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ExperienceFirst - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

ExperienceFirst Tour Review: New York City in a Day

Living in New York City, I see all kinds of NYC tours leading visitors around the city. Curious to know which New York City day tours visitors really liked, I was surprised to see a company I hadn’t heard of, ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) , with tours ranked among the best and having thousands of great reviews.

I made plans right away to join their New York City in a Day Walking Tour to see what the hype was all about.

So in this ExperienceFirst tour review, you’ll find out what you need to know about their New York City in a Day Walking Tour so you can decide whether it’s right for your New York itinerary or not.

ExperienceFirst (Formerly New York Tour1) Tour Review: New York City in a Day

Now, I know you’re wondering can you really do NYC in a day? Of course not.

You can’t do any big city in a day. But, as I set off on a cool, sunny, late fall day for this 6-hour New York City adventure, I had no idea how cleverly ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) would weave together the perfect NYC one-day tour.

I met the ExperienceFirst guide and group in Times Square and was happy to see there were only 12 people including myself and the guide.

One thing you can always count on in New York City is a crowd. Small group size is a major positive when considering a tour company.

It means less time waiting for everyone to cross streets and catch up. Small groups are also much more able to maneuver the city sidewalks with the least amount of time wasted. Big plusses when you want to maximize your NYC itinerary!

The guide began by talking about Times Square, its history starting back when the Native American Lenape lived on Manhattan to how it came to be called Times Square. He shared some fun facts about the digital billboards and also the craziness of New Year’s Eve.

Having lived in New York City for 20+ years, I know a lot about the city and its history, as well as fun facts of today like what happens from 11:57 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. every night on the Times Square billboards! The guide elaborated on all of this plus more of the seemingly endless  things to do in NYC near the Times Square area.

As we explored Midtown, our ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) guide brought us to popular sights like Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Along the way, it was clear the guide was an expert on New York City. He gave interesting facts about many things including the diamond district and how the Rockefeller Center ice rink was only meant to be a 1-year attraction to get people to see and shop at the stores underneath the plaza.

But, mixed in with these tidbits, the guide added historical details about New York City and what it was like during different times in history, like the Great Depression.

ExperienceFirst NYC Tour: Midtown

As a local, I’m comfortable walking a lot of blocks every day. But, the guide knew there would have to be meaningful stops and breaks throughout the day to balance the group’s need to rest but also to maximize our New York in one-day itinerary.

Our first rest stop was a 15-minute break at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was a smart stop for several reasons.

Some members of the group chose to go inside to see the Cathedral (free entry). Others used the time to take photos of Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center. A couple of people chose to sit, stretch, and take a sip of water. All the while, the guide was available and eager to chat and answer any and all questions.

With the whole group back together, we walked south on 5th Avenue. The guide talked about the New York Public Library, Bryant Park, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station, and the city’s architecture.

Did you know Mr. Chrysler had the spire constructed for the Chrysler Building in secret just to one-up another skyscraper going up in lower Manhattan to claim the tallest building in NYC at the time?!

Or that one of the staircases in Grand Central Station is not original and was built during renovations by re-opening a closed quarry to make sure the stone matched the other staircase?!

I may be a New York City history nerd, but it was obvious how interested and engaged the whole group was to learn firsthand about NYC’s famous landmarks. I couldn’t help but notice other NYC visitors nearby who were not on our guided tour snapping photos yet missing key details that would add a deeper understanding of their photos later on.

ExperienceFirst Tour: Expert Guides with Local Knowledge

While others took a bathroom break in Grand Central, a few of us had fun “playing” in the Whispering Gallery. It was during this short downtime when I chatted with a couple about the tour so far.

They’d just started their first trip to New York City and were so happy to be walking around the city instead of sitting on a bus and I couldn’t agree more! It’s such a better way of getting your bearings and really experiencing New York City.

