Margie

I tried to keep this short, but it didn't work, if you don't like long reports - skip it. I gained a lot of knowledge from this forum so I thought I would share our NYC trip here. I tried to include websites and prices to assist others with their planning.

Just spent 5 great days in NYC. Although I have been to NYC many times this was a different trip for us as 3 of the 5 days were spent traveling with 2 children. Because we had the kids we slowed down a bit and revisited a few tourist sites so they could see them. The group consisted of my husband, my brother, SIL, 2 girls ages 6 and 8, my parents and myself. We all have additional trips planned this year and we tried to keep our costs down a little. We are not huge foodies, so instead of destination restaurants we tend to look for good food at a reasonable price, and not huge heavy meals. Transportation was a lot of walking and we used the buses as you can see more above ground and the kids have never been to NYC before. Shows this trip were light/fun, and we had some restaurants pre-selected to avoid 8 people doing what I call "The Restaurant Ramble". Some of you might have done this, it involves wandering aimlessly for many blocks, looking for a restaurant while saying "where do you want to go" "I don't care, anything is fine" blah, blah, blah. It can get ugly.

We planned the trip around the kids school break, and although convenient timing for us, it was a busy time in the city with 2 huge conventions, 2 sold out concerts, and spring break. We didn't find the sites too crowded, but securing a hotel reservation was tricky. My brother and family booked the Marriott Courtyard 5 months prior to the trip (room for 4 was $160 when he booked but climbed to $200+ before the hotel sold out about 6 weeks before the trip). I tried Priceline for 2 rooms for the remaining 2 couples, bid every conceivable combination for months, bid a little higher than I really wanted to and it just never worked. While playing with Priceline I watched hotel prices skyrocket for our week. I was trying to keep the trip reasonable and a $275+ room plus taxes per couple per night for 4 nights was out of the question. We aren't high maintenance, and don't require fancy, we just needed a clean place at a reasonable price. A month before we left I grabbed 2 rooms for our first night at the Ramada Eastside (Lex & 30th) and the remaining 3 at Radio City Apartments (http://www.radiocityapartments.com). The Ramada was available for all 4 nights, but it was further south than I wanted to be. Radio City was only available for 3, so we combined the two and it worked fine.

Day 1. We usually fly JetBlue to JFK, but this Spring Break weekend the flight was $120 one way; a reasonable fare, but it would have cost my brother $500 to fly his family one way and for what would be just a 3-day weekend getaway for them, only going about 250 miles away from home, it didn't really make sense. So, we took the train from our hometown with a deal from Amtrak for $30 per person. Train was clean and comfortable with more room than the plane. Arrived NYPenn fairly much on-time and each group took a cab to our respected hotels (NYPenn to Ramada was a little over $5 plus tip). We all met at an agreed upon spot on the eastside and then all went for an early dinner at La Creperie Caffe on Lexington between 77th & 78th St. They offer crepes, paninis, salads and wraps. Very reasonably priced, good service, and they happily accommodated our group of 8. After dinner we walked to the Met. There was a string quartet on the balcony in the Great Hall and small tables set up for drink service. Brother & family went off to Arms & Armor, Egyptian Art, and the American Decorative Arts. Rest of group went to see some works of Matisse and the Diane Arbus exhibit (which was excellent, I could have spent more time there). I had given the kids the Sesame Street video "Don't Eat The Pictures" which they watched before the trip. This made a difference in their interest level in the museum and they really enjoyed their visit. The Video has been watched again since they have gotten home as they are now looking for things in the movie that they saw in person.

