Meet Your Tour Guide - Authentic New Yorkers

Real New York Tour Guides
	Luke Miller Hey fellow world travelers. My name is Luke and I am proud to be a born and bred New Yorker! My life as a New Yorker has shaped so much of who I am today: how I walk, talk, what I eat, how I eat it, how I think, feel, and interact with people. I can't help but feel that when I share New York with folks that I am somehow sharing a part of myself as well. Even as a child my fascination for New York's history and mysteries were evident. As a teenage boys I explored the abandoned train stations of the subway, searched for old hidden caves in Central Park and had my head buried in books about the history of my beloved New York City. For the last five years I have shared my knowledge and personal experiences with thousands of tourists from around the world. Two years ago I formed my own company "Real New York Tours" and we have taken off to be one of the top rated companies in NYC. In many ways my life has been as diverse as the city I've grown up in. Doing tours is just one of the many great jobs I have had throughout the years. For 8 years I worked for the non-profit organization "God's Love We Deliver," which delivers hot meals to homebound people with AIDS throughout the five boroughs of NYC. My work there was documented on MTV's World AIDS Day Special. I also spent 5 years working as a volunteer in Sloan Kettering's pediatric cancer Ward, entertaining children. This became one of the great gifts in my life that I carry close to my heart. In 1998 a bunch of friends and I created the off-Broadway sensation, "The Donkey Show", a seventies disco version of Shakespeare's Mid-Summer Nights Dream which had an amazing 8 year run in NYC, and also ran in London, Scotland, and France for two years. It was during this time that I also met my beautiful wife Amber, who just happens to be a Radio City Rockette. Oh yeah!! Life is good. Much of my life has been dedicated to music. In my teenage years I played with a band called Paleface, which opened for bands including The Clash, The Ramones, Lords of The New Church and The Fix. My latest band Pale Moon Gang released their debut album recently, and you can catch our songs and videos at myspace.com/palemoongang. For all you Discovery Channel "Cash Cab" fans, your also looking at a $1000 winner!

	Trey Gibbons From the time I first set foot in New York City in March 1997, I knew that "The Big Apple" had to be my home. That summer, I packed up all my belongings and moved from Alabama to the big city and I have never looked back. I was immediately drawn to New York by its vibrancy, diversity and limitless opportunities. After years of showing New York to visiting friends and family for free, I decided to get my New York City tour guide license and begin showing the city I love so much to a wider variety of tourists and visitors. In addition to working with Luke Miller and Real New York Tours, I freelance with OnBoard Tours and Educational Performance Tours. I am also an award-winning theatre, film and TV actor; I received the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Actor in a Featured Role for my work in the critically-acclaimed production of How I Learned to Drive. Check out what people are saying about my tours of New York: We were fortunate to have Trey as our guide. He made us feel like we were the first people he had ever shown New York City to. Trey was absolutely wonderful! He made my parents feel so at ease. They were so excited, but nervous and scared to see New York City for the first time. Trey was so easy-going and so easy to talk to, that right away they were talking to him like they had known him forever! -- Patrica H.; Houston, TX


	Shawn Lynch In his book Here is New York, E.B. White said "There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter, the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Commuters give the city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion." I am the third, a settler of New York. I am originally from New Hampshire but have lived in Texas and Wisconsin. I currently live in Jackson Heights, Queens, the most diverse neighborhood in the world filled with immigrants from all different cultures and speaking all different languages. I have a passion for New York's history and its people. I am fascinated by the forgotten history of a city whose impact on the nation has been immense but whose past is lost in the glow of the bright lights of Broadway. I am endlessly amazed by the seamless mingling of peoples, cultures, backgrounds, incomes, creeds, styles, faiths, and worlds that make up each car of every subway. So let's hit the streets, get underground and see the Real New York. Welcome to the Big Apple. We want to take this opportunity to inform you of our extreme satisfaction with our tour experience this morning in general, but specifically to commend our tour guide, Shawn. We don't know what you pay him, but, it's not enough. His knowledge of the area and relationship with the world as a whole, was incredibly valuable and was indispensable in getting a superior overview of NYC. -- Ron & Darlene from Chicago

	Zach Aarons "A car is useless in New York, essential everywhere else. The same with good manners." - Mignon McLaughlin Greetings fellow New York City explorers! My name is Zach Aarons and I am a born and raised, real authentic New Yorker. I have lived all over this great city and I have been exploring its nooks and crannies since childhood. I have a voracious appetite for urban exploration and truly love being a licensed New York City guide. In addition to touring people around, I like to give suggestions about where to eat, where to get a cup of coffee, where to see good music and dance, and most importantly, where to find the best pizza. New Yorkers have a lot of opinions when it comes to pizza, and I am no different. I live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in an historic brownstone with my lovely wife. I love to travel to different places around the world. I lived in Italy for a year and sometimes provide tours for Italian tourists visiting New York City. In addition to my work for Real New York Tours, I also provide interesting anecdotes about various New York City locations through my company, Travelgoat. I like to bring places to life through the stories of the past. My dream is to become the ubiquitous New York City historian.

