Categories: Articles,
Dutch father and son Theo and Oualid Riddersma recently fulfilled a lifelong dream to visit New York City, and a visit to Harlem topped their must-see list. They contacted Big Apple Greeter (www.bigapplegreeter.org) and met long-time volunteer Greeter Ellen Gasnick who explored Harlem with them.
Big Apple Greeter is a not-for-profit organization that works to enhance New York City’s worldwide image and enrich the city experience by connecting visitors with knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers like Ellen. Volunteer Greeters give visitors a warm welcome, taking them to less-visited neighborhoods, sharing with them everything from favorite shops and hidden away parks to how to use the subway. Volunteers love making new friends from all over the world and feel great supporting their favorite neighborhoods. A bonus: seeing their home town through visitors’ eyes.
Harlem is a popular neighborhood for visitors, and Big Apple Greeter is eager to recruit more Harlem residents to be Greeters. Greeters are not tour guides; they act as new friends who love to share their favorite areas of the city in an informal, unscripted way.
Ellen lives in Queens, but she loves Harlem so much that she frequently shares the neighborhood’s highlights with visitors. On a recent January morning, Ellen met Theo and Oualid at the corner of Lenox Avenue and 116th Street before they attended the gospel service at Canaan Baptist Church of Christ.
The trio visited a nearby coffee shop after the service before taking a long walk to explore more of Harlem. After a stroll through the Malcolm Shabazz African Market, Ellen Theo, and Oualid walked to Marcus Garvey Park and took in the beautiful row houses and churches in the Mount Morris Historic District. They visited local shops and supermarkets because, like most visitors, Theo and Oualid had many questions about everyday life in Harlem. They ended with a walk along 125th Street and a visit to the Walk of Fame in front of the Apollo Theater.
Since 1992, Big Apple Greeter’s free service has helped thousands of visitors each year discover the city’s ethnically and culturally diverse neighborhoods through the eyes of those who love them best – New Yorkers. Greeters have met more than 185,000 visitors from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Big Apple Greeter is a small program that has a significant impact on New York City and New Yorkers. Visitors who meet a Greeter get a great orientation to the city and become comfortable exploring off-the-beaten-tourist-path neighborhoods on their own. Armed with a Greeter’s personal recommendations – many in those less-frequented neighborhoods – most visitors will patronize locally-owned shops, dining establishments, and cultural attractions and institutions that they may not have known about or considered.
With Harlem on the wish list for many visitors to the city, adding more people who live in and know the area well will allow Big Apple Greeter to introduce more visitors to the neighborhood’s rich history, vibrant culture, and warm and welcoming spirit. Consider volunteering to be a Big Apple Greeter. To apply, go to our wesite www.bigapplegreeter.org.
Notifications