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  1. Reopening Roundup!

    New York City began the process of reopening back in June, amidst great caution. There have been many changes in the game plan since then, with data based on re-openings in other states showing that mass indoor dining, bars, theaters, etc, risk a COVID resurgence here, and so those remain in limbo here. But the reopening continues, even as we’ve left behind the numbered phases.

    All of these re-openings, of course, aren’t a return to the old normal (that is still likely a year or so away from now), requiring new restrictions on capacity, timed entries, required face coverings, and more.

    Many NYC attractions had reopened in prior weeks, among them: The High Line, Governors Island, the city zoos, botanical gardens, observation decks at the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, the September 11th Memorial, and others. I had visited several of these attractions since, partly for some staycation fun and also to see first-hand how these new regulations were being implemented and enforced. You can read my experiences and thoughts on a previous Blog entry.

    This past week brought news that museums could now reopen as well. The state-required restrictions for now include a cap of 25% of their standard capacity, timed ticketing, and mask compliance. Here is a rundown of all the institutions that have made reopening announcements since this news, along with the dates they will reopen to the public (some have early preview days for members):

    -Statue of Liberty Museum: August 24
    -Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration: August 24
    -Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: August 26
    -National Lighthouse Museum: August 26
    -Museum of Modern Art (MOMA): August 27
    -Museum of the City of New York: August 27
    -New York Aquarium: August 27
    -Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo & Prospect Park Zoo (indoor exhibitions): August 27
    -American Folk Art Museum: August 28
    -Fotografiska: August 28
    -Madame Tussauds: August 28
    -Metropolitan Museum of Art: August 29
    -Poster House: August 31
    -Whitney Museum of American Art: September 3
    -The Morgan Library & Museum: September 5
    -The Edge at Hudson Yards: September 8
    -American Museum of Natural History: September 9
    -Bronx Museum of the Arts: September 9
    -Morris-Jumel Mansion: September 10
    -The New-York Historical Society: September 11
    -9/11 Memorial Museum: September 12
    -The Met Cloisters: September 12
    -Brooklyn Museum: September 12
    -El Museo del Barrio: September 12
    -Museum of Jewish Heritage: September 13
    -New Museum: September 15
    -Museum of Arts and Design: September 17
    -Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: October 3

    Museums remaining closed for now include The Tenement Museum (though they are resuming their neighborhood walking tours), The Frick Museum (renovating; scheduled to reopen early 2021), the Museum of the Moving Image, Queens Museum, the Jewish Museum, and the Rubin Museum.

    GANYC will continue to work to stay on top of all this on behalf of its membership, and continue to help work towards a safe and sustainable return to our vital tourism industry over the next year.

  2. NYC Tourist Attractions Reopen. Minus The Tourists.

    New York City began its phases of reopenings in June, amidst a Summer that has seen New York turn around the COVID case numbers more than any other comparable state. Rather than just declare victory and start a reopening frenzy-- a strategy to came back to bite many other states this Summer-- New York has approached this cautiously. While the city is filled with inventive outdoor dining options, indoor dining remains off-limits, as do other indoor activities... bars, museums, shopping malls. In short, outdoor activities are what the reopening strategy has revolved around. Besides restaurants, more parks have reopened, as have the botanical gardens, the zoos, and places like the grounds on Liberty Island. These reopenings follow new normals: masks required, limits on capacity (enforced by timed tickets acquired in advance), social distancing markers, and sometimes temperature checks.

    I recently visited four great NYC attractions to experience first-hand how each is handling our COVID world.

    1. Empire State Building, 86th Floor observation deck:
    The observation decks, it has been observed, could be seen as somewhat of a cheat. The decks themselves are technically an outdoor activity, but anyone who has visited knows that all the security and queueing are all indoors (over several floors), and have museum-like features built in to them. So, yes, you will be moving through the inside of the building. The good news is that, for now, almost no one is visiting these sites. I'd visit sooner rather than later, before that changes.

    As before, you enter for the observatory on 34th St. Before you enter, an employee scans your temperature. Their site states a temperature of lower than 100.4°F is needed for entry. After you are cleared to enter, you proceed the usual way up around to the 2nd floor, and go through security. All employees you encounter inside are wearing masks, many wearing face-shields as well. Before you go all the way up, you proceed through the usual hallways filled with historical images and videos about the building. They even make you stop for the usual green-screen photo (in which I was shockingly encouraged to take my mask off for a better photo!). I'd insist on skipping that part when you visit. Normally, these are busy spaces/queues, but right now, I had it to myself, save for a nearby group getting a private tour from staff. Not sure what it would look/feel, comfort-wise, if they were at their full (under new limitations) capacity, however. But when I went, the emptiness was a comfort (though doubtful a great comfort for them financially). Finally, you get to the elevators. This is all a touchless experience, as the employees have clickers that control each elevator. Elevators are also limited to 4 persons max, with little decals on the floor of each elevator instructing the 4 riders to face one of the corners as they go up. When you are finally at the top, decals on the deck remind you to observe social distancing from other visitors.

