Our Summer Downtown NYC Insider Tour
At a Glance
Trip Description
About this trip
Spend a summer weekend in New York City. Meet artists, writers, editors, and actors who live and work in the city. Visit the gorgeous apartments of other NextTriber women. Experience the city like a local. Eat and drink in neighborhood hideaways.
Want to learn more? Join our live information session on Wednesday February 5th at 6:30 ET. RSVP here. All Attendees will be entered into a drawing to win $200 off the cost of the trip!
Read the story “Crashing Parties and Becoming Insiders On Our NYC Tour,” about one of our recent downtown NYC trips.
We want to show you a side of New York you’ll never see on any other trip to the city, where you won’t be standing in line with hundreds of other tourists at the well-known landmarks. We’re staying downtown where the action and a whole other kind of fun is!
5 Reasons We Love This Trip
- The inside track. NextTribe co-founder Jeannie Ralston moved to New York’s East Village in April 2022, and ever since then she’s been researching the cool places and fascinating women downtown that she would like other NextTribers to know. She’s put them all together for this special weekend, with the help of many friends who live downtown.
- Our own private comedy show. We take over a theater in the East Village for some “age-appropriate” humor that features well known writers and comedians. Including Jenny Allen (New Yorker humorist) and performer/singer Cynthia Kaplan. We know you’ll crack up because these women are insightful and irreverent about the indignities and special challenges of being this age.
- Secret restaurants and speakeasies. We’ve sniffed out the hidden gems downtown–some of which New Yorkers are even surprised to discover.
- Glimpses inside NYC apartments. So many times walking through New York City, you look up at apartment buildings and wonder what it’s like to live in one of the flats here. We get you into some gorgeous living spaces, where you can drool a bit and imagine making this your home.
- Great women. You’ll meet accomplished, funny and warm New Yorkers who will open your eyes to what it takes to “make it here.” You’ll also join a band of lovely, like-minded women from other parts of the country. You may start the trip as strangers in a strange fast-paced, sometimes gritty neighborhood. But you’ll leave with new friends and a confidence that comes with conquering the greatest city in the world (in our opinion).
Meet Your Guide: Jeannie Ralston
This is one of Jeannie Ralston’s favorite trips because she’s able to introduce NextTribers to the very special, sometimes secret world of Downtown NYC.
Ralston has lived in New York City twice. For 10 years starting in 1982, soon after graduating college. For 18 months starting in 2022, soon after her divorce. She finds the New York City today just as compelling and liberating now as she did in her 20s when she was coming out of a sheltered life in the South.
She wants you to have a blast–to laugh, to be awed, to consider other options for how you can live a life. That’s her mission.
I was looking to revisit NYC after many years. This trip was filled with the perfect mix of museum visits, luncheons with interesting speakers, great dinners at downtown restaurants and most importantly connections with amazing women that share these same interests. Also, Jeannie Ralston rocks and pulls it all together and makes it so fun!
- Nancy Gardner
Photos
Map
Sample Itinerary
Friday, June 6th
4 pm: Meet at hotel for overview of our weekend
Intro to Lower East Side and East Village, plus shopping at the some of our favorite stores in the area. Cocktails—Rooftop reception. Dinner at a spectacular restaurant on the Lower East Side that you enter through a very low-key pawn shop. Late night option: Speakeasy on the Lower East Side
SATURDAY, June 7th
In the morning we'll head to the Tenement Museum to get a sense of the history of the Lower East Side, which is now super chic.
Catered lunch at NextTriber Ellen Williams' majestic apartment on West 12th Street. Last year's special guests: Sara Nelson, Executive Editor, Harper Collins, and Kristen Van Ogtrop, former editor-in-chief of Real Simple, now a powerhouse agent at Inkwell Management. (This year's guests will be just as fascinating.)
Walk through the West Village with Ellen Williams, who was born and raised in Greenwich Village and will fill us in on legendary shops such as Bigelow’s Pharmacy and Myers of Keswick. Plus new retail stars like Sarah Jessica Parker’s shoe store (right around the block from the Sex and the City apartment).
Option for shopping, a visit to the Whitney Museum OR a visit to the hysterical Sex Museum. Marie's Crisis Cafe, a piano bar where everyone is invited to sing along with show tunes. Have a favorite show tune? Offer the pianist a tip and we'll sing with you.
8 pm: Dinner Late night option: Drinks on a rooftop bar
SUNDAY June 8th
We'll take you to DUMBO in Brooklyn for an iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge, followed by a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge with our hilarious guide. Catered brunch, featuring a guest speaker. One year our guest was Maya Wiley, former MSNBC legal analyst and former NYC mayoral candidate. Stay tuned for the 2025 featured guest.
