NYC Trip Report, November 2014
Dec 5th, 2014, 04:11 PM
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NYC Trip Report, November 2014
I'm not long back from a four night stay in NYC with my brother. Thought I should post a quick trip report...
Arrived in JFK the day before Thanksgiving. The queue for taxis at the airport was unreal (2-3hr wait) so we jumped on the express bus from JFK to Manhattan at less than half the cost of a taxi ($32 for two). Found it quite comfortable and it dropped us off at Grand Central Terminal, only a few minutes walk from our hotel (The Westin Grand Central) on E 42nd St.
Check in was quick and friendly and our room (3111) was great. 31st floor facing onto 42nd St with an awesome view of the Chrysler Building. 42nd St is busy but we were always so tired at night that we never noticed the traffic and sirens.
Took a walk over to GCT to check it out before walking up 5th Ave and across to Times Square. GCT is absolutely stunning and is a really handy place to grab a quick bite to eat on the go. Having a Junior's cheesecake counter nearby is great - and dangerous lol. We had pre-booked tickets for the 10pm showing of Interstellar at the AMC IMAX at Lincoln Square. What a screen! This is a proper IMAX screen (76ft x 96ft) rather than some of the newer and smaller screens that theatres have introduced.
Thursday
Got up early (not too early) to watch a bit of the Macy's Parade. Found a decent spot just off 6th Ave and after watching a dozen or so floats and balloons we made our way over to the Rockefeller Center to do the Top of the Rock while crowds were still at the parade. Great views of the park and city but some snow clouds arrived to reduce the view about ten minutes after we arrived. That being said, once you've seen it you've seen it and we wouldn't have stayed much longer anyway. Visited Times Square again to do some Christmas shopping for the kids. Toys R Us was busy but not manic as many had predicted. Live music in the store was great and we managed to grab a few bargains which is always good. I had made reservations for Peter Luger's Steakhouse before about a month ago for Thanksgiving night. Really enjoyed our meal (Porterhouse for two). I've been to PL twice now and as much as I love it I think I'll try one of the other noted Steakhouses in the city next time. The $50/$60 it costs to get to Williamsburg and back is a steep add on to an already expensive meal.
Friday
Started off the day with breakfast at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The food is ok but the atmosphere is good and the entertainment is great. I've always found the staff to be very friendly. Walked back through Times Square and managed to get our picture on one of the big screens which was good for a laugh. Took the subway to City Hall and walked to the WTC memorial and Freedom Tower. I thought the memorial site was very well done and the vast majority of people respectful. I found it kind of strange that some were taking 'selfies' or posing their kids in front of the site. I'm sure they meant no disrespect - but it just felt off to me. I was pleased to see so much progress since my last visit, maybe ten years ago now. From there we walked to the TKTS booth in South Seaport. What a difference to the booths in Times Square! I'm not one for wasting time in queues so the TS booths were never really an option for me. We were third in line at South Seaport and and snagged great seats for Les Mis at 50% off.
Walked up through Wall St and across the Brooklyn Bridge for some photos of the skyline. Walked up through Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo etc and called into Macy's for ten minutes - just to tick it off the list. Met people who had been there for 9 hours. I like shopping as much as the next person - but after only ten minutes in the place I could tell that there would have been NO enjoyment shopping there that day. The crowds were ridiculous and there was a definite sense of manic in the air.
Went to Les Mis that night and loved it. A few small gripes though... $25 for two cokes and a small bag of m and m's was a bit of a shock lol. Quite a bit of movement in the crowd that night too. Not enough to get wound up at but distracting nonetheless.
Called in to Dave and Busters arcade after the show for half an hour. Good fun if you're into that sort of thing.
Saturday
Checked out a few Christmas windows at some of the big stores. Had some breakfast in the Plaza Foodhall. I was a little disappointed that quite a few of the stalls were closed (10am or so). Maybe they're not suited to breakfast as much as the others but it dampened the atmosphere a bit. Walked through Central Park for a bit and went on to visit the American Museum of Natural History. Really enjoyed it! Could have stayed there for a week to take it all in. It was very busy, but not to the point were it was difficult to get near anything or take your time. Shopped a bit more on our way back to the hotel and picked up tickets for The Lion King that night. Very different experience to Les Mis but enjoyed it just as much. Had centre seats six rows from the stage so it was great to take it all in.