    I had the benefit of a largely clear day, and really liked the freedom to enjoy the space with only a handful of other visitors present. If you dislike someone hogging the exact spot(s) you wanted to take photos from, this is an obvious benefit.

    After you leave, the elevator situation is the same as going up... touchless, and maximum of 4 passengers. Due to the low crowds, going both up and down I had my own private elevator. As before, the elevator dumps out back onto the 2nd floor where the corridor takes you right to the gift shop (open for business!). The restrooms by the gift shop were also open. Then, either out into Walgreens, or down the escalator into the main 5th Avenue lobby.

    I would add that, all throughout the experience, hand sanitizer stations were plentiful.

    2. Top of the Rock
    Today, I had the pleasure of being the first paying customer to enter the 70th floor observation deck at 30 Rock since March!

    At opening, there was only a small crowd of maybe around 10 people waiting to be part of this reopening. It was a very similar experience to the Empire State Building. You enter on 50th St, where a temperature check is mandatory before going inside. Then upstairs you go, and through security. Past that, the usual corridors of Rockefeller Center historic photos, infographics, and videos. You can easily skip all this, without any staff trying to take a souvenir photo fortunately. Or, like ESB, with almost no else there, you have also a rare chance to take your time and really explore these displays if you prefer. Elevators here too were limited to a max of 4 passengers, though again I had my own private elevator going up and down. Hand sanitizer stations aplenty (my favorite: the foamy kind!). All staff you encounter are wearing masks, but no face-shields like at ESB. Staff was very friendly and inviting. Once again, decals on the outside decks promote distancing.

    Here too you have the benefit of enjoying the photogenic views without the huge crowds.

    After heading back down, you of course proceed through the gift shop in the concourse to exit (the gift shop upstairs on the deck was closed when I visited).

    3. The High Line
    This is probably the most changed experience of the four I am covering. Timed tickets are required in advance, and may be acquired, free of charge, through the High Line website. Some some-day walk-up tix may be available, but I'd recommend securing yours in advance. Masks are, of course, required. It also now operates one-way (south to north)... with the only entrance point being the southernmost one at Gansevoort Street. Staircases at 14th St, 16th St, 17th St, 20th St, and 23rd St, are all open and staffed, and are designated as exit only. The experience also now ends at 23rd St, at which point all guests must exit. They are currently raising funds to extend the reopening to 30th St... so I assume the current exit point is a staffing issue.

    This was, for me, the most complicated experience of the four in terms of my emotions. Obvious pro: the huge crowds that had increasingly made the High Line a sardine can-like experience at its narrowest points are all gone. Related con: that energy coming from the High Line being such a well-used public space is gone too. Reviews I've read this month indicate that, to most visitors this Summer, that pro far outweights the con.

    Once you are up on the High Line, the experience is mostly the same, minus most of the vendors. The benches were available to use, bathrooms open, gardens green and wild, welcome breezes coming off the Hudson River. Since my last tour up there in February, there was also noticeable development on the Lantern House and several of the other new developments surrounding the park. I took a leisurely stroll up.

    Another con for me on the very hot day I went: Rather than the convenience of ending at Hudson Yards-- where there is: a subway station, bathrooms, food options, etc-- exiting at 23rd St does mean that long walk from 10th Avenue to the nearest subway at 8th Avenue. Again, this may change later this year.

    4. Governors Island
    This is the experience that, to me, felt the least changed. One change: advance, timed tix are required for the ferry, on which they say they are limiting capacity. Tix cost $3 round-trip, though anyone with NYC ID can book for free (that part seemed to be on the honor system). The day I went (a hot, sunny Wednesday), the first ferry must've been at its new capacity, as the crowd lined up on South St to board felt close to a typical Summer weekday crowd. Someone comes through the queue to scan your ticket before boarding begins.

    Again, this was by far the busiest of these four attractions, and thus the one that felt... almost normal, for better or worse? Lots of biking, walking, picnics, journeys up the Hills, journeys down the slides, and general lounging. Governors Island has always been a fantastic Summer daycation spot, and its open harbor location still makes it a draw during this pandemic. It has also always drawn more locals than tourists.

