SwingStreets

Paul who guids this tour loves Brooklyn and likes to show it off. He does it with passion and in good taste. History, architecture, current politics,people, places, interesting shops, jazz and blues tips, varied neighborhoods are all (and much more) a part of his endless knowledge. He is really a great guy who made our N.Y. experience memorable. Highly recommended !

very knowlegeable tour leader -- much area covered --

This tour proved that there is so much more to New York than Manhattan. Paul was a charming and knowledgable guide and showed us so many different sides to Brooklyn. Although a full day tour, the pace was fairly gentle, so suitable for all. I would highly recommend this tour.

We, a family group, were guided by Paul Blair through a mosaic of cultural diversity. We peppered Paul with questions and were informed about the history, geography and cultural differences in Queens. Paul's flexible approach saw us go 'off the beaten track' to explore a wild west street of car repairs and sales. We enjoyed, and were well informed.

My wife and I had never been to Brooklyn but had read a lot about it. On our recent trip to New York City we decided to take the time to discover Brooklyn and used the web to find a walking tour. We signed up for the 4 hour Bountiful Brooklyn Tour and we were delighted with it. The guide had a thorough knowledge of the borough and we managed to see all the places we had read about, Brighton Beach, Coney Island, Brooklyn Heights, etc. We had lunch at a Turkish restaurant which turned out to be the culinary highlight of our trip. We ate at restaruants that were 6 or 7 times more expensive but the quality of this little neighbourhood diner could not be surpassed. My wife and I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to get us in the spirit for the tour. The tour met or surpassed our expectations and at the end of it the tour guide presented us with a CD of jazz that has joined our music collection as a favourite.

Harlem is a district that comparatively few tourists visit. They don't know what they are missing! Wonderful architecture, friendly neighbourhoods and, above all, fascinating places associated with the history and heritage of all styles of jazz. Paul Blair was a friendly and knowledgeable guide; for more than two hours he led us at a comfortable pace along street after street , nearly every one of which boasted apartments, houses & clubs where musicians who pioneered the development of jazz of all styles lived and played. We looked in at Big Apple Jazz (a chance to buy CDs and receive free jazz magazines) and Minton's Playhouse and Jazz Club and, as our walk was held on a Sunday morning, we could hear choirs singing as we passed churches of various denominations. These were evocative moments. Thanks Paul.

I'm so glad I chose to do this walk. We had beautiful weather, and it was well-paced. Fascinating historical information. Bring a big water bottle and wear very comfortable shoes!

The guide was very enthusiastic about jazz however I think the group was not on the right tour as we did not seem to know about many of the artists he mentioned. I think the guide quickly realised this and largely gave up on showing/telling us lots of facts about the history of jazz in Harlem. However he did show us a lot of beautiful buildings in the area and he did explain a lot of the history of them. If you want a jazz tour, then definitely know your stuff and choose this one.

