A Big Apple Reunion
A visit with a Big Apple Greeter volunteer typically lasts just a few hours, but the friendship that’s created during a Greet can last for years. This summer, Todd Cherches had a reunion with Maunie and PJ Timmins 27 years after they first met when Todd showed Maunie and PJ around New York.
In 1998, Todd took the Timmins, who live in Dublin, Ireland, to the Lower East Side. This past July, they had lunch near Todd’s home in the Yorkville neighborhood of the Upper East Side. After catching up over a meal, they visited Carl Schurz Park along the East River and stopped by Gracie Mansion, the New York Mayor’s official residence, which is located in the park. Built in 1799, the building is one of the oldest in the city.
It wasn’t a formal Greet—Todd stopped volunteering due to work commitments, although he hopes to start again when his schedule allows. Instead, it was a get-together of old friends who’ve used social media to stay in touch across the miles and the years.
PJ has vivid memories of his first time in the city, when he attended a business conference in 1992. He stayed in Times Square and says, “It was scary, and everyone I encountered was so direct. Times Square in 1992 was not very pretty, and the biggest sign on the square was the number of guns in America and the number of deaths by gunfire. It was sleazy and scary, and all the messaging reinforced it.” The area was daunting enough that PJ says he barely left his hotel.
Lynn Brooks had people like PJ in mind when she founded Big Apple Greeter, also in 1992, with the goal of improving the city’s worldwide image and enriching visitors’ New York experience by connecting them with knowledgeable and enthusiastic local volunteers. In 1998, when Maunie came to NYC for the first time along with PJ, they decided to give the new organization a try.
By the late 90s, Times Square had made progress in transforming from scary and sleazy to safer and cleaner. After seeing the changes that had been made and learning about the role of New York’s Business Improvement Districts—nonprofit organizations that provide services like public safety, sanitation, and marketing—in Times Square and other neighborhoods across the city, PJ became a founder of DublinTown, the Business Improvement District for the city center.
With Todd offering a friendly welcome and a local’s knowledge of how to get around town, Maunie and PJ were able to see beyond the remaining grime and appreciate what New York has to offer. PJ says, “We toured the Lower East Side and experienced its vibrancy and history. We visited Katz Deli, where Harry met Sally [in the film], and ate there. We went on the underground [subway], which was an amazing experience as our only perception at that time was from the film The Warriors, which was pretty brutal.”
The Timmins passed down the good vibes from their time with Todd to their son, a musician who loves New York and has visited at least six times. Because they have both worked in management consulting and leadership development, Todd and PJ have had plenty of reasons to stay in touch and have seen each other when PJ has come to town on business.
Todd thinks friendships like the one he has with PJ and Maunie are about the one-on-one experience more than any professional connection. He says, “Big Apple Greeter creates lasting relationships because the experience is personal, not a standard tour.”
PJ agrees, noting that “Todd helped shape my view of not just New York, but also as a symbol of America. I have told my story of meeting Todd many, many times. We had a day that we will never forget!”