    The big changes were that the NPS spots-- Castle Williams, and Fort Jay-- remained closed, and the non-profits/art groups that usually inhabit the Nolan Park homes were absent.

    Signs indicate that masks are required during your visit, and that was certainly true on the ferry. However, once on the island, the mask compliance was... a very mixed bag. People cycling, picnicing, enjoying a solitary rocking chair on a Nolan Park porch, etc, felt very comfortable removing their masks once settled into their activity. All this activity was outdoors, and fairly distanced, so there is that context to that behavior. Still, a fair warning to those avoiding places with dubious mask compliance. All staff I encountered, however, were wearing masks.

    Conclusion:
    New York's slow reopening is clearly being done with safety in mind at the forefront. I do have to hope, however, that the city will do whatever it takes to save all the institutions, attractions, and businesses that remain closed in order to do the right thing.  I would add that the reports above can only speak to my own comfort level, and everyone's mileage still varies in terms of what type of places and experiences they feel comfortable with at this time. But I hope I have given a better look into what visiting these spaces is like at this time.

    Stay safe, and stay New York Tough!

  3. August 5 Monthly GANYC Meeting

    GANYC held its August membership meeting last night online. Thanks to all who virtually attended!

    In light of everything that has occurred in 2020, the meeting was largely an open forum allowing members to ask questions of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs about GANYC, tour guiding in the new normal, and anything else relevant to our industry.

    The meeting began with some remarks from Board Members, including a review of the results of the recent GANYC Membership Survey. We also spoke to changes to GANYC's by-laws, heard numerous Committee reports, and received an update on Tour Your Own City.

    We also heard from Moxi , a GANYC Industry Partner.
     

  4. Spotlight on Industry Partner: MOXI

    Introducing GANYC industry partner -- Andy Dalton, of MOXI

    Website: https://www.wehavemoxi.com/

    Email

    Social Media: Facebook / Instagram


    =================================


    What year did your business open?

    We launched our mobile app in early 2020.

    What drove you to work or create this company/organization?

    MOXI's CEO & Founder, Evelyne Kanakis, has worked as both a full-time professional and as a freelancer during her tenure as a user experience designer. It became clear to her that there was a significant gap in the market. There are the really robust accounting software tools that are most often too complex for freelancers. There are traditional banking applications that are well-suited for personal financial management, but not for running your own business. And there are payment solutions like Venmo, but they don't have many (or any) other helpful features. This realization led her to Harvard Business School, where she studied the growing Gig Economy in great detail and launched MOXI. Our mission is to be a financial solution that freelancers actually need.


    Can you tell us a little about your ideal customer?

    MOXI's ideal customer is a freelancer, solo-preneur, or independent worker who either runs their own business full-time or does gig work on the side.Examples include graphic designers, copyeditors, people who work on film/television crews .... and tour guides! These people are responsible for running their own business, including the management of their finances. They need a tool that helps them invoice their clients, manage their expenses, and all of that other "fun" stuff. That's where we come in.

    What is the most gratifying part of your work?

    There are really two things that come to mind. First and foremost, we love to help people. We know dealing with finances is flat out challenging and, quite frankly, boring. Being able to offload some of that stress from our users is deeply gratifying. Second, we love to learn about the different type of work that all of our users do. We want to uplift and highlight the work of our users as much as we can!


    Has your company or organization been featured in print, broadcast (tv or radio) or online media?

    We love to work with our partners to create content (often in the form of tips/advice) that is helpful and informative for their members. Here are some examples - https://www.freelancefounders.com/blog/howtogetclients & https://www.productionhub.com/blog/post/a-couple-of-financial-tips-a-message-of-hopefulness

     
    Any fun stories or favorite moments you can share about why you love working at your business?
     

    There have been plenty of late nights, last minute fire-drills, and all of those "fun" things for us since we started MOXI. I don't know if there's any one particular item that stands out, but I do want to spend just a bit of time articulating why you should give us a look. We're a small team and are committed to making MOXI the best for our community. We want your feedback. We value what's important to you. If we're not serving you, we're not doing our job. So, please, give us a look and let us know what you think. We're here for all of it.



    For more info, visit: https://www.wehavemoxi.com/

  5. GANYC President Discusses Tours Returning on PIX11

    GANYC President Emma Guest-Consales was on PIX11 News last night, to discuss the ways in which tour guiding has adapted to the current crisis, and how outdoor tours for locals can be a safe and fun way to get outside this Summer.

