Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
The 1920s Guide To NYC Tourist Etiquette
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 24, 2014
Modified Jan 24, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 24, 2014
Modified Jan 24, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Back in the 1920s, they didn't need etiquette signs dissuading New Yorkers and tourists from doing horrifying, unspeakable things on the subway... but they did need to set a few guidelines. Yesterday we revisited Valentine’s City of New York: A Guide Book for its tips on visiting Brooklyn, and today we look at their simple rules regarding how to act while visiting New York City. They remind the tourist reading the guide, "New York is like your own hometown, only bigger and the vast majority of its people are decent, likeable citizens. But there are also others." Here are some of their rules, some of which still apply today...
Feet on the seat? So rude.
- Don't ask a pedestrian where a certain street is. He is usually too busy to stop... and won't know.
- Don't cross the street in the middle of the block. In Paris they arrest you for that, in New York they simply run you down.
- Don't buy the Woolworth Building, Brooklyn Bridge, the Metropolitan Tower, the City Hall or any prominent structure.
- Don't hand your baggage to a porter outside Grand Central unless he wears a red hat.
- Don't take the recommendation of strangers regarding hotels... Don't get too friendly with plausible strangers.
- Don't gape at women smoking cigarettes in restaurants. They are harmless and respectable. They are also "smart."
- Don't forget to tip. Tip early and tip often.
- Don't block the sidewalk. New Yorkers will gather in crowds to see a young lady demonstrate a new razor in a shop window or a safe going up the side of a building. Ignore such gatherings; show our ex-hicks that you come from a real town.
- Don't telephone if you are in a hurry. Walk. It's quicker, though it used to be the other way 'round.
Tagged
1920
1920s
etiquette
flashback
history
Valentine’s City of New York
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the Village Halloween Parade keeps its soul
A visit to the community-driven pre-parade puppet preparations.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 28, 2026 at 12:38 p.m. ET
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary has been selling out across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Tickets to see the film, however, are very much available in other boroughs.
By
Sonia Rao
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
By
Sonia Rao
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
By
James Ramsay
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .