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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A TOUR GUIDE OR TRAVEL AGENT FOR THE MODERN TRAVELER?

Lilo Travel Blog September 27, 2015:
What does it mean to be a travel agent or travel company for the modern traveler? Well, first one needs to know what defines the modern traveler – sometimes it’s someone looking for the best way to go like a local, someone looking for thirtysomething travel ideas, or someone looking for modern ways to travel as a couple – most always, it’s someone looking for better ways of planning authentic travel experiences.

However, to dig in deeper on what defines the modern traveler, we asked our friends at Like a Local Tours in Brooklyn for their take on what defines the modern traveler….

The modern traveler: I think the word that most defines today’s modern traveler is savvy. Savvy travelers are looking for a hyper local experience. Sure they might want to enjoy some of the traditional tourist sights in any given city, but they also want to get to know a destination by doing what the locals do.

I created Like A Local Tours to offer a sophisticated and immersive travel experience in Brooklyn and NYC. Our tours are taken by both tourists and locals so you know they are legit. Right now we focus on enjoying NYC’s hottest neighborhoods through food. Our Williamsburg Bites Brooklyn Food Tour is a culinary journey with history, architecture, street art and some stunning NYC skyline views thrown in for good measure. Our tours focus on entrepreneurs and chefs that are influencing food trends globally which is exciting and delicious. Stops like Eataly, Shake Shack and Beecher’s Handmade Cheese on our Flatiron Food Tour showcase the best that NYC has to offer. We also recommend our boozy Sunday Funday Brooklyn Tour and North Fork Long Island Wine Tour.

You heard it here, folks – SAVVY, looking for a hyper local experience, and doing what the locals do. THAT is the essence of the modern traveler.

Whether you are a tourist or a local, someone looking for an independent travel experience, or modern ways to travel as a couple, there are now a variety of ways to go like a local at your finger tips! Thanks again to Like a Local Tours for your thoughts!

Click here for the article!

Like A Local Featured in HollywoodLife: Eat Your Way Around Williamsburg, Brooklyn Like Max & Caroline On ‘2 Broke Girls’

Attention, foodies! If you love trying new things and wish you lived in Brooklyn like your fave characters on ‘2 Broke Girls’ or ‘Girls’, then you have to try the ‘Williamsburg Bites’ food tour in Brooklyn, NY.

September 25, 2015: Anyone who’s been dragged on historical tours of cities with his or her parents knows how boring they can be. Well, here’s a tour that will knock your socks off, because it’s not just a walking tour — it’s a FOOD tour! The “Williamsburg Bites” tour from Like A Local will fulfill all of your NYC food fantasies, and you’ll soak up a little culture along the way. Hope you’re a hungry “girl”!

You’d better not eat for the whole day before this tour! My Like A Local guide kicked off the culinary tour at the Bedford L stop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where my group and I were served a platter of freshly made chocolate chip cookies. The food didn’t stop for the next three hours, and it was amazing.

Next was Best Pizza, where we enjoyed three types of pizza. First up was the red sauce pizza, with beautifully bubbling cheese and dinner plate-sized leaves of fresh basil. Then we had the white pizza, which was possible even better — the caramelized onions on top were so sweet that I mistook them for figs. We ended with a mini tour of the pizza oven and an employee talked to us about the history of the place. Yummy and educational!

Click here for the full article!

After that was a stop at Momofuku Milk Bar for their famous compost cookies and samples of cereal milk ice cream — always a classic. However, Pies N Thighs was next, and it totally blew my mind. The wait at this place usually tops two hours, but our fried chicken, biscuits and grits magically appeared and we ate on the stoop of a nearby townhouse, just like true Brooklynites. (I think sitting outside made it taste better.) The fried chicken was some of the best I’ve had, and the biscuits were top-notch. Popeye’s has NOTHING on this place.

Williamsburg Bites: A Brooklyn Food Tour

We also ate mussels and incredible french fries at a cool coffee shop/restaurant/bar called Freehold, saw awesome large-scale murals, and walked down to a park on the shore for a great view of the Manhattan skyline. Our last two stops were OddFellows Ice Cream, where it was impossible to choose a flavor (I went with salted caramel brownie, but the passionfruit was also insanely delicious), and Mast Brothers Chocolate, which is like a hipster version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Long story short: if you like eating and want to explore Brooklyn a little more, then this is the tour for you. Season five of 2 Broke Girls will air on CBS this fall, and giving you time to get savvy about Max and Caroline’s neighborhood!

HollywoodLifers, would you love to eat like a local? Let me know!

