- German exchange students and I saw lots -- in a
NY minute! In spite of the language barrier we
understood each other.
- Walked Central Park with fifteen woman from
Canada. We "rambled" through the Ramble --
almost got lost!!! For two hours we experienced
the wonders of the park!
- Visited the Orthodox Jewish in Brooklyn with a
student group from coal mining town in W.
Virginia. A cultural eyeopener for all -- including
me!
- Three moms and three daughters from Toronto!
We walked Lower Manhattan (including the
Brooklyn Bridge) in three hours! Took the subway
and ended at the statue of Balto in the park.
Whew! But worth every minute.
- From Aberdeen Proving Ground I walked the
Brooklyn Bridge with officers from the UAE,
Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Thailand, and
the good old USA. Happy 126th birthday to the
Brooklyn Bridge!
- From Minneapolis came a choir group -- they
sang at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine then
proceeded to give me a concert on the bus!
Angels they were!
- A wonderful group of students from the
University of Pittsburgh -- all girls! We painted the
town red in spite of the bitter cold.
- Again Ireland!! A man from Belfast -- celebrating
his 50th birthday -- took himself to NYC. We
subwayed everywhere. Uptown, midtown,
downtown, east side, west side, and all around
the town. Top o' the mornin' to ya!
- Ireland was in town this December. A couple from
outside Dublin -- they wanted a tour on how NYC
disposes of its waste. After lots of research on my
part -- we hit some of the "dump" areas by
subway. A first for me!!
- Two big groups in one day! From the same client.
Only one guide -- me. I finished one tour and ran
to the second bus to start all over again. Whew!!
- A group from Virginia -- all family and friends --
came up to NYC for a day. The Christmas season
in the Big Apple is like no other. We fought off the
heavy traffic -- much to their delight!It was all
worth it!!
- A day in Philadelphia was included in my NYC
tour with a corporate group from Italy. Lunch at
City Tavern and a walk through Independence
Park made my day!
- We had only two hours to see Manhattan. A
senior-citizen group off a cruise ship had a
whirlwind tour. Of course no potty breaks! At the
end of the tour -- cheers, applause, and lots of
hugs!
- Two young couples from the North of England
wanted an in-depth NYC tour. We walked through
DUMBO, across the Brooklyn Bridge, toured all of
Lower Manhattan. We finished at the NY Earth
Room!
- Lots of fun with senior citizens from Ohio, Illinois
and Michigan. We walked MePa. Some bought
cupcakes in the Chelsea market. Mmmm!
- A couple from Northern Italy wanted NYC by foot.
Our six-mile walk included a stop at Ralph Lauren
on the upper east side and the tony shops of
Madison Avenue!
- With cattle ranchers from Kentucky we toured
Radio City, walked to lunch in Times Square, saw
"Hairspray", visited the Lady in the Harbor and
Ellis Island. For most, it was their first time to NYC
-- and certainly not their last!
- A schoolteacher from Knoxville and her husband
wanted Little India in Queens. We walked through
some of Jackson Heights, saw where "scrabble"
was created, and then into Little India with its
exotic sari shops!
- With a husband and wife from Messina we
traversed the city via subway. We climbed the
schist in Central and had lunch in SoHo.
- Two young Italian ladies and I saw the Yankee
Stadium (both the old and the new), Arthur
Avenue, Harlem, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights in a
limo -- all in four hours!
- I have shown New York to Italians from Montreal,
Messina, and Reggio Calbria. Let's go Euro!
- Watching the reaction of first-time visitors to NYC
is always fun! And so it was recently with my
group from Indiana. The weather glorious! They
all had pre-conceived notions of the city. After my
tour, they left loving the Big Apple!
- More Italians! -- From Milano. Our stop in Brooklyn
Heights was nothing short of spectacular. Great
views of Manhattan and the iconic Brooklyn
Bridge. We received a light spray from the
waterfall under the bridge. Made a gastronomic
stop at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. Yummy!
