Big Apple Greeter

This is a one of kind nonprofit that provides a platform for New Yorkers to volunteer and contribute to making their communities by better by meeting visitors one on one and turning them into friends. As a donor, I'm thrilled at how every penny goes directly to supporting the program. Truly wonderful.

Big Apple Greeter is an amazing organization! They provide a wonderful service to tourists visiting New York City and are an extremely caring, interesting and generous group of people.

Look no further, you have found one of the best non profits in NYC!
Big Apple Greeter provides Visitors to NYC a Volunteer New Yorker to show them the ins and outs of our wonderful city!

I have been a volunteer office worker for almost two years at Big Apple Greeter and I look forward to each day that I am there. I get to meet many interesting people and work on matching Visitors from around the world with a suitable Greeter!

Come join us as a Greeter or an office Volunteer.

You will love it.

I was a Big Apple Greeter for over ten years and found it to be one of the peak experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to meet and greet visitors to NYC from around the world and show them parts of the city that were less likely to be in guidebooks. This experience also helped me establish rewarding personal relationships with some of the visitors. All in all, a great organization that helps establish people to people ties.

What a great way to learn about how people live in this great city. 30 years of welcoming visitors. And it's all absolutely free. Come join us.

Because of this difficult time of coronavirus, everyone now understands the importance of people connecting with people. That is what Big Apple Greeter does in a nutshell: brings people together and in addition, highlights the off-the-beaten track wonders of NYC. All the Big Apple Greeters are very friendly and afterwards, visitors are more at ease while exploring our wonderful city.

I've been a Big Apple Greeter for over 15 years. Not only is it a joy for visitors, but it's the best retirement in the world. It's healthful as one gets a lot of great walking exercise. It's super for the brain as one is constantly learning from the experiences and reading to make those experiences better. It's a bridge-builder with other cultures...and with Americans, too. This was especially true during Covid, when Americans came to New York. I have a much better understanding and love for Oklahomans, Tennesseeans, Oregonians, etc. And during these last two years, we've been in touch with greeters from around the world. It's FANTASTIC!

What a treat. 24h after our arrival I applied for a free guide and was contacted 34h later. Ready with a program and a smile. Intelligent knowledgeable and flexible Phil had prepared an afternoon of discoveries that was enjoyed by me and my 14 year old son. We are looking forward to seeing Phil again for our next trip to NYC.

WHAT WE DID DURING THE PANDEMIC TO KEEP BIG APPLE GREETER GOING.
By Bobbie Kaplan

By late February 2020, our office had closed down –- and so had the world. As one of the staff writers, I got together with a talented graphic designer, Delphine Manet, and we decided to put out almost-monthly newsletters to assure our visitors, Greeters, office volunteers and donors we had no intention of going out of business.

We also wanted to engage our audiences so they wouldn’t forget us, and to let them know we treasured them even though we couldn’t be with them. So, from April 2020 to May 2021, we emailed 8 different newsletters on a wide range of topics.

Early on, we asked our visitors “HOW YA COPING?” and they were only too happy to share their pandemic-filled lives. Our next newsletter was a love song to our visitors, telling them how much we missed them, to the tune of “New York, New York” (the “Start Spreading the News” version.)

Another newsletter told readers WHAT WAS NEW IN NEW YORK, including a 5,000-pound bronze gorilla statue brought to Hudson Yards in August 2020. We devoted another newsletter to NEW YORK'S NON-STOP CREATIVITY, an example of which was the huge new Moynihan Trail Hall at Penn Station, a journey in vintage glamour.

Our SNOWY NEWSLETTER reminded everyone – with pictures - how beautiful the city could be when blanketed by snow. A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF NYC spoke of the amazing range of birds in the city – including geese, loons, egrets, owls, cardinals, falcons, hawks, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, and even a male mandarin duck nicknamed “Mandarin Patinkin.”

LITTLE BY LITTLE, WE’RE COMING BACK talked about just that: By April 2021, Coney Island was up and running, and Diana: The Musical was set to open in December. By May 22nd, Big Apple Greeter was open again, and our final pandemic newsletter roared, “WE CAN’T WAIT TO WELCOME YOU BACK!”

As I write this now, it is October 26th, 2021. In November, our borders will be open to international visitors. Although the pandemic is still with us, so are powerful vaccines
that are working. This has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

To use a favorite word of our founder, Lynn Brooks, we’re betting that 2022 will be “wonderful.”

Amazing. Truly my experience with Big Apple Greeter was nothing short of amazing. My guide, Phil was kind, personable, interested in me and interesting...He went out of his way to really personalize my experience so I left not only learning about the neighborhoods and all they have to offer, but with a new friend. It was a fabulous walk filled with stories, laughter, great sites and most of all community building. I regularly tell my friends who are visiting to see out Big Apple Greeters and *hope* you are lucky enough to get a tour!

I love the greeters. I’ve been a greeter for about 5 years now and it’s been great for me as I’ve met wonderful people from all around the world, I’ve been able to practice my French and learn much more about France and French culture.

I know it’s been great for the people I Greet because they have sent me letters and emails saying so. Together we explore a beautiful neighborhood in Brooklyn that they previously didn’t know existed. I take them to places that not only didn’t they know existed but also into places no tourist would be able to enter, for example a 120 year old private club.
The Big Apple Greeters has been one of the most satisfying and fun things I’ve been involved with in the last few years.

I have a particularly personal link to Big Apple Greeter: My mom started the program 30+ years ago as a way to help visitors see New York City through the eyes of the people who live in and love this city. Her perseverance - and the support of hundreds of New Yorkers who shared her vision - has resulted in a program that has helped build bridges between thousands of people coming to NYC and spawned 150+ programs around the world. We are all better for her vision!!

I ve been a Greeter with Big Apple for over 10 years and have enjoyed meeting people from dozens of places around the world
Big Apple facilitates the walks which are free to the participants
They in turn get to meet a “real New Yorker” who not only shows them around but is available to consult with during their stay in NYC

I am a Big Apple Greeter volunteer for more than 10 years, helping the organization with marketing and communications as my time permits. I've stayed involved this long because I love being part of such a friendly and dedicated community of staff and volunteers. And, as a New Yorker I truly believe in the importance of their mission to show the real New York City to visitors. It's good for the well-being of the city and for humankind.

Big Apple Greeter is a small organization with an enormous worldwide impact. I highly recommend it to prospective volunteers and to travelers who want to experience the real New York City.

I moved from Paname to Gotham in August 2017 and got involved right away with Big Apple Greeter. I am part of the Office Volunteers Team. We help match visitors from all around the world with Greeters but my role has been many fold. I'm involved in many projects ranging from communication, to fundraising and tech upgrades.
Over the years, I've grown very fond of Big Apple Greeter. We are a big family and for me, being French, and away from my homeland especially in such difficult times this means a lot. I feel very lucky and proud to be a volunteer for such a great program. I've met amazing people. Everybody is very passionate about NYC and truly dedicated to this non-profit organization.
In a world that tends to turn in on itself, Big Apple Greeter's vision and mission to build bridges between cultures is more than ever crucial. We're working harder than ever (even though we can't show the city to foreign visitors now) and making the most of this PAUSE to upgrade our technology, improve our service in order to welcome more visitors when the world opens up again. We can't wait to meet you again!

The Big Apple Greeter organization does a serious job of ensuring an outstanding visit to tourists by a New Yorker.

This organization is the best outreach for global understanding. We are just a group of people who like to hear about "visitors" who come to our city and how they view their travels, what they notice about NYC, how it compares to their home.
From this walks and conversations a new, personal understanding of different cultures emerges

Big Apple Greeter NYC connects visitors from around world with New Yorkers who volunteer to show them a slice of authentic New York City, directly through the eyes of a NYC resident. That is a extraordinary experience that only happens in “3D,” and in real time. Community at its best! There’s no better ambassador for NYC than the volunteer Greeters who share their New York with the myriad of visitors everyday.

Lovely experience. Our tour of the Harlem area was one to remember, with lots of little interesting facts. Without a greeter we probably would not have visited Harlem whilst there is lots to see.

Got a chance to make a magic moment last Fall. And what a moment it was!! I had the pleasure of showing Nicole and son Luca from Germany around Midtown and Brooklyn for a greet today. In our correspondence, Nicole mentioned that Luca had always wanted to see an NBA game, but was having a difficult time getting tickets. You should have seen the look on Luca’s face when we arrived at the Barclay’s Center, and I told him I was able to get free tickets for the three of us to see the Brooklyn Nets play. The reaction was priceless. He had a smile on his face the moment he heard and throughout the game. He was messaging all of his friends and even his basketball coach back home.

His mom was so thrilled. And me... well, my heart is full. I’ll remember today for sure.

We had a great tour of the Upper East Side with excellent views of Roosevelt Island. Our Greeter called our Greet a twofer. Betsy

Big Apple Greeter provides a terrific way for visitors from around the world to meet New Yorkers and learn first-hand from them about their city and the people who live there - and in turn gives Greeter volunteers an opportunity to learn from our wonderful visitors.

I have been a Big Apple Greeter for over 15 years. I always seemed to be helping people find their way around the City so when I saw an ad about Big Apple Greeter, I thought this would be a fun thing to do. As a greeter I have met so many lovely people from all over the world. I especially enjoyed showing a solo traveler how to use the subway and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. She was afraid to leave her hotel until we met.

I have been a volunteer greeter since 2017. It is so rewarding to see how visitors embrace my city and to think I had a hand in making them feel more comfortable through their knowledge of the city. Big Apple Greeter might have been designed originally for the visitor, but it certainly benefits the volunteer greeter in countless ways.

Big Apple Greeter is a terrific organization that allows individuals to represent New York City. Visitors coming to our city have an opportunity to walk through our beautiful neighborhoods and learn about its people, architecture and history at no cost.

A friendly Big Apple Greeter showed me around in Harlem. A New Yorker showing his view on his home town and sharing what he knows was a special experience. To look at what he sees and what is interesting to him was a wonderful opportunity to delve into the most beautiful sights of this part of the City. I recommend a tour to everybody travelling. It is also an opportunity to not only be a tourist, but „being a New Yorker“ for some time and start to love the place from a personal view. The organization of the meeting was exceptionally good and was very well informed all the time about the procedure.

As a volunteer greeter with B.A.G. for about six years, I can truly attest to the immensely positive effect of the person-to-person experience of a Greet on visitors when they come to New York. Instead of the very impersonal contact with sales clerks, taxi drivers, head waiters, etc., a Greet with a B.A.G. volunteer presents a unique opportunity for visitors to experience an extended interaction with a New Yorker -- hopefully (and in my experience nearly universally) leaving the visitor with the feeling that this city is a warm and welcoming place and engenders a wish to return often in the future.

A number of the visitors I meet with have done just that.

This is a wonderful way to experience New York. Dedicated volunteers make the city understandable and accessible.

I serve as a greeter volunteer and find the position truly rewarding. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with visitors from all over the world. It is a lovely way to show visitors our beautiful city, it's architecture, multi ethnic cuisine, the history attached to various neighborhoods, our parks And historic sights. In addition friendships are formed and I wind up maintaing connections with many of our visitors. The Greeter's program is a wonderful way to showcase our magnificent city..

I am a Volunteer Greeter at Big Apple Greeter. As easy as NYC is to get around in, it can be quite daunting to visitors who are not used to a big city. I once had a visit with a couple from Louisiana and they told me that when they came from the airport and first viewed our beautiful skyline they freaked out. They live 50 miles from the nearest store and couldn't imagine wondering around the canyons of NYC. If I had not met them at their hotel lobby to show them how safe and easy NYC is they would never have left their hotel. After our visit they emailed me and told me that they had wonderful adventures around the city and that they would surely return with family members. I've had so many wonderful stories about how visitors lives were changed because of the opportunity to see NYC with a Greeter. Greeters are a major gateway of friendship and kindness to those that visit our great city. Americans as well as foreigners see NYC in a whole new light because of their experiences with us. We need all the support we can get to keep up this important good work.

