NYC Trip Report from a former resident of that fair city
Feb 28th, 2005, 04:55 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
NYC Trip Report from a former resident of that fair city
I just got back from one of my quickie trips to NYC. I have never posted a report before because having lived there for a while, I never think of writing a report about a place where I once lived, but I was encouraged by a recent thread where some one reported as a "local on their city."
We stayed at The Belvedere after coming up short on Priceline. Neighborhood we wanted, $140 a night, it was o.k. I usually do way better on P'line but this was a busy weekend.
Lunch on Monday at Hale & Hearty Soup--delicious tomato cheddar soup. Love this soup chain. Wandered around the Time Warner Center, saw Lyndsey Davenport, bought nothing. Dinner at Le Beaujolais on 46th betw. 8th & 9th. We normally go for French at Tout Va Bien on 51st but we decided to try something new. It was tasty but the atmosphere left a lot to be desired--flaky waitress, waaay too bright--next time back to TVB!
Tuesday a. m. shopped in Soho--found cool shoes on sale, bought 'em. Tasty lunch at Cafe Miro on B'way then up to Central Park. Loved The Gates--just my opinion, no need for debate. Dinner w/ friend at "English is Italian" on 40th & 3rd (stupid name--good food). Excellent food $39 per person and you get "tastes" of a variety of foods. Drank a fair bit of wine as well!
Wednesday froze my @#$ off waiting in line at TKTS hoping for Mamma Mia (husband and daughter's selection) but to no avail--got The Producers instead. It was good but I did not love it as I thought I would. It was so cold we ate dinner very close to the hotel--Pigalle on 8th @48th--it was o.k. Caesar salad was not good, other items just passable.
Thursdays storm necessitated a change of schedule and husband and daughter fled early to visit in-laws in NJ. I opted to stay in the city (yeah, real tough choice) and got a ticket to the first night of The Glass Menagerie (preview). Lunch was at "Arriba" on 9th @51st--very tasty and cheap.
I enjoyed the play, Jessica Lange was quite good as was the understudy playing Tom. I wasn't as thrilled with the other 2 actors but I love this play. After the play met my friend for late night oysters and calamari at "Thalia" on 50th and 8th. I so love this place. We sat on the sofa with our kumamotos and squid and watched the snow fall.
Friday checked out of the hotel and into said friends TINY studio and then off to
lunch at "Vynyl" on 9th @54th. One of my favorite places--watermelon lemonade and delicious food! Did errands with him and then sat in his apt. and watched T. V. while he went off to work (Tavern on the Green). Took myself out for some sushi at "Blue Ginger" on 51st just off of 8th. It was good--very cool place by the way. Then went up to "Tavern" to meet him and drink in the gaudiness.
Sadly had to leave on Saturday after our usual farewell breakfast at the "Renaissance Diner" on 9th &50th or so.
If you are still reading and need a good laugh, I FELL on the sidewalk after tripping on something. No alcohol was involved and it took at least 3 awkward lurching steps forward before I hit the pavement. If you enjoy a good laugh over seeing someone fall, you really missed an opportunity here. Nice bruise on my left hip as a souvenir but it was pretty funny.
Oh yeah, also got chocolate covered popcorn at my favorite place on 48th and B'way. It used to be called Popcorn Indiana but now has a new name which escapes me at the moment.
Eva
We stayed at The Belvedere after coming up short on Priceline. Neighborhood we wanted, $140 a night, it was o.k. I usually do way better on P'line but this was a busy weekend.
Lunch on Monday at Hale & Hearty Soup--delicious tomato cheddar soup. Love this soup chain. Wandered around the Time Warner Center, saw Lyndsey Davenport, bought nothing. Dinner at Le Beaujolais on 46th betw. 8th & 9th. We normally go for French at Tout Va Bien on 51st but we decided to try something new. It was tasty but the atmosphere left a lot to be desired--flaky waitress, waaay too bright--next time back to TVB!
Tuesday a. m. shopped in Soho--found cool shoes on sale, bought 'em. Tasty lunch at Cafe Miro on B'way then up to Central Park. Loved The Gates--just my opinion, no need for debate. Dinner w/ friend at "English is Italian" on 40th & 3rd (stupid name--good food). Excellent food $39 per person and you get "tastes" of a variety of foods. Drank a fair bit of wine as well!
Wednesday froze my @#$ off waiting in line at TKTS hoping for Mamma Mia (husband and daughter's selection) but to no avail--got The Producers instead. It was good but I did not love it as I thought I would. It was so cold we ate dinner very close to the hotel--Pigalle on 8th @48th--it was o.k. Caesar salad was not good, other items just passable.
Thursdays storm necessitated a change of schedule and husband and daughter fled early to visit in-laws in NJ. I opted to stay in the city (yeah, real tough choice) and got a ticket to the first night of The Glass Menagerie (preview). Lunch was at "Arriba" on 9th @51st--very tasty and cheap.
