New York City Tours by Urban Oyster

Cindy VandenBosch and David Naczycz
Telephone: +1 (347) 618-8687
Email: info@urbanoyster.com

November 2, 2011 - Brooklyn-based walking tour company Urban Oyster is proud to announce a line-up of unique tour experiences specially crafted for this holiday season. From the street food vendors of Manhattan to historic churches and markets of Brooklyn, these programs are a wonderful way to explore New York City neighborhoods, learn fascinating history, and enjoy the season with friends and family. What makes Urban Oyster tours unique is that they offer visitors the opportunity to engage with local residents and business owners, hear stories from a variety of perspectives, and gain a real sense of place about New York City’s dynamic neighborhoods. Not only are these exciting experiences for New York City residents and visitors alike, but Urban Oyster gift certificates and private group outings are perfect for the holidays!

Urban Oyster will be offering a special holiday tour of Most Holy Trinity-St. Mary Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Completed in 1885, this stunning Gothic-style church was once the centerpiece of a thriving German community. On this tour, visitors will explore the church from bell tower to crypt with Associate Pastor Father Timothy Dore and learn about the origins of many Christmas traditions, from Christmas trees to nativity scenes to Santa Claus, and see them come to life in the beautiful depictions in the church’s elaborate stained glass windows, paintings and statues. You won’t just learn about the holiday traditions of the church’s German founders, but also how the parishioners of today, many of whom are Spanish-speaking and Polish, celebrate the season. Urban Oyster has a long-standing relationship with this parish, and all proceeds of this tour will go to the Trinity Human Service Center, which provides for needy neighborhood residents. This tour will be offered twice, on Saturday, December 17 and Saturday, January 7, in recognition of Three Kings Day. Both tours begin at 1 p.m. Advance ticket purchase is required for all Urban Oyster tours.

Manhattan is a major holiday destination for its shopping and iconic Christmas sights. Urban Oyster gives visitors a new way to enjoy Christmastime hustle and bustle, with a tour of the city’s street food vendors. Two Food Cart Tours are offered, in Midtown and the Financial District, both of which will include special holiday experiences throughout the month of December. Visitors will not only taste the diverse offerings from six different carts and trucks, but they will also meet the vendors and learn about how they celebrate holidays through food – Christmas, as well as holidays of other faiths – in their families and home countries. On the Midtown tour, visitors will learn the history of Rockefeller Center and its iconic tree, how department stores gave birth to many modern Christmas traditions, and what role street vendors play in the holiday scene. On the Financial District tour, visitors will stroll through the streets of old Dutch New Amsterdam and learn about the Christmas foods and traditions in early America, all while sampling the best street food the city has to offer. The Midtown Food Cart Tour is offered Fridays at 2 p.m., and the Financial District Tour is Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. All tours throughout December will include special holiday content.

Urban Oyster’s Immigrant Foodways Tour also explores street vending and its complex history in New York City. This tour explores Graham Avenue in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the Moore Street Market, which was built in the 1940’s to accommodate vendors who had been banned from the streets, and today it is a thriving market filled with vendors from across Latin America. Visitors get to meet business owners in the neighborhood and market and taste diverse delicacies from Caribbean-style roast pork to Mexican herbal teas along the way. This tour is offered every other Saturday, but on Saturday, December 10, Urban Oyster will be offering a special themed tour that will explore the history and traditions of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an important celebration in Mexico and for many of the market’s vendors.

If you are looking for a great holiday gift idea, look no further than Urban Oyster, which offers gift certificates that are customizable and convenient. Customers can purchase certificates either for a specific tour (including for all holiday-themed events) or by a dollar amount, allowing the recipient to choose which tour or event they would like to experience.

Urban Oyster also offers all of its tours as private group experiences. If you are looking for a family outing, team bonding, or holiday party experience, any current tour offerings can be arranged for your group. In addition to the tours listed above, Urban Oyster also offers tours of beer brewing history and tasting – the Brewed in Brooklyn tour and Fermented NY Craft Beer Crawls – and a tasting tour of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, Eat Like a Local. All of these tours can be tailored to fit your group’s needs, or Urban Oyster can build a unique experience just for you. For more information, visit the company’s Groups page.

About Urban Oyster:

Urban Oyster is a New York-based tour company founded in 2008 that leads multi-sensory, theme-based tours of New York City. These experiences aim to reveal the stories behind the people and places that make the city's neighborhoods unique, vibrant, and sustainable. Urban Oyster offers a variety of regularly-scheduled and private tours on themes ranging from food carts to beer brewing to immigration history that are enjoyed by native New Yorkers and tourists alike.

www.urbanoyster.com