I have been a big apple greeter for just little over 4 months. I have had many successful visits since I have started in December 2011 one week before the new year. I am NYC born and raised and love showing people the place that I call home. Many of the visitors like seeing NYC through the eyes of an everyday New Yorker and not a tour guide.

This is a wonderful organization. They match visitors to NYC with residents who then take the visitors out on a walking tour of the City. The tour generally covers the Greeters favorite spots, often off the beaten track. It is a great people to people program and humanizes the visitors NYC experience.

I love being a Big Apple Greeter. I show people from all over the world some of my favorite spots in NYC. Now that I have a 6 year old daughter, she comes along whenever I have visitors from out of town that have kids. We like to show parents some playground and amenities for their kids; one of my favorites is the playground by the Brooklyn Bridge Park, which also has Jane's Carousel, a beautifully restored 19th century merry go round. We often then walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and have lunch in Chinatown or Little Italy. People can't believe how reasonably priced a lunch can be. One visitor from Germany thought our Vietnamese meal would be tapas-style, where we'd have to order multiple plates, since the bowls of noodles, soup and rice were $6-$8, but we all filled our bellies with good protein, veggies and starch! They liked it so much, they went back a second time without us.

The strength of Big Apple Greeter is in its person-to-person experiences. These flow back and forth from volunteer to visitor. We always like to think we have added something special to a visitor's time in New York but the proof is in being passed along from visitor to visitor's friend, over and over again. It's the joy of having repeat visits from the same family and watching their children grow up; it's also the sadness of watching that same family go through the illnesses that afflict people everywhere. We come to know these people remarkably well just during a day out together because it's a non-stop conversation. It's a really great experience.

We were in NYC twice the last couple of years and on both occasions a BAG showed us around and told us all we wanted to know and more. It was really great! We would like to recommend BAG to everyone who is going to visit the BA. These volunteers know their city and the stuff they can tell you is not in the tourist guidebooks. And furthermore, they are nice people. Please continue your servives and we will definitely return tp NYC another time.

I am a former BAG volunteer. This program allowed me to meet some of the most interesting people. Many of the visitors that I helped were most grateful indeed. BAG Program is something that helps NYC in many ways. It builds awareness and it shows the capabilities that New Yorkers have as World citizens.
Please contribute to this great organization and make a viable alternative to potential visitors to the Big Apple.
Long Live Big Apple Greeter and it's amazing staff.

I've been in nyc at january 2011. I'm french. I've had a wonderful experience with a greeter who showed me some brooklyn neighborhoods. A very informative visit with someone who has a wide knowledge of his borough and knows how to let tourists like me get interested on them. An experience who should be tried by all those who are interested in nyc.

I have volunteered to photograph some of the tours Big Apple Greeter has given tourists here in New York. I go with the Greeter and the few tourists on their trip and photograph the tour.
While I am not the client served, I have found these tours to be just great. They have gone to neighborhoods I have never seen and the guide has taken us around the neighborhood with enthusiasm and a continuing talk and anecdotes about the neighborhood. The Greeters are "natives' to the neighborhoods they show and really love where they live. I find them fascinating and see how the clients do, too. What's more, they give the clients, often from overseas, a chance to spend half a day with a real New Yorker

On my first visit to the US last year, I had just over a day in New York. As a travel writer, I was keen to veer off the usual tourist route, for an insight into this high energy metropolis. I could achieve my objective, thanks to a Big Apple volunteer.
She was punctual and greeted me at my hotel, with an apple - most apt for the brand. But for her, i wouldnot have got delightful a tour of Greenwich village and a combined lesson on its history, geography and philosophy.
More importantly, talking to her human to human, i could largely realise my objective of understanding the concerns, motivation and attitude of average New Yorkers - something a professional guide with his practiced script and monetary motive wouldnot have delivered.
She had the metro tickets for both of us, but politely declined my natural gesture of paying for her lunch, and a book as a tocken of my gratefulness!
Big Apple Greeters is a great idea!

soy turista ,vivo en argentia y los servicios que brindan en NY son excelentes .
los guias son personas maravillos y muy atentos.
en resumen todo 10PUNTOS ,MUY SOBRESALIENTE.
VAMOS A GANAR ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

We are a family of 5 from Australia. We arranged our B.A.G and were not disappointed. He was on time at 9.30am and did not leave us until 4.00pm. He showed us around the Financial District, gave up tips on the best use of the metrocard for the subway, took us into buildings that you would not otherwise have bothered to go into. Had a great lunch at the South Street Seaport and we arranged tickets for Broadway at the TKTS booth at the Seaport. Very knowledgeable about NYC and it was fantastic to meet someone who lives and worked in NYC. Would highly recommend this organization to family, friends and acquaintances.

We spent 5 days in New York in mid January and had the absolute privilege of meeting up with one of your greeters. The experience was exactly what I had hoped for and more!
Great to see the city and surrounds from a local's perspective and to get an 'insider's view' on places and events in New York.
Our greeter also spent way more time with us than is expected which was fantastic.

We are from Australia and in October 2010 my husband, son & I stayed in New York for 3 days and had the priviege of having a volunteer from Big Apple Greeter show us around New York. This experience far exceeded my expectations and we got to see a lot of New York that we otherwise would not have seen. The volunteer was very knowledgable and we learnt heaps of stuff about New York which we otherwise would not have known if we were on our own. Also got to see some different residential areas when we side-tracked off the normal tourist path.

It certainly was the best way to see New York from a locals perspective

I've been a volunteer with this wonderful organization for two years. It helps new visitors navigate the city, gets many of their questions and concerns answered, and gives them a very positive view of New York (great for future tourism in the city) and Americans. They also realize that they don't have to be multi-millionaires to enjoy the city, as they learn about the many reasonably-priced assets to enjoy. Most of the time I take them to Brooklyn, and that is a real eye-opener for most guests --they often look at the borough as a dangerous place, and then are amazed at the beautiful residential areas, great restaurants and shops, and friendly people. Often, other New Yorkers on the subways, for example, will hear me talking to the visitors, and chime in with more information and help. I think it helps to spread good will in the world view of Americans.

I've been an office volunteer doing graphic design with Big Apple Greeter for over 6 years. As a lifelong New Yorker, this experience has given me the opportunity to take part in an organization that truly expresses the love I have for New York.

Every member of Big Apple Greeter has an enormous love of this great city (and all its boroughs) and a desire to share "their New York" and all it has to offer with visitors from near and far. Almost every member is a volunteer, and — unlike most NY tour companies — every tour is free and personal.

These personal tours give visitors more reason to come back to visit New York again and again. This is why it's so important to keep this organization alive.

In addition, Big Apple Greeter was the inspiration for Greeter programs worldwide, thus forming the Global Greeter Network. This reiterates the effect B.A.G. has had on people across the world, bringing our large world closer together by forming wonderful lasting memories and experiences.

I recently went abroad and took a tour with Paris Greeter, a sister organization. The volunteer on that tour expressed how much he enjoyed his own Big Apple Greeter tour when he visited New York, and what a large inspiration it has been to the whole greeter network.

On January 5, 2011, I had a literal "private" tour with a fine greeter with Big Apple Greeters. I was in NYC with my husband (who was on business), and though I had been to NYC many times previously, there are still so many areas of the city which I haven't experienced. Hence, signing up for a tour with Big Apple Greeters. Since it was only myself in our tour, my greeter met me in the lobby of my hotel, and we had a wonderful day walking (and walking and walking!), first across the Brooklyn Bridge (where I learned so much about the history of the building of the bridge itself), then into Brooklyn itself. We spent a little time in the area nearest the bridges, looking at the architecture, and taking photos from the Promanade, which gives marvelous views of the entire Manhattan skyline. We walked back across the East River via the Manhattan Bridge, and I learned more history of the area as we walked and talked. The Manhattan Bridge comes into Chinatown, so we walked through there, eating lunch at a popular noodle shop in Chinatown. My guide even took me to a specialty fish store in Chinatown (after he learned I volunteer at an aquarium in FL), where specialty koi and ornamental carp are sold, which was most interesting. After a tour of Little Italy, we ended up on the Lower East Side, concluding our tour. What a fun day it was, and with Big Apple Greeters, one ends up not only learning so much about New York City, but making a new friend (in your greeter) as well!

We went to New York 3 years ago and had an Apple Greeter help us one day. My only comment is not to try and do too much in one day. We rode a subway, saw Wall Street, Twin Towers, and a couple of neighborhoods. The greeter was nice. If and when we get to go back to New York we will call on the Apple Greeters again. Everyone that is coming for the first time will have a better knowledge of New York.

We took advantage of this wonderful service about five years ago for the first visit for most of the four sisters who sent a week in The Big Apple, We selected a tour of Brooklyn. Our Greeter, Warren Lewis, provided us each with a one day subway pass and introduced us to subway travel. We took the R & W tio Government Center on the eastern side of the upper-class neighborhood of Brooklyn Heightsd. There were everal play yards scattered throughout the are. We passed Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, walked the loength of Montague Street, the main drag, and admired the architecture of the buildings. We stopped at St. Timothy Episcopal Church. We walked through Sahade, a Turkish market. I could go on and on about how comprehensive this tour was. There are too many points of interest to mention. We ended our tour with a very nice lunch and bid farewell to our guide who left us at the Brooklyn Bridge which might have been the highlight of this wonderful tour. We walked the full length and by the time we got to the end were ready for a subway ride and return to our hotel. Thanks to Warren for his generosity in sharing his personal time and knowledge of the area we selected to tour.

I worked for BAG as an office volunteer just a few months after 9/11 when the city was still struggling with the aftermath of that horrible day, and trying to get visitors to return to NYC. Not only are the people behind BAG some of the most amazing, warm, friendly and welcoming people I have ever met, but they spread their love and devotion to this city among visitors from all over the world unconditionally, every day. Many of my friends and family have since used Big Apple Greeter and they were all blown away by the knowledge and passion these people bring to their visits.
BAG is undoubtedly one of the most unique and special organisations New York City has and the fact that there are "Big Apple Greeter" organisations in many big cities in the world now goes to show how important they are to the tourism concept of a destination.

My one and only visit to the US was in 2001 when I spent a few days in New York with friend to celebrate my birthday. The day that we spent with the Big Apple Greeter guide was the best day of our holiday and one I will always remember. We felt like we had seen parts of the city that we wouldn't have visited on our own and we met a number of native New Yorkers that we would never have met without our guide taking us to places that were off the tourist track. Everyone that we met was friendly and pleasant. We had experienced the legendary rudeness of the US customs service and the lovely New Yorkers that we met more than made up for it! Both my friend and I have treasured memories of our time on New York and would recommend the Big Apple Greeter programme to anyone who visits the city.

I am a lifelong New Yorker and a travel editor. I became curious about how visitors actually experience my home city. I started volunteering with Big Apple Greeter 1 1/2 years ago. I've had so much fun showing visitors one of my favorite unknown neighborhoods, DUMBO, which stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. In a 20-minute walk from the York station on the F subway line, I show visitors 4 centuries of history and tell them the stories of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn, Walt Whitman's editorial stand against slavery at the Brooklyn Eagle, and the evolution of the area from Native American land to Dutch farm settlements to one of the biggest industrial producers in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to its current incarnation with pricey condos, New York's newest waterfront parks and upscale shops. We always stop at Jacques Torres for chocolate, and I point out little details like the Belgian blue paving stones underfoot, the old narrow-gauge railway tracks, the wooden water towers atop the old buildings, and my favorite NYC graffiti. I show them a view along the water where in one turn of the head they can see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Lower Manhattan, and the Brooklyn Bridge, and I show them the Whitman poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" engraved in the railing on the pier where the first cross-river ferry was started by a Dutchman in the 1600s. It's history, architecture, and the grit and triumph of one neighborhood all in one short visit. Depending on their time and interest, I sometimes add in a trip to Coney Island to look at the beach and ride the Cyclone, or to visit the brownstone historic district in Park Slope, with the PS321 flea market and a stop at my favorite friendly pizza place, Pinos. Often my visitors decide to stay or come back to Brooklyn for more after our visit is over, which makes me feel great that I have introduced something special and memorable to their time in NY. Big Apple Greeter is one of those great freebies that anyone can try.

