Richie's New York Central Park Pedicab Tours

Hello and welcome.  My name is Richie Costella.  I am a lifelong resident of New York City and I have found one of the best jobs around.  I was born and raised in a great neighborhood called Inwood which is located on the northern tip of Manhattan Island. Inwood is a special place which has the feel of a small town. In Inwood, everyone knows your name and you don't feel like you are in one of the world's busiest cities. I spent my youth playing basketball and exploring the woodland of Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan's last remaining natural forest. I now live in the Riverdale section of the Bronx a quiet and ethnically diverse section which also does not feel like stereotypical New York.  Throughout my life I have held jobs as a sandwich maker in a deli, a stock man in a supermarket, an orderly in a nursing home, a bartender in a Jamaican Restaurant and a cashier in a drug store.  But for most of my adult life I worked for the telephone company and in 2008 my career of 29 years at Verizon came to an end when the company decided to downsize its staff.  It was time for me to embark on a new chapter in my life as a NYC sightseeing guide.  Since then, I have met thousands of wonderful people who have traveled here from around the world and I now have rich memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life.  After obtaining my tour guide license, for 3 years I worked for a local tour bus company but since 2011 I have been self employed specializing in tours of historic Central Park.  I also acquired my license to drive a pedicab and that is how I conduct my tours.  Pedicabbing allows me to stay in shape while supporting myself and doing something I love.  I invite you to take a tour of America's most famous city park on your next visit to New York. You will learn its rich history, become acquainted with its most famous sites, see the homes of noted celebrities and check out the filming locales of some of your favorite movies. I promise it will be one of the highlights of your trip and an experience you will remember for years to come.  In the photo below I am sitting cozily in my pedicab with Melanie and Sabrina, tourists from Switzerland who took my tour of Central Park during the summer of 2013.