	Greg Barrantess "Welcome to the place that never sleeps, the place where anything could happen at any minute, the place many call the capital of the world, and best of all I would love to show you the place I call home, the city of New York!" - Greg the Tour Guide Hello, my name is Greg and even though I was born in Lima, Peru and moved to NYC when I was 10, I consider myself a New Yorker. I remember first hearing the name New York when I saw the '70s remake of King Kong when I was 4, even though it was a terrible film, seeing the city and the twin towers left me amazed. A year later my father was the first member of my family to come to NYC and the first gift he sent me was a New York picture guidebook. I can still remember looking through the pictures of Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty and the aerial views of the city. After moving to New York in 1990, I grew up in Queens, which is one of the most diverse of the 5 of boroughs of New York City. I will never forget my first subway ride aboard the old redbird # 7 trains between Flushing and Manhattan running between the cars as the train made its way into Times Square. That train alone crosses more than 12 ethnic neighborhoods! As a teenager I used to explore Greenwich Village, Central Park and Lower Manhattan. Since then I have always been fascinated by the history of New York and its turbulent beginning as a Dutch colony. During my college years I decided to turn my obsession into my career by showing and telling others about the city that made me who I am. Since then it's been a nonstop love affair with the Big Apple, and I'm willing to share the slices of this apple!

	Nathan Kaufmans In 2000 I rode the millennium craze straight across the country from Seattle, my hometown, to NYC. Like all those that come to New York City, I was following a dream. No one comes to NYC just to live, but rather because they are answering a call. That call just can't be ignored! Would anyone in their right mind come to a city to fork over thousands of dollars a month just to rest their weary head at night? Only those that have been called will do this. My call was to pursue my career as an actor, and no, I have never waited tables while here. Since 2000 I have performed in many cool productions throughout the city as well as outside the city. After spending close to a decade in New York, I can't imagine my life anywhere else. I feel to really appreciate a great city you have to know it's roots, its history and why it ticks the way it does. It was after exploring these things that I decided to be a licensed guide. As I pursue my career there is nothing more I love to do then bounce around this great city and share its treasures with wide eyed newcomers and old comers who have that same starry eyed look I arrived with almost 10 years ago.

	Jimmy Napoli "I'd rather be a lamp post in New York than the mayor of Chicago." - Former New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker. What makes New Yorkers think the entire universe revolves around Manhattan? Growing up a native New Yorker I have continually asked myself this question, without ever doubting for a moment that it was true. This curiosity has become a lifelong quest to understand the history of New York. America was born in both blood and politcs on the streets of New York, and for the past 12 years I have been leading tours through these very streets. I have been featured in the PBS documentary "The American Experience: Alexander Hamilton." I have also had the opportunity to lecture on George Washington and his spy network, aides and generals at his former headquarters in Harlem, Morris-Jumel Mansion. I love sharing my passion for the history of New York and the ideals of our founding fathers with visitors and locals alike, giving me the greatest opportunity a person can have: to do what I love for a living. Born on Manhattan, I grew up in the turbulent 1970's in the rough and tumble neighborhood of Jamacia, Queens, lived in Brooklyn, the Bronx and for the last 10 years or so I have been a resident of Manhattan Island. Radicals, writers and revolutionaries are my New York, so come with me and follow in the footsteps of the great men and women that not only lived in Gotham, but managed to transform it into the capital of the world.