We first learned about Big Apple Greeters when we were planning our honeymoon to New York City. It was absolutely one of the best things we did! We truly enjoyed our time with John. He was professional and fun at the same time and we felt completely safe. He was patient with our picture taking. told great stories and maintained a pace that was just right. He provided us with invaluable knowledge about the subway system that we used during the rest of the trip. Whenever we talk about our trip to other people, the subject of Big Apple Greeters always comes up. The organization is a wonderful ambassador for the City the Never Sleeps!

December 2008, my first visit to New York and after finding Big Apple Greeter on the internet, I applied and was successful to be allocated a volunteer. Tim met us at our hotel at 10.00am and as ouor requested area was Brooklyn, he took us downtown where we proceeded to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge - awsome! Tim took us a walk around Brooklyn, giving us all the local history. He gave an insight on how it was in Brooklyn on 9/11. Although only a short walk from Manhattan, Brooklyn seemed a different world from there - no scryscrapers, only cute little houses with steps up to them - just like you see in the movies. This is something we would never have done on our own - having a "local" to take us around made a world of difference. I can't praise highly enough the real value we experienced by having a Big Apple Greeter. He gave up his Saturday to spend time with strangers, and shared his love and knowledge of Brooklyn with us. I will always remember this experience and it was made possible by Tim.

I've been a Big Apple Greeter for 9 years & the experience has
provided me with an unusual opportunity to meet wonderful people
from many places. But most importantly it allows me to show off our
city, and the feedback I've received has been wonderful. Tourists
really seem to appreciate & enjoy a non-tourist view of our
great city. The neighborhoods, small shops, the out of the way little
Chinatown restaurant, the vest pocket parks and the neighborhood gardens.

As a visitor to NYC, I was in need of some kind of mechanism of learning the city. What I mean is to get comfortable w/ my surroundings. Big Apple Greeter met me @10 AM at the hostel. We spent the next few hours exploring greenwich village......he was fantastick.

Since I was born in another country, I know how alien coming to a big city can be. The visitors who I've taken around are really happy to meet and spend time with someone who loves NYC. That's each of us volunteers. Help keep us greeting our guests with love. Clara

I had my first Greet on 9/6/06 and my latest on 2/21/11. In between I've met more than 100 visitors from over a dozen countries and have yet to have a less than a most satisfying experience. Of course I get to learn so much about the visitors but my greatest joy is to have them tell me that they never knew how friendly New Yorkers are. NY still is a city of neighborhoods.

As a volunteer with BIG APPLE GREETER for over 10 years, i've been privileged to show many tourists from different countries the
hidden sites and venues of New York City. My tours usually span between 7-12 hours, using public transport (subway & bus) and foot.
Visitors can't get over the art deco building lobbies and exteriors of many structures i show them. Most often, it's the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge or the neighborhood favourite pizza parlor which enthralls them the most. With Ground Zero and environs as a prime destination, my stories about that fateful day ( 911) bring to life raw emotions and an unforgettable experience. Each visitor comes away from my tours feeling more a native new yorker than a tourist. Big Apple Greeter is a free service to anyone lucky enough to be scheduled with one of 300+ volunteers who give their time and heart as tour guide(s) for a few hours a day.

My family and I went from the UK to New York for the first time and a friend recommended we contact Big Apple Greeter. Fantastic! Our volunteer Mel was so knowledgeable and we came away with an experience which we could never have achieved by reading books. In addition to giving us a tour of places unknown he shared all his local knowledge. My two teenage boys said it was a highlight of the trip.

We heard about that organization while planning our trip to NY.

Thanks to this organization, we got the chance to see NY through genuine citizens'eyes. Not only the interesting comments on architecture and history pleased us, but also meeting a guide willing to compare cultures was just great!

Thank you for organizing these nice tours, for free, which makes possible for any budget to visit NY as if you were living there!

Being a Big Apple Greeter has enhanced my life and the lives of our visitors to New York City. I still fondly remember a gal literally jumping for joy at Times Square while screaming, "I've seen this all my life. I can't believe I'm really here." Many of my past visitors e-mail me often and send notes and cards. Some come back to visit N.Y. and always want to meet again. They often send family members and friends to the city and ask to be shown around.
New York couldn't find a better champion than the dedicated volunteers at Big Apple Greeter to promote positive memories for our friends from far away.
Sincerely yours, Sharon Messing

I have been a volunteer Big Apple Greeter for 4 years and it is truly a rewarding experience for both the volunteers and the visitors. For the visitors, they can to experience a day through the eyes of a New Yorker, appreciate the little things about the city not found in a guidebook, and get help navigating a bustling city. I'm confident that when they return home, the time they spent with one of our volunteers was a big highlight of their trip. And I know that firsthand, having been a visitor myself as well when I visited Buenos Aires and signed up for the sister program there. As a volunteer, the programs is very rewarding as we get to meet people from all over the world and share our love for New York with them.

I volunteered for Big Apple Greeter for at least 7 years. I met an entire family from Italy who came to NYC for a wedding, two young couples from Germany who loved to travel, a Welsh woman who'd never been outside her village and was traveling along, and many more.

In every case, I was thanked over and over again for sharing my time and showing these visitors parts of New York that they said they would never have seen had they been on their own.

They also enjoyed meeting a real New Yorker, and they learned more about the city and its people through this wonderful organization.

I enjoy meeting people from all over the world as a volunteer with this group. I can practice my French language skills. Many of the people become friends after this tour and we have exchanged information so we can stay in touch.

Thanks to Big Apple Greeter our trip from France was beyond anything we could have expected. Our wonderful,patient guide took us to special spots we never would have found on our own. The entire afternoon was absolutely delightful and the highlight of our family trip to the Big Apple.

Big Apple Greeter does a lot for New Yorkers: it allows us to share our love and knowledge of the city, allows us to pay back all the great gifts the city has given us, teaches us skills and keeps us involved in a community that stretches around the world.

And, personally, it has kept up my computer skills and given me a glimpse into what attracts so many tourists to our city. Big Apple Greeters are friendly guides who are enthusiastic about each visitor's special interests: architecture, food, ethnic enclaves, the financial district, and corners of all five boroughs.

As a voluteer Greeter for a few years I experienced the positive impact that the service this organization provides has on visitors to NYC. Without exception, every visitor that I greeted had a positive opinion of both NYC and Big Apple Greeters as an organization. Most were amazed at the free service they were offered: a personal Greeter to show them an area of NYC they may not otherwise have seen. However, it is more the one-to-one relationship that a Greeter establishes with a visitor that made the positive impression moreso than anything else. Visitors felt special and priviledged to be able to take advantage of this service.

What makes the service even more incredible is that the organization is run mostly by way of volunteers. It takes a unique and special group to give a service that benefits NYC in so many ways. Big Apple Greeter deserves kudos for this!

I love exploring New York's neighborhood's with international visitors from around the world. I especially love being able to show off my beloved Brooklyn neighborhoods to newcomers to the city. The exchanges are always interesting and invigorating.

Had a Big Apple Greeter for our trip in Jan 2011, we've both been to NY many times but our greeter showed us things we would never have seen and came out in some terrible weather to show us around. Fantasic!

I have been a Big apple greeter for over 5 years. I have introduced hundreds of tourists to New York City.

Overall these tourists get a view of New York and the USA which they would not get otherwise. The people to people aspect is what most of the visitors enjoy.

Overwhelmingly most of my visitors have rated their half day with me as "Far exceeding expectations".

I love to walk, speak Spanish, and spend a few hours with Spanish speaking tourists exploring my beautiful Upper Westside neighborhood. We then take the subway and go downtown to the Seaport, Wall Street, Battery Park City, and eat dim sum in Chinatown. I take pictures of them together, answer their questions, learn about their lives, and Nueva York feels comfortable.

Having volunteered for the Big Apple Greeter program for over 4 years, I cannot emphasize enough of how mutually beneficial this program is for the City of New York and its visitors. The only reason that I am not a volunteer right now for the Big Apple Greeter is that I am living 3,000 miles away. Otherwise, I would still be volunteering for them. In fact, being a volunteer for the Big Apple Greeter program was one of the highlights of my New York living and is one of the things that I miss the most of New York. I highly encourage all New Yorkers to volunteer for the Big Apple Greeter program. It is such a rewarding experience. And for all you philanthropists, you are donating for a great cause when you donate to the Big Apple Greeter program!

It saddened me to read reports early 1990’s that European tourists were forced to stop on Florida highways after being involved in car accidents which was intentionally created by a few thugs. Many tourists were robbed and a few were even killed during those incidents.

It alerted me to help tourists visiting New York City by joining the Big Apple Greeter (BAG) as a volunteer greeter. In that way I could contribute to eliminate once notorious reputation of my adopted city. I have managed hundreds of tours and more than a thousand visitors in more than a decade. Through hundreds of volunteers BAG has contributed to New York Police Department’s efforts to turn the city as the safest big city in the United States. I hope BAG will thrive forever to show visitors from all over the world how wonderful our beloved city is.

Seven years have passed since I vacationed in NYC, yet I remember the experience as though it was yesterday. Part of this is because of the magic of the city itself. However, what really made the trip memorable was the remarkable Big Apple Greeter who was assigned to me. This wasn't my first trip to the City by any means, but when I heard about Big Apple Greeters I couldn't resist "taking the plunge" and asking for a guide. My greeter spent the entire day with me, showing me around the Village and all parts south of the island-- best restaurants, unknown theatre groups, favorite parks -- all kinds of sites that I would never have had the courage to explore on my own. I cannot recommend Big Apple Greeters highly enough.

I am a lifelong New Yorker and have been a Big Apple Greeter for the past 4 years. The experience has given me the opportunity to share "my" city with hundreds of visitors. I can honestly say that all of them enjoyed the experience and had their appetite piqued to re-visit and learn more about New York. The most common comment goes along the lines of: "We would have never found/discovered/experienced all the places we visited without Big Apple Greeters. It's been the high point of our visit." Big Apple Greeters is an organization that deserves to be supported, nourished and valued by all New Yorkers.

On my recent visit to NYC in November, 2010, I was fortunate enough to have the services of a Big Apple greeter. She was knowledgeable, friendly, enthusiastic and showed us (there were two of us) parts of the city that we probably would not have found on our own. She spent the best part of a day with us - over and above our expectations - and even helped us with theatre tickets. She was open to our requests and offered many suggestions for enhancing our experience in the city, including how to use the metro system. i wish this service were available in all major cities. What a difference it would make to the tourist's appreciation and enjoyment of city visit.

Notwithstanding the circa 48 million world visitors who choose New York as their travel destination, an unknown (perhaps very large) number of people are adverse to coming here due to a phenomenally powerful message created in print, tv and the digital media which portray our city as being inhabited by - at the very least - rude - and at the very most - criminal and thug elements. Violence, crime and filth, one would believe, is omnipresent.

I, as a volunteer for Big Apple Greeter, love to meet people from around the world who, despite this negativiity, have correctly determined that New York City is none of the above. But even among those fair and objective people, there is still a significant number who believe that even if Manhattan is safe and civilized, other boroughs - particularly The Bronx - are not.

Being a native New Yorker and a lifelong resident of The Bronx, I am particularly pleased whenever I am successful in changing the perceptions of my guests, one person at a time, by taking them anywhere in the city that interests them, especially The Bronx.