— Gabriella Ginsberg

Captain Kidd – Brooklyn’s Own Pirate

One of the first homes built in Williamsburg was on the future intersection of South 4th and Bedford. Named “Keikout” (Dutch for “look-out”), it was first a refuge in case of Indian attacks, and then a boarding house, and its most famous tenant was Captain William Kidd. Kidd based many of his pirate voyages out of Manhattan, where local merchants invested in his operations, but he had a soft spot for Keikout because, according to legend, one of his former lovers was buried near there, passing away while he was out at sea.
William Kidd was born in Scotland in 1645, became a sailor early in life, and had a long and successful career as a privateer. He didn’t move to the then-British colony of New York until he was well into his 40s, after marrying Sarah Bradley Cox Oort, a wealthy widow.

With his dashing style and questionable accumulation of wealth, Kidd may have been the first true Williamsburg hipster.

Take one of our Williamsburg Brooklyn Tours to learn more and experience this exciting neighborhood first hand!

Like A Local and the NYC Pizza Run!

Like A Local is proud to sponsor the NYC Pizza Run! The NYC Pizza Run is an annual challenge in which participants aim to complete a two mile run while stopping to eat three slices of pizza at checkpoints throughout the course. Our 2015 event will take place in the historic Tompkins Square Park on Saturday, September 19th.
In a food obsessed metropolis where people are always on the run, putting together an event which pays tribute to some of the city’s defining characteristics seemed like a no-brainer. So grab your appetite and running shoes & join us for our 6th annual run! It is open to participants of all ages.

Please note that a portion of the proceeds from the race benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Like A Local has donated two tickets to our Williamsburg Bites Brooklyn Food Tour.

Get to Know New NYC Neighborhoods Through Food With Like A Local

POSTED ON SUN, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015BY DIANE PHAM
If you’re like most New Yorkers, you probably keep within a ten block radius of your home when you have downtime, maybe venturing out on a Sunday afternoon for brunch. A tired routine? Well, here’s the perfect opportunity to spread your wings a bit. Like A Local is a cool startup that invites folks to chow on some of the best eats a neighborhood has to offer, while also giving them a taste of a place’s history—from the art to architecture to the origin of what they’re biting down on. Basically if you love eating and you love learning, they’ve got four New York City Tours and Brooklyn Tours worth your time.

Like A Local’s tours are meant to be an immersive neighborhood experience, and guides Lauren Beebe and Robert Stout are both long-time New Yorkers who are “passionate about people and knowing the best places to go.” Currently the group offers two Brooklyn tours, Williamsburg Bites and Sunday Funday Brooklyn, both of which bring you into the heart of what’s easily becoming the foodie capital of New York. They also offer a tour in the Flatiron district that goes into the culinary culture of this downtown stretch, as well as a tour of the North Folk Wine country if you’re looking for a boozy city escape.

While the outings are to a large degree marketed to visitors of our fair city, they do serve locals just as well. We recently took the Williamsburg Bites tour and found that of the 13 people who went along, just one was visiting from outside of New York. Most folks in our group had only tried one or two of the eateries prior, and we were definitely all schooled on the history of the ‘Burg.

But best of all? Each one of us was bursting at the seams when it was all over; yes, seven full-portion tastings were provided! Food stops along the nearly three-hour jaunt included Odd Fellows Ice Cream, Momofuku Milk Bar, Mast Brothers Chocolate, The Bagel Store, Pies N Thighs and Best Pizza.

Want to try a tour for yourself? They run from about $50 to $55 a person and are well worth their weight in food and education. More info can be found at Like A Local’s site here.

Click here to read the full article!

Ballin’ in Brooklyn: Like a Local Tours’ Williamsburg Bites Food Tour

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
Ballin’ in Brooklyn: Like a Local Tours’ Williamsburg Bites Food Tour
By: Finance Foodie

The Mister and I are absolutely obsessed with taking walking food tours as a way to explore new neighborhoods, imbibe in delicious gems while getting some outdoor exercise (yes we are the couple who wear the matching athletic gear walking around town). Since we stayed local this past Labor Day weekend, we decided to take Like a Local Tours’ Saturday Williamsburg Bites Food Tour. In our numerous years of living in Manhattan, we realized we had never been to the hipster hangout across the river! Given that the city traffic pretty much dies during Labor Day weekend, we thought there was no better time to check out the local flavor in this trendy Brooklyn enclave.

Williamsburg Waterfront
So at 2PM, we met up with our group of hungry history lovers and our Bed-Stuy native tour guide Ben at Station Restaurant. Right off the bat, we were greeted with welcome cookie from the restaurant (although not officially part of the tour, it was still a great way to kick the afternoon off!).

Best Pizza
Our first stop was Best Pizza, the unofficial “BEST” pizza place in BK. The store, with its paper plate art and mini ATM machine, definitely felt a bit too cool for school, but the pizza was exceptional (the dough and mozzarella is handmade in store). The white slice with caramelized onions and a baked sesame crust was really unique and simply divine.

