The weather getting better every day and you’ll soon be wondering what to do with all those hours better spent outside than inside. And you’re also probably thinking that fun - like gas, food and everything else - is getting more and more expensive. Never fear. You can get out and enjoy the weather without spending much more than a swipe or two of the metro card. Such is the joy of Spring in Gotham.

Walking tours are a great way to get out and about (and let’s face it, we could all use the exercise), see parts of town you wouldn’t normally find yourself in and pick up interesting tidbits of trivia with which to pepper cocktail conversations once the spring social gatherings begin. Since Gotham is one of the great walking cities of the world, there are an impressive - often daunting - array of tours to choose from. Long and short, free and for fees, indoor and out.

First the free stuff (’cause we all love freebies):

• Central Park is a walking tour paradise and there are about ten different Central Park Conservancy Tours to choose from (not to mention the myriad of non-Conservancy tours) and will delight history buffs, gardeners, nature lovers and New Yorkers of all ages. If you feel like going it alone, the Conservancy also offers three guides (in printable PDF format) for self-guided tours of the park. These guides cover the southern end of the park (including the Dairy, Chess and Checkers House, Wollman Skating Rink, 59th Street Pond and the Hallett Nature Sanctuary), the mid-park area (including Belvedere Castle, King Jagiello statue, Turtle Pond, the Obelisk, and the Great Lawn) and the northern end of the park (including Conservatory Garden, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, Harlem Meer, and Fort Clinton.)
• Of course, tours can be thirsty work so it’s a good thing that the Brooklyn Brewery offers free tours of their facilities (with free tasting included) every Saturday. Tours start at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. No reservations required so when the mood strikes you, you just get up and go.
• Did you know the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology was free? Well, you do now.
• Stop rushing through Grand Central Terminal and take the time to look around. The free guided tours at this magnificent station are a great way to start
• Union Square is more than home to the Greenmarket and some of the best shopping in town (though that is certainly reason enough to go). It also has a free 90 minute walking tour offered every Saturday at 2pm.
• If St. Marks Place strikes your fancy, why not go on the Village Alliances free guided walking tour of St. Marks and 8th. 
• Love the idea of downtown but want to go at your own pace? Try the free, downloadable podcast for the guided tour of Orchard Street and the Lower East Side
• Mid-town more your style? Why not check out the free tours offered by the 34th Street Partnership. They offer guided and self-guided tours of the area including historic looks at 34th street itself, the former Penn Station, Herlad Square and the impressive Main Post Office

If you don’t mind spending a bit on the tour itself, there are several companies and/or groups with extensive “walking tour repetoires” so you’re bound to find something to interest you.

• Big Onion Walking Tours offers almost 30 walking tours to chose from, covering Manhattan from top to bottom, side to side and Brooklyn as well. Each walk is about 2 hours long, Adult tickets are $15
• Talking Street - the cell-phone walking tour - is one of the newer concepts in walking tours. For $5.95, you get an audio guide (like the ones in the museum) to the area you are in and it is accessed with your own cell-phone. They current offer two New York related tours. The Lower East Side (narrated by Jerry Stiller) and Lower New York - Wall Street and the Trade Center Site narrated by Sigourney Weaver
• Foods of New York Tours is the perfect way to spend time with the foodie in your life. Explore the culinary side of areas like Greenwich Village, the Chelsea Market / Meatpacking District, Chinatown or SoHo. Or go food-specific with their Art of Sushi tour. Each tour runs about 3 hours, walked at a casual pace and the $42 ticket includes the food tastings at between 7-8 food establishments over the course of the tour

Of course, there are so many more tours to go on and places to see. This is just a smattering to tease you into good stout walking shoes and get you out onto the streets. And they are but one of the free entertainments available across the city as the weather warms up. Stay tuned for more options.