The very south tip of Manhattan Island boasts some of the best and most recognizable views in New York: one can see Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and the New York Harbor. This is the most historic area in New York - the city started here in the 17th century as a Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. This is a home to Wall Street with the world's most powerful financial institution - New York Stock Exchange. On this tour, we will walk through the history of New York and enjoy magnificent vistas
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Corner of Fulton Street and Broadway or your hotel
We will meet at the corner of Fulton Street and Broadway
Meeting point could be adjusted depending on which part of town you are travelling from.
- The Brooklyn Bridge
This wondrous bridge was the first to span the East River and connect Manhattan and Brooklyn. Upon completion, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with its towers standing taller than the rest of the country’s man-made structures!
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- New York Stock Exchange
Facing Broad Street at the corner with Wall Street stands a stronghold of American finance — the mighty Stock Exchange. The building looks like a Roman temple adorned with imposing columns and crowned with classical portico. The resemblance is not accidental: financial structures were meant to project stability, security, and strength.
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- Wall Street
The name Wall Street stands for high finance and is often used interchangeably with the Financial District. However, before it came to symbolize the American financial might, it was a location of an actual wall making its name – Wall Street – not a figure of speech but a reflection of reality.
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- St. Paul’s Chapel
Built in 1766, St. Paul’s is New York City’s oldest public building in continuous use as well as Manhattan’s oldest surviving church building. After Manhattan fell to the British in 1776, a raging fire set the city ablaze. Nobody knows for certain whether the fire was an accident or an act of arson by retreating patriots, but a quarter of Manhattan’s buildings perished in the Great Fire of New York. Yet the fire mercifully spared St. Paul’s Chapel.
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- Trinity Church
The present day Trinity Church—a glorious Neo-Gothic edifice—is the third church built on the same exact spot. The original Trinity Church, built in 1698, was the first Anglican Church in the city. His majesty King William III granted Trinity a royal charter at the cost of 1 peppercorn a year, allowing it to function as a virtual Church of England in the British colony of New York.
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- Federal Hall
Imagine visiting the locations where America’s freedom of the press was born, the slogan that started American revolution—”no taxation without representation”—was declared, the Bill of Rights was penned, and George Washington took the oath of office to become the first President of the United States. But you don’t have to visit different places: all of them happened in the same spot. Federal Hall, located on Wall Street, had been the site of government activity and momentous national historic events since early 1700s.
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- Charging Bull
The Charging Bull, representing a rising market, is one of the most easily recognizable symbols of Wall Street. Conceived by its sculptor as an antidote for the sour mood caused by the 1987 stock market crash known as Black Monday, the Bull was to represent resilience, hope, and strength and stand directly in front of the mighty New York Stock Exchange.
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- Statue of Liberty
Lady Liberty was christened “Liberty Enlightening the World” and gifted to the people of the United States by the people of France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American independence. She was inspired by the famous Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. At 151 feet tall and made out of copper, she is an engineering wonder. Her outer copper dress is quite light, just 2 pennies thick. Her weight is supported by a bearing structure constructed by Gustave Eiffel, who later used the same principles for his famous Eiffel Tower.
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- The Woolworth Building
The Woolworth Building became the tallest in the world in 1913 and kept that distinction for the next 17 years. In 2013, 100 years after its construction, it still stood remarkably as one of the twenty tallest buildings in New York City. The Woolworth Building, a spectacular neo-Gothic edifice, was designed by Cass Gilbert and dubbed the “Cathedral of Commerce” during its opening ceremony.
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- Fraunces Tavern
How many places in the world offer dinner and beverages at the exact location where the Founding Fathers once dined and conducted official business of the country? Fraunces Tavern is one such place.
- 9/11 Memorial
The Memorial dedicated to the people perished in the attacks of September 11, 2001 was designed by architect Michael Arad. It is designed as two waterfalls known as “Reflecting Absence” that are set in the footprints of the fallen Twin Towers, each pool is approximately 1-acre in size.
- One World Trade Center
Opened in October 2014, it stands the tallest building in Western Hemisphere. It's height of 1776 is a direct reference to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Observatory is located on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors and is reachable by an elevator. The ride shows you the history of Manhattan and takes 47 seconds, traveling 23 miles (37 kilometers) per hour.
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End of our tour
Oculus or your hotel
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Licensed NYC guide
Tour customizations, aka more sites, walking across Brooklyn Bridge, food/drink stops, etc.
Entrance fees
Food/drink
Transportation
Please, note that this tour does not include a trip to the Liberty Island and the Ellis Island, we will see them from the shore. If you'd like to arrange a visit, please, specify so. Note that it will change the time and pricing of the tour.
Please, contact me if you'd like to book a tour on a non-working day, I can be flexible.
I fell in love with New York the moment I set foot here. It's been over 30 years now. I love this city so much that I became an NYC tour guide.
I enjoy showing people different faces of NYC - from the bustling city of skyscrapers to the quiet streets of out-of-the-tourists-way neighborhoods. I love telling stories of people who made New York what is it - the self-made millionaires, famous writers, daring architects, beautiful and powerful women. I can show you major landmarks as well as secret spots and cozy old bars where you can feel NYC history. I can take you to places where sounds of jazz rule the night and people swing-dance - a dance which was born in Harlem, NY, and had swept the world with its infectious joy.
I'm a licensed sightseeing guide with many years of experience. I'm truly fascinated with the unique history of New York City and love to share my passion for it. I've studied History of Art at Harvard Extension School (Cambridge, Mass) and New School (NYC) and took classes on NYC Architectural History at Cooper Union (NYC).
“Wonderful, marvelous tour”
Iren was knowledgeable, kind and very thorough! She showed, explained, enlightened and discovered fabulous icons and places in New York. She anticipated our needs and was very accommodating. She is exceptional!
Iren G.
(3 reviews)Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it!
“Like sightseeing with a good friend!”
Iren was friendly, on-time, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, well-prepared, and just a joy to spend time with. By the end of our time with her we felt like we were seeing the city with a good friend. We had told her what we were interested in seeing, and she set it all up in a very logical order. We has such a good time with her.
Iren G.
(3 reviews)Dear John and Elaine, thank you! It was a joy exploring the city with you, and - you took the words right out of my mouth - it did feel like spending time with friends. I'm very happy you had a good time in New York and hope you'll come back to visit again, there are just too many stories left to tell!
“Absolutely awesome!”
Our tour with Iren was absolutely awesome! She was very friendly and accommodating, and extremely knowledgeable of all the sites we visited. She made our experience most enjoyable, and gave us an appreciation of the city that we otherwise may not have had. I highly recommend Iren for any tour when you are in New York. We will definitely be looking her up again and will recommend her to everyone! Thank you Iren for an unforgettable day! ❤️
Iren G.
(3 reviews)Dear Christie, thank you so much for your warm words, for choosing my tour and for being such a fun group! You made it a pleasure to share my enthusiasm for New York with you. We did have a wonderful day! There is so much more to see and do in the city; I hope you will come again and hope I can be a part of your next visit!