It started great, with the story about the meeting place. What I expected To see the Apollo Theatre; Lenox Lounge; old jazz clubs; local jazz music stores with a connection to jazz musicians in Harlem; historical or famous sites that relate to jazz in Harlem. Stories about some of the sites to provide context. Not necessarily famous stories, but I did expect some story-telling to put what we did see (Harlem) in context. A visit inside to some of the more famous places in Harlem. A connection between the tour guide and the business owners that would allow a tour of the business. What I got A long walk through Harlem. A view of old houses that some famous jazz musicians once lived. (but not much real context. It's one thing to say, Duke Ellington used to live here, but another to say that he lived here when he made this or that record because of some inspiration that came from the home.) Stories about past tours where the group went on an impromptu open house, and the revelation that the home was either really expensive or really inexpensive. Directions about which block to walk down and which side of the street to find the Apollo Theatre. The CDs were a nice gesture. What might have been better is a collection of music that related to the tour besides the fact that it was jazz. For instance, what if one of the pieces was "kind of blue" and one of the places we visited was the place where a very memorable performance of it occurred, or where the inspiration of that piece orginated? That would have been an excellent tie-in to the tour. Then I would have thought of that context every time I listened to the piece. My Sincere suggestions to the guide Get to know the proprietors of the Lenox Lounge, Sylvia's, the Apollo Theatre, the store across from the Tree of Hope. Establish a relationship with them that will allow the participants to tour their facilities. Give the proprietors an incentive. Perhaps suggest a coupon for a participant when that participant visits the establishment. For example, one free iced tea, or appetizer at Sylvia's when you mention you were on the tour, or you bring in a coupon from the tour; half off at the Lenox Lounge when you bring in the coupon, etc. Then the proprietors will not seem uncaring because it appears that all they care about is their business. Their benefit is the free advertising and a chance to advertise more personally. Tell us a story about when the great deals are at the jazz clubs. Perhaps every Monday, really good local talent comes in, and you can get a seat. But that same group comes in on a Friday, and not only are the tickets much more expensive, but the place is packed solid. And make that story even better by providing personal experience. Maybe you saw one of the first performances of a now famous jazz musician at a particular club. That way, the participants will want to go back because of the possibility of having the same experience. that's it.

Tour was very informative and fun despite the cold weather. Felt very personalized which was an added bonus. Thank you!

We found the Brooklyn Tour by Zerve on internet after searching with the keyword "Brooklyn Bus Tour" and bought two tickets for my wife and myself. We waited at the specified location to catch the tour group assuming a tour bus should arrive any time but no one else seemed to be waiting for it, so when only a man on foot approached us at 10AM and introduced himself as the tour guide, we were quite surprised. He told us that the tour is on foot and subway going around through several ethnic neighborhoods, despite that we had anticipated to visit museums and some jazz clubs. However, we soon realized he is a very well educated man and professional in journalism and music. Indeed, he is an editor of a very unique jazz magazine circulated in New York, named Hot House. As we walked through various parts of Brooklyn, century old buildings and houses suddenly became interesting as he speaks of their history and recent events in the areas. In Parkslope areas, we learned that major residents are young professionals who have jobs in Manhattan. At one intersection in the area he mentioned that one of the planes collided in midair landed there in 1960. He showed us a newspaper clip that showed a photo of the plane landed at that intersection. The house behind the upside down plane, in the photo, was just in front of us. The other plane collided flew from Columbus, OH, where we live. The collision occurred just 50 years ago ( of two weeks after our tour in Brooklyn as we leaned this on a front page of our local news paper of December 14.). One of other intriguing places was the Little Russia, where an old woman in a Russian scarf was selling used clothes, who looked just like a woman in a picture of Moscow. We entered a near-by glossary, where everybody was speaking in Russian. Visiting Coney Island was another intriguing experience. Coney Island was once a very popular resort place, but it is being torn down now. Nonetheless he insisted to go there, and explained its history of once glorious days. Seemingly very boring old billboards above the closed old entertainment shacks became interesting as he explained how words on the billboard are spelled and what were there many years ago. Of course he guided us in the business district, upscale shopping areas in Brooklyn and the water front from where Manhattan view was very good. Over all, he did a good job in guiding and educating us about Brooklyn. I do not hesitate to recommend his guide to those who want to learn about Brooklyn.

Very interesting tour "off the beaten track" in Harlem, we got to se some lovely spots with beautiful architecture that most New York tourists probably don't visit. Paul, the guide, was very knowledgeable and knew everything about the jazz legends that once populated this area. Highly recommended!

We spent a very lovely day with our guide. He was informative regarding the area. He was a very plesant guide who knew his facts. We explored a lot of territory in the six hours of the tour. We felt the tour was money well spent.

Glad I took the tour.

This tour is a must for all travellers considering a trip to NYC. Paul Blair (Tour Guide) is really an incredible guy, with lots of knowledge of the local area. The pace of the tour is comfortable, with plenty of little great stops along the way... The information during the tour is delivered in a way that will have all listening for more!! See you again soon Paul!