It's no longer necessary to travel abroad for a dose of slum tourism; now you can take a peek at how the less fortunate live right here in New York City, with a new guided tour of the South Bronx, conducted by the Guardian Angels. It's called "The Underbelly Tour," and Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa, joined by members of his group—one Angel per two guests—will escort tourists to the Bronx on the No. 4 train, once known as the Mugger's Express.
In a priceless intro video on the Underbelly website, Sliwa promises, "I'm going to be showing you on the corners—Look! The Uzi-toting, dope-sucking, psychopathic killing machines, man, they're eyeballing you! You think they're going to thug you up and mug you, but the Guardian Angels make sure you're safe and secure." The tour lasts approximately three hours, and the cost is negotiable, but one group has paid $5,000 to experience The Underbelly. It is unclear, however, whether Sliwa is a licensed sightseeing guide, as required by city law.
Underbelly is being marketed to business groups, but Sliwa is also hoping to cash in on youths who want a protected look at the hip-hop's birthplace. He tells Crain's, "Younger people know the South Bronx for the rap and hip-hop culture... You see the improvement in the South Bronx, but you also see the remnants of the 1970s and 1980s. There are still abandoned buildings, graffiti, and young men congregating on corners staring out evilly as if you could be their ATM." But the tour's overall message, according to the brochure [pdf], is that soon enough you won't need Sliwa's protection, because the "underbelly" is poised to become "the new Manhattan."
