New York City Sightseeing Tours - OnBoard Tours » NYC Things to Do

The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival

admin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:12:15 +0000

(August 28th, Marcus Garvey Park; 124th St at Mount Morris Park West; August 29th, Tompkins Square Park on August 29; 3p.m.; Free)
The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival commemorates the amazing late saxophone player Charlie Parker for his contributions to jazz music. On Saturday August 28th, the festival will be held in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem to listen to the sounds from The Bandwagon, JD Allen Trio and more. Then on Sunday, travel down to the Tompkins Square Park to enjoy music from more amazing artists like James Moody, Jimmy Scott and Catherine Russell. For more information, visit www.summerstage.org.

The West-Indian American Day Parade

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:50:04 +0000

(Labor Day, Monday, September 7; 11a.m.-6p.m.; Begins: Utica Ave. & Eastern Parkway, Ends: Grand Army Plaza)
The West-Indian American Day Parade is one of New York City’s most celebrated parades which attracts an enormous spectator base consisting of over 2 million people. The parade is most well known for its gorgeous costume displays and big name performances. There will also be an excellent selection of West Indian cuisine hailing from various Caribbean islands and numerous cultural activities. Be sure to get here early to secure a great seat somewhere close to the Brooklyn Museum.

Brooklyn’s Own: Coney Island

admin — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:12:29 +0000

The Summer isn’t over yet, stop by legendary Brooklyn hangout, Coney Island. The Island is infamous for its great hot dogs , amusement park complete with giant roller coasters, boardwalk, Mermaid Parade and a lot more. Coney Island boasts amazing activities, restaurants and bars like New York style pizzeria Totonno’s. The seaside getaway which is located a mere hour from the heart of New York City is home to a number of great activities for the entire family to enjoy including the Cyclone roller coaster and the New York Aquarium. To savor some final Summer fun along this sunny coast, check out some of the activities listed below. Contact OnBoard Tours to set up a private tour to Coney Island!

Friday Night Fireworks at Coney Island
(End September 3, 2010; 5th & 21st Sts.; Coney Island, Brooklyn; 9:30pm.; www.coneyislandfunguide.com)
Beer Island will be showcasing a brilliant display of fireworks going off above the Coney Island coast. For $26, Luna Park will be offering a four hour pass for unlimited rides around the theme park so you can actually take a ride on the much discussed Cyclone rollercoaster. The free fireworks display can be seen from the boardwalk so stop by with the entire family.

The Coney Island Rockabilly Festival
(September 3-6, 2010; $5-10 per event, $15 per day; Visit www.myspace.com/cockabillyrecordsnyc for details)
The Coney Island Rockabilly Festival is a fun filled event which features great food and live entertainment from local bands Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. There will also be a Miss Pin Up Coney Island contest. For more information on the event, visit www.myspace.com/cockabillyrecordsnyc.

Six Cool Things to Do at Night in NYC

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 22:14:54 +0000

One of the best ways to tour The Big City is under the stealthy cover of the night which allows careful avoiding of the massive crowds of tourists. Why not plan an evening tour of NYC where visitors can bask in the glory of the bright city lights, cool breeze and the amazing nightlife that New York City is renowned for?

1) Take the NY See The Lights! Tour from OnBoard Tours. It starts at 7pm every night. Eat ice cream under the Brooklyn Bridge while gazing at the lights of lower Manhattan.

2) Take a nighttime stroll through Central Park for The American Museum of Natural History’s Evening Bat Walks where bat experts will point out various species of bats present in the park. (American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St.; www.amnh.org; Fri 16, July 23, 30 8:30-9:30pm; $30).

3) Join The Amateur Astronomer’s Association to gaze at the beautiful stars and planets through advanced telescopes in the High Line. (The High Line at 10thAve. & 14th St.; Tuesdays now through October, 8:30p.m.- 10p.m.; free; www.thehighline.org).

4) Another great nighttime activity is joining Time Up sponsored Moonlight Rides in Central and Prospect Park where visitors can enjoy the scenic natural beauty of the parks without the distraction of daytime crowds. (Central Park: Meeting place at Columbus Circle, southwest corner of Central Park & 59th St.; First Friday of every month, 10p.m.; free; Prospect Park: Meet at Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park West at Union St, Park Slope, Brooklyn. Second Saturday of every month, 9pm; free; www.times-up.org).

