By Amy L. Gouger
The iconic Brooklyn Bridge is a must-see for kids and adults
When they reach a certain age, children need to experience history. A quick look at a school curriculum can help you decide what historical sights might benefit or interest your child. For your visit, you can choose from a tour company like
New York Tour Goddess or New York City Talks and Walks, or visit locations like Alice Austen House or Little Italy. First-time visitors should use a tour company, but second- or even third-time visitors can more easily navigate the city, making an independent visit to new locations a worthwhile possibility.
New York Tour Goddess
A single woman is both guide and owner of the New York Tour Goddess company. Jane Marx guides groups across her city by subway, bus or feet. She tells stories of the city as you walk or ride, making every visit captivating and entertaining. Her tours feature many prominent monuments or themes, such as colonial history, Wall Street and colonial history, the Statue Of Liberty, Ellis Island, Battery Park City and Ground Zero, Little Italy, Chinatown, the Lower East Side, the South Street Seaport and the Brooklyn Bridge.
New York Tour Goddess
jane@mytourgoddess.com
(212) 535-7798
nytourgoddess.com/home.htm
Little Italy
Upon arrival in New York, Italian immigrants settled in the section now known as Little Italy. They continued to celebrate traditional holidays such as the Feast of San Gennaro, a 14-day festival that takes place in September. The neighborhood's food---any time of the year---is authentically Italian, and the many restaurants in Little Italy make it a great place to stop and eat.
Figli di San Gennaro, Inc.
Most Precious Blood Church
109 Mulberry Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 768-9320
sangennaro.org
New York Talk and Walks
The New York Talks and Walks company leads guests on a variety of walks, including some designed for those with shorter legs and attention spans. Kid-friendly tours titles include Brooklyn Bridge for Young Engineers, Chinatown for Children, Ghost Stories for Children of All Ages, SoHo for Children of All Ages, Wine, Matzoh and Chocolate Menorahs--A Child's View of the Jewish Lower East Side, Daniel Beard Carter's Flushing and Straphanger's New York for Children of all Ages. With the design of the tours for children, guardians, teachers and parents can be assured that the kids learn and understand the importance of the area.
New York Talk and Walks
(718) 591-4741
drphil@newyorktalksandwalks.com
newyorktalksandwalks.com
Alice Austen House
Alice Austen took photographs of New York City during a 50-year span at the turn of the 20th century. Over 3,500 plates---an early form of film---have survived intact. Pictures taken in New York City during Austen's time are rare, making her works a treasury of rarely seen views of the city. Built in 1690, the landmark Alice Austen House--the house in which she grew up--displays her most important pictures. Alice Austen House isn't likely to be on any tour companies list, but it does present a photo memory of Ms. Austen's life. It also expresses the importance of photography and history, making it perfect for inspiring budding photographers.
Alice Austen House Museum
2 Hylan Blvd
Staten Island, NY 10305
(718) 816-4506
aliceausten.org
Resources
About the Author:
Amy L. Gouger holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from East Stroudsburg University. Previously a technical agent, she now serves as a ghostwriter and contributor to various online publications.
Photo Credits:
manhattan and brooklyn bridge image by Bionic Media from
Fotolia.com