FREE TIME or Explore SoHo for shopping
Italian dinner
8-9:30 pm: Aging Boldly Comedy Show at 1st Ave and 4th Street theater space. Late night option: Music at the funky, magical Ear Inn
MONDAY June 9th
After a morning of exploring the Lower East Side, including the Essex Market, we'll meet at the famous Ukranian restaurant Veselka, for lunch with a number of our favorite NYC writers.
Either farewell or, if you choose our add-on night, it's off to a day of relaxing and fun on Governor's Island--just across the harbor from Battery Park and Wall Street.
Logistics
Fly into one of the NYC airports on Friday, June 6th and arrive at the hotel ready to gather in the lobby at 4 pm.
Fly out of a NYC airport on Monday June 9th. Make sure to get a 4 pm flight or later if you want to have lunch with us.
If you're going to join us for the add-on night at the Collective Retreat on Governor's Island, we will be catch a ferry in the Financial District at around 4 pm. You can fly out the next day, June 10th, at lunchtime or later.
Before the trip, we will gather for a Zoom meet and greet, and you will also get a schedule of everyone's flights. That way you can see if another traveler is on your flight so you can share a taxi from the airport.
We ask everyone going on the trip to download WhatsApp (LINK: https://www.whatsapp.com/download/). We use it for communication before and during our trip so we can keep track of flight delays, meetup times, etc. We also ask that everyone have an international data roaming plan so that you can get messages and use GPS while out exploring.
We believe in being as eco-friendly as possible, so we don't hand out printed itineraries. We use this app to give you important updates during the trip, so it is essential. You can always delete it later if you want to.
If you'd like to extend your stay before or after, or if you have questions, please direct them to Marcy Mitchell, our travel manager, travel@NextTribe.com.
What's Included
- 3 Nights Indigo Hotel
On the chic Lower East Side
- 3 Dinners
- 3 Lunches
- Daily Breakfasts
- Rooftop welcome reception
- Drinks at a famous Speakeasy
- Entry to Private NextTribe Comedy Show
- 2 salons with accomplished NYC women as featured guests
- Intro to local women
- Entry to Tenement Museum
- West Village Walking Tour
- Local Transport
Including Metrocard for public transport, ferry to Brooklyn, and cabs for late nights outside of walking distance in our hotel
- Swag Bag
Full of products from women-owned clean beauty companies
- Shopping Tour
Of some favorite sample sales and designer consignment shops.
What's Not Included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Alcohol (unless specifically mentioned in an itinerary activity)
- Tips
- Any transport during the trip if you want to travel separately from the group (i.e. you'd rather take a cab than walk).
Gratuities to local guides, drivers, maids and hotel staff, travel insurance, round trip airfare, passport and visa fees, personal items such as phone calls, laundry, baggage fees and items not expressly listed as included.
Additional Add-Ons
One night on Governor's Island--Single
Monday, 6/10-Glamping (luxury tent, real bed) at the Collective Resort, in NY Harbor. Includes bike rental, dinner, breakfast, spa time.
One night on Governor's Island--Double
Monday, 6/10-Glamping (luxury tent, real bed) at the Collective Resort, in NY Harbor. Includes bike rental, dinner, breakfast, spa time.
Hotels
Our travelers love us (yay!)
Colleen M., California
What I love about the NextTribe trips is that there is so much camaraderie of other women that are like you, and then the fabulous things that the organizers puts together to give you that viewpoint, it’s awesome.
”Courtney M., Texas
What I love about NextTribe trips is that you get the experience from an insider’s perspective—someone that has ties to the community and focused on building relationships from the start. I’ve been on a trip with another women’s travel group that dropped a guide in, not personally knowing anything about the locale, traditions, or culture. She was there to make sure you showed up on time, got on the bus, etc. With NextTribe, you feel like you’re having a personalized experience with your best girlfriends.
”Donna B., Washington
I didn't know anyone going on the trip but that didn't stop me from signing up. I have learned that some of my life's greatest adventures have come from taking a risk and jumping in feet first. So glad I did with NextTribe! I may not have known anybody at the start, but now I feel like I know everybody.
”Connie B., Pennsylvania
I love to meet and interact with strong, mature women from across the country as we learn together.
”Leslie M., Georgia
I always come by myself on NextTribe trips because I like to meet super fun and interesting women. We're always doing fun and interesting things in great cities that you couldn't do on your own because you wouldn't know the people or places or the insiders.
”Teresa S., Kentucky
NextTribe fills the need I have to travel with older interesting women who are curious about the world and want to share the journey.
