One less trip on the Bucket List - Visit to New York City
Sep 10th, 2014, 08:25 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
One less trip on the Bucket List - Visit to New York City
Over the last few years I have taken a lot from the Fodors community. Here is a trip report of our recent visit to New York that I hope will give a little back.
Day one : Labour Day. We flew from Edmonton Alberta to Newark and met our travelling companions who arrived just after we did from Toronto. We took a cab to our apartment that I had arranged with Sky City Apartments. We used Sky City rather than Airbnb after reading about the legality issue for renting in New York. The apartment was in Liberty Towers in Jersey City and had an absolutely amazing view of downtown Manhattan, the harbor and Ellis Island / Statue of Liberty. After a quick settle in we walked towards the PATH train station, stopping for a late Lunch at Light Horse Saloon. The food turned out to be a high mark for quality for our whole trip. We took the PATH train into 33rd St. and headed for the Empire State Building, our effort to ‘get the lay of the land.’ After dodging the street salesman that warned us of the two hour lines if we didn’t buy from him we went through the main entrance and made it up to the 85th floor with almost no delays. Good lesson learned. It was great to see the city for the first time and watch the sun go down. Supper was at Legends sports bar. Food was good but not memorable. We headed back to New Jersey on the PATH train.
It turned out staying in Jersey City that we spent a lot of time on the PATH as well as the Subway. Going through the WTC station was much quicker than through Hoboken but the WTC station is closed on weekends and holidays for now. I understand they are still completing the reconstruction after it was destroyed in 2001.
Day two: We left in plenty of time to get to Greenwich Village for a ‘Foods of New York’ tour of Greenwich Village. However the walk on the Hudson River waterfront in New Jersey and the views proved to be too beautiful, resulting in us having to hurry to arrive on schedule. After getting to Greenwich Village and finding our bearings we hurried to the meeting place. It turned out we were not late … we were 23 hours and 58 minutes early!
So much for well made plans. My bad. Well plans are made for changing so we decided to go to Ground Zero. I wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would be and approaching the South Tower memorial pool I was more overcome with emotion than I can remember for a long time. We then visited the new 9/11 Memorial museum and it too is extremely well done.
Our evening was planned ahead with tickets to ‘The Book of Mormon’. It did not disappoint and it was amazing to be on Broadway for the first time. Times Square is a bit like the Vegas Strip squeezed from 6 miles into two blocks.
I said to the others that I cried a lot that day. First the screw up with the food tour booking, then the experience visiting Ground Zero and then laughing so hard at the musical performance!
Day three: We actually went and did the food tour in Greenwich Village. Arrived on time this time. Every on the tour seemed to have an excellent experience with the guide Sephrah. There were seven stops for food and lots of info about the neighbourhood. I highly recommend.
Following the food tour we walked to Chelsea and then most of the Highline.
Over the week I found some of the more enjoyable moments were walking through the diverse neighbourhoods. The Highline is really an oasis in the big city.
After picking up take out at the Chelsea market we headed back to Jersey City to have dinner and to enjoy the view.
Day four: Arising early I enjoyed a run along the waterfront with views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Following that we split our group with us guys going to the Intrepid Museum and the ladies heading to fifth Avenue for a shopping fix. I think the highlight of the Intrepid museum was chatting with the gentlemen who had served on the ship. One of them had over a hundred takeoffs and landings.
After meeting the girls for a late lunch we strolled fifth Avenue and enjoyed looking at the architecture. Leaving the ladies us two guys strolled up 5th Avenue along Central Park and actually saw all the news networks camped out at Joan Rivers’ apartment waiting for someone to come out. It was kind of a shame how little privacy her family was going to have that night.
Then we were off to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees and Red Sox. In the past I had always though of Yankee Stadium as a threatening place in the Bronx to visit. It turned out to be family friendly although the guy sitting next to me was lamenting the disappearance of the pure hatred for Boston. The locals sure love their Derek Jeter and he came through with a two RBI double.
Day five: The ferry from Paulus hook via Wall Street terminal to Brooklyn Bridge Park beckoned. More views and a stroll along the East River walk were followed by lunch at Grimaldi’s. We were lucky to be seated on the second floor overlooking the chefs preparing and cooking the pizzas. I think it’s worth asking to sit there to watch the hive of constant activity. As we left I had my camera out to take pictures and a New York fireman coming out behind stopped and offered to take pictures for us. He was typical of the people we met over the trip. By a large majority we found New Yorkers to be really friendly and helpful. Kudos to the city. The exception, we found, was workers in ticket booths.
After walking the Brooklyn Bridge we took the subway to Chinatown and then enjoyed drinks on the sidewalk in Little Italy. We had an interesting chat with the waiter, who was from Argentina. He was trying to find his way in the big city and having a challenging time adjusting.
Another walk took us to the Lower East Side and the Tenement Museum where we did the ‘Sweatshop Workers’ tour. It was a real eye opener to what life was like two centuries ago. Joe was a good tour guide.
Supper was at the Light Horse Tavern in Jersey City. It was one of the better meals of the week but may be a bit out of the way for someone staying in Manhattan.
Day six: Having an apartment allowed us to have some breakfasts in and also had lots of room for two couples to visit. After breakfast we headed to Central Park. I was planning a bucket list run around the park and the rest of our crew took a three person rickshaw ride. No problem finding a ride – you are assaulted with vendors as you exit the subway at Columbus Square. After the run I was exhausted from the heat and the humidity … plus my feet were already wrecked from five days constant walking. Hey, it was worth it. The others were really happy with the rickshaw cyclist and his stories of the area.
Following that we men spent two and a half hours in the subway … Lesson learned was to READ THE MAP CAREFULLY. Anyway we got to see some amazing pole dancing in the subway car by three youths from Harlem (I think).
Finally we gave up our museum plans and headed to Eataly. That is one bustling place on a Saturday afternoon, maybe not worth a special trip but it is right by the Flatiron Building. We picked up some fresh pasta and a rotisserie chicken for another view dinner at the apartment.
Day Seven: As we were staying in the south part of Jersey City it was a short walk and a two-dollar ferry to the New Jersey port for the Statue of Liberty tour. It was another perfect day weather-wise and we debarked in Battery Park. Then we were off to Broadway for a matinee performance of ‘Rock of Ages’. As we approached the theatre we stumbled upon ‘Guy’s American Bar’ and had a really good lunch. From watching his shows I thought he must do big flavours and that was how the food came. After eating the garlic fries it was definitely time for some mints from the theatre concession.
Rock of Ages started slow for us … but as the show went on we got into it and it turned out to be an enjoyable experience.
For dinner we went back to Greenwich Village to ‘Home Restaurant’, a small place that was featured in our food tour. They were one of the first farm to table restaurants in the city. Their Mac and Cheese may be worth the trip alone.
Day eight: Departure day. We took the subway to Grand Central Station and walked around. After we got home I realized we didn’t see it from the outside. Following that we headed for the top end of Central Park. The bicycle rickshaws maybe only cover a third of the park so it was nice to see the less crowded parts. Then we were back to Jersey City to pick up our luggage, which the rental company allowed us to leave in the suite past check out time and then off to EWR for the trip home.
Conclusion: I had looked forward to this trip as one of hopefully many ‘trips of a lifetime’. It did not disappoint. We really only scratched the surface of the city and all it has to offer.
Staying across the river in New Jersey had its good and bad points. Good was the room in the apartment, the value and the VIEW. Bad was only the extra PATH trip required for each day. The neighbourhood there is really quiet too. – Great when you want a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city and bad when you want to go out to pick up late night snacks or drinks. There also is the extra cost of the PATH tickets that are not included with the 7-day unlimited subway cards we purchased.
Arriving back in Edmonton, Alberta today what impressed me is all the open spaces. Not so in the big city.
I look forward to returning.
Day one : Labour Day. We flew from Edmonton Alberta to Newark and met our travelling companions who arrived just after we did from Toronto. We took a cab to our apartment that I had arranged with Sky City Apartments. We used Sky City rather than Airbnb after reading about the legality issue for renting in New York. The apartment was in Liberty Towers in Jersey City and had an absolutely amazing view of downtown Manhattan, the harbor and Ellis Island / Statue of Liberty. After a quick settle in we walked towards the PATH train station, stopping for a late Lunch at Light Horse Saloon. The food turned out to be a high mark for quality for our whole trip. We took the PATH train into 33rd St. and headed for the Empire State Building, our effort to ‘get the lay of the land.’ After dodging the street salesman that warned us of the two hour lines if we didn’t buy from him we went through the main entrance and made it up to the 85th floor with almost no delays. Good lesson learned. It was great to see the city for the first time and watch the sun go down. Supper was at Legends sports bar. Food was good but not memorable. We headed back to New Jersey on the PATH train.
It turned out staying in Jersey City that we spent a lot of time on the PATH as well as the Subway. Going through the WTC station was much quicker than through Hoboken but the WTC station is closed on weekends and holidays for now. I understand they are still completing the reconstruction after it was destroyed in 2001.
Day two: We left in plenty of time to get to Greenwich Village for a ‘Foods of New York’ tour of Greenwich Village. However the walk on the Hudson River waterfront in New Jersey and the views proved to be too beautiful, resulting in us having to hurry to arrive on schedule. After getting to Greenwich Village and finding our bearings we hurried to the meeting place. It turned out we were not late … we were 23 hours and 58 minutes early!
