A Tour Grows in Brooklyn

Rick, a native of Brooklyn, was extremely knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the buildings and neighborhood. Even though I live in the New York area, I am not a native of Brooklyn; but I felt like I lived there after my tour. I never knew there was such rich history in Brooklyn. I highly recommend this tour even if you already live in Brooklyn!

Rick made Brooklyn come alive with his great knowledge of the area, architecture, and stories from his childhood!

My daughter and I had spent time in Manhattan on various visits but hadn't yet ventured over to Brooklyn until this tour. Rick knows the borough like the back of his hand and has lots of history to share. We loved the list of famous Brooklynites that he gave us. By the end of the 3 hours, he seemed like an old friend; it was fun seeing him run into lots of HIS friends in the area, too! Feet and stomachs enjoyed the pizza stop! Walking back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge was a great end to a fun afternoon! Diane and Liz Illinois/Maryland

Big Rick pointed out interesting landmarks, architectural features and historical perspectives of Brooklyn. Our family of five, three teen boys and two parents, all found it held our interest. We loved the pizza lunch and recommendations for water ice. Rick, we were able to enter the "Magic Johnson apartment building" former bank building and walk through the lobby. It was magnificent. Thanks for the fun tour!

Focuses on the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Rick, the tour guide, grew up and lives in the neighborhood. In addition to the usual history and architectural highlights, he fills in with stories of growing up and describes how the neighborhood has changed over time. Most walking tours seem to run about $10 per hour, so at $30 for 3 hours with water and pizza thrown in, this is a good value for anyone who wants to see some of NYC outside Manhattan.

A Tour Grows in Brooklyn is a must-do! Your tour guide makes or breaks any guided tour and this guide was the BEST! Not only was he born, raised and still lives two blocks from the start of the tour, but he has the Brooklyn accent to prove it. He exudes the feel and flavor of the town. You may have to stop briefly half a dozen times while he says hello to his many neighborhood friends. So, you will not only see the homes, stores, and other sites of Brooklyn, you will have a chance to meet the people, too! The guide is exceedingly well-informed about the history, development, architecture and culture of Brooklyn. He has the pulse on current goings-on in the community and can tell you how current events in the city appear to be shaping its future. Besides giving you the history of Brooklyn, the guide also intersperses interesting stories all along the way about the people who made Brooklyn. This includes stories of the various Native American peoples who originally inhabited the area, early Dutch and English colonists, industrialists who built the city in the 1800's, gangsters who ruled the area for 3 generations, and the current invasion of well-to-do yuppies who are taking over entire neighborhoods. A Tour Grows in Brooklyn is definitely worth your time and money on your next visit to New York. Don't miss it!

The leader made Brooklyn fascinating and we learned many historical facts. It was fun and informative. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

We were all so pleased with Rick's tour. He gave us such insight into the Park Slope neighborhood. It would never have been the rich experience it was if we all just walked around with a guide book. The tour covered all aspects of the area - history, cultural, social, architecture, gastronomic, and the evolution of the neighborhood over the years. Rick is a wonderful guide. He has an amazing sense of humor and tells stories of the neighborhood with such gusto. And he opened our eyes to so many things that we absolutely would have missed or never appreciated otherwise. Finally, he was very concerned that we all have a good time, gave us helpful recommendations on restaurants, and was caring enough to say we could call him if we got lost on our way home. This wasn't necessary, however, as he also gives great directions. It was a memorable time we were so happy we experienced.

It was nice having a true local guiding us around. He knew tons of information about Park Slope from the architecture to the types of neighborhoods to dirty secrets/legends about particular places. I plan on going again when my parents come to town!

This tour provides more than just the dates, facts, etc. It also provides real memories of the neighborhood, and a more personal overview of how Brooklyn has changed during the previous decades. Finally...a tour with a personality.

Rick did an excellent job with details and local flair. We felt stopping for pizza at the end wasn't necessary and would have preferred more of the tour.

Got a great feel for Brooklyn/Park Slope area and felt very authentic, as our tour guide was a true Brooklyn native!

Big Rick loves Brooklyn. You will too after this tour.

Just wanted to drop a line that I took one of your "A tree grows in Brooklyn" walking tours on 1 Jul and it was great. Our service provider, Rick, was exceptionally knowledgeable and made the tour so very interesting and educational. I felt that I was getting a genuine tour from a genuine "local" and felt that my money and time was well spent. Rick even changed the schedule a bit to meet our unique requirements. I would highly recommend this trip and this trip and Rick to others who are interested in learning about the real Brooklyn. Sandy Texas, USA

After yearly trips to Manhattan for more than two decades, we decided it was time to cross the bridge. Rick provided us with an authentic view of his lifelong neighborhood. From history to culture to architecture we were immersed in a fun and informative walk. The legendary brownstones are lovely, the churches and former mansions magnificent. We learned of Revolutionary battles, Olmsted's "other" park, the ethnic diversity through the years, urban gardens and more all sprinkled with anecdotes only this real Brooklynite could provide. Rick customized our tour to our interests and left us wanting to return. And don't forget the pizza!