Location New York City | Membership 389 | |
Formation 1974; 43 years ago (1974) Type Professional trade association Headquarters New York City, New York, United States Official language Multiple languages spoken by its member guides | ||
GANYC (Guides Association of New York City) is a non-profit organization and the professional trade association of licensed New York City tour guides, dedicated to promoting the highest degree of professionalism, continuing education, professional development and networking opportunities for its members. Its members are available for hire and provide a variety of tour guiding, escorting, managing and consulting services in many languages throughout the five boroughs of NYC. New York City tour guide licenses are issued by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. Established in 1974, it is one of the oldest tour guide associations in the United States. GANYC is a member of the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations.
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The organization has also acted as an aid in finding government assistance for its constituents. About one such noteworthy instance following the events of September 11, 2001, member Harry Matthews stated in relating how an organization official reached out ....." She gave guides explicit instructions at association meetings and through GANYC’s newsletter, Guidelines, enabling many to receive invaluable funds"'.... In the same article the author goes on to relate that....""According to the newsletter (Guidelines), having a business address in the southern region of Manhattan was originally required for assistance, but many independent guides like Mr. Matthews learned through GANYC how to argue that, while their address wasn’t on the streets of Lower Manhattan, their business was"....
The organization publishes the aforementioned newsletter "Guidelines" of which Dave Gardner is presently the editor-in-Chief. The Guides association of New York City's current President is Michael Dillinger.
History
GANYC was founded as the Multilingual Guides Association of New York City in 1974. In 1979 the organization changed its name to the Guides Association of New York City to better reflect its growing recognition outside of New York as the professional organization for tour guides in New York City. In 2012 GANYC began to hold its monthly meetings at various sites of historic and cultural significance and also introduced industry partner membership and strategic affiliations to more closely engage with businesses and organizations interested in supported tour guiding. Its membership provides tours in all five NYC boroughs and covers approximately 10% of all New York City sightseeing guide licensees.
GANYC Apple Awards
Each year GANYC honors the best in New York City culture, preservation and tourism. In 2015 the first GANYC Apple Awards was held at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. At this event among the nominees and recipients, the artist James Turrell was honored with a lifetime achievement award. Other awardees at the gala which were given to individuals and organizations as chosen from groups of nominees were; tour guide Justin Ferate (New York City Walking Tours), the Friends of the High Line, Christopher Gray and his Streetscapes column for the New York Times, William Helmreich and his book The New York Nobody Knows: 6,000 Miles In The City, The Museum of the City of New York‘s exhibition Palaces For the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural tile, Kathleen O’Connor from the New York Historical Society, Russ & Daughters, the Lower East Side appetizing shop celebrating its 100 years of business in 2014 and Kevin Walsh and the website he founded "Forgotten NY". The award ceremony was held just three days after the passing of the namesake and principal benefactor of the theater in which it was held, Mr. Nimoy. Therefore it was fitting that one of the presenters Ethel Sheffer, the widow of Isaiah Sheffer at whose production, Selected Shorts the famed portrayer of Star Trek first officer and Vulcan, Spock would often appear in at the theater would in turn pay tribute to him at this gala also held at the venue.
The second annual GANYC Apple Awards were held on March 7, 2016 once again at the Leonard Nimoy theater at Symphony Space. Among those honored were Jazz chanteuse Marjorie Eliot with the Lifetime achievement award and tour guide and urban historian Lee Gelber, received the organization's inaugural "Guiding Spirit Award". Once again other awards at the gala which were given to individuals and organizations as chosen from groups of nominees and they were as follows; for "outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Culture", Susan Henshaw Jones, Ronay Menschel Director, Museum of the City of New York (from 2003-2015), for "Outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Tourism" Gregory Wessner, Executive Director, Open House New York, for "Outstanding achievement in support of New York City-- Preservation" Jeremiah Moss, Organizer of #SaveNYC, author of Vanishing New York, for "outstanding NYC website" Vanishing New York Jeremiah Moss, for "Outstanding Achievement in NYC Photography (singular image, published October 2015-15)" Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao Highbridge, for "Outstanding Achievement in Radio Program/Podcast (Audio/Spoken Word)" The Brian Lehrer Show WNYC 93.9FM, for "Outstanding Achievement in “Fiction” Book Writing (published October 2014-15)" City on Fire: A Novel, by Garth Risk Hallberg, for " Outstanding Achievement in “Non-Fiction” Book Writing (published October 2014-15)" Saving Place: 50 Years of New York City Landmarks edited by Donald Albrecht and Andrew Dolkart, Iwan Baan, photographer, for "Outstanding Achievement in Essay/Article/Series Writing (published October 2014-15)" Grub Street, New York Magazine, Sierra Tishgart, Senior Editor, for "Outstanding Achievement in NYC Food (focusing on anniversaries and special accomplishments)" Yonah Schimmel Knishery, Celebrating 125 years and for " Outstanding Achievement in NYC Museum Exhibitions (October 2014-15)" Frida Kahlo: Art, Garden, Life; Adriana Zavala, Guest Curator, New York Botanical Garden.