	Max Lodge "New York has all the iridescence of the beginning of the world" F. Scott Fitzgerald Hey there all you wayfarers and explorers, welcome to New York! I'm Max Lodge and I've lived in the City for going on 11 years. Born in Manhattan, I grew up in Paris, France, returning to New York for college and to pursue my career as an actor (check out my website at www.maxlodge.com!) The longer I lived here, acting in plays and movies, writing one-man shows and performing stand-up comedy, the more I became fascinated with the history and folklore behind this ever changing, hyper-stimulating yet strangely peaceful metropolis. You don't need to know a lot to enjoy living in New York, but the more you know the more you come to appreciate how remarkable, how strange, how full of wonder this place really is. Whether it was riding my bike along the majestic Hudson, or sailing up the East River in my brother's sailboat to eat clams at City Island, or even catching all the lights heading downtown on a late night cab ride, I started to realize that it wasn't enough to just live here, I needed to understand it. But if there's one thing I've understood about New York it's that it is impossible to understand. And that's what makes it such a uniquely exciting place to live. I started reading about New York City history as a hobby. Later it grew into an obsession, and soon enough it had become my impassioned profession. It was as if the roiling energy of the City had lifted me up like a cresting wave and dropped me on top of a double-decker bus. After that I started doing bicycle tours and working with High School groups. And now I'm fortunate enough to be with Real New York Tours, taking groups on foot through this jungle of skyscrapers and hidden worlds. In New York, something as universal as walking becomes a completely different experience. If New Yorkers can agree on anything, and they almost never do, it is that they are all WALKERS! When you take a tour with me you you aren't going for a typical guided tour, you are embarking on a journey of discovery that most born-and-bred New Yorkers will probably never take. Let me show you the Real New York!

	Jeanette Bonner Hello future visitors!! I'm so excited to be able to introduce New York to you! I was born in a teeny town called Tuckahoe (really!) an hour north of the city in Westchester County, then moved to central New Jersey at age 10. Later I went to college in Connecticut, and have come to reside in Brooklyn, where I've lived since 2004, so I pretty much consider NYC my backyard! Especially so because when I'm not leading tours, I'm busy running around pursuing acting in the theater mecca that is New York. Being a tour guide and an actor come together beautifully for me, in more than just location - I have a passion for trying to see and understand life through other people's eyes, and that's manifested in my fascination of living history - something that NYC is rich with - and I enjoy introducing this history to new travelers. Time has left numerous imprints on New York, even as it continues to grow, and I love trying to imagine life as it once was in this insane city. What I hope to accomplish on your tour of New York is unravel its mystery and reputation for being scary and overwhelming. At the end of the day, I want you to feel that you can come back again and navigate our city like a pro. Anyone and everyone is accepted here, so stop being a tourist and start becoming a real New Yorker!

	Mindy Cassle As a child my mom used to take my sister and me to Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to see the Art Shows. Watching all the people and the action had me dreaming of someday living in that neighborhood. Born in Brooklyn, I was raised in Queens and Long Island. I finally did make it to that apartment in The Village...but it was a 7th floor walk up! Now I'm in Sunnyside. Queens. The roots run deep. My mom grew up in Brooklyn during the days of The Brooklyn Dodgers. My grandpa worked in the world famous garment district and my aunt worked in One Liberty Plaza which is still standing near Ground Zero. As a little girl I watched the Tall Ships from her office window coming through New York Harbor during the Bicentennial. I remember getting a toy replica of The Empire State Building. My parents took me there when I was four and to this day my love for it is as strong as it was then. I've been a tour guide for 5 ½ years. Meeting with travelers from all over the world and making sure they have a "Real New York" experience is an activity I greatly enjoy. I've worked in social services, been a professional matchmaker, as well as a singer and actress. Presently I'm appearing off Broadway in SPAGHETTI AND MATZO BALLS, FUHGEDDABOUTIT.

	Fabrice Leclercq The jackhammer splits concrete with an earthquake sound, the cop's whistle warns of oncoming traffic in which a cabbie lays on his horn out of frustration while the doors open at Battalion 54 letting out the classic fireman's wail which is its siren. This is my New York Philharmonic, sweet sounds after 15 years that I, Fabrice Leclercq have lived in the big city. I may have been born in a town of 500 Belgians, but I have found a home in a metropolis of 8.6 million. New York City feels today like the inevitable direction my life had to take. In 1989, I was behind the counter of the reception desk at the Meridien Hotel in New Orleans when a customer asked me if I could show his family around the french quarter, a daunting task to say the least. So much history, life, Jazz and cultures to explain on a short walk of a few hours. This was my awakening, love of history and the words to make it all make sense led me to the Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Boston and then the belly button of the world New York City. Here was the real challenge, from the moment the plane landed at LaGuardia airport and I had just glimpsed that amazing skyline, presenting New York city would be my masterpiece. Since 1994 when that Plane landed I have been lucky enough to visit the hidden treasures of this city with hundreds of world travelers including many native New Yorkers. I have met the love of my life and so far 3 of my 4 children have been born on the 9th floor of St. Vincent's hospital in the Village. I may be an adopted New Yorker but in this city you can be accepted or rejected in 5 minutes or take 20 years and in between just about anything can happen. In Battery park at the tip of this magical island, Manhattan, is a small monument in recognition of my people who arrived during the 1650's and so I realize... I'm home but just arrived a little late.