As a local, I know my way around NYC blindfolded. But, this couple loved how the guided walking tour was giving them a sense of where things were in relation to everything else. For example, they didn’t realize how close Grand Central was to Times Square or even to their NYC hotel.

I also added the time they were saving by walking as opposed to dealing with city traffic on a tour bus. This would be especially true for anyone with just one day in NYC! Given what we saw by the end of the day, there would have been no way we could have covered as much of Manhattan had we been on a tour bus.

The guide directed us all toward the subway lines under the main level at Grand Central. We were heading downtown to lower Manhattan .

In my opinion as someone who helps visitors plan their NYC trip, unless it’s a dedicated midtown sightseeing tour, all top-notch New York City tours must expand out to some of NYC’s other exciting neighborhoods like Greenwich Village , Chinatown , or maybe even into Brooklyn to see some of the best street art in New York City .

If you’re not familiar with the subway, it’s absolutely the best way, other than on foot, to get around town. Past tour participants comment again and again about how they loved getting around by subway like the locals do and glimpsing the REAL daily life in New York all without the worry because they were with a guide.

Not sure how to use a MetroCard or have a question about the subway map? Your ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) guide is a local who can help all New York City visitors know all the dos and don’ts .

Coming out of the subway just near Federal Hall and the Stock Exchange on Wall St., the guide talked about the wall built by the Dutch to keep out the British and the Native Americans. The group also learned about the first U.S. Capital building, Federal Hall, and the Stock Exchange.

At this point in the day, we were getting hungry and happy to have some free time to sit for lunch before meeting back up just before 1 o’clock.

ExperienceFirst Tour in New York City: The Staten Island Ferry

The afternoon began with a ferry ride to Staten Island to pass by the Statue of Liberty. The ferry ride also gave the guide time to talk about New York Harbor now and throughout history.

I was struck by how cleverly planned the ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) itinerary was. The ferry ride made perfect sense after lunch, as the boat has seating and bathrooms all while seeing Lady Liberty and getting a perspective of New York from the water.

Looking at the Statue of Liberty and back at the skyscrapers in lower Manhattan, it’s hard to imagine a time when the Statue was the tallest structure in NYC! From the ferry, the views of One World Observatory and other downtown skyscrapers, the harbor, Battery Park, and even the Brooklyn Bridge in the background are spectacular, especially on a blue-sky day.

New York City ExperienceFirst Tour: Lower Manhattan

After getting back to Manhattan, we walked toward the Battery and learned more about the Dutch and Colonial Times in New York. Did you know New York City was originally named New Amsterdam after the first European settlers, the Dutch?

New York City’s colonial history is there but visitors benefit from a guide to learn more because historic places and sights downtown are easy to miss if you don’t know where to look.

Walking up the Canyon of Heros (think ticker-tape parades!), New York’s history was on full display!

From the Charging Bull Statue to the markers on the sidewalk commemorating past parades for dignitaries, as well as Trinity Church with the grave of  Alexander Hamilton , our ExperienceFirst tour guide weaved together time periods and shared funny stories to teach us all he could about this incredible city.

As we arrived at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum , all of us took time to stand by the reflecting pools and read some of the victims’ names. We took a moment to talk about the survivor tree and the overall redevelopment of the area.

For those of you with the New York CityPASS , I highly recommend using your pass for the 9/11 Museum. This New York in a Day Walking Tour doesn’t take you inside the museum so you’ll want to plan a time to go inside.

ExperienceFirst Tour Bottom Line

As the tour came to an end nearby, I couldn’t believe how much ground, literally and figuratively, we had covered in just 6 short hours together. Truly, ExperienceFirst (formerly New York Tour1) has created an optimized itinerary for anyone who wants to see the city’s most popular spots in a day and travel like a local while doing it.

The guide maximized all our time together and yet we never felt rushed. There was enough time for breaks, photos, funny jokes, and a lot of New York City! It’s perfect whether you’re short on time and need to see as much as you can in the time you have or you want to get the lay of the land with a knowledgeable guide all while sightseeing.

