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This Travel Startup Wants to Show You Around New York in a 1928 Ford Model A--and Topple Big Tourism, Too

The Flatiron Building, one of New York's most iconic architectural structures, was originally viewed by critics as a disaster: The New York Times called it a "monstrosity," while the New York Tribune declared it "a stingy piece of pie." Even many native New Yorkers do not know that bit of trivia, which is why it's part of the sightseeing tour offered by Nowaday, a newly launched New York City-based startup that wants to be the Airbnb of tour companies.

Airbnb took off by promising travelers a different way to see cities: unique home stays versus cookie-cutter hotels. Nowaday wants to do something similar for attractions. On Nowaday tours, sightseers skip the double-decker bus and traditional tourist traps like Times Square and the Statue of Liberty. They instead hop inside a restored classic car, such as a 1932 Chrysler Imperial or a 1928 Ford Model A, for a 1920s-themed view of Manhattan's less-frequented but historically important sites like Bryant Park and Carnegie Hall. The hour-long tour, which costs $49 per person, is chauffeured by a guide who is dressed in Jazz Age garb--from flat cap to Oxfords.

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