Roavi · New York
Become a Local Friend in New York
Go out, explore your city and meet travellers from everywhere. Your days, your rate.
Go out
A sunset, music, a rooftop
Explore
Your city, the way only you know it
Meet people
A coffee with someone from abroad
Your terms
Your days, your rate
In public places · Respectful · Platonic only · Earnings vary by city and demand
How it works
Get started in
3 simple steps
- 1
Create your free profile
Tell travellers about yourself, your interests and your city. Stop and come back any time; your words are saved.
- 2
Show what makes you special
Your favourite places, three real photos, and how you'd like to spend time. A person on our team reads every profile.
- 3
Connect with travellers
When you're ready, reply to travellers and agree on a plan that works for you: the day, the hours, your rate.
Example profileMarta$22/hr
Lisbon, Portugal
Usually replies within 1 hour
I'm great for
Speaks
Portuguese · English · Spanish
Send a messageExample profile · this is how yours will look
Real people. Real places.
See what Local Friends share
From hidden beaches to local food spots, Local Friends show travellers the side of their city that isn't in the guidebooks.
Explore more profilesWhat a New Yorker is actually worth to a visitor
Nobody needs you to find them a hidden gem in New York. Every block of this city has been written about. What visitors do not have is a way to tell which of the fifty famous things is worth four hours of a five-day trip, how far apart two places on the same subway map really are, and what exists past the part of Manhattan they already know from television.
What you can show
- 1
Which famous thing to skip. Times Square in twenty minutes, the Empire State observation deck versus the two newer ones, whether the ferry does the job the harbour cruise charges for. Saying no is most of the value.
- 2
An outer borough on its own terms — Sunset Park, Jackson Heights, Astoria, Arthur Avenue. A visitor will not get there alone and it is where the food is.
- 3
The subway as a native uses it: express versus local, which transfer is a trap, when a bus or a twelve-minute walk beats waiting.
- 4
Whatever you are actually into. Live jazz on a Tuesday, a gallery opening, pickup basketball, a shape-note sing, the good bagel argument. Specific beats comprehensive here.
One thing to check before you charge for this: New York City requires a Sightseeing Guide License from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection for anyone who, for a fee, guides or escorts people to points of interest in the city. It involves an exam. Whether a given Roavi meetup is inside that definition depends on what you actually do, so look at the DCWP rules for yourself and decide how you want to describe your offer — do not take this paragraph as legal advice.
Travelers are looking for locals in New York
Be one of the first Local Friends they meet. Build your profile today and get discovered by travelers heading to New York.
See the New York pageWorth reading first
- How to Meet People in New York in 2026: the Places (Run Clubs, Leagues, Classes, Volunteering, Dog Runs, Stoops), the Apps and How Slow They Are, the Bars Where Talking to Strangers Is Normal, What Works for a Visitor With Three Days Versus a Newcomer With Three Months, and Hiring a New Yorker for an Afternoon
- Moving to New York From London in 2026: the Visa Routes Brits Actually Use, Finding an Apartment After the FARE Act (the 40x Rule, Guarantors, No Tenant-Paid Broker Fees), Money and Banking, the Culture Shocks Nobody Warns You About, Where Brits Settle, and How Not to Spend the First Month Alone
- Moving to New York From Australia in 2026: the Visa Routes Australians Actually Use, Finding an Apartment After the FARE Act (the 40x Rule, Guarantors, No Tenant-Paid Broker Fees), Money and Banking, the Culture Shocks Nobody Warns You About, Where Australians Settle, and How Not to Spend the First Month Alone
- Moving to New York From Los Angeles in 2026: the Visa Routes Angelenos Actually Use, Finding an Apartment After the FARE Act (the 40x Rule, Guarantors, No Tenant-Paid Broker Fees), Money and Banking, the Culture Shocks Nobody Warns You About, Where Angelenos Settle, and How Not to Spend the First Month Alone
- Moving to New York From Texas in 2026: the Visa Routes Texans Actually Use, Finding an Apartment After the FARE Act (the 40x Rule, Guarantors, No Tenant-Paid Broker Fees), Money and Banking, the Culture Shocks Nobody Warns You About, Where Texans Settle, and How Not to Spend the First Month Alone
- Bilingual Jobs in New York in 2026: Eight That Pay More Because You Speak Spanish and English (Interpreting, Bilingual Customer Service, New York's Own Bilingual Employers, Local Friend, Events, Schools, Healthcare Front Desk, Notary Signings), What Each Pays and Which Fit Your Hours
Other cities
Questions?
Everything you need to know
The questions people ask before they join, answered plainly.
Ask Roa or the teamYes. You choose who you reply to and when you're free. Plenty of people do one weekend afternoon a month. New York gets a very high volume of short trips, so there is usually someone whose dates fit whatever window you have.
It is often the whole reason someone picks you. New York receives visitors from everywhere, and a lot of them would rather spend a day with a New Yorker who speaks their language than with anyone else. Put every language you actually speak on your profile — it is the single most useful line on it in this city.
Yes. Creating and publishing your Local Friend profile is completely free — there’s no cost to appear in the directory or receive messages.
No — and that is the point. A Local Friend is not a tour guide: you spend time with someone as yourself, you do not run a tour. Professional guiding is a licensed profession in a number of countries; spending an afternoon with someone is not. And if you do hold a guiding licence, put it on your profile — travellers look for it.
Yes. You set your own hourly rate, and you can change it anytime from your profile.
Yes. You choose your days and times on your profile, reply only when it suits you, and can pause your profile whenever you like.
No. You need to be 18 or over, live in the city, and add three real photos of yourself. If you know where you’d take a friend, you have what it takes.
No. Roavi doesn’t process payments or take a commission on what you arrange with a traveler.
No. You decide who you respond to, and you can say no to anyone, for any reason.
No. Verification is optional. It’s completed through Stripe Identity and adds a verified status to your profile, but your profile, visibility, and messaging stay free either way.
Travelers message you directly through Roavi once they find your profile in the directory. You choose whether and how to reply.
Yes. You can pause your visibility or delete your profile at any time from your account settings.
Ready to share your world?
Become a Local Friend today
It's free. It could be the start of something amazing.
18+ · Every profile is read by a person before it goes live