If you’re looking for an immersive full-day NYC small group tour with an expert local guide passionate about this fantastic city, look no further than ExperienceFirst’s New York City in a Day Walking Tour .

What are your questions about ExperienceFirst tours?

Like this post? Please share it on social media using the share buttons .

Disclaimer: I was a guest of New York Tour1, now known as ExperienceFirst. As always, I’m committed to travel blogging with integrity and sharing my opinions honestly and openly.

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6 thoughts on “experiencefirst tour review: new york city in a day”.

We (there are 2 senior citizens and 2 adults) have 3 days in NYC in March and have purchased the NewYork1 tours with the upgrade to the One World Tower based on your recommendation.. Is the New York City Pass also needed for significant savings? Thank you for your response.

Thanks for reading, Brenda. The New York1 tour is a great way to see a lot of the city in a single day. The New York CityPASS is great if you plan to do a lot of sightseeing and can definitely save you money. Since you’re visiting for 3 days and 1 day will be on the New York1 tour, how much do you plan to see and do over the next 2 days? If you plan to see a lot of the sites included with the CityPASS then it absolutely makes sense. I have a math comparison here for you. 🙂

We have a group of 6 who want to do the 1 day tour. Is the walking a fast pace? 2 of us are older (early 60’s) and can’t keep up a fast pace for 6 hours. Also, is there time on the tour to actually go inside the 911 museum?

Thanks for reading, Laura. The tour doesn’t go inside the 9/11 Museum. You do walk around the memorial area and the reflecting pools, though. The pace of the tour isn’t fast and would be suitable for your group. We took breaks, also. There was a stop at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Grand Central, not to mention a lunch break. For the points of interest in Lower Manhattan, the guide takes you on the subway to minimize walking and save time. Hope this helps and you enjoy the tour! It’s a great way to see and learn a lot about NYC in a day.

I have visited your site several times for various helpful info, but have just came across this tour. I have the same question as a reader earlier except we do have 6 days in New York, and this tour sounds pretty good. Do you think it’s still necessary to get the CityPass if we do this tour?

Also, could you please provide some insights on the situation in New York particularly with this virus happening that’s so disheartening? How are people dealing with it, and is it still a good idea to go around using crowded subways and buses?

Thanks for coming back to the blog, Sharon. So the thing to remember is the CityPASS gets you entry to top sights like the Empire State Building, 9/11 Museum, Top of the Rock and others. The New York Tour1 tour is a great way to experience the city and you see a lot in a day. But, you won’t go inside anything the requires a ticket. So for example, the tour gives you a little time to go inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral because it’s free to enter. But when you get downtown, the guide will just talk about the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. You’d still need tickets to enter separately.

Life in NYC is pretty normal. I’ve seen more people wearing masks at the airports. But in terms of the subways and buses, it’s pretty much life as usual. I haven’t noticed any less crowding on trains.

Thanks again for reading the blog!

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ExperienceFirst Tours for Families

May 25, 2023 by NYCSingleMom Filed Under: Travel

ExperienceFirst goes beyond the traditional tourist attractions with unique and immersive journeys that take you beyond the surface and into the heart and soul of your chosen destination.

With over  46k+ 5-star reviews , ExperienceFirst Tours range of tailored experiences, from exhilarating outdoor expeditions to cultural immersions and culinary delights , all designed to ignite your passion for exploration. 

Tours are available in 12 major international cities

• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• San Antonio

Families will be impressed with the team of knowledgeable and passionate guides that are experts in their respective fields, providing enriching insights into the history, culture, and hidden gems of each destination. They effortlessly engage both children and adults, bringing history and culture to life through interactive and immersive experiences.

Private Tours

ExperienceFirst also offers  private tours , if your family prefers, that dedicates the time beforehand to understand your family’s interests, preferences, and needs allowing them to tailor the tour accordingly. Whether you have toddlers, teenagers, or multi-generational members, ExperienceFirst ensures that everyone’s expectations are met, ensuring a harmonious and engaging experience for the entire family.