It has been determined that a person's perception of a travel experience is often communicated to at least ten associates upon returning home. Therefore, positive, as well as negative experiences, in this manner, can be expected to spread virally. If utilized to promote the positive, then one would expect to make significant inroads into countering the "bad publicity".

Aside from countering the unfair media image, I derive great satisfaction in facilitating the coming together of diverse cultures - here in New York - knowing that our citizens and our visitors will benefit from a rich exchange of ideas and cultures.

I've been a Big Apple Greeter for over 15 years and there are few pleasures that can compare with it. The reason is because it's a great joy to show visitors the real New York--the subways, the local shops, and whatever happens to come our way. The city is alive every minute of the day and when I show visitors around, I often don't "show" them much--the city itself provides great theater, sometimes better than money can buy. Whether it's a dog run in a local park, how to swipe a MetroCard, or a great view of the skyline, visitors love to see and experience New York as the locals do. But even better than what we see is how people feel about meeting a real New Yorker and finding out about the real magic of the city--its people.

This program is amazing and clearly unique. It has changed the image of New York for thousands of visitors. I have not seen a similar program where you with the help of dedicated New Yorkers get an insight in what it mean living in Big Apple. It is so rewarding to work for this organization.

My name is John and I am a lifelong New Yorker with a passion for my city. I have become a volunteer for Big Apple Greeter as a way of sharing my enthusiasm with visitors who come to our city, usually those from Italy. Italy is my other passion and given that I speak the language the organization has given me the opportunity to meet many Italians and try to make the city a friendly welcoming place for them. The experience has been immensely rewarding for me and I think my guests have appreciated the hours I have spent with them as well. I am deeply grateful to those who had the vision and energy to found this organization as well as those who continue to maintain it and enable it to function particularly in these terrible economic times. It is a fabulous group and I hope to continue doing this for as long as my 73 year old pair of legs can keep me mobile.

There is nothing better for a visitor to NYC than to have a local show them the sights. I have traveled the world and only wish I had had a similar program to take advantage of in other countries.
Big Apple Greeters is a terrific asset to NY tourism.
Bloomberg should be bending over backward to keep it alive.

As a relatively new volunteer, I have had only good experiences with the visitors from Europe and the U.S. to whom I have shown Greenwich Village, Old Amsterdam, the East Village, and lower Manhattan. Not only did they have a good time, I did too. They learned a little about the Big Apple, and, in preparing to meet them, I did too. I love New York and have shown my foreign guests around for many years. I am very pleased to have found Big Apple Greeters, one of the most well organized and administered non-profits I have volunteered with.

Big Apple Greeter is a wonderful organization. I have volunteered with this fine group of people for the last year or two and find them all to be generous and welcoming to people from all over the world.

I recently guided couple (one of whom was a wheelchair-bound visitor) from Great Britian thru NYC and even used the subway system with them. They were very impressed with Big Apple Greeter and were enormously appreciative.

Big Apple Greeters is a valuable asset to the tourism
experience in NYC. With such a huge amount of
attractions and neighborhoods we, as greeters, make the city more
accessible and more personal, therefore more meaningful to
our tourists.

I have volunteered with Big Apple Greeter for the past 8 years. I cannot tell you how many French speaking tourists I have escorted through the streets of Brooklyn. What a better way of building bonds between countries than having an opportunity to exchange ideas, impressions, and observations. It's an enrichment program for both parties. Long may it continue.

I have really enjoyed volunteering for Big Apple Greeters for over 10 years now. They are an amazing organization and do a lot to promote our great city. I especially enjoy taking Make-A-Wish Children around New York City in a special program that Big Apple Greeters runs in conjunction with The Make-A-Wish Foundation. To see the smiles on these families faces who have been through so much is a joy I can't compare to anything else.

Friends told me about Big Apple Greeter and that they missed the chance to get an appointment when they were there. I was lucky: I got an appointment - and it was for me only and it was awesome. I travelled to NY on my own and was so thankful to have somebody showing me around, explaining things and suburbs. It took away my fear and I happily took on the tips given to me for the rest of my time in NY. I think the Big Apple Greeter (especially 'mine' of course) made me feel more connected to the Big Apple and I alsohave to say, that I admire people who spend their free time showing somebody around they don't know and might never see again. Awesome experience! Thank you!

Saw Big Apple Greeters mentioned on a TV Travel Show here in the U.K. years ago. The idea stuck. When we planned our trip to New York we decided that we would love to learn more about the city from a 'Greeter'.
We were not disappointed. Met Arnold on our first full day in the city and he made our stay. He was charming, knowledgeable and full of energy. He showed us parts of the city and city life that we would never have experienced. No question from us was too daft and we still talk about what we learnt from him.
Our daughter is lalnning her first visit for later this year and we would love her to have the chance to discover New York with Arnold.

Big Apple Greeter is a gem of New York City. Even as a veteran NYC traveler, they helped open my eyes to a part of the city that I would have never explored on my own. Our wonderful volunteer tour guide and his wife met us in midtown, took us to the Bronx neighborhood he grew up in and walked us through the neighborhood in the pouring rain. I truly believe that education helps to build understanding and that Big Apple Greeters shows the world what an amazing city New York is. I look forward to my next trip to NYC and day with a Big Apple Greeter.

When I retired I was taken on a trip to New York. My wife and myself were a little worried about how safe NY was.
We met a Big Apple Greeter on our 2nd day. He was very helpful and friendly. He showed us how to use the subway, showed us what areas to be careful in and where not to go. He showed us sites we would never have found on our own.
I can not recommend this Organisation enough, we enjoyed our time in NY so much we have been back four more times.

This was our first visit to NYC and our guide was a major reason that our visit was so delightful. She was so interesting and made us feel right at home. Her insights and historical info on our tour gave us a feeling of the real NYC. Thank you for a fabulous visit.

Before setting off on a family visit to New York in 2007 a friend suggested we look into Big Apple Greeters. I had no previous knowledge but liked the concept of local New Yorkers sharing their story of the great city. The whole New York Greeter experience was wonderful. We felt genuine New York welcome and warmth, we heard stories and visited places we would never have otherwise have known about. The experience gave us exactly the right introduction and set a positive tone for our whole trip. Great experience. Thank you New York Greeters

We used Big Apple Greeter on our first visit to NY in 2006. It was so memorable, and gave us such confidence in finding our way around the city. So, when we came for our second visit in 2010, we asked for the same Greeter - and had another wonderful day. I recommend Big Apple Greeter (and our greeter in particular) to all our friends who plan a visit, and don't know how we would have managed without it. Our pleasure in staying in NY has been multiplied many times by Big Apple Greeter. Thank you so much!!!!

Nigel, Cathy & Eleanor Gann

Wow - the friendliest most helpful set of people we have ever known. In 2002 we were creating a timeline book on New York history and researching the city. These guys explained so much and opened our eyes to so many aspects that we had not appreciated. Moreover they took us safely and expertly into areas in which we might have felt nervous without their incredible knowledge and guidance.We learned so much and through our publication we hope that we opened the eyes of the public at large – all around the world – to the amazing variety and magic of this special place and the multiple facets of New York. Thank you!

A few years back my wife and I visited New York for the third time but this time we had set up a 'date' with a Big Apple Greeter for the first time, let's just say we wished we'd know sooner because this made our stay so much more valuable to us. Our personal greeter was a retired Brooklynite named Richard, a wonderful charming man who went out on a limb to show us his Brooklyn and because we're from the Netherlands he showed us how much Dutch influence is still apparent especially in the old part near the Hudson. Richard also introduced me to a local brew named Brooklyn Lager (my wife doesn't drink beer) and it opened my eyes to show me there are american breweries that make beer and lagers that are of the charts. We also visited local grocery shops because we are interested in those and ended up at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. We spent a full day with Richard and still think fondly of that day and it's all thanks to him. Words can not do justice to how valuable and wonderful it is what Big Apple Greeter is doing for all visitors.

This service is brilliant! It was the highlight of our entire trip! Our Greeter, Jack Victor, was very knowledgeable and informative and very passionate about New York, which made the experience all that better! Would definately recommend this to anyone visiting the Big Apple! Thank you Big Apple Greeter and Jack Victor!

We had a lovely lady called Helene who took us around Central Park, along 5th Avenue and we walked down to Battery Park to end the day. Helene was so informative and took us on a bus and the subway so we had an idea what to do which was great advice!
It was wonderful to be with a genuine New Yorker and we had an excellent first day in NYC.
I have mentioned Big Apple Greeters to all my friends who have visited NYC and it is a great service you provide.

Visited NYC from the UK last March and had a fantastic tour provided by our Big Apple Greeter, Linda Leff. Linda met us in our hotel lobby, provided us with a travel pass for the day (although we walked and walked and walked!) and showed us some fantastic neighbourhoods that we probably wouldn't have thought to have visited had we gone alone. Her knowledge of the city and its history were second to none. I have already recommended Linda to my sister who is going to NYC next month and will not hesitate to request her services again the next time i visit the Big Apple.

We had a wonderful greeter called Brad Smith who took us to Brooklyn Heights he was very knowledgeble and so easy going. He showed us how to get our subway paasses which everyone needs as this is the way to travel in NY. It was snowing on that morning byt Brad turned up as agreed with all his gear on. We had a wonderful experience and I would recommend using this service and I would definately use use it again whe i next visit.

Arnold, a founding BAG, and Vibi, were wonderful hosts! Arnold had since emailed me since I returned home to Australia to see if the rest of my NY stay went well and that I had returned home safely!!
Arnold and Vibi shared a 'wealth of information' with me. They even gave me a 'showbag' of goodies- subway map, NY Times Friday Arts liftout etc.
They were extremely generous with their time explaining about NY life etc. I have since recommended BAG to all my friends planning a trip to NY.

I’m from Holland and went to New York City in July of 2008. A friend of mine recommended Big Apple Greeter. My greeter showed me wonderful places in Manhattan and Brooklyn that most tourists do not get to see ore know about. My greeter also told me a lot about the history of the two places and about all the things we came across on our walk. We walked for hours and I had the best time! My greeter was very nice and told me so much I did not know yet. I’ve been to New York six years earlier, did not know about Big Apple Greeter at that time, and did not see as much then as I did now.
I strongly recommend to contact Big Apple Greeter before you plan on going to New York City and make an appointment with a greeter there. It is so much fun! And after, you really feel you’ve seen en experienced New York City. You get tot see it through the eyes of a true New Yorker.

We applied to BAG from the uk and Catherine our greeter telephoned us before we left the UK, she asked us what our interests were and then met us in the lobby of our hotel. We took a short subway ride and then had a great day walking across brooklyn bridge, saw some of Brooklyn, visited a street film set and then she took us back to Manhatten. A great chance to see New York as it is seen by New Yorkers. I would recommend it to everyone, a great day, Thank you Mike abd Chris UK.

My friend and I visiting New York - me for the first time - in October 2008 and on our first day we were met by Richard our Big Apple Greeter. What a great start to the wonderful city he was - he knew everything about the history of New York and no question we asked went unanswered. It was the best introduction we could have had because we set out the next day with a great overview and knowing exactly what we wanted to see and investigate further. Thank you, Big Apple Greeter - long may you provide your unsurpassable welcome to NY. xxx

My husband and I from the UK requested a BAG with an interest in history.
We got not one but two! The Brillers were a lovely couple who not only took us on a wonderful tour of the city showing us many historical sites but helped us find another when we ran into difficulties with our hotel. When you get a BAG you feel you have made a friend in the city where previously you knew no one. We were luckcy in that we made two

We are from the UK and heard about Big Apple Greeters via The Times. We contacted them and just before our visit received a phane acall from Brad, our BAG. to arrange our tour. Brad met as at the hotel, gave us tips on how to get around NY and then took us downtown and then across the Brooklyn Bridge to "his area" of Brooklyn before he guided us to the sunway to continue our day. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to book again for our next trip in November

The four of us met up with our BAG at 9am in the hotel lobby and had an absolutely fantastic day with him. He showed us how to use the subway system and took us to some great places of interest all over the city. We would never have done half of this without our Greeter. He made our trip to New York most memorable and if anyone asks us what was the best part of our trip we always say, without hesitation, 'The Big Apple Greeter'!!

