Stan O'Connor's Big Smile Tour
The Big Smile is literally a smile-shaped all-day extravaganza by pedicab. It allows you to experience the vast array of cultural, architectural, historic and culinary excellence our city has to offer.
We begin at Columbus Circle, where Broadway touches Central Park. That forms the upper left corner of the Big Smile. Then south, down Broadway through Midtown’s Times Square, followed by Herald Square, the Ladies Mile (shown here www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIUBNy5azP8 )
On into Greenwich Village for a full in-depth Village tour. Down through SoHo, into Little Italy and on to Chinatown, to break for lunch.
Then head for Broadway and south again, into the Financial District. Stop at Battery Park for views of the Statue of Liberty.
Picking up again, we will cruise around the bottom tip of Manhattan Island, pass South Street Seaport, make a climb up into the Lower East Side where Congress and Washington -- and your immigrant ancestors -- once lived, if you’re an American. We’ll run by 150-year-old bare-bones tenements, and one of the sturdy buildings that inspired the phrase, “built like a brick outhouse.”
Then on to the East Village with its plethora of small shops, schools and eateries.
Up the east side’s Gramercy Park District, past stately old homes and clubs which surround the only private park in the whole city.
Swing by the United Nations’ General Assembly Building, itself smile-shaped, which brings us to the right-side corner of your smile.
Heading west on the final leg of the day’s journey, you will stop in at Grand Central (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ykvMlmxa50&mode=user&search=) for a walking tour of the place.
Finally, after a long day’s ride, the pedicab will drop you off at the midtown location of your choosing.
Duration: 6 to 8 hours depending on how often we hop out.
Price: $300