• Tour Broadway  with an actor to learn its backstage secrets
• NYC in a Day Walking Tour
• Lower Manhattan Ghost Tour
• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour
• 9/11 Memorial and Museum Insider Tour
• SoHo, Little Italy, Chinatown Walking Tour
• Hollywood Walking Tour: True Crime, Creepy Tales , Thrills and chills in LA’s most famous neighborhood
• Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park Hike
• Griffith Observatory Guided Tour and Planetarium Ticket Option
• Fisherman’s Wharf Walking Tour With Alcatraz Ticket
• San Francisco in a Day Walking Tour
• Mission District Food and Culture Tour , Eat your heart out in SF
• The Painted Ladies and Victorian Homes of Alamo Square Tour , Bask in the beauty of the Victorian Painted Ladies, immortalized in the 1980s sitcom, “Full House.”  (NEW)
• Haunted Haight-Ashbury True Crime Walking Tour , Stories and sights to give you chills (NEW)
• San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour
• JFK Assassination Tour , The history and truth of Kennedy’s assassination right where it happened
• Dallas Food and Culture Tour , Hearty servings of West End’s Tex-Mex with a side of history
• Dallas Highlights Tour
• Historic Downtown San Antonio Food and Culture Tour , Savor San Antonio’s best comfort food as you discover its history  (NEW)
• San Antonio Market Square Tex-Mex Food and Shopping Tour , Welcome to the birthplace of Tex-Mex (NEW)
• Pearl District Food and History Tour , A delicious journey through the Pearl District’s cuisine and culture (NEW)
• East Austin Food Tour , A delicious Austin experience where old meets new 
• Haunted Boston Walking Tour , Where history and horror walk hand in hand (NEW)
• Chicago Riverwalk Architecture Tour , A scenic walk through Chicago’s iconic architecture
• Mobsters and Haunted Mysteries of Chicago Walking Tour , Fight and fright in the Windy City
• Eiffel Tower Guided Climb
• Montmartre Walking Tour
• Emily in Paris: The Unofficial Tour by ExperienceFirst
• Barcelona Markets Walking Tour: Las Ramblas, La Boquería, and Beyond
• Behind the scenes: Barcelona Wax Museum VIP Tour

I wish ExperienceFirst Tours was available when we visited Paris but alas next time. 

Enjoy! And Safe Travels. 

ExperienceFirst Walking Tours

ExperienceFirst Tours organizes fun and informative guided walking tours that explore various popular New York City attractions, landmarks, and neighborhoods. Each one of these outings is led by an experienced tour guide with specialized knowledge of the local scene. No matter what you’re most interested in seeing during your visit to New York City, there’s an ExperienceFirst tour that’s right for you. Some of their most acclaimed guided walking tours include the Broadway and Times Square Insider tour, the SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown tour, and a High Line, Chelsea, and Meatpacking District neighborhood tour.

ExperienceFirst Walking Tours History 

ExperienceFirst Tours was founded in New York City in 2009. Since then, they have expanded their operations to Barcelona, Dallas, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, and San Francisco. Across these seven destinations they run some 48 distinctive tours, each one led by a trained professional with extensive knowledge of the neighborhood or subject at hand. They’ve consistently received awards for industry excellence, and been given tens of thousands of five-star reviews online.

What’s do you see on an ExperienceFirst Walking Tour

The Broadway and Times Square Insider tour runs each day at 4:00pm for just under two hours. It’s led by a trained theater professional, and takes you to iconic Broadway destinations like Sardi’s, the Edison Hotel, Barrymore Theater, and Shubert Alley. Along the tour’s one-mile route you’ll hear about the history of New York City’s theater business, the lives of some of Broadway’s greatest stars, and the rough-and-tumble past of the nearby Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.

The SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown tour is a fabulous way to learn more about three of Manhattan’s most memorable neighborhoods. These areas were once home to large immigrant populations and organized crime elements. Nowadays, they’re where you’ll find some of New York City’s trendiest boutiques, galleries, and restaurants.

ExperienceFirst operates several other outstanding neighborhood-centric walking tours. These include the High Line, Chelsea, and Meatpacking District tour , during which you can explore New York’s hottest new park and enjoy fabulous views of the Hudson River; the Greenwich Village tour, which takes you to Washington Square Park, Cafe Wha?, and the Stonewall Inn; and the Hudson Yards tour , which takes you through one of the city’s newest real estate developments, as well as the High Line and the Vessel.

Tips for Visiting with ExperienceFirst Walking Tours

• ExperienceFirst Walking Tours is included on several money saving tourist passes including the New York Pass , Go NY All-Inclusive Pass , NY Explorer Pass and NY Sightseeing Pass .
• All ExperienceFirst tours run rain or shine, so it’s best to come prepared for all types of weather conditions.
• When you arrive at your tour’s meeting point, be sure to look out for an individual holding an orange flag. This is your expert tour guide!
• The Hudson Yards tour comes with an optional upgrade for Edge, the popular observation deck located on the 100 th  floor of 30 Hudson Yards. If that attraction is on your radar, it’s worth taking advantage of this opportunity.
• You may cancel your ExperienceFirst tour reservations up to 24 hours before your scheduled departure time and receive a 100% refund. After that, you’ll be out of luck if you need to change your plans.
• ExperienceFirst recommends that all participants arrive for their tour 15 minutes ahead of its scheduled departure time.

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Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour: All Options

NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens: Contrasts, Color and Character

SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown Walking Tour in New York

NYC Must-See Highlights of Manhattan Bus Tour

Artistic, Alternative Greenwich Village Walking Tour

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

ExperienceFirst - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

ExperienceFirst

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Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour: All Options

NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens: Contrasts, Color and Character

SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown Walking Tour in New York

NYC Must-See Highlights of Manhattan Bus Tour

Artistic, Alternative Greenwich Village Walking Tour

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

EXPERIENCEFIRST (New York City) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Financial Crisis Tour

Wall street insider tour, unofficial succession tour.

• School Groups

Don’t just see Wall Street, experience it!

Guided tours with former traders, bankers, and others with insider knowledge of nyc's financial district.

Seen it all? These tours are for you. (This) would interest even the most highly informed born-and-bred.

- New York Times

This intimate encounter with some confusing but important financial wizardry was part of the walking tour of the 2008 global crisis.

- The Wall Street Journal

Financial Crisis Tour — a mix of history with some trivia thrown in, and a heavy dose of inside scoop.

- Fox News New York

This is our most in-depth, highly acclaimed tour of Wall Street. Learn how the financial crisis unraveled and how some traders made billion-dollar profits…

2 hours • $59

Come with us and discover the beginnings of the Big Apple. You’ll see it all, from the place where George Washington was inaugurated to…

75 minutes • $39

Explore Succession filming locations and learn about the surprising real-life stories that inspired the saga of the Roys and surrounding characters. On this immersive…

2 hours • $39

Our wall street tour guides.

Financial experts with firsthand stories from the trenches

New Yorkers who know the Financial District inside and out

Top-rated guides keeping you entertained — and informed

We bring the buildings and landmarks of downtown Manhattan alive. Our goal? To demystify Wall Street. Bring your cameras and your questions!

I was seriously impressed with George’s knowledge and his ability to convey 
it to a mixed group,It is one thing to wander around the buildings in the Wall Street area without knowing what goes on there but quite another to walk around with George and hear about the inside story.

Wendler-Philipp, Germany

We learned so much from Jon White. Not just the history, but the real boots-on-the-ground view of the world of investment. Jon gave us a clear understanding of the financial meltdown and how to avoid the noise of financial information and get to the real indicators.

