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Free tour

Free Coney Island History and Food Tour

Duration: 2h and 15min
Languages: English
Guru: Alex
Quality Verified Registered on February 06, 2023

I am a licensed tour guide, professional blogger, and active member of the Guides Association of New York City. My passion is New York’s food, history, and culture, and my walking tours are one of a kind NYC experiences! I also created, own, and operate a tour agency called Food Strolls Guided Tours right here in New York City.

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  • No minimum number of attendees
    No minimum number of attendees is required for the tour
  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free
  • Accepts electronic payment
    This tour allows payment by electronic means or credit card

Tour description

Join Alex on a Coney Island walking tour and learn the history of America’s Playground.  We’ll visit attractions like the Wonder Wheel, the Cyclone, the Parachute Jump, and the Coney Island Boardwalk.  During the tour, you’ll hear stories of freak shows, midget cities, hot dog eating contests, baseball, and other often bizarre episodes in Coney Island’s history.
Along the way, we’ll stop by several of Coney Island’s most iconic eateries, including the original Nathan's Famous, where guests are welcome to try a NYC hot dog!

This experience ends in nearby Brighton Beach, where we’ll explore NYC’s largest Eastern European community.  We’ll talk about Jewish, Soviet, and post-Soviet immigration to NYC while visiting several local markets in the neighborhood known as “Little Odesa”.  Again guests are welcome to try the gourmet specialties of the neighborhood!
Along the way, you'll have plenty of opportunities to engage and ask questions.

Tours are casual, flexible, and fun, so bring your curiosity and a comfortable pair of walking shoes!

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  • Meeting point:
    2915 Stillwell Ave, Brooklyn, NY 1122...
    2915 Stillwell Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224, USA
    View on map

    I will be standing outside of the Subway sandwich shop holding a folder of black and white images.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

8 ratings
4.9
By category
Professionalism
5.0
Fun
5.0
Expression
5.0
Quality
5.0
Route
5.0
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Adailín 07 May 2024
Dublin

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - May 2024
We picked this tour as we knew nothing about Coney Island or Brighton beach other than hearing them mentioned on tv programmes and that’s what drew us to this tour. It was a lovely relaxing way to spend an afternoon, walking casually along the boardwalk and hearing about how Coney Island has changed multiple times due to socioeconomic influences on the area from the 1900 to today. Alex had photos dating from different eras with him so It felt like we stepped back in time a little especially as it was a quiet Monday afternoon when we visited and the area was quiet and the rides were closed. Brighton beach was very different from how it was portrayed on tv. We visited different ethnic shops and markets and heard about the history of the area. We would never have found these places or even visited Brighton beach without a guide and Alex has shown us an exceptional level of professionalism and a deep interest in the tours that he leads. He gave several restaurant recommendations to others on the tour and it seems that it’s an expensive place to eat authentic food from the multiple ethnic backgrounds that now call Brighton beach home. Very happy to recommend both Alex and this tour. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Amrita 29 Nov 2023
Mumbai

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Oct 2023
I had booked Alex' Coney Island tour during my trip to NYC in Oct 2023. By some strange twist of fate, everyone else canceled and I ended up being the lone survivor. Alex very graciously and warmly still went ahead with the tour. He had some great stories to tell, showed me the history of the Islands, gave me a peak into its socio-cultural and socio-economic lineage, and even took me to the indigenous food markets there. I can also be quite the Chatty Kathy if I'm in the mood and I'm pleased to report that Alex was equally participative in our mutually shared banter. :) The group tour which became a private tour was an absolute delight and I'd highly recommend everyone to go for this. Not to mention, you'd see one of the most gorgeous sunsets of your lives from Coney Islands if you're lucky!
Laura 24 Oct 2023

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Oct 2023
Alex is an amazing guide! We had the best time and he really knows a lot!! He is very kind and offers to help with every question you have including other spots you want to visit in NYC. Regarding the tour itself I think there might be other tours where you can see more but Alex did his best to make it as interesting and enjoyable as possible!! It was still really nice to see a quite unusual side of NYC (there is a beach?!).
Julia 23 Oct 2023
Vienna

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Oct 2023
Very interesting and engaging tour with Alex. Can only recommend the Coney Island tour to learn about this iconic part of the city
Andrea 16 Oct 2023
Celle

Verified booking
Travelled in group - Oct 2023
Die Tour mit Alex hat uns viel Freude bereitet. Er war hervorragend informiert, hat viel Hintergrundwissen, und uns einen interessanten Stadtteil gezeigt. Seine Sprache war sehr gut verständlich. Wir freuen uns auf die nächste Tour mit ihm.
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Not suitable for pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
There is no minimum number of people required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Electronic or credit card payment is accepted.
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