I participated in the New York Amazing Race against my company. I compete against my coworkers. It was fun but I thought it could have been better. Read on for spoilers of the game. We met at Baked Melissa on 42nd street. The guide gave us instructions. I was late so I did not hear the instructions. The goal of the race is to find items on a list (movie poster, triplets, slide, dog with clothes, flag, big clock, guy with mets cap, bus driver), 3 out of 6 pictures (daily news globe, muppets at fab schwartz , apple at hudson river park etc) and a find of (12 different flowers or 6 different vendors that sell meet). In addition, for extra point, you had to check in with the guide at times square and if you choose to perform a specific task. The event was tiring. We had to run towards the end of the race to get everything. My team won of course. However, given that we paid $35 for the race. I expected more like water to be provided, nutrional snacks a the end of the race, some sort of metrocard for public transportation and better prize (i got a plastic medal and t-shirt). read more

4 stars only because we had a Dealist (think Groupon) discount and the event cost us $20 rather than $35 - otherwise probably wouldn't have been worth it. All in all a fun day, took us all over the city to places we'd never been. Also exposed me to the bus system which I've rarely taken.. pretty reliable & runs regularly (should I be yelping the metro system..?). Pretty well organized. We got plenty of e-mails beforehand letting us know how we should prepare (though they were a little ambiguous on the metro day pass- were they providing it or did we have to buy it? Good thing we bought ours just in case). On they day of they ran pretty smoothly, although registration was a bit of a bottleneck with one person doing each task (sign in, name tags, handing out paperwork). There were lots of staff though and they were all really friendly and seemed to really enjoy running the event, which made us enjoy it more. At then end they came around and scored our pictures by going through them with us (liked that - so we could make sure we got credit for all the items we found), and had us load our pictures on a computer being projected so we saw a slideshow with everyone's photos as they were scoring. Funny to see how creative some people were. Would've been nice to have a little bit of food at the start or at the end - annoying that we were basically expected to stick around and order Dave & Busters food since that was the start/end location. It's ok, we just ordered a small appetizer (as we were STARVING) and went off to a restaurant actually worth our time for dinner. read more

I really wanted this to be great and it wasn't even kind of good. It was amateur hour all around. It began with the MULTIPLE proclamations on their website that there are NO refunds. I now gather that many participants must request them. When my two children and I arrived at the meeting point we didn't see a POGO rep. We circled the area two or three times and finally started asking strangers if they were here for the scavenger hunt. The group leader was sitting nearby and overheard us and identified herself. Sure, she had a POGO shirt on... with the logo on the BACK. That's smart. And no sign, ballon, nor even a sheet of looseleaf paper to identify her as she hung out on a park bench. Then the code for the hunt wouldn't scan. A few of us had this problem. It seems they haven't updated their program to the current iOS. But all was not yet lost until... wait for it... the leader emailed me the hunt as a PDF file so we took off (didn't want to lose anymore time) to begin our first challenge... and I realized that she has sent me the answer key with the solutions to all of the clues for the entire scavenger hunt! What fun is that?! We were there for the challenge and to exercise our brains. Half of the hunt was done before we'd started. She had said she would email me her phone number in case I had any questions but she did not even do that so I emailed her and asked her to call me right away but she didn't and after a half an hour I called the company's office and was told that they don't give refunds... yeah, so I've read, but as a courtesy they would give me half of my money back. I was just glad to get something but truly they should have given me ALL of my money and compensated me additionally for my ruined day. The worst! Avoid at all costs. I want to add that this is my very first negative review on Yelp. I love writing reviews when I've had good experiences and I don't relish the role of disgruntled patron, just to give you some perspective on how bad this was... Update 10/28/17: I've been contacted by other Yelp users to thank me for my warning and who were appalled by Mary's disrespectful reply and lack of responsibility taking. Her refusal to give me the full refund I was due has now cost her in spades. A very poor business choice. read more

