The streets of the city are a constant source of entertainment, particularly if you have a camera in hand. Our private guided tours often turn into photographic safaris.

It’s the little details that are telling. After all, how many new ways can the Empire State Building be photographed, and is the picture any better than the one you can by for a buck inside any souvenir shop? If you turn your eye towards the smaller, the less observed, you will find your own space to take unique pictures that capture the essence of New York City. I’ll help you keep your eyes peeled to those possibilities.

One of the city’s great pleasures is sitting on something; a bench, or a stoop, and watching the world go by. In this city of beautiful green parks, landscaped plazas, work renowned architecture, and beautiful people, where loitering has risen to an art form, the corporate entity that controls the fireplug has decided that their contribution to the public space will be the anti-personnel fireplug. For shame on them! You can’t even tie your shoe on the damned thing. I’m going to write an irate letter to someone and shame them into removing the spikes. For now, nothing you can do. I’m going to sit languidly on another plug while contemplating my next move.

There are so many small exquisite details to see and photograph, objects made with such beautiful artistry and precision that pass unnoticed because we’re moving too fast or too busy to look. The pleasure of a private tour is that we have time to linger, to sit and observe. The Native American (to the right) is one of four faces carved into the base of the bronze flagpoles in front of the New York Public Library, the faces represent the races, the base is considered one to the most beautiful of it’s kind in the world.

I’ve walked by them for years and never bothered to look more closely, nor examine them in detail. I’ll bet that very few people even know they’re there. The blessing of being a tour guide and conducting private tours is that I can now share these surprising moments of discovery with my guests.