Our Day Three starts at the crack of dawn, actually before that as the crack 5:30. Try as I might, I can't talk Mom out of Good Morning America's free Friday morning concert in Central Park featuring American Idol contestants. The GMA website advises us to arrive at 6AM for the 7AM show. Doug has said kids will be lined up all night and we may not be able to get in. I've tried contacting Good Morning America to inquire about passes with seating, but so far all I've received back is a robo-reply. Fingers crossed.
I figure if we can't get into the show we'll look for a nearby bench where we can sit and listen to a song or two, then take a pleasant stroll through the park while it's still cool out.
Q: How does one get a taxi at 5:30 AM? Are they out at that hour or will we have to call for one?
After the show we'll head back to the hotel. I'm not sure how much energy Mom and Gladys will have after that so I'm leaving the afternoon open. If they're up to it, we'll go to Grand Central and have a look around there. I've seen a self guided tour on the internet that I'll print out to take with us.
Q: Anything there that we should not miss?
That night we have reservations at the 21 Club at 7:30. At least I hope we still do. I got an odd email from Village Vines (now Savored) saying the restaurant needs my credit card on file before they will honor our reservation -- but I already gave that information when I reserved a table. I'll call 21 directly today to verify.
Q: I love a good hamburger and I've heard that 21 Club's is phenomenal. Is it a mistake to order that instead of something fancier there?
After our meal we will walk to Top of the Rock. (It doesn't look too far on the map.)
Q: I think I've read on here that we don't need to purchase tickets in advance. True?
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Mama to Manhattan, The Details: Day Three
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"How does one get a taxi at 5:30 AM?"
Any hotel will hail a cab for you. Be sure to tip a couple of bucks. If your hotel doesn't have a lot of taxi traffic, talk to someone at the bell stand the night before. But businessmen/women have to make flights every day so cabs in the early morning are normal, especially in NYC.
The hotel doesn't need to hail a cab, though it's certainly possible there might be one on 42nd Street in front of the hotel (though cabs tend to go up and down avenues when looking for fares, not cross-town). The poster needs to walk 30 feet to 2nd Avenue and hail one (though it would probably be better and more efficient to walk a little further to 1st Avenue and hail one. You'll be surprised at how many cabs are available at that time of the morning ... more in fact than if you waited until 7, when more people are heading to work.
The burger at 21 is famously expensive. I don't know if it's good because I'd never pay $32 for a hamburger. I can't remember when you're coming, but 21 is offering a restaurant-week menu for $35 until August 12, but it doesn't include the famous hamburger. Otherwise, the hamburger is the cheapest thing on the menu, and a lot of tourists get it when they see the prices for other entrees.
Good to know there will be taxis out!
About the burger: Years ago, on my first trip to New York, our friends took us for lunch at Brasserie. At the time I did order the burger because it was the cheapest thing on the menu -- but our friends were not as cheap. They insisted we also try a seafood salad, decadent black forest cake for dessert and ... escargot! If I hadn't already had a couple glasses of wine I don't know if I would have been brave enough to eat the sizzling little slugs but they were incredible! As were the cake and the salad. But as good as everything else tasted, the star of the day was that cheeseburger. I don't know what they did to it but 20 years later I still haven't forgotten how amazing it was. That day it became the cheeseburger to measure all others by and, so far, none of the others have measured up.
I have this idea that the 21 burger might.
I thought Restaurant Week was over by August. Where can I get more information?
" The poster needs to walk 30 feet to 2nd Avenue and hail one (though it would probably be better and more efficient to walk a little further to 1st Avenue and hail one"
Yep, I agree. I'd do that too - if I were solo and grabbing a cab just for me.
But she's trying to hail a cab for four ladies - two of whom have walking troubles. Hence my suggestion to have the bellman hail a cab for them and tip him in appreciation. IMO it's a whole lot better than four ladies trying to chase down at taxi at 5:30. Some drivers don't like to stop for 4 people. Some drivers don't like to stop for women. Why not make it easy on themselves instead of dealing with a walk and possible frustration.
I know if I were traveling with my mom and 2 others (of any age), I'd get a cab at the hotel.
Me too.
"Some drivers don't like to stop for 4 people. Some drivers don't like to stop for women."
Really? Just curious as to why NY cabbies are so particular? I've had no problem getting taxis in Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, etc. even as a woman with a bunch of scruffly looking teens.
I've never heard of the cabs not willing to stop for ladies thing---particularly older ladies---so this is new to me as well. I guess I'm just cheap, but I would just hail the taxi myself. It's not as if you're trying to herd a group of 20 people 15 blocks to hail a cab. You're just walking to the corner. My parents in their 80s would be quite able to do that.
I think we can handle this too. If it proves difficult it's nice to know we can ask for help at the hotel.
The reason some cabbies won't stop for a group of 4 passengers: In the majority of taxis, 3 passengers can sit in the back seat and passenger 4 would have to sit in the front seat. Some cabbies have a lot of their belongings piled on the front passenger seat and don't want to move it for a passenger.
Ahhh, I guess the same is true in Chicago but those guys must be hungrier -- they stop
What about those minivan-style taxis? Should we shoot for hailing one of those?
The minivans are few and far between, and to be honest it's a little difficult to get into the back seat. Get one if you can, but the old Crown Victoria's are really large on the inside.