Turning 11 in New York City is tough. In Georgia, there was nothing wrong with every kid having the same ol' thang at a movie theater or the roller rink, and I was quite pleased with my prepubescent cosmic bowling extravaganza complete with cardboard pizza and room temp Hi-C. Let's just say it's a bit different growing up in Upper West Side in 2014.... A couple months ago, I took a lead role in helping a very special soon-to-be 11 year old girl plan a birthday party that would be unlike anything her classmates and friends had had. Specifically, she wanted a scavenger hunt personalized to her interests (Knicks, Dylan's Candy Bar, tennis, magic tricks, bagels, you name it), and POGO was ready to step up to the plate and make it happen! I called other scavenger hunt companies, and none were willing to customize an event to the degree we needed. Along came Mary, who was consistently prompt, professional, and meticulous. She was wonderful to work with, coordinating incredibly personalized stops in the city that included photo-taking challenges and custom trivia about the birthday girl herself, synced with a very cool, modern phone app that allows for the "hunters" to tackle the course in any way they'd like (rather than all in the same order). The event itself ran smoothly and efficiently, and there was very little stress on my end! Friendly, energetic, dependable staff, good event pricing, and truly personalized service. The birthday girl and her friends are all STILL talking about the "amazing race birthday" five months later, and believe me - that says a lot! I'd definitely use them again in a second. Go-go with POGO!!! read more

I participated in the Movie themed race. I don't know if we signed up late, but we ended up spending $60pp instead of the $35 that was originally posted on the website. It is definitely not worth $60 and moreso not worth $35! The consolation prize was a bag full of misc. candy. The theme was "movies," but the newest movie on the list was "Two Weeks Notice." I'm in my mid 20s, and the only movie on the list I watched was "Breakfast at Tiffany's." We're in New York City! The system was also inefficient; we were able to log in our clues using multiple iPhones (*Nudge nudge* for future AR participants). Not sure how the scoring was evaluated, but does THIS: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_7J3EI3Hx5ls/TcqeSMdPd4I/AAAAAAAAErc/h9WuA8Yihbc/white%20dress2.jpg count as "Take a picture with a woman in a white dress doing the Marilyn Monroe pose over a subway grate" !? I'm not being bitter because we got 3rd place. I am just disappointed that I could've gotten concert tickets to Glee for the same price, and it would've been just as cheesy. Two stars for the free beer at the end. read more

Had a fun afternoon but that was more because of the people I was with. The desserts scavenger hunt was a little underwhelming for the price. Our host while nice was disorganized trying to get everyone started (and even started our clock with one of our teammates in the restroom). We were able to get two really good treats but the third was super tiny. 2 out of the 4 places we visited didn't expect us (and we walked out of one of them empty handed). We came in second and received coupons for 4 people to do a different scavenger hunt... It was a fun afternoon but unless you love scavenger hunts, it's a little expensive for what you get. read more

We did a scavenger hunt yesterday at the Brooklyn Museum with my wife's parents and it was a great time. The host was funny and energetic. The puzzles were challenging but doable. We came in third place and won a prize so that is just icing on the cake. I recommend their scavenger hunt at the Brooklyn Museum, it was a great activity for groups, families, or people on dates. read more

I did a Team of Two race with a friend who had a deal for $15 per person. If I had paid any more I would have been really annoyed. You don't actually get anything for your money - you could easily just arrange your own race with friends for free and have the exact same experience. The race is difficult only in terms of time. The actual activities are pretty simple, it doesn't require much knowledge of the city or brain power to figure anything out. Only one of the items on the scavenger hunt required use of a smart phone. The way they do the scoring is also not great. One of the items was taking a picture with a bride, and people got equal points for taking a picture with a real bride as they did for taking a picture with a magazine with a bride on the cover. I did have a lot of fun doing this, but I was expecting to get a T-shirt or a cocktail or some kind of consolation prize for the money we put down. There weren't even any specials offered at Dave & Buster's, which was where we had to spend a significant portion of the day. read more

3 friends and I participated in the Long Beach race yesterday. While it was definitely a good time, we all walked away feeling as though we were ripped off. $35 per person isn't an outrageous amount of money, generally speaking, but the website promises tshits, drink specials and food. Of the 4 bars participating in the race, only one had any actual reduced price drinks, one wasn't accessible at all because they were having a private party (great planning) and the last seemed to offer the opposite of a discount, charging $6 for crappy beer. There was no food and when we inquired about the tshits, they said it was "an outdated blurb on their site" and they were no longer part of the deal. As for the race itself, it was a photo scavenger hunt and nothing resembling what I understand the 'amazing race' to be. The 'roadblocks' were a joke. Like I said tho, it's a damn good time, but one that was skewed by the detractions I listed above. I could have put something similar together in 10 minutes. These people have a potentially great product, but seriously need to step up their game. read more