- What a great week! -- All Italians. The city is
booming. I had two groups -- one from Pompeii,
the other from Carrara. The first time for both. I
showed them everything -- the Statue, Ellis Island,
midtown, downtown. The highlight -- a twenty-
minute helicopter ride above the city!
- For two days I was "led" around town with my
"Special Needs" group from Alabama. As
participants in the Special Olympics they had the
energy and enthusiasm that made the tour great
fun. I was honored to be their guide!
- NYC is history! I had a family from Virginia and we
walked through "New Amsterdam" right through
post-revolutionary New York.
- Just finished two days with Oxford Music
Academy students. Tours started at 7:30 am.
What did we do before stores opened? Walking
tours through SoHo and Chinatown. They oohed
and aahed at the sight of Heath Ledger's
residence. The kids are here for the annual Music
Festival. Bright and fun-loving!
- In spite of their huge snow storms, my school
group from Ohio made it to NYC. We saw
everything - shopped in Harlem, "celebrated"
New Years in Times Square! What a great time.
- A Virginia family - dad, mom and son - loved my
history tour of Greenwich Village and SoHo. We
ended the tour at Ferrara's in Little Italy - Mmmm!!!
- Walk, walk,walk!! Best way to see the city. My
Seven Ladies from Utica and I hiked through
SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. Showed them
the Old St. Pat's, the Five Points corner, where the
revolutionary Sun Yat Sen had his hide-out, and
crime boss John Gotti's digs prior to his arrest.
- For three days, I showed Manhattan to students
and teachers from Tennessee. We traversed the
city from Lower Manhattan to Harlem via subway.
We walked, walked, walked!!
- Seniors from the University of Pittsburgh were in
the city. In spite of the freezing weather, great fun
was had by all, including me.
- Cunard's Queen Victoria sailed into town on her
maiden voyage. I did the tour of NYC to some of
the ship's British passengers. All three ships,
including the Queen Mary 2 and the QE2 were in
town that day. What an honor for me!!!
- Yves Saint Laurent sales people from Italy came
into town. I had the great pleasure of touring
them for four days. Get this, in one day we did all
the transportation venues - from helicopter rides
to water taxi (where I also did the tour) to horse
and carriage, and then to subway. Whew! They
gave me lots of hugs at the end of their stay.
- Had a wonderful tour with a group of seniors from
the midwest. It snowed and rained - lots of slush.
We stayed indoors a lot. Showed them the Winter
Garden at the WFC. Very festive at Christmas!
- Gracie Mansion was the destination. The group
from North Carolina. They are the founders of
their own museum. It was great watching lovers
of culture enjoy the treasures of the Big Apple.
- Watch out for my performance group who will be
marching in the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Today, we did our whirlwind tour of the Big
Apple. Great group of girls!!
- I love my senior citizens! They were from Ohio &
Kentucky. One woman told me that her daughter
had to twist her arm to visit NYC. After my tour
she was thrilled she came!
- A high-end Italian group was here for a sight
inspection. Visited Ralph Lauren on Madison
Ave. Coffee at Sant' Ambroeus!
- This was the first time to New York City for an
Italian couple from Rome. We made our way
around town via limousine.
- On tour with seven women from Texas, we
stopped at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. I
brought them into the garden. Three peacocks
were perched on the railing of the tapestry
conservatory. A photo moment if there ever was
one - especially the all-white peacock!
- On a recent charter tour aboard the Atlantica
Yacht, guests enjoyed hearing about sights along
the NYC skyline.
- In September, my clients included the Aberdeen
Proving Ground and several bank groups from
Illinois. After a brief hiatus in the South of France, I
have returned to a full schedule.
- Miva loved their walking tour of lower Manhattan.
We ended the tour with Tacos and Margheritas.!!
Martha Danielle Lanzillotti
Adam's Reflection and Eve by Fernando Botero
Photo by Tom Misuraca. Pitt Program Council
Director at the University of Pittsburgh