NYC - Day One
Aug 13th, 2009, 11:00 AM
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NYC - Day One
NYC Trip Day One – August 5, 2009
Our flight to NYC was on time and for the most part went well except for some turbulence and me flashing a fellow passenger and steward. Upon entering the restroom, I had forgotten to lock the door. So, there I sat when a male passenger opened the door to the” laboratory” and two men were staring at me. Okay - a little excitement for all of us.
We arrived on schedule and as we were flying in it was so thrilling to see that we were finally in NYC. We looked out the windows and tried to find all the landmarks that were on our list of places to see while we were there.
We had reserved a car through Carmel Car Service which was a flat $28 fee. It was nice we didn’t have to worry about a meter running while sitting in afternoon traffic. The driver wasn’t too friendly and we were confused as to whether he wanted us to pay the toll as we passed through or at the end of the trip. Giving him the $5.50 up front was what we finally decided to do and then he cruised on through the booth without paying. I guess he had what we call in Texas an “E-Z Tag.”
The Courtyard by Marriott on 3rd Avenue doesn’t have a grand lobby or furnishings, but the staff was very friendly upon our arrival and the hotel was remarkably clean. A Duane Reade is also conveniently located next door which we enjoyed being able to stop by for cold drinks and snacks on our way up to our room in the afternoons and evenings.
We went up to our room and rested for a while and then headed out to TOTR. We enjoyed people watching at Rockefeller Plaza and the beauty of the building. One thing we noticed was the number of foreigners in the city. We are accustomed to Spanish-speaking people being Texans, but the languages we heard were not Spanish. We used a $3 coupon we found either on Gold Star or Theatermania (I can’t recall which site I found it on.) so our tickets to TOTR were only $17.
The ride to the top was awesome. The top of the elevator shows pictures and the ride only takes 41 seconds. There was a magnificent view of the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park. What a great way to kick off our visit to the Big Apple. We hung out and watched the sun set and enjoyed seeing all the lights pop up around the city.
La Bonne Soupe was one restaurant I had researched and we ended up walking there to eat dinner after visiting TOTR. The food and service were both very good. Hubby did a great job ordering his entrée, but I had a harder time pronouncing mine. From the description I envisioned thinly-sliced chicken with noodles and a white wine sauce, but it came out quite different. There were two chicken breasts with what looked like a pile of grits. Hubby’s entrée was an open-faced sandwich with LOTS of cheese. It all tasted very good, except for the “grits” which neither of us really cared for. La Bonne Soupe is a fun restaurant. Our only complaint would be that the tables were too close together, since we heard all the table’s conversation sitting next to us - her doctorate, his father’s business, and also his daughter’s obsession with Hannah Montana.
After dinner, we strolled back to the hotel. What an enjoyable way to end the evening! We were amazed by all the people on the street. Females walking alone (This is something you’d never do in Houston!), others walking their dogs (Speaking of dog walking – One lady let her dog back up and pee all over the tire of a bike parked on the sidewalk!) and many tourists just roaming the NYC streets.
Our flight to NYC was on time and for the most part went well except for some turbulence and me flashing a fellow passenger and steward. Upon entering the restroom, I had forgotten to lock the door. So, there I sat when a male passenger opened the door to the” laboratory” and two men were staring at me. Okay - a little excitement for all of us.
We arrived on schedule and as we were flying in it was so thrilling to see that we were finally in NYC. We looked out the windows and tried to find all the landmarks that were on our list of places to see while we were there.
We had reserved a car through Carmel Car Service which was a flat $28 fee. It was nice we didn’t have to worry about a meter running while sitting in afternoon traffic. The driver wasn’t too friendly and we were confused as to whether he wanted us to pay the toll as we passed through or at the end of the trip. Giving him the $5.50 up front was what we finally decided to do and then he cruised on through the booth without paying. I guess he had what we call in Texas an “E-Z Tag.”
The Courtyard by Marriott on 3rd Avenue doesn’t have a grand lobby or furnishings, but the staff was very friendly upon our arrival and the hotel was remarkably clean. A Duane Reade is also conveniently located next door which we enjoyed being able to stop by for cold drinks and snacks on our way up to our room in the afternoons and evenings.
We went up to our room and rested for a while and then headed out to TOTR. We enjoyed people watching at Rockefeller Plaza and the beauty of the building. One thing we noticed was the number of foreigners in the city. We are accustomed to Spanish-speaking people being Texans, but the languages we heard were not Spanish. We used a $3 coupon we found either on Gold Star or Theatermania (I can’t recall which site I found it on.) so our tickets to TOTR were only $17.
The ride to the top was awesome. The top of the elevator shows pictures and the ride only takes 41 seconds. There was a magnificent view of the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park. What a great way to kick off our visit to the Big Apple. We hung out and watched the sun set and enjoyed seeing all the lights pop up around the city.
La Bonne Soupe was one restaurant I had researched and we ended up walking there to eat dinner after visiting TOTR. The food and service were both very good. Hubby did a great job ordering his entrée, but I had a harder time pronouncing mine. From the description I envisioned thinly-sliced chicken with noodles and a white wine sauce, but it came out quite different. There were two chicken breasts with what looked like a pile of grits. Hubby’s entrée was an open-faced sandwich with LOTS of cheese. It all tasted very good, except for the “grits” which neither of us really cared for. La Bonne Soupe is a fun restaurant. Our only complaint would be that the tables were too close together, since we heard all the table’s conversation sitting next to us - her doctorate, his father’s business, and also his daughter’s obsession with Hannah Montana.
After dinner, we strolled back to the hotel. What an enjoyable way to end the evening! We were amazed by all the people on the street. Females walking alone (This is something you’d never do in Houston!), others walking their dogs (Speaking of dog walking – One lady let her dog back up and pee all over the tire of a bike parked on the sidewalk!) and many tourists just roaming the NYC streets.
Aug 13th, 2009, 05:32 PM
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Well, New York is the safest large city in the country - and feet and public transit are the way everyone gets around. In good weather the streets in most places will be well populated until midnight or so (except business districts). And, yes - everyone walkd everywhere at all hours - it;s perfectly safe.
As for the restaurant tables being close together - it's a function of the very high rents - they need a lot of people in a small space and quick turnover. When you go to an upscale places one of the things you're buying (as well as the food, service and atmosphere) is a quieter atmosphere (usually, except a few very trendy places) and more room between tables.
Glad you're enjoying your trip. Keep up the good report.
As for the restaurant tables being close together - it's a function of the very high rents - they need a lot of people in a small space and quick turnover. When you go to an upscale places one of the things you're buying (as well as the food, service and atmosphere) is a quieter atmosphere (usually, except a few very trendy places) and more room between tables.
Glad you're enjoying your trip. Keep up the good report.
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