That person walking through Central Park with headphones could
be listening to Spotify, or perhaps they’re in the midst of a riveting tour of
the urban oasis narrated by former New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian
Benepe.
Benepe hosts one of 11 new GPS-guided audio day tours
released by Detour on Sept. 1. On other itineraries, documentary filmmaker Ken
Burns guides listeners across the Brooklyn Bridge, professional skater Eric
Tuma Britton welcomes travelers to Venice Beach and radio host Richard Steele
recounts the power struggle over the waterfront real estate that became
Chicago’s Grant Park.
With the September expansion, Detours are now available in
New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, along with previous cities San Francisco,
Austin, London, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Marrakech.
Launched in San Francisco last year, Detour is an app-based
audio tour that uses your phone’s GPS to guide you through neighborhoods,
markets, parks and other destinations worth exploring. With notable locals
serving as narrators and professional sound engineering and audio production,
the tours feel a bit like stepping into an interactive podcast that’s tracking
your every move.
In San Francisco, itineraries include a tour of Fisherman’s
Wharf narrated in part by a lifelong commercial fisherman, a walk through
Haight-Ashbury with actor Peter Coyote, and a two-hour master class in local
history hosted by best-selling author Gary Kamiya.
Each listing includes an audio preview, a brief summary,
approximate time of completion and tips for the best time of day to take the
tour or what to bring along (think comfy shoes for uphill climbs or spare cash
for a snack at a historic deli).
Best listened to through headphones, tours cost $4.99 and
can be linked for free to other phones, so a small group can hit the street
together.
For more information, visit detour.com.