We visited NYC in 2005 and had heard about The Big Apple Greeters. We got a fantastic tour thru Harlem and learned so much. Many thanks to our "Greeter" and the Big Apple Greeters from Germany. We plan to come this year again und surely plan on another tour.

My wife and i are from the UK, visited NYC for the first time in Jone 2010, to celebrate? our 25 th wedding anniversary.
i found an on line link to BAG so we decided to apply - thankfully it was the best decision of the entire trip. Bob was superb, he took us around the chelsea/meatpacking district, to modern art galleries, the pier area, the best deli, to look around some fantastic restaurants etc.
i have recommended this service to many people, and would love to come to NYC again and would use BAG if i was lucky enough to be accepted- a big thankyou to bag- YOU DESERVE IT

Our Guide gave a personal service meeting us in the foyer of our hotel with subway tickets he had already purchased, asking us what we wanted to see and then guiding us through downtown New York, He even took us to lunch in a cafe that matched our surname - The Essex World Cafe. We had a thoroughly enjoyable tour, with a guide who gave his personal experiences of a great city, all for free, an excellent experience I would recommend to anyone.

Hi, last year we were in New York and organized to meet a big apple greeter in advance. It was great, we have certainly seen things we would never have visited without the greeter.
I can only recommend it to everyone.

Ya había estado en Nueva York pero en mi segunda visita y gracias a la voluntaria de Big Apple Greeter tuve otra visión de la ciudad, más cercana a los que allí viven y por lo tanto más próxima a la realidad. Sin duda si no fuera por la voluntaria de Big Apple Greeter esto no habría sido posible.
I had been to New York but in my second visit and thanks to the Big Apple Greeter volunteer had a different vision of the city, closer to those who live there and therefore closer to reality. No doubt if it were not for Big Apple Greeter volunteer would not have been possible.

My daughter and I visitied New York and had an amazing time being shown sights we would never have seen without The Big Apple Greeter to show us around. The best ever way to see New York. A fantastic Organisation.

We visited NYC as a group. We were 4 persons. each was enthusiastic about the big apple greeters program. Without this program, we had never seen so much of new york.
We were only 3 days in NYC and so we had big apple greeters such a big help.
Cora our guide was so nice. We didn't want to see the typical sights of New York. This you find in every tourguide. We wanted tips and tricks to run quickly to the city. And we wanted to see the corners of New York which you can't find in every cityguides.

I can only recommend big apple greeters. Who is in new york, must use big apple greeters. This is number one on to do list.
These people are just great

Greetings from Germany

Having visited NYC few times before, it was time to get to know some more details. We were picked up by our greeter in our hotel and he was showing us around lower manhatten incl. Soho, Tribeca, China Town etc. It was an awesome experience, as we saw places you would never see with "standard" tours or guides. The knowledge and background information he had/knew was just amazing. In total we spent more than 7 hours walking, and having lunch at Katz's Deli. Thanks a lot, it was a wonderful experience, and we will definitely do it again.

To come from Vienna and visit NYC is amazing.
To explore the city that never sleeps on your own is thrilling.
But to learn mysteries about a special area in NYC withouth the help of a BIG APPLE GREATER is impossible!
Thank you Chantal!

I visited New York in Januaray this year, and saw so many places I would never have seen without this program for sure. 100% reccomondation for this program!

This is the only way to have the New York experience.

I have been a Big Apple Greeter for over 5 years. It has been a pleasure to meet and greet people from all over the world. I love New York and it gives me great pleasure to show people around the neighborhoods with which I am most familiar. I know that I have been able to answer questions and give the visitors tips on how to get around the city.

Our big apple greeter met us at our hotel room & had organised a great day trip for us! He showed us how to use the subway, it was great walking around with a local on our first day - it helped us get the pace of walking through the city and also get the hang of crossing the road :)
We walked through a large part of the city -times square, Greenwich village, city hall, Chelsea, across the Brooklyn bridge and through Brooklyn. It was also wonderful to get advice from someone unbiased on where to get the best New York pizza - Rays pizza in Soho so worth the walk even through icy rain!!!

This was a great service. The Lady greeter came to meet me at my hotel then she showed my how to use the subway and other things that I wanted to know which gave me the confidence to see the city the following 5days I was there. She then showed me places that I wouldn't have gone to which were really interesting but probably only known to locals. So very helpful.

Our greeter showed us how to use the subway as well as how to get around above ground. He helped lay out Manhattan that set the pace for the remainder of our wonderful visit. Thank you Big Apple Greeter!

Such a fantastic service!! My greeter was such an amazing guy, he showed us around Charlie showed us the finical district and Brooklyn.
Both me and my family had such an amazing time and saw things we would never have seen otherwise. Charlie provided us with such a great experience, he was with us until 3pm and he was such a joy.

This service is amazing, try and get a greeter you will really not regret it.

I went to New york for the first time over christmas 2010 it was also my first trip by myself ever.
I found out that you could meet this Big apple greeter, I didn´t know what it was but I thought, what can be better the be guided around the city by a real New Yorker?
I meet this wonderful man, Mr Freeman who took me for a wonderful walk in the sun around the city.
He took me to places that was things you have to see but also many things you never would see or think about to see.

My day with Mr Freeman became the best day and experience in New york and I will see him again when I come back because I will, he made me feel welcome.
I will also recomende Big Apple Greeter to all people who´s going to New York.

Stina Danielsson from Sweden

My friend and I travelled to NYC from Australia in December 2010, having spoken about "one day" being able to take the trip when we both had young children 16 years earlier. While both well travelled, this was the first big holiday both of us had taken without our husbands and/or children in many years.
On our first morning in NYC we were greeted by S Brookes, who spent the morning with us in a perfectly targeted experience.
He helped us with the subway, advised us on the best way to visit the most common tourist sites, and as we are both keen cooks spent some time with us on the Upper West Side visiting unbelievable delis, telling us stories of the development of NYC and having loads of fun. He also gave us great tips for how we could get the most into our 8 days having worked out what our priorities would be.
To top it off, my friend Kathryn mentioned that she hoped to source some French tea in NYC which is horrendously expensive in Australia; by the time we returned to our hotels a few hours after leaving S he had sourced the suppliers, had rung them to check they had stock, and emailed us with addresses and directions. We were absolutely blown away by this level of attention from a volunteer service. It set us up for one of the best weeks both of us had spent in our lives.

My husband and I traveled to NYC in the year 2000 for a stay of one. We arranged a 1/2 day tour of historic sights in lower Manhattan. Our greeter was a wonderful young man who enhanced our trip greatly. He met us at our location, took us on public transit, and was genuinely glad to be doing us the service of sharing his city. This was an experience I doubt we would have had with a paid guide who was on the clock.

Myself and my boyfriend were lucky enough to be matched with a Big Apple Greeter in Feb 2010, our Greeter was Brad Smith, he was amazing!! he met us at our hotel, he was kind enough to show us how to get around on the subway (which we did for the rest of the week) walked with us over the brooklyn bridge and then showed us round part of brooklyn giving us ideas with what to do with the rest of our time in New York... it was an absolute pleasure..
Big Apple Greeters are amazing, such a kind thing to do, take 2 strangers under their wing and show them some of the city.... I cant thank them enough it was the highlight of our trip

My husband and 2 teenage daughters traveled to NYC 2 years ago. I was very nervous about using the subway, getting lost etc. Our Greeter was beyond wonderful. She arrived with metro passes, took us on a wonderful walking tour and helped us navigate the subway system. She calmed my fears and pointed out great shops for the girls to explore. Best experience ever. She was so knowledgeable about the history and knew so many interesting facts. We loved her tour. I wish all large cities had this service.

New York was the first stop on my trip to the US a few years back and the Big Apple Greeter experience is a favourite memory of my two months travelling through America. I can't speak highly enough of this excellent initiative! A friend who lives just out of New York joined me and my greeter as we were picked up in Manhattan and toured through Brooklyn. The experience was so fantastic for him also that he tells me it's become a new favourite place for him to return to when in New York.

The benefit of my greeters local knowledge and the personal nature of the tour makes you feel so welcomed as a tourist in such a massive city. I felt like a freind was showing me around their neighbourhoud and that I was welcomed - it holds a special place in my heart. Since returning home to Australia I have encourged all my friends who have travelled to NYC to book in for their own Big Apple Greeter experience - those that did have not regretted it. It made my time in New York not only more enjoyable but easier as I learnt tips on how to get around, and some pointers on places to see and things to do.

Thank you so much Big Apple Greeters - you rock!

As a Big Apple Greeter since November, 2009, I have met with many visitors to New York City and found that the experience for them has been very positive. They often tell me that if it were not for the Big Apple Greeter experience they would not have seen the outer boroughs of New York and not have experience the many ethnic neighborhoods which the City has to offer. In my opinion, the organization offers a truly unique experience to visitors who have the undivided attention of a native New Yorker who is happy to show them the many facets of the Big Apple as well as orienting them to travel in the City by bus and rail. As a volunteer, I am richly rewarded by meeting so many wonderful visitors who travel from so far to see this marvelous City.

We are from Belgium. In April 2011 we were in New York for the first time.
We booked a greeter and got a great host, Barbara Rhodie. She took us inside the fancy Carlyle hotel and bar, in Central Park she spotted Pierce Brosnan for us, learned us a lot of interesting stuff about the park and together with her we joined and chatted with the birdwatchers ( famous bird couple Pale Male). We had soup at hale and hearty's, made a subway ride. On top of that she got us free tickets for the Metropolitan Museum and tickets for a modern dance show at the Joyce theater It was just great, a personal warm and welcoming touch: big apple greeter really succeeds in its mission! Exceeded our expectations. Great initiative that hopefully we will use again.

I'm a Canadian who only had one single day to visit New York City. I called on Big Apple Greeter, and the cheery woman who met me in the hotel lobby was a wonder! She interviewed me first, then we set off to explore by subway -- parts of Harlem, St. John the Divine Cathedral, a Puerto RIcan Cafe, and Central Park, the area where few tourists visit. It gave a whole new perspective to the city, and my Greeter was knowledgeable and friendly. Definitely an experience to remember and a wonderful memory of what New York City means to its residents.

We visited new york in august 2010 and were met by Chafin Elliot. we had a great and very full day taking in the sights and sounds of New York. He took us to see where the real new yorkers live in Harlem. Then on to Columbia University site- really such a cultural change from Harlem. Then down to Columbus Circle dropping in on the 5* mandarin oriental hotel FAB!!! with the most amazing viws of central park. Sheer luxury...Then on to Hudson Hotel amazing place well worth a coffee stop!! fab roof top area and superb views.
Then to ground zero and a real New york deli stop for lunch.
(we also got on the tube which was much easier than we expected with a new yorker to show us the ropes) Then to the financial district calling in at the American express building to see their memorial to 9/11 very moving. Then to a river side jaunt nearby with a view of lady Liberty herself. He wanted us to meet his wife but we were absolutly bushed (it was day 1 of a 5 day adventure in New York) truly a day we will never forget and will cherish forever. Top tip - get a greeter if you aregoing to New York its a sheer pleasure and an eye opener!

I am from Australia and visited New York in January 2011 where I was met at my hotel by Big Apple Greeter, Caroline. I discovered things about the city that I could only learn from a resident of this fantastic metropolis. Seeing the city through the eyes of a local was a wonderful experience and I would recommend the service to anyone whether they are first time visitors or lucky ones who have visited many times.