Day 2. Met at Le Pain Quotidien at 7th & 58th St. Thanks to those who answered my questions regarding is this particular LPQ location. The restaurant is one of their larger locations and easily accommodated our group. Wonderful breads, fruits, croissants, coffees, etc. Friendly wait staff. We then bussed to the upper west side. Brother & Family went to Children's museum which was nice, but geared for very small children (maybe age 4 max?). While they were at the museum the rest of the group went to the NY Historical Association at 77th (?) & CPW. (http://www.nyhistory.org/exhibits.html adults $10, Senior & Students $5) This is a place that I will definitely go back to and spend more time at. There was a very interesting First Ladies exhibit focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy in addition to the first lady memorabilia (dresses, china, jewelry, etc) that is in the permanent collection. Nice display of arts & crafts furniture and pottery and there was A LOT more that we just didn't get to. All met up at Zabar's to shop (saw John Pankow who played Paul Buchman's cousin Ira on Mad About You) and then to Cosi for lunch. Bussed back downtown so brother & Family could attend Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and the rest of us went to All Shook Up. Chitty seems to be living up to it's London reputation and ASU was just a fun, entertaining, feel good, musical. Everyone enjoyed the shows. All went to dinner at John's on W. 44th. Again, we were easily accommodated, the food was good, and the prices were very reasonable. Took a nice walk back to hotels stopping for coffee and stroll through Rock Center on the way. Saw David Hyde Pierce currently starring in Spamalot, formerly Niles from Fraiser.

Margie

Day 3.Met at Midtown Restaurant on 55th between 3rd & Lex. for breakfast. This restaurant has the large window/doors on the front and they had them open so sitting near them was like dining out. Then proceeded to the Mercedes dealer at Park & 55th to see the Frank Lloyd Wright interior. Salesperson spent time telling us about the building and the cars including the Maybach - wow! Then on to Fauchon (http://www.fauchon.com), Tourneau (http://www.tourneau.com/Tourneau/Main.aspx), Trump Tower (saw Carolyn Keptcher from Apprentice), Plaza Hotel to pay homage to Eloise, FAO, Crate & Barrel, lunch at "All About Food", St. Patrick's and then downtown for a ride of the Staten Island Ferry. We were back uptown to Grand Central by 8 PM so Brother & Family could catch NY Airport Shuttle Service to JFK (http://www.nyairportservice.com/index.html $15 per adult, kids under 12 free). The trip from GCT to JFK was under 30 minutes (this was a Sunday night). Brother & Family took JetBlue back home for $49 per person.

Day 4. From this point on we were a group of 4. Went to Grand Central to take the train to the NY Botanical Garden (http://www.nybg.org) and spent the morning and early afternoon viewing the spring flower show and taking a quick tour of the gardens. We had never been there before and it was beautiful. Took the train back and caught a cross town bus to the west side to see Ashes Snow (http://www.ashesandsnow.org admission was $12 adults, $6 seniors, pay what you wish Tuesdays 11-3) I can not begin to describe this, it was amazing. Fabulous photography, uniquely displayed (to say the least), just a wonderful experience, I can not recommend this enough. If you go, do a little research and educate yourself about the exhibit and Gregory Colbert. Some have said that they thought it was a great exhibit for children; I'll probably get slammed for this, but I really don't agree. Other than seeing pictures of other kids with animals I don't think they would get much out of it. The exhibit space is quiet and people are really studying the photographs and soaking up the atmosphere. The few kids that I saw there were done with the exhibit in about 15 minutes and had zero interest in the film. Teens would enjoy it, but not younger kids. After Ashes Snow we went back uptown for the 7PM performance of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Really enjoyed it, just a fun show. Dinner was at Cara Mia on 9th between 45th & 46th, we have been here before and it's one of our favorites.

Day 5. Checked out of Radio City Apartments (they stored our luggage for the day). Went to the Today Show, saw Katie, Matt, Al & Natalie Moralis. Katie stayed outside long after the show was over until everyone who wanted an autograph or photo got one. Picked up coffee & croissants at Dean & Deluca and took them the public garden (complete with waterfall) that was near our hotel. Then it was on to the MoMA (http://www.moma.org) which was absolutely fabulous. The new space is amazing, and the collections are wonderful. Not being huge huge modern fans we had planned on spending just a few hours, well, that turned into 5, plus 45 minutes in the museum shop! Got sandwiches at Cosi and took them back to the public garden on 49th to eat dinner outside and people watch. A very relaxing end to the trip. Collected the luggage and got a cab to JFK ($48 plus tip shared by the 4 of us, trip from Midtown to JFK was about 35 minutes on a Wednesday night) to catch our JetBlue flight back home ($49 per person).

