This was my 4th visit to NYC and my first chance to visit Brooklyn so we really wanted to learn some history about the place, whilst at the same time exploring the area in a fun, relaxed and interesting way. We chose Made in Brooklyn tours based on all the glowing reviews and even though I wasn't sure whether the tour would go ahead if there were only 2 of us booked onto it, Dom was kind enough to run it regardless so we ended up with a private tour of Dumbo purely by chance - once you meet Dom, you'll see why this is such a treat and it coincided with the day before my birthday too.
We did learn a lot about the history of Dumbo, its importance in the past, the way it has regenerated and the changes that have evolved but we learned it all from a born and bred Brooklyn dweller. Dom is able to give the history and information which the benefit of a personal local perspective. In addition to the history, he is so passionate about supporting local Brooklyn businesses, especially those that create and showcase local homegrown talents. Part of his tour led us to artisan chocolate shops, beautiful unique jewellery and fashion stores, meeting a local street artist at his own studio, having just seen the street art murals and recommendations of fabulous local pizzerias that Brooklyn is so famed for. No one at any stage put us under pressure to buy anything, some of the items at these stores were so beautiful that I couldn't help but treat myself! At the chocolate store, we were given some delicious tastings too - the hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookie were heavenly!
He also knows some of the best viewpoints in Dumbo for great photographs and views, many of which we may well not have found ourselves. It really doesn't feel like going on a guided tour - it feels more like hanging out with a friend who knows loads about the area and loves to share his passion for it. Dom's passion for Brooklyn is so apparent and it's one of those tours that left us feeling like we want to up and move and live in Brooklyn too!
Next time I return to NYC, I am keen to do either the Made in Brooklyn Williamsburg or Red Hook tour and I believe he may be working on some new tours too in future so we will be eagerly awaiting these too. If you love finding beautiful independent loccal creative businesses, just want an intro into Brooklyn or to take in the area with more context or history, I highly recommend booking this tour to do that.