth Goffe in Grand Central Terminal

How did your passion develop for Grand Central Terminal that led you to be a tour guide of such an iconic landmark?

In 2001, I started a job in what was then called the Lincoln Building (now One Grand Central Place) across 42nd Street from the Terminal. Like tens of thousands of other people, I was in and out of the building all the time, usually on a mission to pick something up from one of the shops there or simply to use the subway, giving little thought to the building itself. It wasn’t until December 2020, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, that one of our prominent tour guides, Joe Svehlak, gave a comprehensive tour of the oddly quiet terminal. Joe really clued us into the building’s macro beauty and its more subtle and fascinating innovations, plus its many little secrets. It was then my love for Grand Central Terminal was kindled, and I knew it was something I had to share with others. 

What is your favorite thing about Grand Central during the holidays?

While the interior decorations there are more subtle than other city landmarks, they still reflect the warmth of the season and are especially welcoming. Grand Central really doesn’t need much to elicit joy, of course — its Beaux-Arts design inspires and uplifts throughout the year. The holiday fair in Vanderbilt Hall is a bonus that offers visitors lots of options for seasonal gift shopping – indoors!

Where is your favorite place for taking photos in the terminal?

An obvious photography location is to capture most of the concourse, including the singular painted ceiling, from the top of the staircase at either end. However, a favorite spot is from the ramps leading down to the lower concourse. The slope offers an interesting perspective and it’s possible to include the gold electroliers gracing the south side of the terminal. If you know where to look, you can also get a creative peek of the concourse ceiling. Whitney Warren of Warren and Wetmore, one of the designers, really thought of everything. 

Beth leading a tour through Grand Central Terminal.

And of course, Grand Central is now known as a foodie and shopping destination — it does have a giant Apple Store after all. Do you have any favorite places to eat, grab a coffee or shop in the terminal in between tours?

In the wake of the pandemic, the food court in the Lower Concourse was pretty empty but more and more vendors are returning now. I like Tartinery for a bite to eat or for a pastry.  Of course, there’s always the historic Oyster Bar — I recommend the clam chowder. Also downstairs is Donut Plant for creative donut flavors. After a tour, I like to run to Eli’s in Grand Central Market for the big meringue shells I enjoy for dessert. The Market offers a variety of food vendors, from fish to spices to fresh produce. Next door in the Lexington Passage is a sort of mini-mall with all kinds of mostly high-end shopping options.   

It was so much fun talking about Grand Central with you, Beth!

What about you, reader? Do you want to take a tour of Grand Central this winter to discover its secrets and hidden corners?

Take the Glorious Grand Central Terminal Tour with Beth

Sign up for a tour right here.

Categories
Interviews

A very special Brooklyn Bridge tour: An interview with Kriss Roebling

Kriss Roebling

The Bowery Boys are very excited to launch their newest New York walking tour: a Brooklyn Bridge walk with Kriss Roebling, the great great grandson of Washington and Emily Roebling, the famous builders of the world’s most iconic bridge.

We recently had a chance to explore the Brooklyn Bridge with Kriss and see some of the rare artifacts from his family collection. After taking the tour, we can assure you that you are in for a treat!

We also had a chance to talk about his special family connection to the bridge, what inspired him to start giving tours, and why he loves the Bowery Boys podcast.

Interview with Kriss Roebling

What was it like to grow up as a Roebling knowing your family’s intimate history with the Brooklyn Bridge?

It was nice to have a familial connection to the builders of the Brooklyn Bridge, and to their amazing story, but my parents (who were in the arts) also emphasized the importance of one’s own creative output and the contributions one makes to the world in one’s own lifetime. I guess you could say that I was proud of my family history, yet careful not to lose my own identity to that history.

What is your first memory of the bridge?

It was a children’s storybook that I was given which was about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I loved that book and read it over and over again. I remember the illustrations of the Brooklyn Bridge in that book even before I remember seeing the Brooklyn Bridge in person.

What inspired you to learn more about your family history and great great grandparents?

I’m not sure if I have ever tried to learn about my family history than I simply absorbed it naturally and without effort over the years. I think of myself more as a witness to that history as it has been handed down to me rather than a scholar of our history or even as a tour guide. I simply remember what I was told at the dinner table very, very well.

That said, as it became clear that people really enjoyed how I told my family’s stories, and I was inspired to perfect my presentation. I love how much the stories excite and please people, so I’ve done my best over the past three decades to learn how to tell them in the most compelling and elucidating way possible. It’s the joy that these stories give other people that make this Brooklyn Bridge walk such a pleasure for me.

How did you start giving tours of the Bridge?

About 30 years ago, I started giving these walks for friends and family who visited from out of town. The word got out that I did these walks, and so friends started asking me if I could do my Brooklyn Bridge walk for their friends — and so on and so on until I was doing my Brooklyn Bridge walks for complete strangers. Sometimes I couldn’t even determine how I knew the people whom I did my walks for, that’s how many degrees of separation there were after a while! 

Also, I sometimes enjoyed walking up to random people on the Brooklyn Bridge and offering them a surprise experience such as what I would offer my friends, but that rarely worked out well. Everybody always thought that I was trying to con them in some way.


Book online now!

Kriss showing a Tom Meyers of the Bowery Boys a bolt from the Brooklyn Bridge.

What’s your favorite Bowery Boys podcast episode?

Oh God, there are so many that I don’t know where to start! I was introduced to their podcasts only about a year ago, so I still have a lot of catching up to do, but for a lover of New York City history, their podcast is true ear candy.

There’s something about learning what happened previously where you stand in the here and now which adds such three-dimensionality to one’s world. I love learning about what made my surroundings into my surroundings. The Bowery Boys certainly satisfy that craving.

That said, to get specific, the Roosevelt Island episode stands out in my memory, as does episode #29 on the Brooklyn Bridge. Great, great stuff!!

What makes your Brooklyn Bridge tour with the Bowery Boys stand out?

Well, as I mentioned, I’m not a tour guide so much as a witness to my own family’s oral history. As such, I can provide a slant on that family history which is unique, because it is imbued with the interpretations, asides, and gossip that only comes from being in the family. Then I underscore my stories by sharing relics and artifacts that are relevant. I like to think that I give people an opportunity to come face-to-face with the bridge’s history rather than just get the “official story”.

What are some of your favorite places in NYC (other than the Brooklyn Bridge)?

Although it has become quite gentrified since I started hanging out there in the early 1980s, DUMBO is still a stunning neighborhood. It is a beautifully preserved 19th-century industrial relic that’s been re-purposed for living, dining, and general revelry. It’s also surrounded by water on three sides, so there is a distinct sense of it’s natural setting and marine culture, this being underscored by ship horns, seagulls, primordial river banks, and the ruins of maritime industries. Also, being a nubby peninsula of sorts, there is no real traffic in this neighborhood. People don’t drive through DUMBO, they go there, so traffic is calm for the most part.

I also love Breezy Point Tip. It’s difficult to get to, but it’s worth the effort. You feel as if you are on some deserted beach (except during high fishing season), then you round the “tip”, and there you are face-to-face with New York Harbor! It’s a very cool place.

John Roebling’s original drafting tools.

Join Kriss on the Bridge!

Do you want to take this one-of-a-kind Brooklyn Bridge walking tour with a relative of the famous Roebling family? Get your tickets to our very special Brooklyn Bridge History Tour with Kriss Roebling.


Book online now!