My NYC trip report...from across the Atlantic
 

Hi guys dont know if I have to post this here r on my previous thread...so I did both!!!!!!



stefarr on Apr 14, 09 at 11:31 AM
Hi everyone

I cannot believe i m not in NYC anymore....we loved every second of it...the city is one pulsating beat, dragging you in and nowhere in the world have I felt so alive ( and so poor!!!)

Well to start off, the dial 7 cab picked us up in 5 minutes!! Immigration was hell though..officers there can be a teeny bit nicer i think!!!

Warwick Hotel comes highly recommended..excellent service, clean largish rooms and a location to boot..5 stars

Our most enjoyable experience was eating out ...lol..we are foodie buffs yes...Nougatine was beyond real...Artisanal exquisite and La Grenouille the dame...try out Fig and Olive its loud but their combinations work well, also at at BXL very nice beer and mussel plates...so few days so many restaurants.

Sights...well here we did not see as much as we expected for two reasons..the weather ..we had the four seasons in 6 days..with snow on wednesday..I think..then heavy rain all saturday morning clearing for a chilly but lovely easter sunday morning...and the frikkin tourists..heheeh..they descended in their thousands from thursday till Sunday..blocking subways, avenues and making getting into Abercrombie and Fitch a hellish nightmare..and any museum or site the queues were four or fivr blocks long..no exaggerations here....I tried to get tickets for opera and broadway..everything was sold out!!!How do you live with them running all over your city??? lol joking of course

Staten island I liked, ellis was great... Battery Park is my fav. park I think..Washington Square getting a makeover..greenwich my fave part of the city, together with Nolita and Soho...Murray Hill too. Central Park was lovely after Nougatine...wow those houses on the Park....I did take a lottery ticket..didnt win though..
Visited my 84 yr old uncle in Long Island..enjoyed the train trip and seeing him..he so loves the City. My cuz works there..it was so emotional seeing them after 20 years..felt proud that he made it there..working hard true, but still Maltese deep down!

MoMA had a miss Im afraid....the queues were not for the faint hearted

The Egyptian musuem is a find so is Brooklyn..very hip I must say

Ground zero ..a reminder of our fragility and senslessness of violence, however I also felt the courage and determination of an unbent spirit to move forward, despite every woe..

One thing I m proud of is how I mastered the subway..heheh latte in hand..I was even approached for instructions....my husband looking dazed and following me close by..he had no idea what I was doing poor guy!!

We used the cabs too..efficient as I had imagined..I so loved to flag one down!!

Well we aided the American economy as well - as you can imagine!!Century 21, Macy, levi, diesel,apple, they all had a share of our bucks!!!!The kids are over the moon trying everything on at once!!

and so here I am .....back home once again with suitcases of dirty laundry and metro cards and receipts and tons of fotos and videos .no greeners left however and I stll have to check my credit card....

What I have left are the memories and the experience of having lived New York for 6 days, of having been drawn into its pulse, its unforgiving pace,meeting its smart, aloof people and that..as they say in the commercial..is indeed priceless.

Thanks for all your help , you all made a difference to my trip..we l be back..thats for sure

stephanie

Glad you enjoyed your trip. Yes - the city is always busy around easter - but you should see it as Christmas - twice as busy.

And we're really not aloof - just really, really busy. And taught from early childhood not to make eye contact with strangers - since some people can see this as a challenge, and you never know who you're dealing with. But if you need help, just ask. Almost everyone is willing to help if you approach them.

glad to read of your pack-alot-in trip, and your
restaurant choices as well...(Love Artisanal, for one).

As nytraveler posted, Christmas is busy BUT really shows
off Gotham to its finest so do come visit around the holidays.

You obviously enjoyed your visit! Too bad you missed the Met, but maybe next time. Also glad Artisinal was OK. We've had two bad experiences there; Brennan's Picholine is far better, but in a different price class. A good choice, though, for next time, when you're in the Lincoln Center area for the Met. Maybe that Maltese tenor will be singing again!

Great report. I could feel the pulse in your writing and buzzing around.

Thanks for posting.

nytraveler

I didn't mean to offend by aloof..I come from a Mediteranean country and maybe that's why I wrote it. I know that everyone is willing to help if asked..we experienced it for ourselves throughout our whole stay

Your descriptions summed up the pace and pulse of the city perfectly. Glad you had a good time, and like everyone else, once is never enough!

What is that Egyptian Museum you refer to? Are you referring to the Egyptian collection at the Brooklyn Museum which is first rate. BTW - The Met's Egyptian colection is considered to be the most comprehensive collection in the world outside of Cairo.

jroth

i meant the collection in the Brooklyn museum..didnt make it to the Met...saw the one in Berlin as well its very good they have the Nefertiti bust there

Sounds like a wonderful trip, especially seeing family after so long. Hope it means you'll come back soon.

"Immigration was hell though..officers there can be a teeny bit nicer i think!!!"

Of course they could but this is New York. They growl and bark and are brusque with everyone including Americans. They don't know any better. Take it with a grain of salt.

Glad you too loved my favorite city. Sounds like we look at it the same way. I can't wait to be there again in less than 4 weeks!