	Tony Lorenzo I am Tony Lorenzo. I've lived and worked in New York all my life. My ongoing love affair with the city began as a young boy listening to my grandparents' experiences immigrating here over 100 years ago for a better life for their families. One grandfather worked as a plaster builder on both the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. My other grandfather was a professional musician who played at the various feasts in Little Italy. As I explore these neighborhoods, my mind fills with their heartfelt stories and how their lives helped mold this great melting pot called New York. From the Battery to the Bronx, New York's history is a great epic that we at Real New York Tours explore daily. As a guide I am constantly reading about New York, watching films on its history, and visiting its grand museums. I never tire of the city - I am always fascinated, always learning, and always proud to be a New Yorker. I have worked as an actor for years filming movies and television shows on sets throughout the city, and have many on screen appearances. Along the way I'll point out some buildings and locations you may recognize from such famous films. So I look forward to meeting you all on the streets of New York!

	Sam Osheroff Welcome to the Big Apple! I'm Sam and for years now I have been showing off New York City to friends, family and tourists from around the world. In my other life I'm a professional actor and an acting teacher. (Look for me on Law and Order and soon on Cash Cab) Hey! Got to plug yourself when you can right? But I have always been a huge NYC history buff and know this town like the back of my hand. I'll tell you what's what, what used to be what, what will soon be what, and how it all came to be that way. My tours are a mix of history, culture, pop culture, a few bad jokes and lots of obscure and fascinating trivia. Of course we'll hit all the major attractions of the city but I'll also give you the inside scoop on NYC's thriving film, theater and television industries and show you all the hidden gems most New York tourists never get to see. The best Dim Sum in Chinatown? Check. Great free live music? Got you covered. The best discount shopping and restaurants? I'm your guy. Check out reviews from some of my previous customers. Hope to see all you globe trekkers soon. My group and I took your tour on Friday June 9th, 2008. I cannot begin to tell you what an awesome time we all had! Sam was amazing and was absolutely wonderful at delivering useful information in an upbeat and charismatic way. We all agreed that Sam's tour was the only tour any of us has ever enjoyed being on. As if the incredible tour wasn't enough, we all decided to take Sam's advice and spend some time at Central Park on Saturday. Of all the people in Manhattan, we run into Sam. We asked directions to a particular place in the park, and Sam selflessly offered to show us around. We credit at least 50% of our trip to NYC to Sam! --The Gals from Richmond VA.
	Heidi Dotterer "When in New York, do as New Yorkers do..." Isn't that the expression? Hi, I'm Heidi. I've been strap-hanging, slinging hash, walking bridges, learning accents, crying at shows, dodging umbrellas, folding pizza, snuggling into tiny apartments, rocking karaoke clubs, and loving this city with the best of them for the last ten years. On that late summer afternoon, ten years ago, I brought one bag with me to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and stepped out into the heart of New York: rush hour traffic on Ninth Avenue and Forty-First Street! I arrived from a beef farm in central Pennsylvania. Where I'm from, we drove ten miles to buy a loaf of bread. My closest neighbors were Amish. Needless to say, New York City was a culture shock. New York has taught me a lot. I've learned so much watching people, looking through museums, reading our rich history, experiencing diverse neighborhoods. I hope I can share with you what has made New York City my home!

	Lawrence Lesher "One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years" said Thomas Wolfe -- and I hope you feel that way after your tour in the Big Apple. After living, acting, directing, and touring through all 50 states and some 27 countries, I can unabashedly welcome you to my home. I would love to show off this city to any visitor willing to become a "New Yorker" -- even for just an afternoon. Although an Army brat who lived in Germany and the Philippines most of my formative years, I now proudly live in Queens and happily wallow in the chaos that is this bubbling city. I travel obsessively, don't own a car, and have never lost anyone on the subway. Join us!

