It was downright amazing and I strongly, strongly recommend the NYC tours to anyone living there. They begin with a disclaimer that removes them from the responsibility of any physical harm you may experience during the tour, which of course made me more excited. It takes you through different neighborhoods and into very random situations. One of the first things on the Chinatown tour had the speaker say, "okay, keep walking. Do you see a grey door with Chinese print on your left? Open it. This is the (forget the name) coffee shop. Look over in the corner, is there an old Chinese man reading a newspaper," and YES there was an old Chinese man reading a paper, "that's Mr. Chang, he's been sitting there every day for over twenty years since his sons have taken over running the shop from him." Basically, throughout the tour there are these amazing situations that seem to almost be coordinated just for this tour. The legitimacy is almost made more real as some doors are sometimes in fact locked or people or stores on the tour aren't there.
I've since done the Little Italy, Meatpacking District, Wall Street, and Lower East Side tours, each having its own highlight. You have to be somewhat mentally ready to approach the tours as some of the situations are extremely awkward. For example, walking into a tiny butcher shop in Little Italy where there's a 90yr old Italian guy chopping meat, and just standing in the corner with your ipod silently, isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you're willing to engage in a little conversation and step out of your comfort zone, they've resulted in some amazing conversations. Supposedly there's a great Yankees tour (no way in hell for me, but I figure some of you would enjoy this) as well as a "Bronx Grafitti Walk".
I was happy to realize they've extended their tours to international locations, randomly partnering with Louis Vuitton for a series of Chinese tours. The Beijing tour was unbelievable and Soundwalk apparently has taken the previous tours to a whole new level. What they've done is add a new element of a running play for the duration of the tour. As you walk around, you actually learn about different sites through seemingly a movie script, narrated by a famous Chinese actor. Gong Li narrated the Beijing version that takes you through the Beijing Hutong, which are villages that have been around for hundreds of years and still very much occupied. I could not get over how well they created the feeling that you are essentially walking through the set of a movie as its happening.
Louis Vuitton Soundwalk --- Beijing with Gong Li
Uploaded by LouisVuitton08. - Explore exotic destinations and travel videos.
You learn about the history of the neighborhoods and meet some crazy people. My crowning achievement was introducing myself in Chinese to a 90yr old man with a long white beard who raises crickets that was mentioned on the tour. I also climbed a ladder that was mentioned and actually there, and found a huge pigeon farm. Apparently in the Hutong, people train their pigeons for flying contests, just because that's how shit goes down in the Hutong. By the end you actually feel like you've just witnessed an amazing play or show. The Beijing one has the best reviews and won some awards so I'm not positive that the quality of the storytelling in the other tours is as high, but this one wa definitely intense.
Naturally, the more popular these tours get, the less effective and interesting they will become. Well.....as all good hipster tourism goes, it's always better to have been there "before it went mainstream".
No comments:
Post a Comment