I cannot recommend this tour highly enough, both for tourists and residents of New York. I’ve lived in Brooklyn for almost 10 years and have always been fascinated by the Hasidic Jewish community. Frieda grew up in this environment, and so can speak from personal experience about traditions as well as their day to day life.
Whilst you can of course walk around South Williamsburg without a guide, you will be extremely limited in what you can learn or see, without someone to provide expertise and show you the best bakeries! I still have so much to learn and would definitely consider doing this tour again. I’d also be interested to learn about the other Hasidic communities in Borough Park and Crown Heights.
I was definitely mindful to be respectful of people around me and so didn’t want to take unsolicited photos or stare, however it was definitely our tour group that was the novelty, and people in the community were generally happy to see and interact with us. We also took the tour over a Jewish Holiday, so everyone was dressed in their best clothes and Shtreimels. There were also makeshift Sukkahs everywhere. It was great to see, but definitely worth revisiting when it’s not a holiday to get a different perspective.
I’ll be recommending a tour with Frieda to all of my future guests who want to learn more about Hasidic Brooklyn.