Two Queens natives want everyone to experience the cultural and historical character of neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn. NY1's Shannan Ferry reports.
Husband and wife John and Elissa Garay say the best way to explore the City is by taking the BQE.
No, not the congested expressway .The couple recently launched "BQE Tours," or "The Brooklyn-Queens Experience."
"We feel that if you come to New York City and you only have a look at Manhattan, you really haven't seen the city at all," said Elissa Garay.
That's why the Queens natives, who now live in Brooklyn, hope to shed light on the art, culture, and cuisine in bustling neighborhoods of both boroughs, with intimate walking tours.
In Long Island City, participants learn about the transformation of the area from an industrial ghost town to a rapidly evolving residential destination. This, while getting a look at the neighborhoods "hidden treasures."
After visiting a local artist's studio, attendees sample fare at the local flea market and enjoy a tasting tour at a microbrewery.
"I've been living in New York for thirty years, and uh, this is an enormous discovery one subway stop out of Manhattan, " said Laura Allen of the Upper West Side.
The Garrays say this is the perfect time to expand their business into Queens , as the borough was named the number one tourist destination for 2015 by travel book publisher "Lonely Planet" and as many neighborhoods are developing.
"From block to block you might have a Colombian, Filipino, all sorts of Asian communities - so on a culinary aspect, it's very exciting, but also to visit the stores, the way they live," said John Garay.
All tours are three hours long and sixty five dollars per person, with a maximum of 12 people per group. The Garays hope to launch more Queens tours in Astoria and Flushing next year. A tour in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is set to start in August , while tours of DUMBO are already underway.