About tour guide Norman Oder
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In the 1990s, I began leading family/friends on informal tours of Brooklyn. My goal: to lead the type of energetic, interesting tours I'd take myself, with a sense of urban history, a dash of architecture and urban planning, and a general air of curiosity. After founding New York Like a Native in 2000 with one tour, I've added many more neighborhoods, thanks to visitor requests and my own curiosity.
I've led tours for college groups (CUNY, NYU, Pratt, Hobart & William Smith, Univ. of Richmond, McGill, etc), the Municipal Art Society, the urban affairs magazine City Limits, library groups, State Department visitors, urban planners, seniors groups, singles organizations, temple/Jewish groups, a Polish-American cultural festival, and many individuals, couples, and small/large groups. New York Like a Native is a member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. I'm a licensed New York City tour guide (with an exemplary score on the exam, though it's not too relevant to my tours). I've long been a member of the Guides Association of NYC. Here are my basic tips for visitors to Brooklyn. I've been a journalist for 30+ years; I now write about urban issues for local and national publications. Since 2005, I've written an influential watchdog blog, Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park Report, about the controversial real estate development that includes the Barclays Center. I'm working on a book about the project. I interviewed author Suleiman Osman to explore How Brownstone Brooklyn Emerged. In March 2016, I wrote that Distorting Downtown Brooklyn's Past Can Only Obscure Its Future. I even dissected the myth that "one in seven Americans" can purportedly trace their roots to Brooklyn. In September 2019, I interviewed author Thomas Campanella about his book Brooklyn: the Once and Future City. Born in Brooklyn and educated at public schools on Long Island, I studied political science at Yale, though an architecture class taught by the legendary Vincent Scully catalyzed my interest in urbanism. I returned to Brooklyn in 1991 after some detours: journalism in West Virginia, a fellowship for journalists at Yale Law, a stint in South Africa. Over the decades, I've lived in four Brooklyn neighborhoods, sought apartments in many more neighborhoods, and explored all around (but I'm still learning). Follow me on Instagram. See reviews by tour participants on TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Google. 
Touring Greenpoint. Photo: Paulina Jędrzejewska
Comments from tour participants“I greatly appreciated the time and effort you took. Obviously, your kindness and passion for what you do shows in the quality of the tour. When I come back to New York, I will book your services again.”— Reid Acree, Salisbury, NC “His knowledge is intimate and impressive.”— Up Magazine (WestJet), June 2014 “Williamsburg is such a diverse neighborhood, and it even becomes more so with Norman. You could wander through the streets without noticing the hidden treasures that Norman points out. It’s a great workout, too.”— Phil Encz, New York We all had a great time and everyone is singing your praises as a tour guide.”— Joan Hume, Westport Public Library, CT |
Shirt: NYC Transit Museum.
“Thanks so much for the excellent walking tour. The whole gang was impressed and had a great time. We’ll spread the word to others coming to the city in the future.”— Jim Fritzler, Hastings College, NE 
More comments from press/visitors“Norman gave us an intimate and informed private tour of Brooklyn—neighborhoods, architecture, history, food, and more—and did it in a way and time that worked best for our schedule.”— Dan Volkmer, Portland, OR “The New York Like a Native tour guide talks and walks fast, and expects you to hurry up and do the same. Not always easy, but you cover a lot of ground....”— New York Daily News, 6/22/03 "As the family was led by Brooklyn know-it-all Norman Oder..."--New York Daily News, 7/11/13 “We benefited and learned a lot from your depth of knowledge about the area. Apart from the fabulous brownstone buildings, my next favourite part was your flexibility that allowed us to ‘pop in’ to the Brooklyn Museum and see The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago.”— Annette Conroy, Canberra, Australia |