We are from Australia and were on our first trip to New York. We read about the Big Apple Greeter in a review in a Melbourne newspaper and decided it would be a good idea. We registered and were allocated a Greeter by the name of Al. He met us at our hotel and proceeded to take us on an excellent walking tour of NYC. What a fabulous experience. We were shown things we would never have seen and enjoyed a lunch in Chinatown. We had a quick trip on the subway but most of it was walking. Sights included the New York Public Library which was fantastic, Grand Central Station, Central Park, Ground Zero, Chinatown, Little Italy and a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Our guide was absolutely fascinating and his knowledge of New York was bottomless. We would do it again in a flash. Thanks to Big Apple Greeters and of course Al, for a fabulous, informative and really interesting walking trip through New York.

We couldnt have navigated New York without the help of out Big Apple Greeter, S, was very friendly and extremely knowlegable about his area. He showed us how to use the subway and also the best shops to buy food as we were self catering in a Hostel.
S was never in a hurry, he took the time to show us everything we could have possibly found interesting and always managed to answer our questions no matter how confusing....Thank you S

it was our first trip to NY from Australia and we were absolutely delighted to be met at our hotel by Irene and taken to parts of the city we would never had the confidence to visit. We were taken to parts of Manhatten and shown the best bagel bakeries, lunch by the Hudson River and trips on the underground and buses. It opened our eyes to the friendliness of New Yorkers and we always felt safe and welcomed as visitors. We would love to return one day.

I'm from Australia and it was on my second visit to New York that I was guided by a Big Apple Greeter. Charles was a fantastic guide and took my daughter and I off the tourist track so we learnt so much more about this vibrant city. He was extremely knowledgeable, pleasant, entertaining and a great example of volunteerism. I only wish I could volunteer for such an organisation in Sydney, but there isn't one - yet!

For a city with a reputation of people who are not too obliging it was a pleasure to be greeted by a Big Apple New York greeter who was so friendly and helpfuland refused any suggestion of a tip! Full marks!

Am so pleased I found out about Apple Greeter! It's the best way to learn more about NYC & the surrounds from friendly & knowledgeable volunteers.
Have been ' Greetered ' twice :
The first time , was brought through Central Park as requested & though I'd been many times before on my own & with friends , that time I got to know more details & interesting history - really appreciate this beautiful ' green lung ' much more now.
Then we got to explore the then new Time Warner Center & "discovered " Wholefoods there where we went ' dutch ' for a snack since we cannot ' treat' volunteers to a meal. The Greeter also introduced me to 58/59 Sts and to the museums, shops there - I would not have gone if the Greeter had not mentioned. I got to explore on my own after our ' tour ' and really had a fabulous time.
The second time withApple Greeter, I requested to check out SOHO & discovered more interesting shops & galleries ..rode the subway!
Will explore another area the next time ..looking forward to returning !
Keep up the excellent work Apple Greeter!! Thank you

Charles Schwartz was our guide to all things New York. Charles is a volunteer with Big Apple Greeter. This organization opens the city to the world with volunteers giving guided tours to the burrough and/or place of your choice. You are matched based on your preference of sites with someone who has personal knowledge of the area. We requested a tour of the Lower East Side and Charles took us beyond the basic sight seeing experience. We entered into a time warp, through tours of buildings that had not changed for over a 100 years! He was a wealth of information as his grandfather had come to America, landed in NYC and lived in the Lower East Side. Both myself and my travelling companion found our experience with Big Apple Greeter to be the highlight of our trip. We took home the experience of feeling we had witnessed history first hand.

Walking and talking with Ruth in and around Brooklyn was the best day of my family´s trip to NYC! With our two teenagers we had breakfast in Ruth´s neighbouring diner and met some of her friends. We watched the brownstones and the high-rises, we talked about the history and the gentrification and we marvelled at the development of the Dumbo area. We drank coffee at the local ice-cream makers and walked the stretch between the bridges. We visited her favourite shops and got to know a little about the people who lived in the area, how they lived and where they came from. We finished the day at Ground Zero, where she showed us around the humble but magnificent church and told us of both her own experiences from those days, and of what happened at the site. Above all, she managed to convey to us her personal love of the city, its people and history. I recommend Big Apple Greeter to anyone visiting the big apple!

My partner and I came to spend my 50th birthday in New York last November and we had an excellent time with our greeter, Betty who showed us round Downtown Manhattan. We found her extremely knowledgable and interesting. We were so pleased to meet her. She made our trip !

We are a couple from Barcelona, last November we spent our honeymoon in NYCity. It was our second time in the city and we would like to share a visit with a greeter.
It was fantastic and funny for us because we could see lots of places that we couldn't do without his help
It was a fantastic experience

on our first trip to NY me and a friend discovered big apple greater in the internet and asked for their service. We didn't really believe that it works and that it is for free. Finally we got picked up at our hostel and had an interesting and exciting first day in the city. We saw a lot of things that we wouldn't have seen without the very friendly and patient "greater". He refused any tipping and even invited us to a coffee. It was a great day. We learnd a lot and still remember the warm welcome.
Thank you very much!

I visited NYC with my parents last year. THis was their first trip to the USA, and they were a bit worried, didn't know what to expect in such a huge city as NYC. Plus, being French in their 60s, neither spoke English.
I contacted Big Apple Greeter, and we were assigned a wonderful guide, who not only had prepared a route based on my parents' passion for architecture, but also helped my parents ease into the NYC spirit. She even spoke some French, and after this morning spent together, my parents were much more at ease in NYC and we benefited from great tips to enjoy the rest of our stay.
I would say that Big Apple Greeter really helped us discover NYC's hidden treasures, and made this trip a success.

We had a great time with our Big Apple Greeter. With 2 adults, a teenager and an 8 year-old, our family represented a variety of interests, and our fantastic guide managed to include something for everyone. From the financial district and Ground Zero to walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, the best hot chocolate ever, an indoor fleamarket and all sorts of interesting and fun spots we would have never discovered on our own, this was a wonderful experience and a memory that we will cherish forever!

In 2005 I decided to take two of my Aunts to New York City. I wanted to give them a trip that they would always remember. As the time of our departure approached I realized that I really needed help if they were to see and experience New York in the way it should be experienced. In my search for a possible city tour I found a reference to Big Apple Greeter and proceeded to research them. I decided that we would take a chance and ask them to assign us a guide. Bernie met us at our hotel and from the first moment I knew we had a winner. He was so gracious to three southern ladies, we relaxed immediately. We gave him our list of things we would like to see and do and then set out for one of the most enjoyable days we had on our whole trip. By the end of our time with him, Bernie had taught us how to read the Subway map, purchase our Metropass, and navigate around the city. He gave us so much great information which we used during the rest of our stay in NYC. Our trip was a success due to the time we spent with Bernie, he was a delight. Thank you Big Apple Greeter, I will defintely use your service again. Outstanding!

I've taken tourists around favorite parts of Manhattan(mine, not theirs!) as a volunteer for two years. This is a delightful way to show the city that I love to highly interested, curious, knowledgeable tourists. They always say that I showed them a New York they would not have found themselves and they get to meet a native New Yorker as well. I have uncovered Dutch New York for visitors from Holland, done a food-centered tour for visitors in the culinary trade, and gotten invited in to places like the Gramercy Arts Club as well as Pete's Tavern although both were officially closed at 10 AM when we passed by and looked in the windows. We also got an impromptu, private tour of the historic murals in Washington Irving High School's lobby. An advantage for the volunteer - and there are many - is that I get to pick who I want to take out. I've also made some very good friends in France who love being hosts on my trips to France.

I have taken two tours with Big Apple Greeters, both of which were excellent. During the first tour we walked through lower Manhattan near the courts buildings and then walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and into parts of Brooklyn. The volunteer who guided our tour was extremely knowledgeable and very interesting. There were two of us on the tour. During the second tour we walked through parts of the lower east side and then into Washington Square Park and areas nearby. The woman guiding us on this tour was also very knowledgeable and interesting. We had four people on that tour and at times it was a little difficult to hear the guide speak. I recommend groups of two if taking a tour - it's much more personal that way and is easy for everyone to hear. It's nice that you get to choose what areas of the city you'd like to tour and what about those areas interest you. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BIG APPLE GREETER!!!

Big Apple Greeter serves a unique role in New York City's life. For so many visitors Big Apple through the years has been able to show the sunny side of the Big Apple. Manhattan is of course a shining gem and a World capital with world class delights, cultural attractions, educational and entertainment opportunities but Big Apple Greeters through it's volunteers and programs has opened up the rest of the city to visitors, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx and Staten Island and because of their efforts folks walk away with a special personalized experience. Folks carry with them a love an affection for New York they would not have otherwise.

My partner and I visted New York for the first time a couple of years ago. A girlfriend of mine had highly recommended that we do a BIG APPLE GREETER tour and I am so glad that we did. We spent a fabulous morning and afternoon wandering around the Upper East Side, through Central Park and then through some of the most amazing hotels I've ever seen. It was an absolute highlight of our trip, we loved it. We're heading back to New York in December this year and can't wait to do another tour and explore another part of this fabulous city.

BIG APPLE GREETER is an absolute must for any person visiting New York. I only wish more cities in the world had this service.

Big Apple Greeter is THE WAY to discover NY by the hand of a real New Yorker. We used the service of B.A.G. one time and for us it was a life time experience. A very enthousiastic retired man who tells us a lot about life in the big apple and some interesting stories. He even didn't accept money for the coffe we drunk.

We visited NY in 2004 for my husbands 40'th birthday and we wanted to visit places that local New York people would go to. We had a wonderful volunteer for the day who took us all over NY, and we saw places that we didn't even know exist, we were also given tickets to travel on the subway and buses. But Big Apple Greeter support and interest doesn't end there, when we had the bombings in London in2005 BAG contacted us hoping we were OK and sending their wishes to us. BAG are an amazing organisation, we would definately access them again when we return to NY and any support we can give we will.

I have used the services of the Big Apple Greeter twice in the last 2 years, each experience has been much more then expected. We were taken to places that I would not have seen had I not gone with the Greeter. I have been told by people that have lived in NYC that I have seen more than they even knew existed.
If I ever have the opportunity to vist NYC again I hope that there is a greeter available to show me more of your wonderful city.
I tell everyone about this service in hopes tht they will contact you and be able to have the same experience.
Thanks to you all and to Chaffin Elliott, for make all of this possible.

Several years ago I tagged along on a business trip with my husband. I had heard raves from a friend who had used Big Apple Greeters and decided to try the service. It was WONDERFUL! Anna gave me a private tour geared to MY interests. I experienced many parts of Manhattan not on public tours. They even provided the subway tokens! We went behind the scenes at the Lower East Side museum where she was also a volunteer.
The whole experience was warm and welcoming, a highlight of the trip!

I recommend Big Apple Greeter to everyone that I know is going to New York City. They are an amazing organization and the highlight of my trips to New York City. I have used Big Apple Greeter on two different occasions and both times I had amazing people showing me around their city. I cannot speak highly enough of the organization because their volunteers are top notch with such great insight into this amazing city.

I am lucky to run the two all news radio stations in New York City. They are an integral part of the fabric of the Big Apple. AND SO IS BIG APPLE GREETER. A news station spends much of its time delivering news that is usually not too happy. But one of the stories we have been able to report on is this great volunteer organization that is devoted to showing people who visit our city just how GRAND it is. There can't be a better way to make the image of NYC glitter than the personal touch that Big Apple Greeters have with visitors. I know that visitors leave our city with a warm glow and memories they will always cherish because of the caring, personable and attentive sharing provided by the Big Apple volunteers. And, now being on the Board of Directors, I see first hand the caring, passion and enthusiasm the volunteers have. It is an honor to know that New Yorkers care so much about showing off their city and spend hours of their own time making wonderful experiences for those who visit New York.

