GO BEYOND TIMES SQUARE TO EXPERIENCE THE REAL NEW YORK

New Tourism Company Offers Customized Packages and Walking Tours
To Make the Most of Every New York Minute

NEW YORK, NY, February 3, 2004 -- To most visitors, New York is the bright lights of Times Square, the Empire State Building, Madison Avenue or Wall Street. A visit to New York is not complete without shopping, a visit to a museum or tickets to a Broadway show. But those are just the beginning. New York is, in fact, so much more. Now a new tour company, Beyond Times Square, will show residents and visitors the many different faces of the city’s five boroughs. Whether you want to experience the neighborhoods, culture, food, shopping, landmarks or sheer diversity of the city, Beyond Times Square will customize the experience.

Beyond Times Square offers an insider’s look at New York City. Its experienced guides go beyond the typical tourist spots to give an authentic New York experience. Four different packaged tours will highlight the landmarks of the city, historic New York, the foods of Manhattan and the art world of the city, offering something special and unique about each. For those who want to mix and match or have a yearning for something different, Beyond Times Square can customize group or individual tours. Whether it’s a day of gallery hopping or tour in one of New York’s many museums; a walking tour of the city’s architectural wonders; a bird walk in Central Park; visits to the Lower East Side, Chinatown or any of the city’s other ethnic neighborhoods, Beyond Times Square’s experienced guides can give an in-depth view. In the evening, sample one of New York’s fine restaurants then take in a show at Lincoln Center or on Broadway or spend the night at an intimate jazz club.

“Our goal is to show guests New York in ways others can’t,” said Eric Gordon, president, Beyond Times Square. “We look for new ways to see the city. We don’t just tell you about neighborhoods, we delve into them to find something special. Perhaps it’s a new gallery or a neighborhood with an interesting history, or simply a unique place to eat and soak in the atmosphere. Just tell us the things you enjoy most and we’ll put together a tour that incorporates them, with a real New York twist.”

Tours are based on two day/three night stays and include two days of tours, accommodations, breakfasts, lunches, a welcome dinner, private guides, bag porters, hotel taxes, all entrance fees and tips and taxes for meals. Beyond Times Square has partnerships with hotels throughout the city. Splurge on luxury accommodations at the Hotel Plaza Athenee or Lowell; relax in deluxe accommodations at the Kitano; enjoy more moderate rooms at the Gershwin; be a hipster at a boutique hotel like the W Union Square; or experience a more intimate New York at one of its many B&Bs and inns like the 1871 House on the Upper East side. Whatever type of accommodation you’re looking for, Beyond Times Square can arrange it.

Beyond Times Square is a tour and travel company that creates tour packages to the five boroughs of New York as well as individualized and group walking tours. Beyond Times Square services include hotel reservations and bookings, sightseeing tours, walking tours, theater and event tickets, airport transfers and chauffeured vehicles, private guides, restaurant suggestions and reservations, private meals, shopping and fashion consultants, lecturers and personal fitness trainers. Beyond Times Square also gives back to the city it showcases. A portion of the proceeds of each tour package go to the Fresh Air Fund and the Henry Street Settlement. For more information about Beyond Times Square or to book a package, log onto www.beyondtimessquare.com or call (800) 999-8160.