Here are four ways to get groups out of the office during warm summer days.
1. Rum and Blackbird Tasting Tours offers a three-hour guided walk through Hell's Kitchen, where participants sample food from area restaurants and bakeries new and old. Stops include Asian sandwich shop Xie Xie, Empanada Mama, and the 85-year-old Poseidon Bakery. Private tours start at $49 per person for four destinations and increase by $10 increments as destinations are added, up to seven stops for $79. The company can handle groups as large as 50, and custom tours of other neighborhoods are available as well.
2. Manhattan Kayak Company, on Pier 66, lets groups of as many as 20 paddle along the Hudson River. But before groups hit the water, instructors teach them about proper paddling form and safety. Inexperienced paddlers can test out their skills on a mini tour of the river, or, if a group is comfortable, they can kayak as far as six miles, up to the Intrepid Museum or down toward Christopher Street pier. The average lesson is between two and two and a half hours long. Prices depend on the size of the group and range from $125 to $95.
3. Jonathan Soma runs the Ice Cream Club, a members-only group that comes together to make and swap ice cream. Soma offers classes for nonmembers as well, including corporate groups. During the 90-minute sessions, he instructs participants on how to make three types of ice cream: Philadelphia style, French style (custard-based), and a South Asian ice-cream-like dessert called kulfi. He also discusses the many methods of infusing ice cream with different ingredients and how to create flavor combinations. At the end of the class, everyone goes home with their own pint. Soma works with groups as large as 20 and can host classes at several kitchen-equipped sites in Manhattan and Brooklyn, or at a similar site of a planner's choosing. Prices depend on group size and the length of the class.
4. For a day trip, Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center offers tours of its property. The site, which has 50 acres of farmland and 130 acres of forest with hiking trails, is in Yorktown Heights, about an hour from Manhattan. Outings typically run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include a 45-minute tour, one hour working in the fields or greenhouse with farmers, a break for lunch (groups bring their own bag lunches), and the choice of a one-hour trail hike or additional work on the farm. Field work may include planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting. The fee is $5 per person. Advance notice is required.