The events are so fun, so well organized, incredibly engaging, and run by an awesome staff lead by Mary. I participated in a race all around NYC and it was hilarious. My team And i were busting our asses, determined to win, running all over the city like madwomen, collecting clues everywhere. We had a BLAST, laughed hysterically, met cool people, burned a ton of calories, learned a lot about NY, and saw some new spots in the city. Alas, we did not win (came in 2nd place) but we still laugh about how much fun we had. Thank you Pogo! read more

Read about this company on a bride's blog and for her bachelorette party, they did the "Amazing NY Bachelorette Race." My fave TV show is "The Amazing Race" and I have always wanted to do one of the public, scavenger hunt-type of races so when I heard about this, I knew I had to do it but the only problem was that my party was going to be in CA. I called and spoke to Mary and asked her if she knew of anything like this in CA. She didn't, but offered to write the race for me and to have it occur in SF! Mary responded quickly to emails and I had no problem trying to get a hold of her. It was $25/person (with minimum amount of players = 10) and her co-workers (some from the Bay Area) wrote the race for us. She had a friend of a co-worker meet us in SF and "host" the race for us. My girlfriends all had a blast running around the city, taking pictures and doing fun things. All the clues were of me and were based on a questionnaire that was sent to family and friends. The only thing was that several of the facts/clues were wrong and they got the name wrong of my fiance. In any case, we all had a great time and I'm glad I got to partake in this. My team didn't win, but I still had an amazing time and got a t-shirt to prove it! read more

I participated in the St. Patrick's scavenger hunt and it will definitely be the last pogo event that I ever take part in. Conceptually it's a good idea but extremely unorganized, uncoordinated and poorly planned (which are all part and parcel of a good scavenger hunt). When we got to the bar "libations" to check in there was no clear sign or indicator where to go. After asking quizzically several people inside the bar we were pointed (literally pointed not directed) to some girl wearing a sweatshirt with a small pogoevents logo across the center (easy to miss). She had a crowd of people already registered who just couldn't figure out how to get started. I stood around for 10 minutes just trying to get started. Finally she tells us that we have to download 2 apps (scanquest AND barcod scanner) to begin. This was not mentioned in the description of the event OR the ticket itself only that a smartphone was needed. There is only ONE bar code to scan printed out, 20 of us who need to scan it are huddled around like idiots and NO directions whatsoever. She tells me and 4 others that one of us should take pictures of the scavenger challenges and the other should keep the app running. My partner and I sit down to discuss strategy which is when it becomes obvious that this was not well coordinated. The "bars" which are part of the challenge are all over the dam place. From upper west side, midtown, murray hill to east and west village. We only have 3 hours AND there's a massive celebration outside so subways aren't running like clockwork right now. As part of the "rules" taxis and cars aren't allowed -- by foot and subway only. We decide to smack on a smile and make the best of it. We start snapping away at the first bar but realize that the app is draining my battery rather quickly and is also asking for confirmation of the pictures. We are a bit puzzled as to how to proceed but of course NO ONE is there to ask at the first bar so we keep on going. I must mention that the web site stated we would get "clues" as we went to each location but NOTHING like that happened. No clues, no specials at the bar for participating and they didn't even try to stock any of the other challenges listed. You were pretty much on your own. The second bar was a dump. No sign about 20 ft wide, dark, empty, no music or atmosphere to think of. The only person there was one of the staff members. I asked her about the pictures. She promptly told me nothing would count because we didn't use the app in conjunction with the pictures. I'm furious because we're halfway done with most of the challenges minus the bars she picks up on this and says there is a number to call. She gives me a number to call for a Mary who tells me it's okay they will count my stuff but the old fashioned way. Well thanks for wasting 15 minutes of my scavenger hunt on this nonsense. We try to make it to the third bar (which is the next closest) and it takes over 45 minutes before we're even off the subway. We realize we'd barely make it to the bar before rushing back to the final destination. My partner and I are deflated and just head home, not even bothering to finish. Oh I forgot to mention that I wasted over $70 total on this crap. I probably could have organized a better event given enough time for half the amount of money. There are better events to spend money on that are cheaper, better organized and a ton more fun. read more

