Everyone knows the best way to explore a new city is with a native, but that's not always possible. You can get on a tour bus but riding on a double-decker isn't really an authentic city experience. There are walking tours, but nobody wants to look like a tourist, even when you are one. Candide Media Works' Talking Street,Nc tours are walking tours you take alone, on your cell phone, whenever you want, at your own pace. It's the first walking tour of New York that a New Yorker might want to take.
The first tour launched in September 2003, which features the Lower East Side, narrated by Jerry Stiller. Frank Costanza would be hard to take for a long long walk, yes, but listen to a sample, he's really restrained and just animated enough to keep you listening. The newest tour, just launched this week, called The Rise of New York: Lower Manhattan and World Trade Center Site is narrated by New Yorker Sigourney Weaver. The tour has 16 stops and traces the history of the neighborhood from colonial days to the current re-building. You can do the 2-minute stops in any order you like, even over several days (up to a week) if you don't feel like walking for a couple of hours at a stretch.
The Rise of New York is $5.95 but all tour profits will be donated to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. You can listen to a sample and order the tour at 212-586-TOUR (8687) and online ordering will be available soon at Talking Street.