Ramada Eastside: Clean, basic accommodation. Staff was friendly and our rate of $130 included light breakfast which we didn't participate in because we wanted to go to LPQ. Our small room had a view of the Chrysler building from the bedroom and the Empire State Building from the bath. Very quiet. This hotel can be booked for as low as $89 during off season.

Radio City Apartments. Not fancy - if you require a mint on your pillow, a slick decor, and room service you should book elsewhere. If you are looking for a clean room, friendly front desk staff, reasonable rates and a convenient location you will be happy here. Our room with a kitchenette was on a high floor and I could here traffic and horses & cariages at night, but this is a busy city so you shouldn't be surprised. No noise heard from other rooms. The hotel's own website had the same rates as the lowest third party booking site rates, so if you want to stay here don't waste time surfing for a better price - book direct. We paid $139 for a studio (busy weekend price, and the hotel was fully booked). I have reservations for the same room in August for $119, this will be my back up while make more futile attempts on Priceline.

Dining with a group. We chose restaurants that were reasonably priced that had things on the menu kids would would like without resorting to themed restaurants or junk like Burger King. Places like John's are large and have no problem seating a group of 8, for smaller places we did not show up at prime time expecting that a table for a large group would available. If you have a big group try to eat just before, or after, crunch time.

Touring with a group. PLAN. Being spontaneous and wandering around is great if there are 2 of you. With 8 it is a disaster. Have a plan for each day that you can change on the fly. Know when things are open, know your route and know where you will be eating. Wandering with a group just wastes time and results in frustrated adults and crabby kids.

As always, the people of NYC were nothing but welcoming and friendly, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

Thanks for wading through this. If anyone has any questions I am happy to answer them

mp

Wow, Margie, what a great, readable report - sounds like all your research paid off!

So really glad you had a good time. I disagree with you about the content of the show and kids liking Ashes and Snow - (I didn't like it but I know lots of 10 and 11 year-olds who loved it!) But I really admire your planning and am happy to hear about the Ramada Eastside - might be a good place to put relatives when they visit. Thanks!

Margie

Thanks MP! The Ramada Eastside is fine, as long as you expect a clean budget accommodation, and not the Ritz. Although I think kids would LIKE Ashes Snow, I guess I question how much they would get out of it. I wouldn't want to take a child there and have them want to leave after 15 minutes because they were done "looking at the pictures". But that is just my opinion, and if a child views the exhibit and comes away with something from it - more power to them! Thanks again for your comments, I appreciate it!

Lee4

Margie,
I enjoyed your report! You've given me two great ideas for places to eat when I'm back in NYC in June--La Creperie Cafe and Le Pain Quotiden. They sound yummy and I hope to try them out soon.

Margie

Lee, there are several Le Pain Quotiden's in NYC, check their website for addresses. I have been to the one is Soho, and one up on Madison, this time the one on 58th was convenient for us. Nice menu, it's one of my favorites.

redhat

Margie, where exactly is John's located and what type of food? Looking for somewhere for dinner Friday p.m.

Margie

John's is at 260 West 44th St, between 7th & 8th Aves. The restaurant used to be a church (you can't tell from the outside, but the inside still has the balcony and some stained glass) and serves pizza, calzones, and traditional entrees like fettuccini, chicken parm, ravioli, etc. Don't dismiss it as a "pizza joint" it's more than that, and it offers a good meal at a reasonable price. There is a menu and reviews on www.menupages.com

Have fun in NYC!

redhat

Thanks Margie, will check it out.

