Holdouts: A Nyc Architecture Walking Tour

Great tour that touched on history, architecture, nyc real estate and even how economics has shaped the development of the city. Very well done

We love history and architecture and selected this tour because it sounded a bit quirky from typical tours. It was fantastic! Rob is so enthusiastic and knowledgeble. We really enjoyed this tour- we kept pointing to other possible "holdouts" during the rest of our time in New York! We'll definitely take one of Rob's other tours next time we're in the city!

This is a walking tour so be aware. That said I am elderly and the guide was happy to find sitting spots during the tour. Very knowledgeable guid who combined architecture with general history of the city. Plenty of old pictures and graphs. Also, we were interested in churches so the tour was modified to spend more time there.

Tour guide was full of interesting details about the development of NYC, the buildings, the Open Spaces, the Underground alleyways and galleries- a truly delightful experience.

We really enjoyed the tour! Our guide was fantastic— extremely knowledgeable and friendly and very attentive to what the group might be interested in or need, etc. It’s a lot of walking (3 hours) but very enjoyable!

Nice tour, a bit rushed, no time for photos or question, but interesting none the less. I learned about the Privately Owned Public Places which was helpful information that I shared with a young traveler visiting New York after me. My only suggestion would be to move quicker through the beginning of the tour where we sat and looked a printer copy of buildings. We could have done that during the tour and allowed for photo, questions, and a slower pace to enjoy the city scape.

Excellent explanation of the NYC history of skyscrapers & how they began to flourish in the skyscraper race. Our guide, Rob, was outstanding! Answered questions throughly & new intricate ideas about city planning, building & impact on local housing. Intriguing view of NYC skyline.I highly recommend this tour! 5 stars

Robert was amazing. Packed with so much contextual knowledge! Had a great pace and answered all of our questions enthusiastically.

Rob is a fountain of enthusiasm and information- he knows more about NYC architecture and history than anyone I have ever met- and he loves constantly reading and learning. Anyone doing this tour will be rewarded and realize just how lucky they are- highly recommended!

Who knew? Maybe you’ve seen a small building crammed between two skyscrapers and wondered what went wrong. In fact, these “ holdout” owners and buildings have unique histories and often, powerful purposes. For example, have you ever heard of a “lightsaver?” Not the candy, a short building that doesn’t block the sunlight of the apartments on the side of a very tall structure. Or the charm and pride of small businesses built by families who don’t want to give them up. The stories are many and all interesting. Rob Amell’s meticulous research has uncovered their histories and secrets, and the trip is worth it! This tour is not for first time visitors to our City but for those from NYC and away who love the uniqueness of our town. Rob is a master and he should write books about is work. His tours are 3 hours but zoom by. Highly recommend.

Great! Very knowledgeable. We were the I ly ones so got an extra hour. Highly recomend. Got to learn a few secret spots to enjoy later on.

My wife and I joined Rob and one other participant for this great tour of NYC Architectural Holdouts. Rob has studied the history and architecture of New York for many years, so it was cool to do the tour with an expert! He has a depth of knowledge that no other tour guide can compare with. He is generous with his time and knowledge. In addition to checking out a bunch of holdouts in midtown, we learned about air rights, privately-owned public spaces, buildings that are being "warehoused" until the lease of a tenant expires and the building can be torn down, and tons of interesting nuggets about the history of the city. We look forward to doing another tour with him!

This is such a fascinating tour! It covers a large area of midtown Manhattan and goes into many interesting and hidden spots that we had no idea were there. Extremely informative about holdouts - all of us, including my children, 14 & 12, are now fully clued up on an area of architecture we previously knew nothing about! Thanks to Rob for a wonderful morning's tour.

One of the best afternoons we have spent in NYC. We have been here many times and thought we would do something a little different. We are so pleased that we picked this tour. For anyone with an interest in architecture or the history of New York, this tour is essential. Informative, educational and fun. Robert is a first class guide.

If you want something different then the standard walking tour, do this one! Rob covered the history of the NYC building trends, but this tour makes you look at the city completely differently. We couldn’t stop talking about what we learned and the little nooks and crannies we discovered in the tour. From interesting stories about who the holdouts were to how and why the city neighborhoods changed. The Holdouts changed the landscape of NYC and this tour will change how you look at the city.

Robert is an amazing wealth of knowledge. His pure love of all things NYC was so evident and truly inspiring. He and his tour are a credit to the Greatest City in the World!!

Such a great in depth tour! Very interesting and engaging day. We enjoyed all the stories the guide had to share!

If you are curious about architecture, history and love good story telling, this is the tour for you. I’ve been on a dozen New York City, walking tours and hands-down This is the one I learned the most on. It changed the way I see our built environment and the evolution of NYC

This is one of the best walking tours I've ever been on - Rob was a fantastic tour guide! He has encyclopedic knowledge of all things NYC history, and was able to tailor our discussion to the topics we were most interested in, or explore additional tangents related to whatever building he happened to be in front of. We learned a ton, both about holdouts and about the general history of NYC and the phases of its evolution. Would definitely recommend this tour, and I'm planning to do more of them with Rob next time I visit!

