““Tony is energetic, enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable. He is also sensitive to the varied interests and abilities of his clients, and flexible in the face of changeable circumstances.
My wife and our two teenaged sons and I consider our three days with Tony among the most meaningful travel experiences of our lives
—Bill Ross, USA”
Tony Chen has been working in the travel industry for over 16 years, sharing his passion for history and helping others discover what is unique about the place they visit.
Born in Beijing and currently living in the Bronx, Tony dove into learning as much as he could about the history and lesser-known cultural facts about his new city once relocating to New York City in 2013.
Tony started Stretch-a-leg Travel to help other travelers enjoy off-the-beaten-path experiences that create unforgettable memories in 2006 in Beijing after spending six months in New Zealand and realizing Beijing did not have any local companies providing historical walking tours similar to the ones he joined abroad.
Tony dove into learning as much as he could about the history and lesser-known cultural facts about his new city once relocating to New York City in 2013.
Tony became a regular fixture at his local public library. On his first trip to his local library, Tony’s first question was, “so what is the limit for books you can check out at a time?” and he was enthusiastically on his way to maxing out his library cards at the Brooklyn and New York Public Libraries.
Tony learned so much he passed New York City's famously difficult official guide license exam less than a year after moving to New York City--and with such a high score he has a star next to his name on the official roster.
Tony’s New York City expertise was acknowledged when New York City’s landmark historic hotel the famous Waldorf Astoria recruited him to be their go-to Chinese-language guide for their exclusive Waldorf Astoria Historic Tours.
In 2014 Tony was also accepted into the Guide Association of New York City.
Furthering his specialized knowledge of New York City and passion to share history with visitors, Tony is also a volunteer guide at New York City’s Merchant House Museum, with US National Park Service and Amtrak’s Rails on Trails, and Brooklyn’s Old Stone House Museum.
From 2000 to 2005, Tony had extensive work experience in China’s adventure travel industry working as a group leader for small group adventure travel companies such as Intrepid (AUS), REI (USA) and World Expeditions (AUS) for six years.
He led groups on 28-day trips to 10 cities, 13 day cross-country biking trips from southern China to Vietnam, and trips retracing the ancient Silk Road.
Tony is passionate about the history of this city he lives in and would like to share with you what he knows New York City.
“I have known Tony for several years and he has worked both for our company, Apax Partners, and for me privately.
Most of all, Tony is honest, careful with money, transparent, trustworthy, and always smiling and pleasant. I have recommended him to many people and all have had the same experience.
You simply cannot go wrong with Tony and will have a great trip”
