You, me and the rickshaw

A rickshaw ride around Manhattan falls somewhere between a cab ride during rush hour and walking through Times Square after the theatres let out.

“There's a real rush going through traffic,'' said Jacob Press, a tour guide with the Manhattan Rickshaw Co. “But we always find a way through.''

One with urbanity

I wanted to sightsee the city in a vehicle that was intimate with the urban landscape but didn't require any energy expenditure.

So I called Manhattan Rickshaw and booked Press and his quads.

Rickshaws in US offer quite a ride. Though passengers are not as vulnerable as the cyclist, they're still thrust into the chaotic street scene.

“It's both entertainment and transportation,'' said Manhattan Rickshaw owner Peter Meitzler.

In 1994, he and a group of entrepreneurs brought a few pedicabs to Manhattan, a city dependent on taxis.

Today, a number of companies send nearly 500 pedicabs on to the streets, charging $15 to $40 (Dh55 to Dh147) for a 10- to 30-minute ride.

We started with a breezy spin through Central Park, where he singled out the Ghostbusters building.

As we exited the park and joined the stream of traffic, staying to the far left, Press described the passing structures, his eyes ping-ponging between me, the sites under discussion and the surrounding bedlam.

“We're faster than traffic,'' he said, swooshing around a double-parked minivan, then seamlessly returning to the bike lane.

Seated on a padded bench protected by elbow-high sides and a convertible canopy, I felt as if I was nestled in a cocoon but was at enough ease to give Press my attention.

“We've had fender benders but no fatalities,'' he said. That was comforting.

From the Central Park area, Press cruised through Midtown and cut through Times Square. At 45th Street, he removed the top and with clear skies overhead, I watched billboards float by like clouds.

At a red light, I eavesdropped on sidewalk life, listening to a couple discuss theatre options.

On we coasted, through a living documentary of landmarks, complete with narratives. Press never gasped for breath or ran out of topics.

Then he riffed on ill-behaved drivers. I asked about vehicular abuse. “I've had coffee thrown on me,'' he said.

Press steered us on to narrow streets girdled by centuries-old buildings. We stopped to peer through a nondescript door, then hopped back for a spin through SoHo and Little Italy.

Evening approached and we headed uptown. As we crawled through Chinatown, Press pointed out a final attraction — a spot where he almost got smacked by a car door.

TAKE A RIDE

Swerve towards a cityscape

Rickshaw tours

Manhattan Rickshaw Compan

(www.manhattanrickshaw.com) offers tours led by licensed guides. My driver Jacob Press's tours include the Southern Loop of Central Park ($75, or Dh276; 30 to 45 minutes), Greenwich Village ($75, or Dh276; 60 to 75 minutes) and Lower East Side/Chinatown/Little Italy ($140 or Dh514; up to two hours). Prices per vehicle, which accommodates up to three people.

Other tours

• Through mid-October, New York Water Taxi leads 60-minute tours of four waterfall installations on the East River. Cost: $25 (Dh92). They also organise Audubon EcoCruise ($25, or Dh92) and a TV and Movie Tour ($40, or Dh147). Visit www.nywatertaxi.com
  
• Go on a schooner cruise with Classic Harbour Line (www.sail-nyc.com). The Adirondack and the Imagine spend two hours sailing around New York Harbour, passing such iconic attractions as the Statue of Liberty. From $40 (Dh147).
  
• City Running Tours organises jogging tours that pair exercise with sightseeing. From $60 (Dh220) per person for the first six miles, then $6 (Dh22) for each additional mile. Visit www.cityrunningtours.com
  
• Hush Tours takes guests on a ride through the hip hop past and present. Includes live entertainment and emcee guides. From $25 (Dh92). Visit www.hushtours.com. If loud guitars are your style, Rock Junket offers a slew of rockin' walkin' tours, including the East Village Rock and Punk Tour. Cost: $29 (Dh107). Visit www.rockjunket.com