Monica-
I live a block and a half away from this hotel. It is most certainly a very convenient location. The E and V are good trains, and the 6 is reliable. The V does not run on the weekends. The third avenue bus will take you up to the UES and you can walk a lot too. There are some good restaurants nearby, like Montmartre on E. 51st Street and heaps of others, and there is a drugstore below the hotel. Trust me, you will be fine!!!!

Skiergirl,

Thanks for the info on the area. I'll have to check out Montmartre. Any other restaurant recs for the area?

Is there a grocery store in the area. We usually like to buy bottled water for the room.

Monica

You can buy bottled water at any Duane Reade drugstore, and these are generally more convenient than grocery stores; prices are about the same.

The closest and best regular grocery store that I know of to that hotel is the Morton Williams grocery store (with scaffolding in front right now) on 2nd Avenue at 48th Street (maybe 10 minutes walk).

This is a really good location because you're near the 53rd Street/Lexington Ave. subway that takes you to the west side, as well as the 51st/Park subway that runs on the east side (down to Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street, up to the Metropolitan Museum). It's really one of the best locations in all of Midtown because you avoid the crush of tourists in Times Square but are still within easy striking distance.

As for restaurants, if you want to splurge on a steak, there's Smith & Wollensky at 49th/3rd Ave., but that's at least $60 per person.

There a lot of neighborhood restaurants if you walk down below 42nd Street on 3rd and Lexington. I've grown very fond of Sarge's deli between 36th and 37th on 3rd Ave lately (a pastrami platter big enough for 3 costs $17); it's not Katz's, but it's pretty good. Second Avenue Deli is now on 33rd Street, just east of 3rd Ave.

And Buttercup Bake Shop (which for me has cupcakes that are infinitely better than Magnolia) is on 2nd Ave between 51st and 52nd.

Thanks Doug for your information. Steaks sound good, but we usually go for ethnic dining. We do plan to stop at Katz's for lunch on Sunday or Monday. Can't wait for their pastrami sandwich! Oh, and their cheesecake!!!

So glad to know this hotel is in a very good location!

Monica

Monica, there's a Duane Reade drugstore right next door (literally). Have you been to Katz' before? If not, I'll be happy to explain the "procedure"!

dmlove, is $1 still the appropriate amount to slip the guy for offering you a taste?

It is! And make sure he sees you doing it!

Monica -- for fabulous shanghai food where the NY Fodorites GTGed, try Our Place Shanghai Tea Garden at 141 E. 55th Street, don't miss the xiao long bao!

Tony and I have been to Katz' just one time, so no, I don't know the "procedure." Please tell!

Shanghainese, thanks for the info!

Monica

One time should have been enough ('cause you wouldn't have eaten if you didn't follow the procedure). Anyway, when you walk in, each person will be handed a ticket (like an old-fashioned little movie ticket). Then you pick a line -- each "cutter" has his own line (none of that red-rope bank line stuff here). When you get to the front of your line, put a $1.00 in the cutter's tip jar, and make sure he sees you doing it (it'll make the difference between a skinny little sandwich and a sandwich thick enough to be shared by two (or 3). Order your sandwiches and soup - he'll give you a taste of each sandwich meat you order. I would suggest ordering the pastrami extra-lean. Its' the only mistake I made, so while it was delicious, I did have to pick off quite a bit of fat on the edges. You get french fries (fabulous) and sodas in a different line (we used a different person to perform that task!). Then you find a table -- anywhere you can that's free (except the tables along the wall in the front room, which are for waitress service (which would eliminate half the fun). Try to sit in the front room; there's more tables around the bend,but it's also more subdued back there.

Each item you order will get marked on your little ticket. Then when you leave, you each hand in your ticket, even if it's blank (because someone else did all the ordering), and they tote up the bill.

Hope that helps.

Monica..Hi! I just returned home from a trip and caught up with this thread. I will e-mail you.

The closest supermarket is the Food Emporium on Second Avenue and 51st Street on the West Side of the street. I live in the area, as I think I mentioned. In general, is NOT good for eating. Prices are much higher than elsewhere and much of the ethnic food is diluted to western tastes.

Of course, there are some good places ( Shanghainese mentioned one), but for ethnic food (or any other kind) we almost always leave the area. If you want to stay around and want Chinese, you can either try the Shanghai place or, for Sichuan, go to Grand Sichuan on Second Avenue and 55th Street, west side of the avenue.

Your hotel is VERY convenient, as Skiergirl mentioned above. Again, I will write to you about getting together.

dmlove,

Thanks for the info. The one time Tony and I were there, we actually got a table and the waitress took our order. Tony had asked, "which is better, the ruben or (I forget what he said) ?" and the waitress FIRMLY said "The Pastrami!" as if there was no other choice. And wow, those sandwiches were piled thick. I ordered 1/2 sandwich and soup and Tony had to help me with my sandwich! Of course, we had to squeeze room for a slice of their cheesecake!

ekscrunchy, got your email and I responded. Hope we can meet you in NYC.

Monica

I forgot to mention two popular and moderately priced Turkish places on Second Avenue, Sip Sak and Taksim. Both are very close to the hotel and are good for plates of mezze appetizers, which can make a whole meal. Their main courses are a little less interesting but still decent.

Sip Sak 928 Second Avenue at 49th Street

Taksim 1030 Second Avenue between 54th and 55th Streets

Both on the east side of the street. Be sure to ask for any off-menu specials. The owner of Sip Sak is quite a character, by the way.

Hope to see you soon!

ekscrunchy,

Thanks! We love Turkish food!

Talk to you tomorrow and I hope we can meet up Saturday night.

Monica