”We write articles about all our trips. Read about these special experiences.
Let’s Do This!
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Frequently asked questions
What’s different about your trips?
We curate trips specifically for curious, engaged women over 45. You’re pretty well assured that your fellow travelers will be a lot like you–since you’ve all responded to the idea of “aging boldly.”. That means built-in compatibility in your small group, including the woman who is leading the adventure.. In addition to specializing in group travel for people who don’t normally like group travel, we also pride ourselves on creating experiences that allow you to interact with local women or get deeper into the culture than you would if you planned the trip yourself.
Where do you go?
We have a wide range of weekend jaunts here in the U.S. for those who want a quick getaway. We also love taking women to Mexico, where founder Jeannie Ralston used to live. We’re always talking about pushing boundaries, and we’re doing that in the geographic sense too. For those with more time, we offer trips all over Europe, to India, Vietnam, Peru (for a hike on the inca Trail to Machu Picchu). Soon, our travelers will be getting passport stamps in even more countries on six continents. Be saving those frequent flier miles!
What do you mean by transformational travel?
NextTribe is affiliated with the Transformational Travel Council, an international group of travel professionals dedicated to making the world a better place, one trip and one traveler at a time. We recognize that travelers, especially post-pandemic, are looking for more than just a date and a destination. They can shop for that anywhere online. Our community honors the intention behind a traveler’s investment in a trip. Our travelers want to have fun (we do too!) and to travel with a sense of purpose and belonging. That’s why we go to great lengths to provide ways for women to self-select by reading the articles in our magazine and the content of our website. If you like what you see, you’re likely to be a NextTribe traveler, and we look forward to seeing you on a trip soon!
What if I travel solo?
If you really prefer to book your travel yourself and go it alone, we applaud you. That’s brave and bold and we would never try to talk you out of it. But our trips are designed so that even a woman who’s used to traveling alone, or someone shy about meeting new people, will feel comfortable in our group. Our trip leaders are there to “read the room” and make sure everyone feels included and respected.
What if I don’t like group travel?
We don’t either! Not the way most groups do it. If you feel like doing what the group is doing, great! Join us for dinner or just some of the activities. All the benefits of solo travel and the comfort of being with a group. Our groups are small (normally around 12 to 14 women) and in most situations, you are free to opt out of an activity. We figure you’re grown-ass women who know what’s best for you.
What’s the price range of your trips?
We are committed to providing what we call “affordable-luxury” travel. Don’t expect
the Four Seasons, but who wants to stay in a gilded bubble anyhow? We always look for good value and offer wonderful hotels and memorable experiences that won’t break the bank and will get you closer to how locals live. Our prices depend on the length of the
trip and the destination. We offer domestic trips for under $2,000 for a shared room, which we encourage. If you don’t have a roommate we will match you with someone. Sometimes this has resulted in lasting friendships with new travel buddies., Some of
our longer trips–two weeks in India or Vietnam, for example–will cost between
$4,800 and $6,000.
What’s included in the price?
Our trips cover most everything you’ll need to dive into a destination. Hotels and most meals, plus special experiences such as hands-on classes and sessions with local artists, writers or entrepreneurs are almost always included, but each trip is different so please be sure to read The Experience and the itinerary. We occasionally have an add-on for an extra price, but those are clearly designated. What’s not covered as a rule are airfare, alcohol and tips.
Do you have payment plans?
We sure do. It’s easy to pay for our trips by setting up automatic credit card charges at regular intervals, interest free. Think of it as the layaway plan to feed your soul.
How do I get trip discounts?
Our NextTribe members get a discount on every trip. Plus, members are the first to hear about new trips and receive upgrades on rooms if they’re available. Check out our three different membership levels here.
What’s the average age of women on the trips?
We welcome all women over 45, but most of our travelers are in the 50 to 65 age range. More important than age is the spirit of the traveler–her curiosity about the world, and her eagerness to embrace new opportunities. We’ve found women of any age with those qualities fit in well with our groups.
What’s the activity level of the trips?
Most of our trips are geared for active travelers who like to walk–a rating of 3 on our 1-5 rating scale. Here are some examples of how we rate. A designation of 1 would be our beach trips, where it’s up to you if you’d like to stroll down the beach, or play in the waves or walk around the small town. Trips where we have dedicated transportation for much of the time (such as India) are a 2; Paris is a 3 because we believe the best way to appreciate a city is to view it on foot. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is a 4, because you’ll be walking up some hills (at 6,000 feet altitude) and occasionally on cobblestone sidewalks. Our Inca trail trip is a 5, as are our more adventurous outdoor trips.
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