So much for well made plans. My bad. Well plans are made for changing so we decided to go to Ground Zero. I wasn’t prepared for how emotional it would be and approaching the South Tower memorial pool I was more overcome with emotion than I can remember for a long time. We then visited the new 9/11 Memorial museum and it too is extremely well done.
Our evening was planned ahead with tickets to ‘The Book of Mormon’. It did not disappoint and it was amazing to be on Broadway for the first time. Times Square is a bit like the Vegas Strip squeezed from 6 miles into two blocks.
I said to the others that I cried a lot that day. First the screw up with the food tour booking, then the experience visiting Ground Zero and then laughing so hard at the musical performance!
Day three: We actually went and did the food tour in Greenwich Village. Arrived on time this time. Every on the tour seemed to have an excellent experience with the guide Sephrah. There were seven stops for food and lots of info about the neighbourhood. I highly recommend.
Following the food tour we walked to Chelsea and then most of the Highline.
Over the week I found some of the more enjoyable moments were walking through the diverse neighbourhoods. The Highline is really an oasis in the big city.
After picking up take out at the Chelsea market we headed back to Jersey City to have dinner and to enjoy the view.
Day four: Arising early I enjoyed a run along the waterfront with views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Following that we split our group with us guys going to the Intrepid Museum and the ladies heading to fifth Avenue for a shopping fix. I think the highlight of the Intrepid museum was chatting with the gentlemen who had served on the ship. One of them had over a hundred takeoffs and landings.
After meeting the girls for a late lunch we strolled fifth Avenue and enjoyed looking at the architecture. Leaving the ladies us two guys strolled up 5th Avenue along Central Park and actually saw all the news networks camped out at Joan Rivers’ apartment waiting for someone to come out. It was kind of a shame how little privacy her family was going to have that night.
Then we were off to Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees and Red Sox. In the past I had always though of Yankee Stadium as a threatening place in the Bronx to visit. It turned out to be family friendly although the guy sitting next to me was lamenting the disappearance of the pure hatred for Boston. The locals sure love their Derek Jeter and he came through with a two RBI double.
Day five: The ferry from Paulus hook via Wall Street terminal to Brooklyn Bridge Park beckoned. More views and a stroll along the East River walk were followed by lunch at Grimaldi’s. We were lucky to be seated on the second floor overlooking the chefs preparing and cooking the pizzas. I think it’s worth asking to sit there to watch the hive of constant activity. As we left I had my camera out to take pictures and a New York fireman coming out behind stopped and offered to take pictures for us. He was typical of the people we met over the trip. By a large majority we found New Yorkers to be really friendly and helpful. Kudos to the city. The exception, we found, was workers in ticket booths.
After walking the Brooklyn Bridge we took the subway to Chinatown and then enjoyed drinks on the sidewalk in Little Italy. We had an interesting chat with the waiter, who was from Argentina. He was trying to find his way in the big city and having a challenging time adjusting.
Another walk took us to the Lower East Side and the Tenement Museum where we did the ‘Sweatshop Workers’ tour. It was a real eye opener to what life was like two centuries ago. Joe was a good tour guide.
Supper was at the Light Horse Tavern in Jersey City. It was one of the better meals of the week but may be a bit out of the way for someone staying in Manhattan.
Day six: Having an apartment allowed us to have some breakfasts in and also had lots of room for two couples to visit. After breakfast we headed to Central Park. I was planning a bucket list run around the park and the rest of our crew took a three person rickshaw ride. No problem finding a ride – you are assaulted with vendors as you exit the subway at Columbus Square. After the run I was exhausted from the heat and the humidity … plus my feet were already wrecked from five days constant walking. Hey, it was worth it. The others were really happy with the rickshaw cyclist and his stories of the area.
Following that we men spent two and a half hours in the subway … Lesson learned was to READ THE MAP CAREFULLY. Anyway we got to see some amazing pole dancing in the subway car by three youths from Harlem (I think).
Finally we gave up our museum plans and headed to Eataly. That is one bustling place on a Saturday afternoon, maybe not worth a special trip but it is right by the Flatiron Building. We picked up some fresh pasta and a rotisserie chicken for another view dinner at the apartment.
Day Seven: As we were staying in the south part of Jersey City it was a short walk and a two-dollar ferry to the New Jersey port for the Statue of Liberty tour. It was another perfect day weather-wise and we debarked in Battery Park. Then we were off to Broadway for a matinee performance of ‘Rock of Ages’. As we approached the theatre we stumbled upon ‘Guy’s American Bar’ and had a really good lunch. From watching his shows I thought he must do big flavours and that was how the food came. After eating the garlic fries it was definitely time for some mints from the theatre concession.