I enjoyed the play, Jessica Lange was quite good as was the understudy playing Tom. I wasn't as thrilled with the other 2 actors but I love this play. After the play met my friend for late night oysters and calamari at "Thalia" on 50th and 8th. I so love this place. We sat on the sofa with our kumamotos and squid and watched the snow fall.
Friday checked out of the hotel and into said friends TINY studio and then off to
lunch at "Vynyl" on 9th @54th. One of my favorite places--watermelon lemonade and delicious food! Did errands with him and then sat in his apt. and watched T. V. while he went off to work (Tavern on the Green). Took myself out for some sushi at "Blue Ginger" on 51st just off of 8th. It was good--very cool place by the way. Then went up to "Tavern" to meet him and drink in the gaudiness.
Sadly had to leave on Saturday after our usual farewell breakfast at the "Renaissance Diner" on 9th &50th or so.
If you are still reading and need a good laugh, I FELL on the sidewalk after tripping on something. No alcohol was involved and it took at least 3 awkward lurching steps forward before I hit the pavement. If you enjoy a good laugh over seeing someone fall, you really missed an opportunity here. Nice bruise on my left hip as a souvenir but it was pretty funny.
Oh yeah, also got chocolate covered popcorn at my favorite place on 48th and B'way. It used to be called Popcorn Indiana but now has a new name which escapes me at the moment.
Eva
Feb 28th, 2005, 05:15 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Awww, Eva, you do make me homesick ! weeping.
I would not have enjoyed seeing you fall at all!! But I probably would have enjoyed that little dance you did before the fall
This was an excellent report and I am going to read it to the Yankee to make him homesick too ~
I would not have enjoyed seeing you fall at all!! But I probably would have enjoyed that little dance you did before the fall
This was an excellent report and I am going to read it to the Yankee to make him homesick too ~
Feb 28th, 2005, 06:07 PM
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Scarlett, although I do not post frequently, I always read your posts and when you were leaving NYC I thought WHY?? WHY?? WHY would she leave NYC??
Yeah, I am almost always homesick for NYC. Funny thing is, I lived on the eastside and only "discovered" the westside after I left. Now that one of my best friends is there, I spend most of my time hanging out there. I have never posted a report because I feel like I do nothing that interesting while there. I actually enjoy just walking for blocks and blocks which I did last week. Put the husband and daughter in a cab and said, "meet you at the hotel" and then walked the 25 blocks, inhaling the smells, sights, and sounds (and hopefully burning off a few of the calories I had consumed).
Going back in April hopefully!!!
Eva
Yeah, I am almost always homesick for NYC. Funny thing is, I lived on the eastside and only "discovered" the westside after I left. Now that one of my best friends is there, I spend most of my time hanging out there. I have never posted a report because I feel like I do nothing that interesting while there. I actually enjoy just walking for blocks and blocks which I did last week. Put the husband and daughter in a cab and said, "meet you at the hotel" and then walked the 25 blocks, inhaling the smells, sights, and sounds (and hopefully burning off a few of the calories I had consumed).
Going back in April hopefully!!!
Eva
Feb 28th, 2005, 06:43 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,558
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ellen Degeneres does a bit on tripping and almost falling that is hilarious. She has the "I meant to do that" bit down. Thanks for an insiders view of New York. Those are the kind of tidbits that I am looking for - not something that is listed in every guidebook out there. I was in the city last weekend and loved the Gates as well!
Maggi
Maggi
Feb 28th, 2005, 08:27 PM
#6
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,738
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ha! Eva, there are many times a week that I or my husband look at each other and say Why Why Why did we leave NYC ?
Life changes, new adventures, who knows if we might not be back someday..
It was fun reading your "just walking for blocks and blocks "...and that is true, this is the stuff that is not found in guidebooks and that makes a trip special.
Thanks for posting~
Life changes, new adventures, who knows if we might not be back someday..
It was fun reading your "just walking for blocks and blocks "...and that is true, this is the stuff that is not found in guidebooks and that makes a trip special.
Thanks for posting~
Feb 28th, 2005, 09:01 PM
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Eva
so sad that you spent all that time on the upper east side!
I was so excited to see your report; I've lived in Hell's Kitchen for several years; we love this neighborhood.. and I love to see people enjoy/discover the west side.
Next time you visit, I have some suggestions for a couple of better dining experiences in the neighborhood (like you said, Pigalle and Le Beaujolais are mediocre).
For French try Triomphe on W. 44th or Marseille (also on 44th & corner of 9th) both great food and great atmospheres.
Other favorites are Hell's Kitchen (the restaurant - on 9th btwn 46 & 47) for 'eclectic mexican' which sounds like, oh not another fusion, but it's actually delicious - great fish, and pork, and quesadillas - and they have a wonderful tequila/margarita menu.
[Also like 44 & X for excellent mac & cheese, or country fried chicken, burgers, fish]
For affordable delicious pasta, go to Basilica (it's a hole in the wall on 9th Ave & 47th next to Amy's Breads which has wonderful scones & coffee for breakfast.) Anyway, the owner (of Basilica) gives glasses of wine to those who are waiting in line for more than 5 minutes.