Sunday
Took it easy on Sunday with a long walk down the High Line and through the village. One of the highlights of the trip. Loved the Ganesvoort Market. Very small but very well done. Had a coffee and an icecream. Wish I was there a little later as I was hoping to have a lobster roll from Luke's Lobster - but it was just too early for that when I visited. Pottered about the shops and picked up some gifts to take home. Took a looooooong walk up to the Intrepid but decided not to go in. Instead opted for a slice of pizza before making an early departure for the airport. Just as well as the traffic was horrendous and the security queue at the airport was crazy. The bonus was that we got to grab a quick burger and hotdog from Shake Shack. Just before we boarded our flight Gene Simmons from KISS joined the queue. Many travellers asked for pics and he kindly obliged. Came across as a friendly guy. Nice end to a really great trip.
A quick aside re the hotel. I would recommend the hotel no problem. The location is great if you want a midtown hotel that's handy to most attractions without the hustle and bustle of Times Square. The room was a good size and very comfortable. I have to say though that the reception staff and doormen didn't impress me much. I didn't find the desk staff to be particularly friendly although I wouldn't say they were rude. The only time the doormen looked at us was on our departure when we walked outside with our bags to grab a taxi. Obviously looking for a tip which I'm afraid they didn't get. I tip well at home and on my travels but felt it appropriate to withhold it in this instance. A simply hello during our stay would have been noticed and appreciated.
Arrived in JFK the day before Thanksgiving. The queue for taxis at the airport was unreal (2-3hr wait) so we jumped on the express bus from JFK to Manhattan at less than half the cost of a taxi ($32 for two). Found it quite comfortable and it dropped us off at Grand Central Terminal, only a few minutes walk from our hotel (The Westin Grand Central) on E 42nd St.
Check in was quick and friendly and our room (3111) was great. 31st floor facing onto 42nd St with an awesome view of the Chrysler Building. 42nd St is busy but we were always so tired at night that we never noticed the traffic and sirens.
Took a walk over to GCT to check it out before walking up 5th Ave and across to Times Square. GCT is absolutely stunning and is a really handy place to grab a quick bite to eat on the go. Having a Junior's cheesecake counter nearby is great - and dangerous lol. We had pre-booked tickets for the 10pm showing of Interstellar at the AMC IMAX at Lincoln Square. What a screen! This is a proper IMAX screen (76ft x 96ft) rather than some of the newer and smaller screens that theatres have introduced.
Thursday
Got up early (not too early) to watch a bit of the Macy's Parade. Found a decent spot just off 6th Ave and after watching a dozen or so floats and balloons we made our way over to the Rockefeller Center to do the Top of the Rock while crowds were still at the parade. Great views of the park and city but some snow clouds arrived to reduce the view about ten minutes after we arrived. That being said, once you've seen it you've seen it and we wouldn't have stayed much longer anyway. Visited Times Square again to do some Christmas shopping for the kids. Toys R Us was busy but not manic as many had predicted. Live music in the store was great and we managed to grab a few bargains which is always good. I had made reservations for Peter Luger's Steakhouse before about a month ago for Thanksgiving night. Really enjoyed our meal (Porterhouse for two). I've been to PL twice now and as much as I love it I think I'll try one of the other noted Steakhouses in the city next time. The $50/$60 it costs to get to Williamsburg and back is a steep add on to an already expensive meal.
Friday
Started off the day with breakfast at Ellen's Stardust Diner. The food is ok but the atmosphere is good and the entertainment is great. I've always found the staff to be very friendly. Walked back through Times Square and managed to get our picture on one of the big screens which was good for a laugh. Took the subway to City Hall and walked to the WTC memorial and Freedom Tower. I thought the memorial site was very well done and the vast majority of people respectful. I found it kind of strange that some were taking 'selfies' or posing their kids in front of the site. I'm sure they meant no disrespect - but it just felt off to me. I was pleased to see so much progress since my last visit, maybe ten years ago now. From there we walked to the TKTS booth in South Seaport. What a difference to the booths in Times Square! I'm not one for wasting time in queues so the TS booths were never really an option for me. We were third in line at South Seaport and and snagged great seats for Les Mis at 50% off.
