Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report A Magical Month in NYC trip report

New York city is one of my favorite cities to visit so to have the opportunity to spend a month there was magical. My husband was there on business and I went along for fun. I’ve been to the Big Apple many times before and with each visit I try to do something new besides doing my favorite things. There is always so much to do so I was thrilled that I could really take my time to enjoy the city.

The first two weeks we stayed at the Grand Hyatt hotel next to Grand Central Terminal. The last two weeks we moved to the Marriot-Residence Inn next to Bryant Park. It was great to have a kitchenette (a normal size fridge, microwave and coffee maker) in the room. The room included a fold out sofa bed and had a nice view of the Empire State building. Despite a few comical incidents with the room, the friendly staff took care of things quickly.

Here are some of the highlights that I experienced during my visit.

Brooklyn Botanical Garden – this was my first time there and I was lucky to see the spectacular cherry trees, tulips, and azaleas in bloom. It was only a 30-minute subway ride from mid-town. The stop is right in front of the Brooklyn Museum and BBG is next to it.

We were in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel when we noticed all these smartly dressed people in the lobby. We discovered they were filming an episode of “Ugly Betty” TV show. I got to see Vanessa Williams, Judith Light, and some of the other actors from the show here. I was very excited because I am a fan of this show.

I went to Central Park several times during my visit. It is one of my favorite places. There is always musicians playing somewhere in the park and you never know when you are going to stumble upon a filming crew in the park– I saw actors Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Ryan filming a movie at the Bethesda Fountain location.

During the weekend, my husband and I took the subway up to 110th and went to explore the top part of Central Park. It was the first time for us to walk through the Conservatory Garden that was lovely to see. We also walked through the Upper West Side neighborhood and Riverside Park. We enjoyed being outdoors on one of the sunnier days that we had while there.

Trump Towers – I was having lunch at the Trump Grill and George Ross who works for the Donald was having lunch at the next table. He looks the same as he did when he appeared on the first few series of the “Apprentice” show. I was told that he eats there every day. He appears to be a very nice man as I watched a couple of people come by to say hello.

Kips Bay Decorator Show House Tour- I’ve been told this is one of the best home decorating events in the country and I thought it would be fun to take the tour. One of the largest townhouse in the Upper East Side was showcased and had 30 of the top interior designers put their touches in creating each of the 30 rooms in the mansion. It was a blast to take a tour of an opulent home that is on sale for $75 million.

Ziegfeld Theatre – One of the oldest theatre and once home for the Ziegfeld Follies. I believe it has the largest screen in the city. The ornate theater has plush red carpet and amazing chandeliers throughout the lobby. It was wonderful to seek refuge from the rain and watch the excellent movie “Soloist”. If you want to see a movie I would recommend this theatre and/or the Paris theatre because of their history. They just don’t make theatres like these anymore.

On another rainy day, I went to an Upper East Side theater to see the movie “Valentino’s Last Emperor” which is only playing in a few selected cities so I went to see it here. It was a very entertaining & fun documentary about the incredible fashion designer.

John Lennon Exhibit at the Rock & Roll Annex in Soho: This was a wonderful exhibit that bought a few tears to my eyes. My admiration grows even stronger for this iconic couple after seeing it. There are short film clips that continuously show on the four screens. It is really worthwhile to sit down and watch them all if you can.

Christie’s Auction – On a very hot day it was nice to tuck inside to an air-conditioned room to see an auction. It was exciting to see people bidding on various art pieces. This is open to the public and it’s a free to watch.

Museum of Metropolitan Art – They had the Model Muse exhibit which showcased the super models back to the 1950’s. I should have saved those Vogue and Bazaar magazines as they had some on display as part of the exhibit. LOL. I was excited to see the American wing reopened after it’s long renovation.

Frick Museum – Another favorite museum that I like to visit. What makes it unique from being a museum is that the art is showcased in a grand mansion that was once owned by the steel magnate, Henry Clay Frick. You get a feel for how he lived and appreciate his fine art collection by going through the period rooms of the first floor.

New Yankee Stadium – My husband won the ticket lottery that night and so instead of sitting in bleacher seats (next to the clouds) was upgraded to field seats behind third base. Great game – Yankees won!

Broadway shows: Wicked, South Pacific, and West Side Story. All fantastic shows but my favorite was Wicked. It was also very special to be in the city when the President and First Lady came for their date. Their motorcade went right past our hotel. We were standing on the street hoping to see them but had to leave before they came because Maria and Tony were waiting for us in West Side Story. We didn’t know until later that the First Couple was attending another Broadway show nearby. The security was tight in Times Square but the excitement and energy in the crowd was wonderful to share and witness.

Brooklyn Bridge/Brooklyn Heights– We chose a sunny day to take the subway to Brooklyn Heights and walked around the neighborhood admiring the brownstone houses and Brooklyn promenade. Then we walked back on the Brooklyn Bridge admiring the city skyline.

Financial District: Ground Zero, Stock Exchange, Battery Park and South Seaport.

Times Warner Center – Original costumes from the Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romero & Juliet” was displayed which I got to see before the exhibit ended in May. I never saw the movie but it peek by interest to rent the DVD now.

Times Square – busy as ever but we were lucky to have a few blocks declared "pedestrians only" for a few months by the mayor. I appreciated the extra walking space. It was pretty funny to see tourists sitting back on lounge chairs that were set up in the street. I also went to see Good Morning America because they were taping a segment outside in Times Square and Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts came out.

Favorite neighborhoods to explore: Soho, Greenwich, East Village, Gramercy, Upper East Side, and Upper West Side. I really like shopping in Soho. There are a variety of high-end stores, boutiques, chain and trendy shops. All price-ranges available here. I liked finding clothes for my teenage niece here. It also is an added delight that there is no sales tax for clothes under $110 in the city so that is a big incentive.

Restaurants: Gramercy Tavern (it really isn’t a tavern but an elegant restaurant). It was our best dining experience while in the city. The service and food was impeccable. It is always wonderful to dine at a very expensive restaurant and have it live up to its word. Other restaurants: Tao, Jean Georges, Patroon (drinks and appetizers on rooftop bar), Metrazur (in Grand Central Terminal), Bryant Park Grill, Le Rivage, Madison & Vine, Boat Café, Restaurant Tokyo, Pete’s Tavern, Cowgirl, Tribeca Grill, Caffe Grazie, Balthazar, Paris Cafe & drinks at Campbell Apartment (in Grand Central Terminal). We also ate the occasional hot dog from the street vendors. Can’t be in New York City without having one.

Thank you New York City for another fantastic visit.