NEW YORK, N.Y. (CBS) - Judging by Hollywood, it’s easy to believe that the most romantic thing to do on a New York City getaway is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park.

Over the decades, the colorful Central Park hansom cabs have been a symbol of romance.

Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse danced in a make-believe Central Park in The Band Wagon, and Carrie goes for a romantic carriage ride in Sex and the City. Even Crocodile Dundee gets a ride with some laughs.

(Ken Harriott, with "Billy." Photo by Jay Lloyd)

Carriage driver Kevin Harriott (right) has seen his share of marriage proposals, especially on holidays.

“Every carriage is going to get a few every Christmas,” he told me recently. “It’s that popular.”

And so, after years of walking past the carriages that line Central Park South, Mary and I finally climbed aboard. It was one of the most pleasant and leisurely rides we’ve ever known.

Past the ice skating rink, the lake, the Boathouse restaurant, the zoo, and Strawberry Fields, it was transportation to an earlier century.

“It’s a piece of history. And it’s so quaint and quiet in the park, especially at night,” notes Harriott.

A short ride is $50 plus tip.  The full loop -– about 45 minutes — runs about $90. If you are planning ahead, bring a carrot for the horse.

Reported by Jay Lloyd, KYW Newsradio 1060.

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