Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Just back from NYC and Boston, thanks for all the help!!

HI Fodorites, great time in NYC and Boston, I only wish we'd had more time. I never could have had such a terrific trip without all the help and advice of people on this USA board. Thanks so much. Here, for anyone travelling to that part of the world is a breakdown of what we loved and didn't love quite so much: 1) Milburn Hotel(Upper West Side 76 & Broadway)Amazing!!!! For $159.00 per night we got a kitchen, lovely decor (Think Paris hotel) a nicely maintained workout facility, coffee maker, safe,VCR, friendly staff easy access to the subway and points of interest and a great neighborhood I think I have found a perfect NYC hotel and would stay there again in a heart beat. Apparently the entire hotel has recently been redone and the decor was very nice all over. 2) Ruby Foo's: Excellent! Terrific crab and lobster spring rolls and California rolls, A+ service. My favorite Manhattan meal, for 2 with drinks $32.00) 2) Manhattan Diner: Next door to Ruby Foo's on Broadway and, I think 76th, great cheesecake, good deli food and sandwhiches.Lunch for 2 $23.00 3)Mesa Grill: UKKK! Bad service, hideous attempt at "Tex Mex cuisine" Margaritas so nasty they had to be returned. Luckily our friend was taking us out since the bill was $288.00 for 4 people and all I had was an appetiser salad. Don't waste your money!!! 4)De La Guarda: I loved it, husband said it was so so. Fun night out but I liked Blue Man Group better.(Tickets $45.00 per person online though their website) 5)Heartland Brewery: Union Square, husband liked the dark beer but my lager was pretty skunky... 6) Jim Brady's and Pig and Whistle, both downtown, sorry no Address. Great food and fun atmosphere, but then it was St. Patrick's day so I don't suppose Bagpipers are coming through the places every day of the year. Good prices. BOSTON: 1) Regal Bostonian Hotel (Faneil Hall marketplace, quoted $290.00 per night when I called but booked online through Hotel Book.com and only paid $219.00, Very nice hotel 4 star type all the amenities, great location for people with limited time in Boston. 2) Legal Seafood: There are several but we went to the one next to the New England Aquarium, (Which we really enjoyed as well) Little neck steamers.. TO DIE FOR!!! Very fresh! Braised scallops, shrimp, drinks, more drinks.. boston cream pie for dessert... we went all out on this one.. tab with tip $119.00 but we worked hard to get it so high... definately worth the money. 3) Trolly Tour: Kind of expensive compared to other hop on.. hop off tours at $24.00 per person, but worth it to see the city if you are tight on time as we were. The guides were wonderful... full of info and we decided we needed to go back to Boston since we only scratched the surface of this great town. We took Amtrack all over.. would have loved to take the new Acela express but it was WAY too expensive.. over $112.00 per person one way from Boston to NYC Flew ATA Airlines... ok but be forwarned they do NOT feed you... which is fine if you are going to and from Chicago and NYC but if you are leaving LAX at 9 am and thanks to delays and stop overs don't get to NYC until 11 pm.. it's pretty hard to deal with expecially when they don't let you off the plane in Chicago to eat..... Finally I found NYC ers and Bostonians to be wonderful sincere people. The only time anyone said anything to me on the NYC streets was some young person decked out in what in LA we would call "gangsta" clothes, who politely told me to rezip my purse since he didn't want anything bad to happen to me. All in all a great time:) Thanks again! PS Sorry this is sooo long, hopefully people who hate trip reports will move on to the next post.