Stan O'Connor's Biography
I’m a middle-aged Manhattan resident originally from upstate New York (I don’t sound like a New Yawker). Engaged, dog owner, inveterate walker, cyclist and explorer, I love history, talking to strangers, cracking bad puns, and showing people around what I consider to be the greatest city in the world.
After working for several years in local news and public relations, I became a licensed sightseeing guide in 1995. Since then I have worked for three large sightseeing-bus companies, and served a two-year term as Secretary to the Guides Association of New York City, or GANYC. You can find GANYC here: www.ganyc.org . I’ve been a member since just after The Attacks of September 11th, 2001.
At the time of The Attacks, I created an organization of guides called Volun-Tours for those various aid agencies who came to help provide support for New York City. My volunteer guides and I gave them free tours.
Being a lifelong lover of cycling, I began driving a pedicab early in 2002, staking out the area around what people now refer to as “Ground Zero.” A great deal of historical, architectural, shopping and business tourism was to be had in the Financial District, since there‘s so much to see there, from modern Wall Street firms, to the remnants of a wall from the original Dutch fort of 1660. I came to see that the pedicab is the perfect tourism vehicle for couples or small groups. No small groups would want to rent a bus when pedicabs offer better visibility and traffic agility. A group ride is shown here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FytW1PL0Uew