There’s endless stuff for a vacationer to do in New York City, but I once joined a graffiti tour through SoHo and the Lower East Side that proved to be one of the coolest opportunities of my trip. The guide showed us work by locals and internationals in spots we’d probably never think to look, and verbally tussled with pissed-off pedestrians (our group was large) to boot! Since last July, Seattle’s most famous neighborhood has offered daily a similarly insider-y adventure via Angela Shen’s Savor Seattle tours at Pike Place Market. They’re two-hour trips through the stalls, where you’ll munch on favorites like piroshky, smoked salmon, and fresh produce while spying secret spots and hearing the history of vendors and Market characters. Sundays are low-stress “Singles Mingle” days, in which Shen promises locals will be surprised by what they’ve overlooked. Including, maybe, a hot dish of another kind. Check the web site for other Sunday times throughout January. Pike Place Market, First Avenue and Pike Street, 898-4418, www.savorseattletours.com. $39. 10 a.m.

Sun., Jan. 13, 10 a.m., 2008