Five ways to share in New York

See the Big Apple through the eyes of a local with these cheap – and often free – social sharing ideas, part of an ongoing series aiming to help people travel sustainably and connect with communities

Welcome to New York, it’s a helluva town where sharing and swapping is becoming second nature. Fancy experiencing the latest food trends in the homes of locals? Or zipping around Central Park using the city’s bike sharing scheme? Start here.

1. Share a bike: Social Bicycles
Give your weary legs a rest. From $4 (£2.60) an hour (plus $3 – £1.90 – set-up fee) you can pick up a ‘SoBi’ from numerous locations around town (often on college campuses or at company headquarters). The bikes are robust and come in a rainbow of funky colours. See socialbicycles.com.

2. Share a boat: Sailo.com
New York might not be well-known for its seafaring scene, but one of the best ways to see the city is from the water. Borrow a captain and their boat and sail around Manhattan Beach Park or see the lights of Coney Island bouncing on the sea.

3. Share food: EatWith.com / woknwine.com
Dine at the homes or venues of those who love preparing fabulous and creative food. Try dishes such as the ‘clean and green’ plate, a Japanese brunch or New Orleans-style eggs at EatWith. Or for shared social meal gatherings with locals and travellers, try woknwine.com which brings together inspiring creative types around one big table.

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4. Share a run: Running Brewery Tour
NYC neighbourhoods Brooklyn and Queens were home to hundreds of breweries and beer gardens prior to prohibition. Learn about the past, present and future of brewing, all while running and exploring with new friends. Finish with a beer, of course. Runners, casual runners, historians and beer lovers are all welcome to join. Find more info at: meetup.com/NYCbrewerytourSeries

5. Share space: compareandshare
Hordes of New Yorkers now rent rooms or share their space with guest travellers. Each place is unique with its own quirks and character, from luxury high-end apartments to arty bohemian loft spaces. Visit compareandshare.com to start exploring. Who will you meet?

This list was compiled by Claudia Cahalane, editor of Compare and Share City Guides. For the full New York guide and others, see compareandshare.com/share-guides

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