5) Or perhaps you are better suited for a trip to Coney Island for their Full Moon Ride which entails a pitch black roller coaster ride in the dead of the night during the full moon of the lunar cycle. (Coney Island Cyclone, 834 Surf Ave at 8th St, Coney Island, Brooklyn; coneyislandcyclone.com).

6) Book a private night time tour with Onboard Tours and plan your own itinerary or enjoy a few of the above activities.

7) Try out some infamous restaurants with amazing dinner menus including the likes of Serendipity, Balthazar or Mario Battali’s eateries Lupa or Babbo.

This page is brought to you by Satellite Direct Review.

The Self High Five Machine

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:06:43 +0000

In her piece Self High Five Machine Deniz Ozuygur examines her grade-school memory of the high five as the ultimate symbol of acceptance and popularity. Having been on the wrong end of too many “missed it!” and “too slow!” high fives, the artist takes the matter into her own hands. (Ha!)
Using two rubber casts of her right arm, Ozuygur attempts her own D.I.Y solution. One arm remains static as the other is attached to a motor. The motor rotates at a speed of only one rotation per minute. This cinematic slow-motion effect builds suspense and excitement in the audience.
However, all does not end well. The Self High five Machine produces a less than satisfying brush of the fingers. Yet many optimistic onlookers remain, in the hopes that the next one will be just right…

This article is brought to you by Haier Portable Air Conditioners.

NY Party Shuttle Bar Crawl

admin — Sun, 09 May 2010 06:10:45 +0000

It’s THE thing to do in NYC. Ride the New York Party Shuttle to visit fantastic bars, pubs, dance clubs, and more! Greenwich Village, Times Square, Meat Packing District, and More! VIP access to clubs, drink specials, reduced or waived cover charges, and more. It pays for itself. Convenient access to buses, trains, and hotels. Visit Agave for the best margaritas in New York. Visit Webster Hall, one of the top dance clubs in the city. Click on the title of this post for a link to more info.

Historic Harlem in New York City

admin — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:47:49 +0000

Lying between the East River and the Hudson River, the New York neighborhood of Harlem is adjacent to Washington Heights and Central Park, and is made up of numerous smaller neighborhoods such as Hamilton Heights, Sugar Hill, Manhattanville, and Spanish Harlem, the latter of which is the best known.

Although it became world famous in the twentieth century as the Mecca for African-American arts, when Harlem was founded it was a Dutch village, named after the Old World city Haarlem in the Netherlands. When annexed by New York in 1873, Harlem was but an area of declining farm lands, but the extension of the elevated railroads in the late 1880s, and later the subway system, brought rapid urban development to the neighborhood. Within 40 years, Harlem burgeoned with apartment buildings and brownstone townhomes; sports teams such as the New York Giants called Harlem “home”; and Harlem had become the scene of the African-American literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.

The decades of the 1920s and ‘30s defined Harlem as a literary center. Writers such as Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes gave voice to the African-American experience as not only a distinct literary genre, but as an important platform for the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s.

The most famous Harlem landmark of the Golden Age of Jazz was the Cotton Club, where jazz greats such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday performed regularly. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, beat poets gathered in local venues to perform their latest creations. Today, a tour through the streets of Harlem takes one past some of the most significant music and literary historic landmarks in the country. Today, the historic Apollo Theater continues Harlem’s legacy as a Mecca for African-American music.

There are a number of tours you can take to see historic Harlem. Contact our customer service ambassadors, and they will help you plan your visit.

New York City

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 02:00:54 +0000

What’s the best way to check out New York City? On a sightseeing tour, of course. We recommend the NY See It All! Tour, which includes a five-hour bus and walking tour, as well as a one-hour yacht cruise on the Zephyr to see the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building from the water.

Get a VIP Luxury Private Tour

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:58:03 +0000

Our Luxury SUVs and Limousines make fantastic private tour vehicles. We recommend our Mercedes SUV as the perfect vehicle for groups of four. We’ll give you your own driver and tour guide, so you won’t have to worry about parking. Select your own itinerary. Want to stop for a nice lunch? No problem. Want to stop and shop on 5th Avenue or in Chinatown? No problem. You decide what you’ll see and for how long, or we can recommend an itinerary based on your preferences. Includes hotel pickup and dropoff.

Mom Rides Free on Mother’s Day!

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:12:49 +0000

Bring your Mother to take a tour on Sunday, May 9, 2010, and she can ride for free on the NY See The Shops! Tour, the NY See The Lights! Tour, or the NY See It All! Tour at 8:30am and 3pm. Call our office at 212-852-4821 to book. Advance reservations only. Not valid with other offers.