	Ben Hi New Friends From Around the World! My name is Ben and I want to show you my NY. The incredible stories hiding in subways, stoops, playgrounds and slices of pizza that I have been searching out and happily storing up for my whole life. I was born and raised in Queens. Which means I live in close proximity to two airports, but also that I hail from the most diverse county in the entire world! This makes me really proud and especially eager to share the countless interwoven immigrant histories of this whole city. I have been showing people my city ever since my mother let me get on the F train and go into Manhattan by myself for the first time at age 12 (I told her I was going to 34th Street to buy a hat but instead I went to Chinatown to buy firecrackers). The next week I took my buddies Nick and Jin to Chinatown for more firecrackers and some very excellent dumplings. Food is and always has been a big part of my love for New York City and showing it off. Five years ago when I returned from college I decided to make it official and became a licensed New York City tour guide. Under the moniker Historically Hungry, I also lead low-brow epicurean adventures by foot and bike on my home turf in Queens. I also teach English at Brooklyn College, write plays, and make experimental theater all over the city. If you guys want suggestions for theatrical experiences beyond the Great White Way, I'm your guy. But don't come after me if there's no air conditioning! Look forward to meeting you all!

	Joe Osheroff "One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years" - Thomas Wolfe A big hello to all you globe trekkers, tourists, and travelers, and welcome to New York City!. My name is Joe and I've been a licensed professional tour guide for the past three and a half years. When I'm not giving tours, you can find me working as an acting teacher, mask maker and professional actor, starring in plays, television shows, and commercials. Over the past eight years, I've been pounding the pavement, surfing the subways, and scaling the skyscrapers here in New York. Whether you prefer to call it The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, America's Mecca, Gotham, Metropolis, The Crossroads of the World, The Big Town, The Big Burg, The Capital of the World, The Babylonian Bedlam, or as we New Yorkers simply like to say, The City - there is no doubt that NYC is one hell of a town. I can't wait to show you all of my favorite haunts, both on the beaten path and off. Not only will I show you all the iconic sites you'd expect to see, I'll show you the places where tourists might not usually venture, all the while filling you with history, legendary New York stories, and tall tales. So, put on your walking shoes and prepare to paint the town red, both above and below ground, as we explore the Real New York. Joe was WONDERFUL! !!! We loved him! He was so nice and easy to talk with. He felt like family!! He gave us an AWESOME tour of NY with lots of history and tips! Showed us how to navigate the NY subway system that we were not afraid to do it by ourselves the next day. Thank YOU! Great experience and we will definitely pass your tour group name on. Our neighbors are going in March and want your information!! -- Kitty Patterson

	Krysia Bock I grew up in northern Virginia and attended Towson University in Maryland. Upon graduating with a B.F.A. in dance performance I moved to New York to pursue modern dance and live in one of the greatest cities in the world. I quickly realized how multidimensional New York is, allowing me to easily get my fix of any interest and then some. I am a huge fan of all of the free activities that can be easily found all over the city and burrows. Only in New York can I enjoy dance classes and avant-garde art that's only a few blocks away from where I will be screaming at a football game later that night. New York has opened me to the eastern philosophy of yoga as well as quenched my hunger with the best pizza the world has to offer. New York really is a body and mind centering city with something for everyone.

	Amber Miller Though I am not a tour guide (yet), I wanted to have a chance to say hello since I am usually the first contact you will all have with Real New York Tours. I was lucky enough to meet Luke in NYC in 2002, and was even luckier when I married him on September 6th, 2008. As Real New York Tours has grown, so has the need for well organized administration. Yes, behind every great man is a great woman. I am the gal in charge of greeting you all and booking your tours. I grew up in Seattle Washington and started dancing at the age of seven. I always dreamt of one day coming to New York and becoming a Radio City Rockette. My dream came true in 2002 and when I'm not answering emails for our fantastic company I am still kicking my legs at Radio City Music Hall. I've also been fortunate enough to perform in CATS, Crazy for You, Funny Girl, and more. I look forward to hearing from you all and hope you feel the love and enthusiasm that our great guides have for this beautiful city.

	Emily Hellstrom Greeting to all you New York travelers! My name is Emily Hellstrom and I'm one of the new crewmembers at the Real New York Tours family. I'll be one of the gals helping you book your tour and answering any logistical questions you many have about our great city and of course our great tours. New York City is a place where only the strong survive and I have had many assorted careers that have allowed me to stay in this city I love so much, including acting, political fundraising, and being the development director for a non-profit film company. Although I have just recently joined Real New York Tours I have been a friend of Luke Miller for many years. We were both cast members and a part of the creative team that wrote the off-Broadway sensation "The Donkey Show", which had an amazing 8 year run in NYC, as well as stints in London, Scotland and France. I have recently taken on the challenging, rewarding, yet monetarily less remunerative job of mothering twin boys! So if an email comes back to you with some obvious misspelled word it probably because I have two twins on my lap trying to imitate mom by banging on my computer keys, so do forgive me. So welcome to our great city and look forward to hearing from you all.

Real New York Tour Guides