What an amazing and unique way to celebrate our just have some fun. I booked my birthday event with Mary and Amanda for last weekend and I have no regrets or complaints. Me and my family had a great time. They were organized, patient and fun to work with. I am definitely going to book another event with them at some point. Thank You team POGO! read more

POGO Events - Party & Event Planning Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My sister and I did the Amazing Dessert Race this past Sunday and we had a blast. We were late to the check in and lost out on extra points bit as this was our first race, we weren't expecting to win anyway. I was a big fan of the leniency of the scoring, especially since it was very much in our favor. We had to be very creative to come up with some of the scavenger photos. Yes it was a lot of work. There was a point where I hated that we were doing this because things were further apart than I expected them to be and I was tired. But one bite of a sample cupcake made the trip worth it. I would definitely recommend this. More so if you enjoy walking, are competitive, and a little crazy. read more

This is a review of the Easter Egg scavenger hunt, though it sounds like all of their scavenger hunts follow the same structure. One member of each team downloads the ScanQuest app, which contains the clues. There are places, items, trivia, draw, and social media. There was a "roadblock" in the middle that required all teams to meet at Madison Square Park and find eggs. I didn't find the hunt very challenging or fun. Most of the teams stormed the nearest Duane Reade to get the majority of the items, and the places were candy stores that were either named explicitly or could be figured out with one Google search. The trivia was also really basic- a simple Google search would find all the answers. The drawing was a little more creative, but there were only 2 and I can't see anybody not getting those points. In general, 3 hours seemed like more than enough for all the teams to complete all of the tasks, which makes it not very competitive. If you like taking silly selfies, then this would be the game for you! If you want something that requires a brain, I would recommend an Escape the Room game over this. read more

Just participated in a birthday scavenger hunt for my sister this weekend and had a really great time. The scavenger hunt was personalized to the birthday girl's interests, so our finds centered around things she loves: fashion, Friends, yoga, the Walking Dead, and apparently stuffed gophers. It also had us traveling all over the city. I didn't set-up the event so I can't comment on anything leading up to the day of the event, other than the cost which was $25 a person (seemed reasonable) and participating guests had to fill out a questionnaire about the birthday girl prior to the event. The event ran pretty smoothly. Our coordinator Katie (?) was super nice, and answered all of our questions before the start of the event. Two people in our group ran about a half hour late. We were able to extend the event at an extra cost (again, seems reasonable) and without any problems. The finds were creative, and a good mix of easy finds (shoe store) and more difficult ones (stupid stuffed gopher). There was a lot of traveling involved which tagged on an additional metro card cost. (wouldn't have been a big deal if the one day fun pass was still available). We did score some free transfer rides by using both city buses and the subway. Ultimately it was a really memorable day and we have some crazy pictures to commemorate her birthday. It was also an interesting way to see a lot of NYC in a short amount of time. If you have a group of friends who like being silly and are up for anything this could be a great event. The company supplied us with a personalized hunt, an event coordinator, and some t-shirt prizes for the winners. Because I didn't set the event up I do not know what kind of extras the company offers. I would recommend looking into this type of event for a unique celebration. read more

Mary did a great job of hosting our virtual holiday work party! She was engaging with the team.

We did a scavenger hunt and came in second place - the prize was for us to get another go at a hunt for free. I'm actually really happy we got that instead of first place - which was a bunch of vouchers to events we weren't that excited about (quiet clubbing events, etc.) The race itself was fun - we met at a bar in midtown. There were lots of teams ranging from two people to whole groups (4 to 6). You had to run around and get pictures - upload them to the app, draw stuff, answer trivia questions, do challenges, etc. It was a challenge of time management and teamwork. I learned my boyfriend and I are really good partners and work well together. The only thing is I do slow long distance jogging and he is way better at sprints so I tended to lag behind in our full out runs to race the clock. The way they run the events is very fair, since everyone has the same amount of time to complete the tasks. There was one clue that was hard to figure out due to a mistake on the part of the event organizers (the wording made it seem like something was in one place when it was in another). The only other complaint is that you are waiting around for a long time before the game starts despite getting there at the time they tell you to arrive. I think we were waiting for like 30 mins or something, which is way too long to allow for latecomers. Despite these things, we are looking forward to doing another event very soon. It's a great date / way to spend a saturday or sunday evening and really good exercise! Tips - get an all day unlimited metro card. You can't use cabs or cars. I would recommend mapping everything out first before getting started to figure out the best route. Feedback to business: It would be great if the bar/venue offered some type of special discount to people who are doing the event. I noticed everyone was just sipping water and not ordering food because the venue was kind of expensive and there didn't seem to be any special for us. read more

I really enjoyed this event. It really gets you to bond with your friends, discover the city in a different way and feel like a child again! I highly recommend it and will totally do it again for my birthday! read more

i think the concept is great, and the events are really fun but I don't like how they award full points for things that aren't deserving of it. Pogo Events organized a birthday scavenger hunt for my friend last weekend, and I think that my friend should have served as a judge, since all of the tasks were about her. My team came in 2nd place, and I know I might sound like a sore loser but after my friend went around looking at every group's pictures, she explained that some of the winning group's pictures didn't reflect the clues correctly!! That really pissed me off. They shouldn't have been rewarded full credit for taking a picture in front of 5 Penn Plaza when the clue clearly stated "stand in front of the DMV." Honestly, I don't care much about the tshirts they give out as prizes, it's just the principle of the thing. We could have half-assed the entire thing but we were pretty true to the clues and all. As long as my friend was happy then, I guess that's really what matters. I definitely think that I could have put together a better scavenger hunt myself if I had to. I think Watson Adventures does a MUCH better job with their scavenger hunts, and they're actually much more challenging to complete, especially for a group of achievement whores. Definitely check out Watson Adventures if you want a better experience. They may be a bit pricier but the experience is worth it. read more

I have been twice to this Race, first time we won and second time we came in second. I think it is a fun time and it is a fun way to get to know the city as well. I do not know what the prices are as I have never paid for a race but I know it is great fun and it is even more fun to win. If you want to make it a real competition you need to run and run fast because some of these guys are very competitive (especially my boyfriend). I was so exhausted after the race that I could not stand on my feet and I sprained my ankle, so people definitely give it their all. The reason I am not giving this a 5* when I am so fond of it, it is because I am not sure how organized it is with the companies that they do business with as I experienced during a race that a restaurant claimed that they were not part of the race which turned out later that they actually were and we lost points on that account, therefore because of the doubt I am having I gave it a * less. read more

AMAZING indeed! Wow, this was hard work. We thought we did pretty well, but other groups did even better by a long stretch. I agree that the price for the race - $35 - was pretty unjustified by what we got; they could've at least gotten us some appetizers or drinks! The race was very well-organized though and all of the employees/volunteers were really nice and invested in this event. We did the "Come One, Come All" event on 8/22 and started at 12:30 with some extra credit games at Dave & Busters. Record number of teams that day. The announcer said that they would be opening these races every weekend due to its popularity. Anyway, the race started at 1PM and ended around 5PM. During that time, the teams raced uptown and downtown on public transportation (in the POURING RAIN I might add!!!) and tried to find certain landmarks, people and objects. We did some logistical strategizing in the beginning but in the end realized that our strategy could've been even more refined to achieve maximum amount of points. It would take ALL of your mental and physical stamina to complete this race and come out on top. Because even as you race from point to point, you would still need to be alert for possible additional points you can gain from, say, spotting a lady with a flowered hat or a person playing an instrument. Some people refused our requests but most went along with our photo requests and were very nice about it, even if I could see the wheels turning in their head at what the heck we are up to. But because we are three young girls prettily pleading I'm sure any kind-hearted New Yorker would acquiesce to our requests. I can't say the same about the other teams, because we're all so competitive, which was disappointing.... Afterwards we were absolutely BEAT and in need of sustenance. Dave & Busters waiters immediately pounced on us and asked if we wanted to order anything and we couldn't resist so we did, but the food was so late and just unorganized. (Again: POGO events need to provide SOME kind of food or drink as it would be much appreciated!! Maybe get some water/beverage sponsors??) The organizers came around to each of us and looked through our pictures and scored our points, then as they tallied up the winners there were photo slides of all of the teams' hard work during the day. It was really cool to see that as some of them got pretty creative. The teams' names and points were each individually announced at the end and everyone clapped, and there were bragging rights for Best Costume and Best Team Name. Mary (the creator and founder) sent out an email the day after with all of the teams' names and points listed and also a coupon for $5 off next race. I think I would do it again because I had such a blast, although next time I would be much better prepared with granola bars, maps, more friends and a better working knowledge of Gotham City. read more