Momofuku Milk Bar
Our next stop was crack pie and cereal milk heaven Momofuku Milk Bar. Although there are many locations of this sweet shop favorite in Manhattan, the Williamsburg location is their commissary where all the delectable desserts are created and shipped around town. At this stop, each of us got a full sized Compost Cookie (their version of the Kitchen Sink).

Pies and Thighs
Our third stop was a healthy distance away (thankfully it was a nice day) but oh was it worth the walk! We came away with a mini meal of fried chicken, biscuit and grits at Southern cuisine paradise Pies and Thighs. Being from Texas – the home of great Southern cooking – I can 100% say this place gives a few of my hometown joints a run for its money.

Devocion
I was feeling a bit thirsty so I was really glad our next destination was Devocion, a cute and (of course) hipster haven for coffee, teas and pastries. I ordered the apple, strawberry and mint ice tea, which was delightfully refreshing – I loved the little chunks of fruit floating up top. I could spend all day in this loft like space (complete with skylight and greenery!) – this spot is for sure not your standard and sterile Starbucks.

OddFellows
Saving the best for last, our final destination was OddFellows Ice Cream’s flagship shop. Known for its wacky but somehow still delicious homemade ice creams (Foie Gras Ice Cream anyone?), OddFellows was a great place to end the tour on a sweet note! My full scoop of Thai Ice Tea ice cream tasted remarkably just like the real thing (in frozen form, natch).

Tour Guide Ben (L) leading our group
After spending almost three hours exploring North to South Williamsburg, I for sure have come away with a newfound appreciation of the culinary capabilities of the (rapidly gentrifying) mini-Lower East Side across the river. Like a Local Tour made me feel like a local (literally) and provided a great base for me to conduct more visits and discoveries in the future.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE.

Like A Local and Bread’s Bakery featured in The Sunday Standard Magazine in India!

We were pleased to host writer Riaan George and he returned the love! “Let’s hop across to Breads Bakery for some coffee and babkas,” says an enthusiastic Lauren Beebe, New York’s walking tour specialist, as I lose myself to Manhattan’s magnificent buildings towering over me. I had signed up for one of Lauren’s insightful gourmet walking tours (www.likealocaltours.com), to discover the culinary underbelly of the Big Apple’s buzzing Flatiron District. The tour included hopping from a gourmet Italian market to a traditional American diner, while making a pitstop at a chic mozzarella bar. So the prospect of some good coffee was nothing short of tempting. “What is Breads Baker’y and what are babkas?” I asked with touristy innocence. As it turns out, Lauren was leading me to a coveted address which has become a favourite among locals. This address, as I would discover, is partof Flatiron’s flourishing trade of multi-brand boutiques, book- stores, vintage stores and innumerable trendy cafes. And this would, in turn, lead to my discovery of the bakery’s signature babkas. The wafting aromas of freshly baked bread, cinnamon and molten chocolate looming heavily in the air was enough to transport me into a state of culinary ecstasy as I stepped into Breads Bakery.” …

Click here for the article in their online magazine..

Don’t miss our Flatiron Food, History & Architecture Tour!

Hear our interview on 95.5 PLJ FM!

Thinking of a “Stay-Cation”?
Posted on September 3, 2015

If you’re thinking of a stay-cation this Labor Day weekend, discover Brooklyn “foodie” style with a “like a local” food tour. Check likealocaltours.com to book a tour today and listen to Race Taylor uncover it all with Lauren Beebe below… Click here for the radio interview!

Like A Local Tours is featured in official NYC Tourism press about fall walking tours

FALL INTO AUTUMN WITH WALKING TOURS AROUND NEW YORK CITY
—Visitors Can Enjoy the World’s Best Walking City While Experiencing Exciting Culture and Vibrant Foliage This Fall—

New York City (August 25, 2015) — As the color of the leaves begin to change, NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, invites visitors to enjoy the outdoors this fall with walking tours around New York City’s five boroughs. From tasting global cuisine in Astoria to walking through historic Harlem to hiking the Greenbelt in Staten Island, there are several tours that appeal to every visitor’s interests and budget.

“New York City is the world’s best walking city, and we encourage visitors to venture through the City’s five boroughs this fall with our incredible walking tours,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “The crisp fall air and beautiful colors of the foliage provide a scenic backdrop for exploring the City’s sights, eats and history by foot.”

