Taking a Head Trip

Most audio tours can put you to sleep on your feet with their bored-sounding narrators and long lists of dry facts. By contrast, Soundwalk CDs—a hip series of audio walking tours—are like movies you can stroll through. The Soundwalk brand features cinematic sound effects, cool music and colorful insights from neighborhood locals. Since 2002, Soundwalk has produced nine 50-min. audio-tour CDs, including ones for the St. Germain des Prés district in Paris and discs that explore areas in New York City, including Chinatown and the meat-packing district. Says Stephan Crasneanscki, Soundwalk's founder: "Rather than bring my friends and relatives to places...