Ask an NYC Tour Guide: Most Frequently Asked Questions
Not only do our tours provide insights into each neighborhood that we explore, but our tour guides are frequently walking encyclopedias for all sorts of day-to-day knowledge about New York City and its boroughs. We thought it would be fun to poll our tour guides on the most frequently asked questions by guests:
MEGAN:
Questions I get most from guests: How much do you pay in rent/ how big are most 1 bedroom apartments? People are fascinated by NYC real estate and I don’t blame them!
Answer: Real estate listing site Zumper released its June 2019 national rent report, which once again placed New York City second place in a top 10 of the highest one-bedroom median rent prices in the country, after San Francisco. Median rent for one-bedrooms in New York City is $2,980.
Regarding size, according to apartment rental website RENTCafé, the average size of a NYC rental apartment is 733 square feet (also on par with Chicago). Seattle is the city with the smallest apartments in the US at 711 square feet. Data from November 2018.
Second most frequently asked question would be “what is the best neighborhood for restaurants?” followed by “how to get discounted tickets to Broadway shows?”
Answer: For restaurants, we love the East Village (affordable and very local). For Broadway discounts, we love the TKTS booths and the app called Today Tix.
JUSTIN:
People ask me what types of people take the tours – are they local or are they always from out of town?
Answer: We get a nice mix of locals and tourists. In order, our guests are from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil – followed by Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
What are some non touristy things to do in NYC?
Answer: although considered touristy, New Yorkers definitely enjoy the museums, Broadway and other performing arts like Alvin Ailey dance, the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet. A few off the beaten path museums and performing arts centers (that are easy to get to!):
Brooklyn Historical Society (two locations, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO)
City Reliquary (Williamsburg)
The Morgan Library and Museum (37th & Madison)
Obscura Antiques & Oddities (East Village)
La Mama Theater (East Village)
Le Poisson Rouge (Greenwich Village)
The Sultan Room (Bushwick) — definitely have a pre show cocktail at Turk’s Inn! There’s a rooftop as well.
WALTER:
What questions do I get most: The number one answer for the Williamsburg Food Tour is “What are the rents like?”… Once I tell them, then it’s “How do people afford to live here?” Lol.
JOSH: