This 2.5 hour walking tour around the Midtown Manhattan shows-and-tells the fascinating stories of holdouts—the intriguing side effect of Manhattan's pressure cooker real estate industry: when a property owner (or lease holder) refused to sell to a developer, forced them to rework their plans, and forever changed the city streetscape. Stories, like the elderly lady who never knew any other home; or the poker player-like landlord who overplayed his hand; or the restauranteur whose long term lease (justifiably) demanded budget-busting sums, all add a human dimension to these transactional anomalies. And personal stories that were otherwise lost, are awesomely amplified by the everlasting impression left behind: seemingly ill-planned entrances for skyscrapers, odd shaped buildings, 20-story tall notches in office towers, are just some of the 16 examples of holdouts we'll see.
This tour is based on the book, Holdouts! By Alpern and Durst.
Posted By : 702lorir
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.
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Posted On : 2024-02-04 09:12:02 
Posted By : Jonah_H
Guide is very knowledgeable and funny! I'll never see Manhattan the same way again. I can't recommend this tour enough!
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Posted On : 2023-11-17 12:20:31 
Posted By : 683beverlys
We had such a great time!! Our guide was so extremely knowledable and we learned so much!!
Thank you!!
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Posted On : 2023-11-02 13:22:04
Posted By : aisling_c
Thank you Rob - we really enjoyed the Holdouts tour it was very informative. It was great to walk around and enjoy the city.
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Posted On : 2020-03-16 07:12:35
Posted By : Tracy_F
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.
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Posted On : 2020-02-24 06:30:19
Posted By : Bouwensc
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.
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Posted On : 2019-10-17 19:00:33
Posted By : Urmyy
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!
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Posted On : 2019-10-16 21:37:07
Posted By : hockey6767
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.
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Posted On : 2019-10-09 08:51:02
Posted By : ginandre
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?
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Posted On : 2019-10-01 22:54:11
Posted By : co4at
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 !
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Posted On : 2019-08-15 07:53:04