I did the "Teams of Two" race on 4/3/11. We had a lot of fun doing the race and the booklets were a good tool. Thats about it. There are a lot of cons to this. We bought our tickets thru groupon so we paid 2/$30. I dont recommend anyone pay more. POGO makes pure profit in this. The prizes are pretty cheesy. They range from a tshirt to tickets to crap. Half of those prizes cost no more than $20. There were more than 60 teams racing on 4/3/11 so POGO can surely provide some better prizes or maybe a bottle of water while we wait over an hour for scores to be added. I will tell people to do this race if they bought it on a deal and thats about it. The set up took forever and the way they score takes forever. POGO needs to make some serious changes or decrease the price of the ticket. read more

Good time, fun way to see a good chunk of the city in a day. Took some people who've never been in the city and they loved it. Their team won and the prizes were great. Even though its just a city-wide scavenger hunt now, you can see how it will evolve, like the Race in LA. Definitely doing it again. read more

I usually read reviews of events such as this before participating, but failed to do so this time and I am sorry I didn't. Their website describes the event as "part scavenger hunt, part obstacle course....A series of clues leads you around the area performing physical and mental challenges along the way." This was extremely false. There wasn't an "obstacle" course, no "clues" no "physical or mental challenge." The entire time was just finding little things like "find a sign with Park in it" and take a picture. This was very disappointing considering we signed up based on what was advertised. It is because of this false advertising I will be asking for our money back. I am surprised they are even allowed to use CBS's title, "Amazing Race." Because there wasn't anything "amazing about it." And if you ever watched the actual Amazing Race on tv, it is nothing like it. Honestly, because my friends are competitive, we made it fun. And we had some laughs. But as another reviewer stated before me, I really could have created this game for friends and saved $40 a person! Prior to the event, we received an email stating points will be given for costumes. Well we were the only team who made the effort and yet the woman running it didn't even acknowledge/notice when we arrived. Actually our "costumes" seemed of little consequence to her. At the end, she mentioned we received "some" points for it. But there was never any indication of how many. POGO has you download an app for the event, but it was never mentioned that the app drains your battery. You use the app to take your pics and it keeps a running total of your score. At the end of the race, we were down to less than 10% and were worried the phone would shut down before we finished. As a result, we stopped trying to take the pictures, just so we can get back before it shut down. At this point we have 350 (50 were not calculated by the app.) Once we all arrived and she started announcing the winners, she announced our team came in 2nd with a score of less than 200 and then 1st place team had about 250. We are not sore losers, but rather just confused as to what happened. Some feedback for POGO - at least let everyone know why they got less points than what was stated on the app. It almost felt as we got cheated, especially again since we made the effort to have a costume and the first place team did not. It would have been great to see a break- down of the scores. So, once the winning team was announced. No prizes were given out. The woman leading the event made a point of saying, "you will be getting these things." But didn't physically give the winning team anything. I couldn't understand what would have been so hard to have something right there. And in regards to the 2nd and 3rd place teams -my gosh, for $40 a pop, POGO couldn't afford to hand out small giveaways? A cup? Tshirt? Any promotional? Something?? There was a team with 2 young children who came in 3rd place, I felt bad for them. I don' t that would have been too much to ask. Considering the only overhead was to pay the two people overseeing that day and I guess money towards using the app, I am not sure where the $40/per person went to. Since writing this I have spoken to Mary, the owner of the event and I have to say this much, they are working out the kinks in the Brooklyn hunt AND it was raining that day, so many things changed. But I truly admire her great customer service and her willingness to help us rectify the situation. That is GREAT customer service and because of that, will "hunt" with them again. read more

What a great way to spend a Sunday. Instead of taking the subway everywhere we walked to most of the locations which was a fun and healthful way to see the city from a fresh perspective. It was really fun to spend time with friends in a new way. I can't say enough about how fun this event was. Put a team together and see for yourself! read more

I played the Teams of Two race and had the awesome-est time in the city. Although we didnt win, we left feeling like great after enjoying a wonderful fun filled adventurous day. This was my 1st scavenger hunt n i had a great time talkin to strangers and clickin pics with them. whoever said new yorkers are rude was definitely lying as we met so many strangers on the road, subway, macy's, train station - u name it - who were so very enthusiastic! I would definitely recommend this to everyone! (P.S - Btw, i was dead tired by the end of it all. felt like my legs were gonna fall off. we were playing to win, so we were pretty much running without stoppin for a leak or a drink. Others who wanna take it chill, will definitely leave feeling 'physically better' ) I got the groupon deal of 2 tickets for $35 which was perfect. But m not so sure if its worth $35. read more

We had a great time on Sunday doing the TV Themed race. This was actually my second time participating and I would definitley do so again. I did not really like the Village Pourhouse as the meeting spot because it was so crowded when we started but it was an OK place. Event staff was great and we had a fun time even though we had a yucky day weatherwise. I will definitley do it again and hopefully we will win next time! read more

What a great way to spend an afternoon in New York. My friends & family surprised me with a personal birthday scavenger hunt and it was well-organized, well-presented, and well-executed. A lot of fun and highly recommended. read more

Two years ago, we participated with our 10 year old son and a handful of friends in a "Come one. Come All" race. As it was his birthday, Pogo customized several clues (for the entire group) about my son. The 3 hr race was a bit tiring for them, but they all look back on it fondly to this day. We didn't win, but we didn't care! Now my son is almost 13 and a Boy Scout. I called Mary at Pogo Events (a former Girl Scout) last year to explore a Boy Scout-themed race for his troop. Her enthusiasm for the new concept was palpable due to her personal connection to scouting. A few months after our conversation, she got back to me that she had just completed a successful Girl Scout themed race and was eager to help us put together a race for our Boy Scout Troop. I supplied information about BSA history, Law, Motto, Slogan, Oath, and merit badge requirements we could mix in. She and her staff took it to a level I never could have foreseen, making it much more entertaining for all. We particpated with 6 teams made up of a total of 22 Scouts/siblings/relatives (paid $25 each) and 13 adult chaperones (didn't pay as they were not eligible for prizes). We kept to BSA's "2-deep leadership" Youth Protection Policy and our teams were made up of 4 or 3 scouts with 2 or 3 chaperones. We did the race in Class "A" uniform, for several reasons: 1) Bystanders (with the exception of one nasty NYC police officer) immediately recognized the uniform and were warm to the idea of helping Scouts and posing for pictures with us if needed. 2) In general, when Scouts travel as a group, uniforms give discipline (because they're "representing", and unity of purpose 3) Security: bad folks are less likely to target groups in uniform 4) By design, it contributed significantly to better scoring in the race. The Scouts all came back with stories and pictures that made all the other scouts that didn't participate jealous. Pogo awarded us "Scavenger Hunt" patches for all participating Scouts/siblings and Tee Shirts and trinkets for the winning Scouts. Quite honestly, bragging rights meant more to this group than the prizes themselves. Many boys want to do it again next year. Some parents/chaperones were talking about taking their families back in for other themed races and customizing races of their own. One family is going back this weekend on their own to try to re-do the route by themselves and better their own score just for the heck of it! This particular race is good for kids of Boy Scouting age (11 and older) and adults. Pogo apparently runs races with themes more appropriate for younger kids of all ages. read more

Had a great time of hanging with friends and getting to do some fun stuff around Brooklyn. I wish that it was more trivia based instead of just 'go find this'. But overall, I would definitely do it again. read more

My best friend and I took part in yesterdays teams of two race and had a complete blast. It's really cool to see other teams in their matching outfits and running sneakers completely ready for competition. Some of these teams were super focused. Yes they do give you a printed booklet of tasks to complete that you could have probably done yourself... but let's be real, it wouldn't be as fun for you to put a scavenger hunt together yourself then took part in it. You kinda already know what your looking for and there's no fun in that. And you wouldn't get the experience of meeting and having great conversations with new people. And yes it was a bit pricey at $35. No they don't give you water or granola lol... But it's New York City... Nothing has ever been cheap here and I've personally spent more on a chicken salad and hadn't had nearly as much fun on the process. As New Yorkers my bestie and I thought we had it in the bag. We did not lmaoooo... We may have come in 59th place out of 65 teams lol... But could not have had a better time and at the end of the day we had the pics to prove it... We'll be attending the upcoming Bar crawl, Taste of Brooklyn, and Pet Friendly races. If you guys want a reason to enjoy nice weather and a day outdoors, while losing weight and meeting strangers (great reason to stop a cute guy), while taking goofy pictures and seeing parts of the city you either haven't seen or haven't payed close attention, to this is for you. Or if you just want to have a damn good time. read more