Lee4

Margie
Thanks for the tip about other locations of Le Pain Quotidien. I will check out the website! I think we'll also give John's a try when we're back in June; it sounds good too!

sandypaws3

Margie,
My husband and I love Le Pain Quotidien! Thanks for the address of the one you went to. It's probably the most convenient of the addresses I've looked at. Curious to see how it compares to the one we always ate at in Paris.

Sandy

sandypaws3

Margie,
How did you like Cosi? It's also on our list for lunch. Glad to see the good reports of John's on 44th Street, as we plan to eat there the night we arrive in New York Thanks so much for your report... I enjoyed reading it, and it was full of lots of good information.

Sandy

bamakelly

Great trip report!!! Can't wait to go back to NYC!!

Margie

Thanks for the nice comments - I appreciate it! Cosi is one of my favorite spots for a quick inexpensive lunch. This is not "fine dining" - it is sandwiches, salads, etc. if you want to get an idea of what they serve you can look at the website at http://www.getcosi.com they have many locations around the city.

I can't wait to get back to NYC either!

Lee4

Hi again, Margie,
Thanks for posting the Cosi website. I checked it out, and I think it's my kind of place. The food sounds delicious, and I'm assuming it will be quick and reasonably priced. Not to mention, there are so many locations around NYC. That sounds great to me and I appreciate the tip. It's one of those places that I don't have where I live and I probably wouldn't know to check it out without having read your report. You are making me SO ready for my June trip! Thanks again!!

sworl

Thanks Margie for the great details, hubby and I are visiting NYC again in July of this year, we loved John's Pizzeria, can't wait to go there again, the other restaurant you mentioned Le Pain... - do you know if it's close to the Salisbury (which is on 57th), just curious, that place sounds good too, is it good for breakfast also? Thanks again for the details, it was also good to hear about Radio City Apartments, a friend and I are celebrating our 50th birthdays in New York next year, we need a place with two bedrooms (I snore), and Radio City sounded reasonable and close to the main attractions. Any more insight into that place would be great.
Thanks,
Sue in Canada

Margie

Hi Sue, Le Pain Quotidien is wonderful for breakfast! They serve fresh fruit, home baked breads, delicious coffees, waffles and much more. The one at 57th & 7th is right near the Salisbury, it would be a great early morning stop for you.

The location of Radio City Apts. is so convenient - you are close enough to the theater district to walk to a show but you are not in the middle of the Times Square craziness! Only a few blocks from the MoMA, Rock. Center & the Today show are right down the street and 5th Ave shopping is just a few blocks to the East. The 2 public gardens next to and across the street from the hotel were nice places to take a break with a quick bite to eat or coffee and while people watching. The hotel is not fancy, but it is clean, well located and the staff is very friendly. If you have specific questions about the hotel I would be happy to answer them here.

sworl

Hi Margie,the restaurant "Le Pain Quotidien" does sound good for breakfast and close by too, we have been to Maxie's before for breakfast but from the Salisbury it might be a bit of a walk. We've been to NYC two times before and stayed at the Marriott Marquis on Broadway at Times Square, so it was very central, this year, however, budget rules, and the Marquis rates are sky-high, so we have been told the Salisbury is good for the price, it's clean, large rooms, and I have heard, very sound-proof (hope that proves to be correct). Next year I will look into the Radio City Apts., it sounds great, do you know if their website photos live up to the real thing, or are the photos - just the nicest room(s). Thanks for any info. I will pop in there though, when we are in NYC, lord knows we will be walking an awful lot and I am sure we will be in the area of Radio City. We have tickets to see SPAMALOT, it looks great. Gotta go, get ready for work (yuck), take care and thanks for the info.
Sue

Margie

Topping for isabellasmom

Margie

Sue, next year as soon as your plans are set, if you want the Radio City Apts., book as soon as you are sure of your dates, it fills up fast! The website photos are fairly close to the actual spaces, but not as big. As a point of reference for this hotel think "European 2 star."