Offering more than 30 history-based tours through locals’ perspectives, Big Onion Walking Tours (bigonion.com) takes visitors back in time with its Immigrant New York tour, as well as historical neighborhood tours of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn Heights. New York Historical Tours (newyorkhistoricaltours.com) brings visitors on a walking tour of the newly expanded High Line, where they can learn about the history of the area, along with a tour of the Chelsea and Meatpacking neighborhoods. Staten Island’s Historic Richmond Town (historicrichmondtown.org) offers themed guided tours of its beautiful grounds that showcase how New Yorkers lived and worked during the 17th century, while Carreta Tours (carretatours.com) invites visitors on a customized tour of the borough’s neighborhoods and diverse cultures. Visitors can join Cititrek (cititrek.com) on an adventure through time at City Island in the Bronx, where they can walk the quaint streets and see the island’s rich history at the Nautical Museum.

Those wanting to know about the little-known history of the City can book a tour with Metropolitan Walks (metropolitanwalks.com), which talks about the historical events that took place around Washington Square Park and allows visitors to craft their own group tour of any city neighborhood. With Inside Out Tours (insideouttours.com), visitors can learn about the classic architecture of Midtown Manhattan’s most monumental icons, including the Chrysler Building and the United Nations Building. In Lower Manhattan, The Wall Street Experience (thewallstreetexperience.com) and Wall Street Walks (wallstreetwalks.com) are guided by Wall Street insiders who share their stories about the history, architecture and financial achievements of the world’s financial capital. Broadway’s biggest fans can join Walks of New York (walksofnewyork.com) for their exclusive Disney on Broadway Tour, which includes a walking tour of Broadway’s iconic landmarks and a chance to try on official costumes and props at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

With all that walking, visitors can satisfy their appetite with several food walking tours. Sample Caribbean and Latin American fare along with a tour of Brooklyn’s “Avenue of Puerto Rico” with Turnstile Tours (turnstiletours.com). Eat like a local with Food on Foot Tours (foodonfoottours.com), where visitors can enjoy self-guided and local-guided tours of the City’s best bagels, Asian cuisine in Queens, Brooklyn’s waterfront neighborhoods and group-only sandwich tours. Ahoy New York Food Tours (ahoynewyorkfoodtours.com) brings foodies to family-owned shops and off-the-beaten-path establishments in Little Italy and Chinatown. In collaboration with renowned chef Mario Batali, Walks of New York’s Greenwich Village Food Tour (walksofnewyork.com) is a culinary experience around the neighborhood’s distinct eateries, including two of the chef’s Italian restaurants. Brooklyn’s trendiest neighborhood is home to Like a Local Tours’ Williamsburg Bites Tour (likealocaltours.com), featuring mouthwatering cuisine and incredible views of the City’s skyline.

A visit to New York this fall is not complete without a stroll through the City’s parks. Visitors can learn about Central Park’s ecology and history with self-guided and guided tours with the Central Park Conservancy (centralparknyc.org), scheduled throughout the week. See the changing fall scenery of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the excitement of Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, all part of BQE Tours’ DUMBO Discovery Tours (bqetours.com). In Staten Island, the Greenbelt is highlighted as part of Cititrek’s Forever Wild Greenbelt Tour (cititrek.com), a great way for visitors to take photos of the stunning fall foliage and learn about the importance of this hidden natural gem.

There are free tours and greeters available for visitors to book as well. Free Tours by Foot (freetoursbyfoot.com) offers self-guided tours through neighborhoods including Harlem and Buschwick, as well as themed guided tours, such as street art and graffiti, and night tours. For a true local experience, Big Apple Greeter (bigapplegreeter.org) sets visitors up with a free and friendly greeter to show them around the exciting neighborhoods and cultural attractions that make New York City a great destination to visit year-round.

For more information on these and other walking tours in New York City, visit nycgo.com/alltours. Plan your fall vacation with our Fall Guide at nycgo.com/fall.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

7 NYC Food Tours Not to Miss

All the city is your oyster in late summer. The crowds are minimal and as August days begin to wane into September the weather is just right to wander around, getting lost in NYC’s boroughs and discovering hidden treasures. Let your stomach and a few knowledgeable guides help you discover the off-the-beaten path gems in NYC’s familiar and not so familiar neighborhoods. Pizza in Greenwich Village, cannolis in the Bronx, craft brews in Brooklyn; food tours in the City offer much to nibble on and not solely in food but culture and history, as well. Head West of LI and take one or two or more of these not to miss food tours. Start looking at those train schedules now.
Like A Local Tours: Sunday Funday Brooklyn Tour

Taste craft brews, local wines, ice cream, chocolate and even BBQ on the Sunday Funday Brooklyn Tour image: like a local

Williamsburg put the hip in hipster. Explore NYC’s trendiest neighborhood on this three-hour food tour from Like A Local that goes from the Williamsburg waterfront with its stunning views, to Brewer’s Row. Taste craft brews, local wines, ice cream, chocolate and even BBQ while taking in the spectacular street art and learning where the best hangs are.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.