And finally one place I can't leave off the list with great atmosphere/wine/food/price is Pomaire - for Chilean food. on 46th between 8th & 9th Ave aka Restaurant Row. The owners are sweet sweet people.
One last tip - not food-related (which as you can see, is hard for me to stop talking about LOL).. maybe you already know and just didn't want to make the trip, but instead of standing in line at the TKTS booth in Times Square, there is a TKTS office at the South Street Seaport downtown. And there is NEVER a line there. They sell tickets for the same exact shows. It's totally worth it to me to go down there, I grab my tix, do a little shopping, have lunch then come back home and get ready for the show.
Hope you come back soon. Keep us posted with your new finds.
so sad that you spent all that time on the upper east side!
I was so excited to see your report; I've lived in Hell's Kitchen for several years; we love this neighborhood.. and I love to see people enjoy/discover the west side.Next time you visit, I have some suggestions for a couple of better dining experiences in the neighborhood (like you said, Pigalle and Le Beaujolais are mediocre).
For French try Triomphe on W. 44th or Marseille (also on 44th & corner of 9th) both great food and great atmospheres.
Other favorites are Hell's Kitchen (the restaurant - on 9th btwn 46 & 47) for 'eclectic mexican' which sounds like, oh not another fusion, but it's actually delicious - great fish, and pork, and quesadillas - and they have a wonderful tequila/margarita menu.
[Also like 44 & X for excellent mac & cheese, or country fried chicken, burgers, fish]
For affordable delicious pasta, go to Basilica (it's a hole in the wall on 9th Ave & 47th next to Amy's Breads which has wonderful scones & coffee for breakfast.) Anyway, the owner (of Basilica) gives glasses of wine to those who are waiting in line for more than 5 minutes.
And finally one place I can't leave off the list with great atmosphere/wine/food/price is Pomaire - for Chilean food. on 46th between 8th & 9th Ave aka Restaurant Row. The owners are sweet sweet people.
One last tip - not food-related (which as you can see, is hard for me to stop talking about LOL).. maybe you already know and just didn't want to make the trip, but instead of standing in line at the TKTS booth in Times Square, there is a TKTS office at the South Street Seaport downtown. And there is NEVER a line there. They sell tickets for the same exact shows. It's totally worth it to me to go down there, I grab my tix, do a little shopping, have lunch then come back home and get ready for the show.
Hope you come back soon. Keep us posted with your new finds.
Mar 1st, 2005, 06:58 AM
#8
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,528
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great report Eva. I'm jealous. Had tried to pull together a quick trip with some WN friends to see the Gates during vacation week but it didn't work out. Trying for April now. Did you notice if Little Women tickets were available at TKTS?
Enjoy your day off!
Enjoy your day off!
Mar 1st, 2005, 10:31 AM
#9
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,496
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I will be staying at the Belvedere Mar 24-29 (second time). Boxerlover - thanks for restaurant recommendations for places near the hotel. We will, of course, be all over the city but it is nice to know of some places close to where we are staying. If anyone has more recommendations, let me know.
Mar 1st, 2005, 10:53 AM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bennie- Yes, Little Women was available at TKTS while I was there. You can also go to the TKTS website just before your trip to see what was available the previous week to get an idea of what might be there. But on the other hand I had been monitoring it and Mamma Mia had been available for the 3 weeks prior to my visit, therte were no available tickets the day I was on line. Not too excited about this day off--we'll be going until July at this rate! I also just spent 2 hours shoveling my driveway!!
Boxerlover-- Thanks for the restaurant recs. I will try some of them out on my next visit. Pigalle was chosen solely for its proximity to the hotel as I was not in the mood to go further and the night was cold and I was tired. I have eaten there before and was not expecting anything great. Too bad I am nnot a meat eater with those Brazilian restaurants right there. I have used the South St. TKTS location in the past but didn't feel like heading downtown this time. My friend and I were remembering the days when you could line up INSIDE at the World Trade Center.
Clifton--if you saw a woman with an overstuffed suitcase struggling to extricate herself from the elevator, that was me. I ended up going to the 51st St. post office to buy a box to mail some stuff home. Perhaps me shopped a bit too much!
Boxerlover-- Thanks for the restaurant recs. I will try some of them out on my next visit. Pigalle was chosen solely for its proximity to the hotel as I was not in the mood to go further and the night was cold and I was tired. I have eaten there before and was not expecting anything great. Too bad I am nnot a meat eater with those Brazilian restaurants right there. I have used the South St. TKTS location in the past but didn't feel like heading downtown this time. My friend and I were remembering the days when you could line up INSIDE at the World Trade Center.
Clifton--if you saw a woman with an overstuffed suitcase struggling to extricate herself from the elevator, that was me. I ended up going to the 51st St. post office to buy a box to mail some stuff home. Perhaps me shopped a bit too much!