TommyTTom2003, New York

There are a lot of interesting things that you would never find out about unless you had a knowledgeable guide… His background as a trader allowed him to give an informed and thorough account of Wall Street culture, attitude, and lifestyle.

NeilM646, London

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There’s Something Suspicious About this Art Deco Coffee Shop Inside a FiDi Bank

Join a VIP Horse Racing Experience at Yonkers Raceway for its 125th Anniversary

Photos: Inside the Abandoned Newton Falls Paper Company

Things to Do This Week in NYC: April 24th – May 1st

Located just two miles from the  Bronx,  the historic  Yonkers Raceway  at  Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts  carries on a racing tradition begun over 100 years ago. Founded in 1899 as the Empire City Track by William H. Clark’s Empire City Trotting Club, the half-mile dirt track was built for standardbred harness racing, a practice that continues to this day. On May 10th, Yonkers Raceway opens its barn doors for a behind-the-scenes tour like no other. Enter the raceway’s legendary paddock where harness racing’s premier horses await their turn to claim victory, get up close and personal with the horses while hearing from a world-class driver and harness racing expert. You will even get some tips on how to bet on the ponies while watching the races.

This free VIP experience is free for Untapped New York Insiders . Not an Insider yet? Become a member today and use code JOINUS to get your first month free.

Yonkers Raceway VIP Experience

Yonkers Raceway hosts twelve live harness races a night, five nights a week, year-round. Every race night nearly 100 horses from around the Tri-State area travel to the historic track to carry on the century-old racing tradition. Over the past 125 years, more than a million horses have raced at Yonkers Raceway, including legendary thoroughbreds like Triple Crown Winner Seabiscuit. During the heyday of the track in the 1970s, celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Ed Sullivan, famous athletes like Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, and Jack Dempsey, and even presidents including Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan frequented the races.

A new heyday is just around the corner for the raceway and accompanying Empire City Casino as MGM Resorts unveils plans for MGM Empire City, a revitalized version of the existing site. As it stands, Empire City Casino is one of the nation’s largest, with more than 5,000 slot machines spread out over a casino floor that covers 160,000 square feet. If granted a full-scale commercial license, the first phase of the renovation would include a comprehensive casino floor redevelopment and expansion that would transition the site from being a video lottery terminal racino to a full-scale commercial casino with live-dealer table games, the newest slot machines, and a high-limit gaming area.

The current food offerings would get a major upgrade and new dining experiences, such as a modern steakhouse and casual quick-serve Italian American experience, would be added. A new 5,000-capacity entertainment venue is in the plan alongside a state-of-the-art BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge. The new design also calls for cocktail bars, lounges, technologically advanced meeting spaces, and more.

In honor of the Raceway’s 125th anniversary, MGM Resorts invested in major upgrades to the track that can be seen this racing season. According to Harnesslink , the track has been resurfaced with more than six thousand tons of recycled track material, new LED lighting has been added, and there is a new multiple display LED infield tote board.

Racing will continue to be part of Empire City even as other major changes are on the horizon. Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the Raceway’s historic anniversary!

Check out photos from our first Insider’s visit to the track!

See our full list of upcoming Untapped New York Insiders events !

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Why Your Big Sister Resents You

“Eldest daughter syndrome” assumes that birth order shapes who we are and how we interact. Does it?

By Catherine Pearson

Catherine Pearson is a younger daughter who still leans on her older sister for guidance all the time.

In a TikTok video that has been watched more than 6 million times, Kati Morton, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Santa Monica, Calif., lists signs that she says can be indicative of “eldest daughter syndrome.”

Among them: an intense feeling of familial responsibility, people-pleasing tendencies and resentment toward your siblings and parents.

On X, a viral post asks : “are u happy or are u the oldest sibling and also a girl”?

Firstborn daughters are having a moment in the spotlight , at least online, with memes and think pieces offering a sense of gratification to responsible, put-upon big sisters everywhere. But even mental health professionals like Ms. Morton — herself the youngest in her family — caution against putting too much stock in the psychology of sibling birth order, and the idea that it shapes personality or long term outcomes.