I went for a friend's birthday race and it was hands down the best birthday party I've ever been too. The company tailor made the event to be about my friend. All of the clues and bonus questions had to do with items or places that were important to my friend. The staff is really friendly too. I certainly plan on going to one of their public races after the great experience my friends and I had. read more

I organized a personalized Amazing New York Race for a wedding present for a friend. 14 of us participated, including the couple. I thought Amazing NY Race did a fantastic job consolidating our questionnaire responses into a fun and exciting race. Yeh most of them were obvious and I could have come up with myself, but they put a fun twist on them (take a picture with milk moustaches in front of Momofuku milk bar instead of just taking an ordinary picture). Sure $25 per person is a little steep, but that's pretty much a couple drinks in NYC nowadays, so our whole group thought it was pretty fair. That being said, I put into a lot of extra work that made the event extra special (designed a shirt specific to each team, made team hats, a promo video with a draft and our own prize). The shirts they give out to the winners are a nice touch; the plastic medals probably do more harm than good. Mary, the main contact, was extremely responsive. She was usually emailing me to remind me of things, instead of the other way around. I would definitely recommend it to friends! read more

I've done the Amazing New York Race three times and absolutely love it! I'm not sure why people say that they believe that $35 is too much money. Where else in NYC can you get 4 plus hours of entertainment and fun for that? I can tell how much work goes into these events as every time I've done one it is different. My favorite part is the really interesting places they send us to. I've seen the narrowest house in NYC, the oldest dim sum restaurant and a nostalgia train to name a few. I'm always amazed at how eager New Yorkers are to help. It's definitely not just a list of things to photograph. There is a Roadblock and a Detour on each race and these are always a blast and always a challenge. At one Roadblock I had a blind food taste test, at another we played Jenga and at another we competed in a round of Wii Bowling. As for getting something at the race, we always get some great coupons for other New York places and I spoke with Mary (the owner of the company) and she says next year we should expect even more. She reads Yelp and says she is always looking for ways to improve. (I have to say that the staff is truly amazing at this company as they are always upbeat, organized and willing to help!) All in all, I think this is a really fun way to see the city and an absolute blast! read more

I saw the Amazing Race on NYC Daily Deals months ago and remembered it when I was trying to figure out something creative to do for my 30th birthday this past weekend. This was incredibly fun and I would highly recommend it. A questionnaire was sent to my friends a few weeks before the race and submitted to the writer. The questions and photo challenges were then influenced by the answers given on the questionnaire. We had 6 teams of 4 or 5 and everyone was really competitive which made it even more entertaining. This was the perfect activity for our group and I think even more fun because we had such a mix of New Yorkers and out-of-towners. I loved doing this for my birthday -- it was creative and it was a great alternative to just going to dinner or hanging out at a bar. I loved this outdoor activity. Thanks so much for a wonderful birthday! read more

This was a very fun and organized event! Went with 12 girl friends and had 3 teams (fun to know we were racing against friends). We did the Underground race and really spent the entire time underground so the weather that day (very rainy), did not affect our fun. We did the race on discount tickets thru Goldstar so it wasn't $35, $22.50. Pit stop was perfect with snacks. Nice to see how clean (no graffiti) the subways were, New Yorkers were very friendly and helpful. Thanks! Patti McHugh read more

This is the second race that i have done with POGO and they put a great event together. Everything is super organized and fun. You need to bring a competitive spirit and a willingness to make a bit of an ass out of yourself but that's what it's all about. read more

Did we have fun? Yes. But that doesn't change the fact that the race was lame, the organization was poor and it was NOT a good deal. The places we went to - half of them didn't know who we were and so some people didn't get any food samples. Eileen's gave us one small piece of cheese cake for 3 people. The pizza place served us cold pizza from the night before. The place uptown wasn't ready for us so we sat and waited for them to prepare food from scratch. Nothing was figured out with Tasty Delite (they told us to take a "free sample" that is offered to everyone (ie pogo events did not set this up at all and just had us take a free sample of ice cream that everyone gets in the city). SO as stated previously a million times on Yelp... WHAT DID WE PAY FOR? Pretty sure I can write my own scavenger hunt. OH and the prize? A voucher to do another race.... Thanks but no thanks. read more

Did the "Just Desserts" race and had a great time!!! The race was creative and the desserts were delicious!! :)