By Sky Fisher, Epicure & Culture Contributor
It can be difficult to find interesting activities that give back to local communities when traveling. Luckily, Visit.org has put together a collection of organizations that help locals while also providing immersive, cultural experiences for travelers. If you are traveling to or live in the New York City area, consider taking part in these rewarding and unique NYC tourism activities.
1. League of Kitchens
Price: $125 per person
Through League of Kitchens, visitors are welcomed into immigrant homes for a personal cooking experience. Participants learn about culture and cuisine from around the world while discovering more about local New York City neighborhoods. Workshops directly support immigrant instructors and are held on weekends only, lasting 2.5 to 5.5 hours.
Bonus: This is one of the top fun things to do in NYC by yourself, as the intimate nature of the experience makes it easy to meet locals and other visitors!
2. Green Map
Price: $20 per person
Green Map takes visitors on walking and biking tours of the Lower East Side and East Village, discussing sustainability techniques utilized used in each neighborhood along the way. Green Map aims to encourage viability and provide inspiration for these types of projects in other cities. Additionally, the excursion takes you past areas affected by Hurricane Sandy and social innovation sites. Each tour can be customized based on specific interests and needs.
3. Knock Knock Give A Sock
Price: $15 per person
Knock Knock Give a Sock is a non-profit helping visitors uncover some of the East Village’s best kept secrets, ending with a stop at Bowery Mission. Both Knock Knock Give a Sock and Bowery Mission serve the homeless and hungry in the city. Participants of the Knock Knock Give a Sock tour are asked to give back by donating a pair of socks at the end of the tour — an item in high demand for the homeless during winter.
4. Row New York
Price: $130 per person
Row New York teaches NYC’s underprivileged children the sport of rowing. The aim is to offer these children a healthy, positive outlet as well as teaching skills such as teamwork and commitment. Visitors to New York City can support this mission by participating in one of Row New York’s beginner rowing classes, held twice a month along the Harlem River.
5. Tenement Museum
Price: $25 per person
NYC’s Tenement Museum takes visitors back to the 19th century through six separate tours designed to show the important role immigrants played in Manhattan. The tours — which are held in family apartments at 97 Orchard — range from topics like Sweatshop Workers and Shop Life, and include the personal stories of Irish, Italian, German and Jewish immigrants.
By opening yourself up to local NYC tourism experiences such as these, you can learn more about the vast cultural influences as well as the innovation present in the Big Apple.