Rock of Ages started slow for us … but as the show went on we got into it and it turned out to be an enjoyable experience.
For dinner we went back to Greenwich Village to ‘Home Restaurant’, a small place that was featured in our food tour. They were one of the first farm to table restaurants in the city. Their Mac and Cheese may be worth the trip alone.
Day eight: Departure day. We took the subway to Grand Central Station and walked around. After we got home I realized we didn’t see it from the outside. Following that we headed for the top end of Central Park. The bicycle rickshaws maybe only cover a third of the park so it was nice to see the less crowded parts. Then we were back to Jersey City to pick up our luggage, which the rental company allowed us to leave in the suite past check out time and then off to EWR for the trip home.
Conclusion: I had looked forward to this trip as one of hopefully many ‘trips of a lifetime’. It did not disappoint. We really only scratched the surface of the city and all it has to offer.
Staying across the river in New Jersey had its good and bad points. Good was the room in the apartment, the value and the VIEW. Bad was only the extra PATH trip required for each day. The neighbourhood there is really quiet too. – Great when you want a respite from the hustle and bustle of the city and bad when you want to go out to pick up late night snacks or drinks. There also is the extra cost of the PATH tickets that are not included with the 7-day unlimited subway cards we purchased.
Arriving back in Edmonton, Alberta today what impressed me is all the open spaces. Not so in the big city.
I look forward to returning.
Sep 10th, 2014, 10:20 PM
#2
Loved reading your report lunabug. Brought back many memories.
When I first started researching our trips to NYC I had an apartment booked in Hoboken. We were swayed by Fodors to stay in Manhattan itself, but it was a challenge finding accommodation we could afford. We ended up that time at Radio City Apartments which I booked about 9 months in advance. This was in 2007, but the price has increased considerably since then. Out last trip to New York in 2012 we stayed in Long Island City only two subway stops from Time Square. This worked out well.
When I first started researching our trips to NYC I had an apartment booked in Hoboken. We were swayed by Fodors to stay in Manhattan itself, but it was a challenge finding accommodation we could afford. We ended up that time at Radio City Apartments which I booked about 9 months in advance. This was in 2007, but the price has increased considerably since then. Out last trip to New York in 2012 we stayed in Long Island City only two subway stops from Time Square. This worked out well.
Sep 11th, 2014, 04:51 AM
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great trip report! Glad you had a good time. I go to NYC often via train and I very rarely see the outside of Grand Central as I usually transfer to Subway. I did manage to get a great pic of it last trip at night though!
Sep 11th, 2014, 01:56 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We talked about whether we would stay in New Jersey again and the consensus my wife and I came to was yes for Jersey if we were staying a full week but no if it was only a three or four day visit.
Oct 29th, 2014, 11:42 PM
#9
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wow thank you lunabug for your great review.
So many great ideas for our trip to New York City next September. You have planned our itinerary for us!
Thank you for the apartment report as well. It has given us a much better option than the pricey hotels.
Thank you for sharing. Any further suggestions for us Aussies would be most appreciated.
So many great ideas for our trip to New York City next September. You have planned our itinerary for us!
Thank you for the apartment report as well. It has given us a much better option than the pricey hotels.
Thank you for sharing. Any further suggestions for us Aussies would be most appreciated.
Oct 30th, 2014, 04:58 AM
#10
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Note that renting an apt like that is legal in NJ. It is illegal in NYC unless you rent a room in an apartment occupied by the legal tenant.
Glad they enjoyed the trip but sad that they missed all of the world class museums - esp the Met - the greatest cultural institution in the western hemisphere.
Glad they enjoyed the trip but sad that they missed all of the world class museums - esp the Met - the greatest cultural institution in the western hemisphere.
Oct 30th, 2014, 05:25 AM
#11
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great trip report and it sounds like you did what YOU wanted to do. Congratulations. No point going to museums if that isn't your thing (and since you never mentioned them, I assume it isn't) -- just because others say you should, even if THEY think it's "sad" you didn't go.
But aren't you glad you were "24 hours' early and not "24 hours" late for your food tour?
Thanks for the take on NJ being OK for a full week, but not so much for a shorter stay.
But aren't you glad you were "24 hours' early and not "24 hours" late for your food tour?
Thanks for the take on NJ being OK for a full week, but not so much for a shorter stay.
Oct 31st, 2014, 05:32 AM
#12
Very interesting report, sounds like you did a lot of research and left some time for spontaneity (even if some of it was unintentional due to the mistake about your food tour).
Renting an apartment in New Jersey would not have occurred to me as a way of getting around the illegality of renting apartments in New York, and it sounds like it worked out well for you.
Renting an apartment in New Jersey would not have occurred to me as a way of getting around the illegality of renting apartments in New York, and it sounds like it worked out well for you.
