“New York City is a lot of things, but cheap is not one of them.”  That was my standard line back in the days when I worked in a famous Manhattan  hotel. It was a bit of a lie. Truth is, tons bargains can be had in the Big Apple, incredible bargains, but you have to be able to find them in the sea of ripoffs. Just today I bought a 4 gigabyte SD card for $10, basically a wholesale price. It’s made by a manufacturer you would know, and I bought it at the most famous high-end electronics store in the world which you might not even know if you’re not a professional. But I have strayed from my point:  You need someone to point you in the right direction, and that guy might not be the concierge at your hotel, especially if you’re staying at a luxury hotel or chain.

Back in the hotel days, I heard constant complaints about the high cost of doing business in or visiting New York. Partially out of spite that people who could afford a $500 a night hotel would complain about paying $20 for a pizza, I didn’t mind — I admit — sometimes sending them to pricey places when I knew darn well that cheaper and better alternatives existed. Actually, hotel management told us to do this because if someone got sick at my favorite little pizza place on 3rd Avenue, they might sue the hotel. If they got sick at a chain like Pizzeria Uno, they would sue Pizzeria Uno. I’m pretty sure that those sorts of liability concerns played a large part in hotel management’s decisions regarding what we were and were not to recommend to guests. It might have had something to do with business partnerships at a high corporate level, too. That’s what the cynic in me says, anyway.

Here’s the funny thing: A lot of those people whom I misdirected could have saved themselves hundreds or even thousands of dollars by hiring an independent tour guide — not the big red bus kind, but one who works for themselves. There are literally hundreds of us in the City That Never Sleeps. A tour guide can key you in to everything from the best (truly the best, not corporate approved) places to eat and shop, to the most interesting attractions.  They can show you how to navigate public transportation. Importantly a guide can keep you from wasting valuable time by designing a tour that fits your schedule, interests, and budget.  The fact that tour guides can point out all kinds of interesting architectural and historical details is just a bonus. Our real worth lies in the mobile concierge services we provide.

You wouldn’t travel into the wilderness without a guide, I would hope, at least without basic knowledge of maps and wilderness survival. Why would you travel to a big city without a guide? You’re almost certain to get eaten by the wolves if you do, especially in New York.