Robert was an excellent tour guide. Full of information. He basically geared the tour towards the interest of the people on the tour. The tour was so interesting and gave a good overview of the shifts in the styles of architecture as well as the growth of the city and its classes. Robert is very excited to share his knowledge with you and it shows. This tour does have a lot of walking and is 2-3 hours long , but Robert will work with you to adjust the walking and time. You will gain a wealth of information on this tour. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Rob is so knowledgeable about the history of nyc and these very special properties called holdouts. He enables us to see our cherished city in a new way.

Guide is very knowledgeable and funny! I'll never see Manhattan the same way again. I can't recommend this tour enough!

We had such a great time!! Our guide was so extremely knowledable and we learned so much!! Thank you!!

Thank you Rob - we really enjoyed the Holdouts tour it was very informative. It was great to walk around and enjoy the city.

This was a great tour with a lot of NYC history. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and kept up a good pace. Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in urban history or urban planning.

This tour was an amazing way to see the city. Even though it was my first time visiting New York, I feel like I know the city even better than many lifelong New Yorkers. I’d definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in history or understanding why New York City looks the way it does. Rob’s tour is wonderful, full of information, enlightening, and entertaining.

Rob puts the history together in a way that makes all of New York City logical and accessible. Streets I’ve known (or thought I did) and seen a thousand times when I used to live to in New York before I now see in a totally new light. I wish I’d known this information years ago! Brilliant!

The tour was a fantastic experience as Robert is a very knowledgeable and engaging guide and the tour offers a unique perspective on midtown Manhattan. After the tour we will be looking with new eyes to NYC and other cities. We highly recommend this to any traveller who wants more than the mainstream tourism view on NYC.

We showed up 30mins early and our party of 3 talked at the pic in the ad until we realized it was 10mins after our start time and no guide. We tried to call and went on a wild chase only to have the guide text us that he was at Starbucks and didn't see us from the window. That's fine but Viator(owner) would not refund our money. This company is too big and so unable to deal with individual needs or hire professionals that care. There are small family owned tour companies we should use. Why would you bother?

Patrick is an excellent guide, leading you to hidden spots in the midst of Midtown Manhattan and raises your attention to impressive testimonials of Manhattan's manifold transformations. For getting a deeper knowledge of this borrow's (short) history and vivid development, this tour is a MUST. Highly recommended !

Rob was a great tour guide. He was very knowledgable and made sure we were well taken care of. We learned the history of Holdouts and stopped at numerous sites. Would recommend this tour for anyone

We have a new way of looking at NYC now thanks to our tour and guide Rob. This is the way you should see and learn about midtown Manhattan, whether it’s the first time you go or if you’ve come every day for years. We learned so much, Rob was funny, knowledgeable, everything you could want + We loved this tour so much we are going to try his others too!

Had a great time in NYC with Bob today. He gave us a great tour through Manhattan's business district and holdouts. He was extremely knowledgeable, and kept my two young sons intrigued.My wife and I loved the tour, and Bob even walked us through Grand Central Station. I was impressed with how much information we learned in on afternoon.

I have always enjoyed walking historical tours when traveling; however this was in my backyard all this time and was amazing! Robert is so personable and interesting that he had my 12 year old son asking questions and excited about the history of New York. I forcible dragged my 2 sons and husband to join me and they can not thank me enough. robert is obviously well versed,knowledgeable and intelligent,however his demeanor and charisma had every one engaged and entertained for the rigorous pace through the 3 hour adventure. We can not wait to book the other tours! my sons made me promise not to go with out them.thank you for a great educational family outing completely UNPLUGED.

<p>Thanks to tour guide Bob, this walking tour was the highlight of our 10 day trip to New York. Because we were a small group of 5, we could chat with Bob and discuss things we were seeing rather than simply being spoken at for 2 and a half hours! The subject of just how New York Midtown came to look how it does today is fascinating, and at times amusing. We came away with a greater understanding of the city, and how to spot features previously unnoticed. I uge you to seek out Bob and take one of his tours, best time and money you'll spend in NYC!</p>

<p>This was the second tour I did with Rob during my most recent to NYC. He is an excellent tour guide with a great knowledge of the history and planning of the city. This tour made me look up as I wandered the streets of the city and gave me a greater appreciation of why the city looks the way it does. Rob shared some fantastic stories and was a real delight to explore the city with. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to see the city in a slightly different light!</p>

Excellent guided tour. The guide was very interesting, and it was fascinating to learn about the architectural elements and the context of the Manhattan buildings. The guide was kind, knew his subject well, and was captivating. I highly recommend it. Thank you