“People will say, ‘It means everything!’ Other people will say, ‘There’s no proof,’” she said, noting that eldest daughter syndrome (which isn’t an actual mental health diagnosis) may have as much to do with gender norms as it does with birth order. “Everybody’s seeking to understand themselves, and to feel understood. And this is just another page in that book.”

What the research says about birth order

The stereotypes are familiar to many of us: Firstborn children are reliable and high-achieving; middle children are sociable and rebellious (and overlooked); and youngest children are charming and manipulative.

Studies have indeed found ties between a person’s role in the family lineup and various outcomes, including educational attainment and I.Q . (though those scores are not necessarily reliable measures of intelligence ), financial risk tolerance and even participation in dangerous sports . But many studies have focused on a single point in time, cautioned Rodica Damian, a social-personality psychologist at the University of Houston. That means older siblings may have appeared more responsible or even more intelligent simply because they were more mature than their siblings, she said, adding that the sample sizes in most birth order studies have also been relatively small.

In larger analyses, the link between birth order and personality traits appears much weaker. A 2015 study looking at more than 20,000 people in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States found no link between birth order and personality characteristics — though the researchers did find evidence that older children have a slight advantage in I.Q. (So, eldest daughters, take your bragging rights where you can get them.)

Dr. Damian worked on a different large-scale study, also published in 2015 , that included more than 370,000 high schoolers in the United States. It found slight differences in personality and intelligence, but the differences were so small, she said, that they were essentially meaningless. Dr. Damian did allow that cultural practices such as property or business inheritance (which may go to the first born) might affect how birth order influences family dynamics and sibling roles.

Still, there is no convincing some siblings who insist their birth order has predestined their role in the family.

After her study published, Dr. Damian appeared on a call-in radio show. The lines flooded with listeners who were delighted to tell her how skewed her findings were.

“Somebody would say: ‘You’re wrong! I’m a firstborn and I’m more conscientious than my siblings!’ And then someone else would call in and say, ‘You’re wrong, I’m a later-born and I’m more conscientious than my siblings!” she said.

What personal experience says

Sara Stanizai, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Long Beach, Calif., runs a virtual group with weekly meet-ups, where participants reflect on how they believe their birth order has affected them and how it may be continuing to shape their romantic lives, friendships and careers.

The program was inspired by Ms. Stanizai’s experience as an eldest daughter in an Afghan-American family, where she felt “parentified” and “overly responsible” for her siblings — in part because she was older, and in part because she was a girl .

While Ms. Stanizai acknowledged that the research around birth order is mixed, she finds it useful for many of her clients to reflect on their birth order and how they believe it shaped their family life — particularly if they felt hemmed in or saddled by certain expectations.

Her therapy groups spend time reflecting on questions like: How does my family see me? How do I see myself? Can we talk about any discrepancies in our viewpoints, and how they shape family dynamics? For instance, an older sibling might point out that he or she is often the one to plan family vacations. A younger sibling might point out that he or she often feels pressured into going along with whatever the rest of the group wants.

Whether or not there is evidence that birth order determines personality traits is almost beside the point, experts acknowledged.

“I think people are just looking for meaning and self-understanding,” Ms. Stanizai said. “Horoscopes, birth order, attachment styles” are just a few examples, she said. “People are just looking for a set of code words and ways of describing their experiences.”

Catherine Pearson is a Times reporter who writes about families and relationships. More about Catherine Pearson

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See everything you’re dreaming of — on a schedule convenient for you. You can turn any of our public tours private or customize your own experience. Choose from the destinations below to see a few of our options, or fill out the form and we’ll be in touch.

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• Cities like Santa Monica and Malibu

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• Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf
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• Dealey Plaza
• Reunion Tower
• Klyde Warren Park
• Food tours and more

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• Or anywhere else in Rome

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