Free New York City walking tours

May 14, 12:44 PMNY Budget Travel ExaminerSusan Finch

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Despite appearances with today's weather, New York is due for some warmer spring days. Not to mention we're ready to start kicking off the summer in June. Celebrate the upcoming warm weather with a few free walking tours around the city.

Battery Park and Downtown Walking Tour: Alliance for Downtown New York offers free hour and a half walking tours every Thursday and Saturday at noon. See Wall Street, get the history on the stock exchange, and learn about lower Manhattan, 9/11 and more. Meet at the front steps of the U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green. For more information about their free New York City tours, call 212-606-4064.

Central Park Walking Tour: Central Parks 843-acres are more than just rolling lawns, pedestrian walkways, and Shakespeare in the Park. You can also explore Belvedere Castle, North Woods, Bethesda Terrace, Harlem Meer, and its rich architecture. Free New York City tours are ongoing throughout the year. Call 212-360-2726.

Flatiron Building Walking Tour: This is probably my favorite piece of architecture in the city. Also known as the Fuller Building, it's 285 feet high. I had the pleasure of attending a Christmas party there several years back, in an office that faced towards the tip of the iron. Unfortunately, the building is just full of business offices, so there's really nothing to tour on the inside. The outside, however, is worth the trip. The Flatiron and 23rd Street Partnership sponsors free New York City walking tours of the historic Flatiron district every Sunday at 11:00am. Call 212-741-2323 for more information.

Greenwich Village Walking Tour: Get familiar with the East Village with Village Alliance. Take a free walking tour of 8th Street and Street Mark's Place Saturdays at 11:30am. These free New York City tours depart from the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Mark's Place. Call 212-777-2173 for more information.

Miracles on 34th Street Tour: My mother lives in Atlanta and despises the cold. She also looks forward to seeing the Macy's window and tree at Rockefeller Center all year long. I wish I had known about this free New York City tour last time she was here. Miracles on 34th Street is a free walking tour that gives you the ins and outs of the neighborhood. Find out why the Empire State Building is a classic ideal for New York architecture, which famous store owner drowned on the ill-fated Titanic, and facts, trivia, and inside information from New York architects. Call 212-719-3434 for more information.

Times Square Walking Tour: I generally skirt around Times square at all costs. But if you're missing the gritty history of Times Square past? Wishing you were there pre-Disney? Enjoy everything today's Times Square has to offer, but with all the gossip of its sordid past. Maybe you'll get to see The Naked Cowboy performing on your free New York City tour. Meet at the Times Square Visitors Center at 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Streets Fridays at 12:00pm.

Union Square Walking Tour: Just South of the Flatiron Building, Union Square Park houses one of my favorite farmer's markets in the city. I use to work in the area and would pick out a piece of fruit from the crowd of vendors on my way from the subway to work. Inexplicably, there's frequently an older gentleman in a suit who demonstrates how to use a potato and carrot peeler he sells. He's so bizarrely charming, people stop to watch. The park offers a 90-minute free New York City walking tour every Saturday at 2:00pm called Union Square: Crossroads of New York. Visitors get an overview of the neighborhood and lesson in its history, people, architecture, and politics. Call 212-517-1826 for more information.

Watch a video on a walking tour of Harlem: