I took my kids to New York City for the first time in 6 years and decided to try out NYC Horse Carriage Rides and their “NYC Evening Rockefeller/Park VIP Tour”, which included a professional photographer tagging along, outside the carriage. Because we were attending a Broadway show that finished at 10:30pm, I reserved the 11:00pm slot and I was glad I did. The ride was on a Thursday night in February and since it was scheduled from 11:00 – 11:55pm, it was extremely private. All the store lights in the city were on, there were a few cars and cabs here and there, but hardly any people were out on the streets. It felt like we had the whole city just to ourselves.
The ride started in Central Park where our driver, Rob, told us the photographer, Luke, would be traveling alongside us, but not actually in the carriage with us. Rob gave us each a thick, heavy blanket to keep us warm, which was great because the temperature was in the 20s. He then told us that “Venus” (the horse) was very experienced and was going to take good care of us while Rob started the VIP tour in the park.
Rob chatted throughout the ride, pointing out noteworthy spots and sharing facts about filming that had taken place at various spots in Central Park, as well as mentioning the residences of famous celebrities. We then rode through the city, going past many luxurious retail shops and stopping at iconic locations like Radio City Music Hall, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, to name a few.
Luke snapped plenty of photos on the fly, as Venus took us through the city. Luke also stopped to take multiple shots when Rob parked the carriage at choice spots. I didn’t have to fumble with my phone camera or anything. I got to sit back and enjoy the ride, while Luke took care of getting us memorable once-in-a-lifetime pictures, coordinating everything with Rob. (They’ve apparently worked together for quite some time.)
My daughter and son loved the experience, I was overwhelmed with how perfect it was from beginning to end and I wondered why we hadn't done this on one of our New York trips before.
If you’ve never been to New York City or haven’t seen it in a few years, you need to hire NYC Horse Carriage Rides and spend the extra money for a professional photographer. Rob, Luke and Venus gave us a night my kids and I will never forget and photos that will last forever.