HAVING BEEN LOOKED AFTER BY A BIGGLE APPLE GREETER ON THREE DIFFERENT VISITS TO NYC I CAN ONLY RATE THEIR SERVICES AS OUSTANDING.

Meeting a greeter should be an absolute must for any visitor to this great city.

I am a german travel journalist writing guide books and travelstories for major german travel magazines from around the world. Every time I am lucky enough to be in New York City for some days I try to meet a Big Apple Greeter to get to know those parts of the City that are out of the general focus of tourism. And each and every time I do not only have a great day and get to learn a lot of unknown places but also get to know wonderful people - always a great experience, uncomparable to any other experience I had in other cities.
Last time - only several weeks ago - I spent my day with "my" wonderful greeter in Queens and I discovered a whole new, multiethnical universe! We visited places of many different cultures, had lunch in a Hindu temple that I would have never ever discovered by my own and we ended up - after miles and miles of walking - at the famous Lemon King, a place I had read about in an NYTimes-article. "My" greeter was not only knowledgable and charming but also incredible thoughtful, gave me brochures and maps, and even a raincoat when it started pouring down! A day I will never forget. And the adventures we had I will use extensivly for the update of my New York City Guidebook. So hopefully lots of readers will discover what my Greeter showed me - a long lasting effort of a bright and memorable day. Thank you Fred!!!

Where to start? What a way to experience the city! Our tour guide went with us to Brooklyn and I never expected to fall in love with this part of New York City! We met really nice people and "found" a lot of hidden spots we would never have visited on our own! Our tour guide even explained how to use the bus lines and subways... After this tour we were a lot more confident to find our way aound the City.

My daughter and I were visiting New York City and I had heard about this service from a public radio program. So I arranged for a tour. We had the most lovely tour guide who did exactly as I had hoped. My daughter was too young to remember the events of 9/11 and I wanted someone to talk to the both of us about that event, how it affected the city and to show us how things were being rebuilt. Our guide met us as arranged and was so very good to both of us. She was a former teacher, talked enough, didn't talk too much, spoke most specifically to my daughter and gave us so much information but not in a preachy or overbearing way. She dropped us off at the zoo, as we asked, gave us a tutorial about the subway system. She seemed to enjoy our company (I hope so as we enjoyed hers!) and before I knew it, the morning was over.

I highly recommend this service and would love for them to receive this prize. I have recommended this service to anyone I knew who was visiting the city and will continue to do so.

in the june 2009, we walk around Manhattan. The Big Apple Greeter show us Manhattan whit the eyes from a New Yorker and we can feel us as New yorker too

Big Apple Greeter:- The best service that NYC could offer to its visitors. we had an amazing "made to measure" tour of downtown Manhattan. It opened my teenage children's and my eyes to how friendly and accessible the city is.

Where to start !. The irony was that our big apple greeter was infact British, originally from a town 20miles from where we live in England. We'd read a review in the Sunday Times newspaper and it seemed a fun and different way to get under the skin of one of the great cities of the world. Our greeter turned up on time and was genuinely interested in us as visitors to his great big city. He took the time to find out what we were interested in and what the kids were interested in and off we went ! Despite his great age ( our greeter was about 80) he really went the extra mile for us. We were treated to an insightful and personal view of Manhattan, no question was too trivial or silly and we were treated at all times with great personally courtesy and the most beautiful manners( you can take the man out of Britain but never the Britain out of the man!). We were taken right into Trump towers and to the top of the the shops at Columbus circle. We saw Strawberry fields and took a stroll in the park. The time flew by and it was all to soon to say cheerio to Donald, who invited us to hear him play that night in a jazz bar as his guests. For me it was a personal highlight and if i ever meet anyone going to NYC then i always always encourage them to give the greeters a try. I have no hesitation inrecommending them for an award, they really are the best of the city.

It was a sunny but bitter cold day on Jan 6, 2011 when the greeter met me at the YMCA. She escorted me on a historical walk through lower Manhattan. She was pleasant, witty, informed, and withstood the weather well beyond expectations. After our time was up I continued for a few more hours. I was more confident in my explorations after the greeter had shown the way around.

How to amuse 5 young frenchmen on a rainy morning in Manhattan?
Firstly, hand them mini- umbrellas and lead them to Central Park to see the statuary and to regal in the history and beauty of the wondrous Central park in Spring.
As I photographed them draped all over the magnificent Alice in Wonderland statue , next to the sailing pond, I hardly realized that I would still have contact with them 5 years later.
Recently, in Lyon I reconnected with one of those travelers and was pleased to be invited to share the beauty of his city.
We Greeters realize how we become true ambassadors as we share the love of our city. I always feel that our services our much appreciated and the visitors return home to sing our praises.

I had a great time with my volunteer who took me to areas within the city which I would never have otherwise visited. This is exactly what I wanted as I wished to see the real NY behind the sky scrapers and Statue of Liberty. It was a great day where I got to learn about the city and it's people, all for free which made it even more worthwhile.

I've had so much fun being a Greeter with Big Apple Greeter. I've met people from all over the globe and have introduced them to some of my favorite places in the city. It's amazing how much they enjoy seeing an insider's perspective to the city.
I've been Greeting visitors for 3+ years!

When my brother and I visited New York, one of the things we loved most was our day with the Big Apple Greeter. For both of us it was the first time in NY and for my brother it was also the first time in North America (we are from Germany).
When we met our Greeter, he first asked us to tell him a bit about ourselves and what we would like to do. He then suggested a tour along various places and it turned out to be just perfect for us. He took us to historic places we would have never found on our own, showed us the diversity of different neighbourhoods and had us try all kinds of food. He was interesting to talk to and knew so much! He obviously had a lot of experience, both as a New Yorker and as a Greeter, and we greatly enjoyed his company.
Spending a day with a Big Apple Greeter was a splendid experience we would not want to miss - he made us fall in love with New York!

My first trip to New York City was made even more special by my trip to Harlem with my Big Apple Greeter guide, Jules. I learned so much, seeing parts of Harlem that I would never have seen if I'd tried to do the tour myself. For example, Ulysses Tomb and the Harlem Library (the library's exhibition on African American culture was excellent!).

I felt comfortable in Jules' company, and giving him a big hug as I got off the subway when our day came to an end seemed like the natural thing to do after a fantastic day.

I have recommended Big Apple Greeter to a number of friends who are visiting New York City.

My teenaged daughter and I visited NYC in February 2006. It was our first visit and we really wanted to make the most of it. I became aware of Big Apple Greeters during a web search for things to do in NYC. Via our application, we were thoughtfully paired with a lovely Greeter. Her name was Ellen and she showed us how to use the subway system, she took us to a famous Deli for lunch (from When Harry Met Sally fame), and she showed us all around Chinatown. We enjoyed her company very very much. Apart from her and her most genuine love for NYC (and people in general), I think the most valuable service provided by Big Apple Greeters is to take the mystery out of NYC (especially the transit systems) and allow visitors to make the most of their trips. I now recommend them to anyone I know who is travelling to the city (first tiem visitors or not). We cannot wait to go back!!

As first time visitors to NYC from Australia, our Greeter was wonderful. We found out about the service via our local newspaper. As we were delayed in LA because of the blizzard, our greeter was more than happy to change the date. She was very knowledgeable, helping us with subway, areas to or not to visit. Her history of NYC was quite broad. Very friendly. She spent the whole day with us & not once did you feel she wanted to leave.
Highly recommend this experience as a must to any visitor to NYC.

It was my first trip to the US, and I did not have a lot of money to spend there... I really appreciated Joseph's help and stories, it was a great moment. I could not have afforded paying for a city visit, and it is wonderful to find such a service FREE in 2011!!!I really liked this moment, I learnt many things on the US and NY, and I will remember that all my life!!Thanks again and good luck to Big Apple Greeter!!!Moreover I had the chance to make a visit in French!!!Quel luxe!!!

My husband and I went to NYC a few years ago. It was his first trip, while I had been there a few times already. We wanted to see something aside from the usual touristy highlights and had a fantastic time with our Big Apple Greeter. He was a wealth of knowledge and had so many interesting little anecdotes. I am so glad I found the organization, and I would take another trip with them anytime!

I spent my honeymoon in the place I had always dreamt to: New York City; my wife and me didn´t know anybody there before, and we came back to Spain with a friend for all life: our Bigapplegreeter, a lady called Linda, a nice person full of enthusiasm for making us feel well, showing us her loved city, and make our experience not just a touristic one, but human one. By staying with us for a few hours, she not only showed us nice places that cannot be found in the guides, but she made us feel more connected to the newyorkers, that now we remember with great affection.
It was nice to have a service like that for free, and we could understand that the people that do it, do it because of two things: they love to help others, and they love New York. They must know that they made us love New York too.

This organization has so many KNOWLEDGEABLE volunteers who are willing to go all out for visitors. Recently, the day after a blizzard, I had been scheduled to take a lone visitor from Australia out. I felt it would be terrible to cancel even though the city was totally snowed in.
She was willing!!!! We walked the West village, Washington Square, Union Square, Madison Square to Chelsea. There I left her after 4 hours to shop at a store that had just been able to open.
We had stopped for cocoa (the only thing the restaurant had was drinks as no deliveries could be made) and stale pastry and heat.
But we had such fun in the snow and watching the attempts at shoveling out and plowing out. Glad I could show her a special day in New York

We spent with Christmas 2010 13 days in New York and were the first day (december 23) introduced on a 4 hr walk by a bigapple greeter. This was the best introduction to our stay in New York an we are very grateful we got this tour. He gave us maps from bus and subway and told us how to use ths transport. Furthermore he showed us a bit of Brooklyn and part of Manhattan 14th str surroundings.

For the past 10 years I have served as Greeter Trip Coordinator. I plan tours for the Greeters to familiarize them with neighborhoods, museums and venues that they may not be acquainted with. This also provides the Greeters an opportunity to meet one another and share experiences and tips on neighborhoods that they know well .
I have also taken out visitors who are so grateful to learn how to manipulate our subway and bus systems. It is a wonerful way to meet people from different cultures.
It is also a privilege to work with our dedicated full time office staff and the office volunteers.

We had our trip to NYC in 2008 and we used Big Apple Greeter. It was honestly the best experience of our trip to NYC. The knowledge and love for the city that these volunteers have and share with you is truely amazing. You get to experience New York in a different light and get the true beauty and life of the city through these individuals. I have recommended Big Apple Greeter to everyone who visits New York.

In 2008 I visited NY with a friend. From another friend we got the tip to use Big Apple Greeter. That turned out to be a real good tip. With our greeter we walked through SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. He showed us not the things you would find in a city guide, but the things that are only known to someone who lives in the city. We especially liked to visit Capitale, an old bank where the Italian immigrants put their money in the bank. Now the building can be rented for business parties. Our greeter also gave us usefull advice about the subway, about the public spaces in businesscomplexes that can be visited.
The best advice our greeter gave us was: loose yourselves. So instead of always following the map, we just wandered around NY without a real purpose. A great way to discover NY.
We remember our trip with many good memories and we recommend the Big Apple Greeter to all our friens, family and colleaugues who go to NY as well. So far all of them have taken our advice and used the service from Big Apple Greeter with joy.
I will definetly and gladly make use again of Dig Apple Greeter on my next visit to NY.

I would certainly recommend Big Apple Greeter to anyone - it's a wonderful way to see a part of New York City you might not see otherwise.

I spent a wonderful day, in June 2008, with greeter Joseph Briller and fulfilled one of my bucket list items - walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. Joesph was a wonderful guide and was very knowledgable about Brooklyn.

Joseph met me at my hotel, we took the subway, walked across the bridge, did some sightseeing in Brooklyn and had a great meal at a wonderful Polish restaurant. We packed a lot into our time together.

