Drizzle, yes; downpour, no. Hot, yes; insanely hot, no. Brisk cold, yes; bone-chilling, no. The tour voicemail (718-393-7537) will be updated at least two hours before the tour with a decision

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They're not geared to children, though some have come along. Energetic and particularly curious teens might enjoy them.

There are a few less expensive tours in New York, and many that are more expensive. However, those cheaper tours usually last 2 hours, not 2.5 hours. As for private tours, prices may be significantly higher on a per person basis, depending on the size of the group, but my rates are well within the range among city guides.
 

Sure. We can provide either of our standard tours for groups. We recommend Brooklyn 101 or Brownstone Brooklyn as good basic introductions. Also, we can modify those tours and also provide tours of other parts of New York (see our Lower East Side page). Price depends on the number of people and the specifics of the tour.
 

Tips are neither solicited nor expected. Then again, they're not refused. Most people don't tip. That's fine. Some tip when all I do is give a good tour, and some don't tip when they get much extra  guidance. Go figure.
 

The Transit Museum, housed in a defunct 1936 subway station in downtown Brooklyn, is one of the city's gems. We won't visit it unless it's a special group request, because admission is now $5 extra (previously $3) and it's worth a separate visit before or after a tour.

Most places where tourists go are quite safe and crime has been decreasing. Still, this is a city; visitors should be more vigilant at night and when venturing further from known neighborhoods or institutions. That doesn't mean you should avoid the subway (which is full of people at night). You appear less vulnerable if you 1) walk with a sense of purpose 2) don't  wear "New York" t-shirts 3) don't flaunt cameras and 4) don't stroll down a crowded street 2/3/4 abreast. That annoys us. Nothing untoward has happened to anyone on my tours (other than fatigue).
 

It's a good mix. Some participants are Brooklynites or Manhattanites who have yet to explore Brooklyn. Others are from the suburbs. Some are tourists from other parts of America who want something different. And some are from abroad. It all depends.
 

We do bus tours on request. As for languages, sorry, but I'm a typical American. That means I learned some foreign languages in school but never managed fluency. You can find multilingual guides via the Guides Association of New York (GANYC), of which I'm a member.
 

Well, I drive, but guiding takes a lot of concentration, so another driver is required. If you're a small group and have a car, I can join you or suggest a car service or limo to hire. If you'd like a bus tour, you have to supply the bus/driver, though I can suggest some options.
 

There are still memorials at the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which we visit on the "Brooklyn 101" and "Brownstone Brooklyn" tours. The view, of course, is of the Manhattan skyline.
 

We're working on that, but we wish to maintain quality control (and sanity). If you have any suggestions or requests, please let us know.
 

A brownstone is a row house clad in brown sandstone, popular in 19th century Brooklyn. But "Brownstone Brooklyn" is a term (thank you, real estate agents) that refers to row house neighborhoods built in the 19th and early 20th centuries, including limestone and brick buildings. Brownstone Brooklyn organizations like the Park Slope Civic Council and the Brooklyn Heights Association offer house tours in spring, the Saturday before Mother's Day and the Sunday after Mother's Day, respectively. 

Nope. Try the Chassidic Discovery Welcome Center.

Well, we use the royal "we" (or perhaps just the voice of the New Yorker's old "Talk of the Town"). This is currently the work of one person, Norman Oder, with the advice and input of some friends.

Well, we have branched out beyond Brooklyn tours to Manhattan's Lower East Side. Most importantly, "like a native" implies a New Yorker's sense of pace: faster than, say, Dubuque. The concept of "like a native," of course, would vary--at the least, we aim to avoid dumbed-down tourist slickness.

It takes a long time for some sites to incorporate updated information we send them. Don't blame us. The nylikeanative.com URL works as a basic redirect to the site. Please use that web address.
 

I might, depending on how much time I have, but you should try some research of your own. If it takes some research, I may even ask you to pay--I can bill you via PayPal.
 

Nope--this is a one-guide operation. Guides must pass the licensing exam given by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.