New York Greeters
Big Apple Greeter is one of the founding programs of the global greeter movement, established in 1992 by Lynn Brooks with a simple but powerful idea: connect visitors with enthusiastic New Yorkers who would show them the real city, one neighborhood at a time, completely free of charge.
The program has since welcomed visitors from over 160 countries, offering personalized 2-4 hour walks through New York's incredible diversity of neighborhoods. Whether you want to explore the street art of Bushwick, the dim sum restaurants of Flushing, the jazz clubs of Harlem, or the hidden gardens of the Lower East Side, a Big Apple Greeter will take you there with stories and insights you'd never discover on your own.
Big Apple Greeter is particularly notable for its accessibility program — one of the first volunteer tourism initiatives to specifically accommodate visitors with disabilities, offering wheelchair-accessible routes and greeters who communicate in sign language.
The program operates entirely on volunteer enthusiasm and charitable donations. Greeters come from all walks of New York life — teachers, artists, retirees, immigrants, lifelong locals — united by their love for the city and desire to share it.
Visitor Tips: Request your greeter at least 3-4 weeks ahead through bigapplegreeter.org. Specify your neighborhood interests and any accessibility needs. The program is so popular that not all requests can be accommodated, so have backup plans. Bring comfortable shoes — you'll walk 2-4 miles. Greeters are volunteers, not professional guides, which is what makes the experience so genuine.