Walked up through Wall St and across the Brooklyn Bridge for some photos of the skyline. Walked up through Chinatown, Little Italy and SoHo etc and called into Macy's for ten minutes - just to tick it off the list. Met people who had been there for 9 hours. I like shopping as much as the next person - but after only ten minutes in the place I could tell that there would have been NO enjoyment shopping there that day. The crowds were ridiculous and there was a definite sense of manic in the air.
Went to Les Mis that night and loved it. A few small gripes though... $25 for two cokes and a small bag of m and m's was a bit of a shock lol. Quite a bit of movement in the crowd that night too. Not enough to get wound up at but distracting nonetheless.
Called in to Dave and Busters arcade after the show for half an hour. Good fun if you're into that sort of thing.
Saturday
Checked out a few Christmas windows at some of the big stores. Had some breakfast in the Plaza Foodhall. I was a little disappointed that quite a few of the stalls were closed (10am or so). Maybe they're not suited to breakfast as much as the others but it dampened the atmosphere a bit. Walked through Central Park for a bit and went on to visit the American Museum of Natural History. Really enjoyed it! Could have stayed there for a week to take it all in. It was very busy, but not to the point were it was difficult to get near anything or take your time. Shopped a bit more on our way back to the hotel and picked up tickets for The Lion King that night. Very different experience to Les Mis but enjoyed it just as much. Had centre seats six rows from the stage so it was great to take it all in.
Sunday
Took it easy on Sunday with a long walk down the High Line and through the village. One of the highlights of the trip. Loved the Ganesvoort Market. Very small but very well done. Had a coffee and an icecream. Wish I was there a little later as I was hoping to have a lobster roll from Luke's Lobster - but it was just too early for that when I visited. Pottered about the shops and picked up some gifts to take home. Took a looooooong walk up to the Intrepid but decided not to go in. Instead opted for a slice of pizza before making an early departure for the airport. Just as well as the traffic was horrendous and the security queue at the airport was crazy. The bonus was that we got to grab a quick burger and hotdog from Shake Shack. Just before we boarded our flight Gene Simmons from KISS joined the queue. Many travellers asked for pics and he kindly obliged. Came across as a friendly guy. Nice end to a really great trip.
A quick aside re the hotel. I would recommend the hotel no problem. The location is great if you want a midtown hotel that's handy to most attractions without the hustle and bustle of Times Square. The room was a good size and very comfortable. I have to say though that the reception staff and doormen didn't impress me much. I didn't find the desk staff to be particularly friendly although I wouldn't say they were rude. The only time the doormen looked at us was on our departure when we walked outside with our bags to grab a taxi. Obviously looking for a tip which I'm afraid they didn't get. I tip well at home and on my travels but felt it appropriate to withhold it in this instance. A simply hello during our stay would have been noticed and appreciated.
Dec 6th, 2014, 04:44 AM
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Glad you enjoyed your stay.
As for the hotel - with well more than30 floors of guests and many hundreds of other visitors in and out - hellos to all form a doorman are not the norm - nor expected in NYC If one needs something from the doorman one makes a request. And there is no need to tip them unless they do something specific for you - like put you and your luggage into a cab.
And yes, you were there at the busiest weekend of the year - so all the mobs you saw were expected. I must admit I would never do Macy's that weekend. And for what shopping I do there before Xmas, I do a running trip only at 8 am and get out within an hour or so.
As for the hotel - with well more than30 floors of guests and many hundreds of other visitors in and out - hellos to all form a doorman are not the norm - nor expected in NYC If one needs something from the doorman one makes a request. And there is no need to tip them unless they do something specific for you - like put you and your luggage into a cab.
And yes, you were there at the busiest weekend of the year - so all the mobs you saw were expected. I must admit I would never do Macy's that weekend. And for what shopping I do there before Xmas, I do a running trip only at 8 am and get out within an hour or so.
Dec 6th, 2014, 06:31 AM
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Good job! You guys did it right in avoiding crowds. Thanks for hotel info also. DH and I enjoyed Ellen's very much--yes, food was basic American but we had no complaints. As you said, the atmosphere is super.
Dec 7th, 2014, 09:26 AM
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Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing. Wish I had known about the ticket option at South Seaport - we books for Phantom online before we left and got great tickets. Le Mis and Lion King are both on my list!
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