    You can read the article, and watch video of the segment here:
     

    PIX11: Tourism industry prepares for a different NYC summer

  6. NYC Tourism Begins Its Reopening

    Ready or not, here they come!

    New York cautiously enters Phase 4 of reopening this coming Monday. Many NYC attractions are preparing reopenings under different circumstances than before... limited entry, timed tickets required, most with mask requirements. Those reopened already include Governors Island, and the September 11th Memorial. More coming in the next two weeks include: Liberty Island (likely grounds only for now), The High Line, The Empire State Building, The Edge at Hudson Yards, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory, the New York Botanic Garden, the city's zoos and aquarium, with other institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art following toward the end of August.

    While the recovery will be slow to come, many of our member guides will be ready to provide safe and memorable experiences in the neighborhoods around the city to locals looking to re-discover New York in the coming weeks and months.

    Please remember to see GANYC's Health & Safety Guidelines on our website for our official recommendations on how guides, tour operators, and guests should be conducting themselves while exploring New York, in order to continue the safe efforts that helped our state have the most impressive turnaround in a nation still sadly in the grip of this pandemic.

    GANYC has been preparing toward this moment for months, and we will continue to work and advocate on behalf of our members and the economically crucial NYC tourism industry.

  7. GANYC's Alessia Nencioni on The Low Season!

    GANYC was contacted this Spring by a Berlin-based tour guide who, in his pandemic-era downtime, is now conducting a podcast series called The Low Season in which he interviews tour guides. Dozens of guides from around the world have shared their stories during these past few months! A few GANYC members spoke with host Wouter Bernhardt for this project.

    The first of these to air is with our very own Alessia Nencioni. Listen here: Low Season - Episode 43.

    You can also listen to/download the podcast episode with Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Castbox, or Spotify.

  8. July 1 Monthly GANYC Meeting

    Here is video of our July membership meeting... thanks to all who virtually joined us yesterday evening!

    We centered the meeting around a wonderful panel discussion on "Diversity in Tour Guiding in NYC". Our guests were:

    We also received an update from GANYC's Health and Safety Task Force, which is finalizing our own protocols for NYC guides to safely return to work this Summer.

    VP Michael Morgenthal and Megan Marod updated members on the impending launch of Tour Your Own City later this month, which will market walking tours to locals looking to re-discover this great city, and help us support our small businesses.

    Finally, several Committees provided reports on the great work that they have been doing on behalf of our members.
     

  9. New York Reopening, and What It Means For Guides

    GANYC continues to work to be a leader in the NYC tourism industry, as we all work toward what is sure to be a long recovery for guides in this COVID world (among other efforts, we remain a proud Allied Organization member of the NYC & Company Coalition for NYC Hospitality & Tourism Recovery). GANYC has formed its own internal subcommittee on Healthy & Safety Protocols, to give our own approved advice on how guides can most safely prepare a return to work. This report will be published soon. Finally, the development of our Tour Your Own City initiative is in its final phases, and we plan to officially roll this out within the next couple of weeks, with full details at our July 1 online membership meeting.

    The good news is that GANYC has confirmed that tour operators can return in New York (with restrictions) in our current Phase 2 environment. We encourage all tourism-based companies and guides in NY to explore the New York Forward Business Reopening Lookup Wizard to see what can be open and what cannot:

    https://www.businessexpress.ny.gov/app/nyforward

    What is currently allowed? "Outdoor guides: permitted so long as personal contact is minimized and social distancing protocols, including acceptable face covering when individuals are less than six feet apart from one another, are adhered to by all parties." Vehicle-based tours, and indoor tours, are still restricted, and we believe they will not be able to return until Phase 4. We will keep everyone updated as we learn more.

    The site also notes that "in order to be fully compliant, you must develop a business safety plan." Companies/guides/operators should read the following page of guidelines, and you may fill out the affirmation at the bottom:

    https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/offices-interim-guidance.pdf

    You will then access the following safety plan template:

    https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdf

    This will all help you understand New York state guidelines, and help you prepare and think through the best and safest way to return to operating while the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine or treatment, hopefully early next year. We thank all our members for their support, and please know that GANYC will continue to work to stay up to date on all regulations and changes that affect the guiding profession.

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GANYC is an association of independent tour guides. Each member is licensed by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. GANYC provides a listing of all member guides to the public. GANYC is not liable, or responsible, for contractual obligations made between clients and tour guides. GANYC stands for Guides Association Of New York City.
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