Big Apple Greeter is a wonderful organization providing a very beneficial service to visitors to New York. It also provides the vehicle for greeters like Joseph to share the love of their city with visitors to their city.

I have been volunteering with Big Apple Greeter since May 2010. It has been a wonderful experience to work with the organization's caring and committed staff, who take great interest in ensuring that their volunteers feel both empowered and challenged by their work. I always feel welcomed and appreciated in my role as a communications and marketing volunteer, and delighted to have a role in enhancing New York City's reputation here and abroad.

My daughter and I spent a wonderful day in New York with Big Apple Greeter Joseph Briller. We met Joseph in the lobby of our hotel on Sunday 15th August 2010, a day that also happened to be my daughter's 21st birthday and we couldn't have celebrated it in a more enjoyable way and that was all thanks to Joseph and his wonderful friendly personality, personal knowledge of New York, especially Brooklyn, and talent at bringing the city and it's history alive. Since returning to Scotland we have very fond memories of our holiday, especially the day spent with Joseph on Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and Coney Island and I have told everyone about the fantastic service Big Apple Greeters provide to visitors. Apart from my own reasons for wanting this service to continue, I think you also have to consider the benefits to society - without this service people like Joseph who have so much to offer would probably never come into direct contact with tourists, what a waste! I hope B.A.G. win the prize, they deserve to be given the opportunity to thrive and develop so that more and more people can hear about this fantastic city from people with a genuine love for it. In my opinion your Mayor should give every greeter an award for the great job they are doing for the city. If Mr Bloomberg would care to invite me over, I would be delighted to present Joseph's !!

I had visited New York once before but this time my sister came with me an she had the impression that New York was a Bad Ass City where murder, crime and drugs were on every street corner. I wanted to dispell this myth and see the city through the eyes of a local and past all the usual commercial tourist hype. We struck gold, our Big Apple Greeter was brilliant and showed us around His city with fun and no fuss. It was like having a day out with a friend and I was able to use the information later when my daughter joined me and we retaced much of the walk/ shops/ cafes/ points of interest again. I gained great insight into the Jewish religion and a Synagogue which I would never have gone into or even noticed on my on. We went into various hotel foyers and atriums to see artworks or structures hidden away and were told the reason why builders have to plan to leave open spaces fo residents. We had a great coffee at a Nespresso shop down a back street which knocked the spots of the usual Starbucks. And though it may seem cheesy, I realized that New York isn't just an iconic city, it's also a home to real people. Want constructive feedback? Keep the Big Apple Greeter scheme going for all these reasons but keep it free so that anyone can use it.

A friend and I had the delightful opportunity to spend a day in NYC with a Big Apple Greeter. Although we have been to NYC in the past, we learned so much more about the real life and real people who live and work in the city. Especially since 9/11, I think the volunteer greeters are essential to the city's rebuilding of its image, safety, and history. We would never have ventured out alone to explore more than the main shopping area. With the Greeter we were guided on the buses and subway to all of Manhattan. We walked a few miles through the village. We enjoyed a small local restuarant for lunch and stopped at a bakery for dessert. We would never have known about these local delights.

My partner and I spent two days in New York and we both agreed that our favorite part of our time there was the time we spent with our Big Apple Greeter, Annick.

She friendly and knowledgeable. I thought she would just take us on a little walking tour and we would be done in two hours. We spent nearly four hours with her that day and truly felt more like we had just spent time with our friend in New York than we did with a stranger her was just doing her "job".

It was an experience we will remember the rest of our lives and we feel as if we made a friend that day. We even wrote her afterward to say thanks and to share some of the photos we took that day.

Big Apple Greeters is a program I would recommend to anyone thinking of going to New York. Our guide helped us fall in love with the City and want to return as soon as possible.

I enjoy meeting new people, exploring different cultures and I love New York. As a volunteer with Big Apple Greeters I show visitors to NYC the NY I know and/or the NY they want to explore. I especially like being with first-time visitors. Their enthusiasm is contagious and they say the same about me. At the same time, I feel I am helping the NYC economy; tourism is a very important part of the economy and the tourists I take on visits state that they will surely return and will tell all at home to visit NYC now!

I have been volunteering for Big Apple Greeter for almost five years. I spend one full day a week in their office, doing data entry, online research, and other support work. I love this organization and its mission to further enhance the international reputation of New York City. Everyone who volunteers at Big Apple Greeter, whether as a greeter or as an office volunteer, or both, loves this city and is enthusiastic about showing if off to visitors. And so many of our visitors give us rave reviews that we must be doing something right!

We first met our Greeter, Joseph, in 2009 when he took us on a Greeters visit around Brooklyn. He was fantastic and we never would have seen or discovered so much about Brooklyn without him. His knowledge was vast and he enriched our holiday by making the visit extremely enjoyable and interesting. We have since become very good friends with Joseph and his lovely wife and meet up with them in both New York and the UK whenever we can. The Greeters organisation gives a wonderul perspective on New York as it is seen through the eyes of one of its residents. Long may it continue!

My wife and I visited New York in July 2010. This was my third visit to NY and my wife's second. This time we were priveledged to spend a morning with a Big Apple Greeter. We obtained an understanding of a part of lower Manhattan that we otherwise would not have and did this is the company of a very pleasant gentleman. In addition Richard showed us how to us the Subway - what a boon that was! Since we returning to our home, which is in Port Macquarie NSW Australia we have related our experiences with Big Apple Greeters to friends, family and aquaintances. Big Apple Greeters we good to deal with. We had no problem making and excuting plans with them.
We intend to return to NY later this year and will seriously consider getting in touch with them again.

My family visited NYC in April 2005. I read about B A G in a guide book and thought it would be helpful to have a greeter. I'm sorry to say I can't remember our greeters name, but she was wonderful. She had complimentary subway tickets and had us hopping on and off the subway in no time. She took us to Chinatown where we weaved through the mazes of streets and small shops, stopped at historic cemeteries and walked up wall street, all while pointing out architecture we surely would have missed. We had two children and she managed to make it interesting for us all. The tour ended with a city view from our greeters apartment rooftop. It was the best way to experience NYC for the first time! I would highly recommend it.

This is the 2nd time I have used the Big Apple Greeter service, but I was with different people the first time. We were met by Richard proptly at 10am at our hotel, The Grand Hyatt on 42nd Street, New York.
After a short discussion on where to go (we didnt mind!) the 5 of us set out.
We were taken by foot to Chelsea Heights and market and then into Grenwich Village. It was Fantastic!
What a wonderful insight to parts of New York we would never have known about, or seen, if it hadnt have been for him.
3 hours later we ended our tour but the memories will be with us forever!
Thank you.

Although I never joined the diplomatic corps, I have become a proud ambassador for New York City through my service to Big Apple Greeter. I find it totally inspiring to welcome visitors to our city by talking them on neighborhood walks and showing them wonderful aspects of the city that they might otherwise miss. I do all I can to make them feel most welcome and comfortable and many tell me that my visit with them was the highlight of their stay in New York. My second role is in the office as a volunteer visit coordinator arranging visits for Greeter colleagues, many of whom get the same "highlight" reaction from their visitors. 17 years ago, my wife heard a pro bono ad for us on the radio and said, "Joseph, that's you. Call today." I could not have made a better call. I think not only of myself but of my devoted colleagues who make this ultra New York welcome every day of the year. I think of so many wonderful visits I have had and people whom I have met, among them a lovely family from Colorado including a high achieving son with Down Syndrome, of an awesome French young lady of 17 who arranged everything for her parents and herself and of a VIP visit from England that yielded two life-long friends. So many lives have been so positively touched by this wonderful organization. There is none better!

I became a volunteer with Big Apple Greeter over two years ago and have found the experience to be mutually rewarding. I am a native New York who loves the city and enjoys showing visitors from all over the world neighborhoods and hidden gems that visitors might not find on their own in a guide book.

I have established friendships and connections with many visitors who love the idea of Big Apple Greeter. The program is a win win for both the visitors as well as the greeters.

Additionally, beneficiaries of the program are NYC Tourism as well as the many restaurants and retailers within neighborhoods that Big Apple Greeters bring visitors to. I have yet to have a visit where my guests did not have fabulous things to say about our city.

I've been a volunteer for Big Apple Greeters for 5 years & I think it is the most fantastic organization around. I've taken dozens of visitors from all over the world & the United States, for that matter, to see the many sights that NYC has to offer. Everyone has been impressed by the personal, tailored service that they receive at no charge. This is a unique experience that is not replicated anywhere else.

My name is Kay Welch. I have been an office volunteer with Big Apple Greeter for 7 years now and I am thoroughly converted to the mission of this wonderful organization. This group of people epitomizes the spirit of volunteerism. I have never had the privilege of working with a more intelligent, dedicated, talented group of people! Who would ever have thought that the best job I would ever have in my whole life would be the one I don’t get paid for (at least not in money). This is not only a great service to the people who visit New York City, but is an equal blessing to those of us who volunteer our time and love every minute of it. Long live Big Apple Greeter!!!

I have been a volunteer greeter and enthusiastic supporter of Big Apple Greeter for the past 15 years and I LOVE this organization and what it contributes to making New York City -- and the world -- a friendlier and happier place.

As a native New Yorker who temporarily "strayed" by moving to L.A. for 10 years, I joined Big Apple Greeter upon moving back to the city in 1996 as a way of giving back and sharing my passion for the city I love. The leaders of this organization and the volunteers who greet visitors to the city and make them feel at home truly provide a special gift by giving of themselves to share with others the love we feel for the Big Apple.

Hi
i have had the extreme pleasure to have served as a Big Apple Greeter volunteer for the past 2.5 years. During this time I have provided numerous families with visits to some of Manhattan's beautiful neighborhoods. The visits have included SoHo, NoHo, Tribeca, The West Village, Chelsea, The High Line, The Meat Packing District and Little Italy. Each visitor has commented on how much they have enjoyed their visit. Their effusive praise of the Big Apple Greeter Program was music to the ears of this native New Yorker. Each visitor commented on being able to see a side/view of N.Y. that they never would have seen with any other venue. The Big Apple Greeter program affords visitors with the opportunity to learn about what a wonderful city New York is. The neighborhoods/ homes of the West Village, the galleries/architecture of SoHo, the sights/restaurants and neighborhood of Little Italy, the beautiful St. Patrick's Basilica of No Ho, the galleries of Chelsea and the extremely popular/graceful High Line and the gentrification of the meat packing district The value of each of these experiences is priceless. The positive exposure that the program provides in boosting our town's image is also priceless. Exponentially the cities' positive image grows with each visit. The Greeter Program provides a unique opportunity for people to learn what a great city New York is.

I've volunteered in Chicago and New York for almost 20 years. Serving as a Big Apple Greeter has been my most rewarding volunteer experience. I've self-assigned a specialty, Harlem; I've read about the neighborhood's history, I've explored it on my own; and I've talked with residents.

Visitors are immensely appreciative of my taking them to parts of Harlem they never would have known to explore -- Striver's Row is a special example.

The organization is smart and efficient. It screens volunteers. It supports our efforts. And it helps me feel I'm making a real contribution to my city.

New York can be overwhelming for a visitor coming for the first time, especially if that visitor does not speak English as a first language. That is where we come in. As a retired banker, I have enjoyed being a volunteer greeter for the last 3 years and actually seeing my visitors relax and be thrilled with the city before my very eyes. One of the first things I do is show them the subway and bus map and then get a metrocard. I tell them to ask any questions they care to. I tell them about my life in the city--past and present-- and ask them how it compares to their hometown. Many would not have the opportunity to have a real conversation with a New Yorker without this experience. By the end of the visit (2 to 6 hours), we are friends! My husband, who is also a greeter, and I plan to keep up with several of the visitors we've met. It is so reassuring in this world of violence and darkness, that strangers can meet and connect. It gives me hope for the future! The staff does a great job of setting up our visits, and sending us the surveys for feedback.