On a hot August day, three special New Yorkers got to experience New York City through the eyes of an out-of-town visitor when Diahann Billings-Burford and two of her staff members met Greeter Coreen Burke on a Greeter visit through lower Manhattan. Ms. Billings-Burford is Chief Service Officer of NYC Service, a branch of New York City government that promotes and encourages volunteering throughout all five boroughs. The NYC Service website, http://www.nycservice.org/, contains listings of volunteer opportunities in categories as varied as education and politics. Experiencing a greeter visit first hand would help Ms Billings-Burford to know more about Big Apple Greeter’s mission and the volunteer opportunities open to New Yorkers from all walks of life. She was accompanied by two of her staff members, Nicole Locantore and Shawna Cameron.

Greeters share with visitors their first-hand knowledge and experiences, making a greeter visit very personal. Their first stop was Saint Paul’s Chapel, located across the street from Ground Zero, where they remembered the area after 9/11 and expressed their excitement in watching the new World Trade Center being built.

Greeters also get to show visitors the wonderful, little-noticed things that make New York City unique. On Broadway, Coreen stopped her visitors across the street from a McDonald’s and pointed out a grand piano on the second floor, where a pianist was providing beautiful music for customers. Ms. Billings-Burford quipped, “I think I might go inside and get some French fries now!”  Later, they were surprised to find an18th century water well, now covered by glass embedded in the sidewalk, across the street from Fraunces Tavern.

At the Stock Exchange on Wall Street, which is no longer open to visitors, Coreen and Ms. Billings-Burford described the excitement of trading room floor.  Right across the street is Federal Hall, where George Washington was sworn in as president in 1789.

Coreen told her visitors that on every greeter visit she learns something new, showing “how much you actually don’t know about New York.” Ms. Billings-Burford showed Coreen the four security blockers in the street near the Stock Exchange that rotate to allow cars to pass through.

Over pizza at a restaurant on Stone Street, Coreen shared her experiences as a movie extra in films like The Departed and a new movie, The Wedding. She told stories of working with movie director Martin Scorsese, and actors Susan Sarandon and Matt Damon.

Ms. Billings-Burford said, “The visit was very enlightening. I am a New Yorker, but I saw places and things today that I never even knew about. This program could really help make us better citizens.” She strongly encourages anyone from out of town to take part in this program.

-Anthony Reyes