NYC Trip Report
Jun 3rd, 2011 | 01:31 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,106
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NYC Trip Report
I’m back from a wonderful four days in NYC (May 24 - 28, '11)
Hotel:
We booked our hotel as a “mystery hotel” on bookit.com. By reading the descriptions, I was able to figure out that it would be the 3* Ameritania. The 54th & 7th (Times Square area) location was the most important factor for us. All I care about is a comfy bed, good shower, quiet, and location, location, location.
The $158/nt price was great; the hotel was adequate. Our standard room was tiny—even for NYC, and did not have a closet—or anywhere to hang clothes!!! There was no coffee maker in the room. The ironing board and iron sat on the floor. But … the bathroom and shower were great; it was exceptionally quiet – and we were never there other than to sleep. So it was fine.
Food:
We’re not “foodies,” don't drink alcohol, and don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy a meal. Several meals were from street carts. The best was the Halal Brothers. Delicious! One of our favorite meals was at Uncle Nick’s on 9th (around 49th) for fantastic, reasonably priced Greek food that was some of the best I’ve ever had. $52 w/tax & tip for a shared Greek salad (it was BIG and delicious); and kebab plates on pilaf. (I’d learned about it on this forum!)
The most interesting, unusual meal was at Balkanika on 9th. We split a meza plate with exceptional hummus (they have countless varieties); Russian chicken salad; and warm pita, followed by a delicious stew. ($32 w/tax & tip)The portions were large and the prices, low. It was a nice, funky atmosphere with lots of people enjoying their wines and tapas-type plates.
Rosie O’Grady’s was fine, but not a favorite. We enjoyed large portions of Shepherd’s pie and salads.
Breakfasts were at Bagel & Bean, on 7th near 54th. The bagels with smoked salmon were as good as it gets. There was no point in going anywhere else after I’d tasted that first bagel! (My mouth’s watering as I write this!)
We ate our way through Brighton Beach, feasting on miniature knishes (from gourmet delis); chicken sticks from stands; fresh fruit; and goodies. Bought lots of Russian candies as gifts. Some of them might even be given away ;-)
And of course, had to pick up a slice at Ray’s pizza.
We'd typically eat at Katz's and/or Carnegie Deli, but it didn't work out this time.
Shows:
The only shows I REALLY wanted to see were “Book of Mormon” and “War Horse.” Since I wasn’t about to pay what it would have cost to snag those tix, that left two options: 1) standing room, or 2) the ticket lottery. “War Horse” offers neither of these options, so that wasn’t going to happen.
The first time, I arrived at the theater for “The Book of Mormon” at 3:30PM – and there were 24 people ahead of me waiting to buy standing room tix. There are (25) standing room spots – and 23 of the people ahead of me planned to buy two tix (which is the max). I did the math and accepted that it was hopeless. I waited for the lottery. I didn’t win. Maybe I’d used up all my lottery luck when DP won us front row center for Idina Menzel’s final performance of “Wicked.”
FYI, the people at the front of the SRO line had arrived at 10 AM.
We headed to the Times Square TKTS booth around 5 PM. There were lots of shows available, but not the ones near the top of my list. I was shocked to find the line quite short. Five minutes later, with great trepidation we went for “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.” I figured it would be awful, but I would forever be able to say that I saw the biggest, most-expensive flop in B’way history. Besides, at 50% off for 8th row orchestra, my curiosity won out.
The retooled version had opened in previews less than a week earlier—and I’d heard nothing about it. Well, someone in line told me that the major problems had all been fixed.
The opening was breathtaking. Wow! I thought, “This is going to be amazing!” It quickly sank, with the lame, unnecessary number about bullying. And I was struggling to understand the lyrics sung by Arachne and Peter. I heard everyone else perfectly. The problem seemed to be the timbre of their voices—not the sound system. But wait … it picked up again and was mostly REALLY good! There were a couple of fantastic songs and phenomenal visual effects. We left at intermission surprised to be really liking it.
Was not crazy about the 2nd act opening … and why was the Arachne even there? The character seemed superfluous—but did have good songs. Wait … But then … it picked up again. Oh, if only they’d let me come in and cut three numbers and tighten up the story, I could save the day!
Bottom line – we really liked it. The flying/fight sequence was OMG incredible. Most of the songs were good—and some were terrific. The ending made everyone cheer. The audience clearly loved it. I didn’t “LOVE” it – but I definitely enjoyed it (much more than expected) and I think with a few more tweaks, it could run for a decade or more, thrilling audiences. What a nice surprise!!!
Our second attempt at “Book of Mormon” standing room tix was for the Saturday matinee. I arrived before 9:30 AM – and it was worse than the previous time. It wasn’t meant to be. (sniff, sniff)
We LOVED John Leguizamo’s “Ghetto Klown.” 50% off at TKTS—again virtually NO wait. (Maybe three people ahead of us in line.) 4th row, dead center orchestra. The writing and performance were equally excellent. Very memorable and powerful.
Lastly, “My Big Gay Italian Wedding.” Again, 50% off at TKTS – and again, no line. It was fun, and we laughed a lot—but I wouldn’t call it “great.”
Other Entertainment:
We saw the “Harry Potter” and “Pompeii” exhibits. “Harry” was mobbed and not set up well. It was okay—but not great. “Pompeii” was terrific.” Both were at the Discovery Center, Times Square.
Watching the crowds in Central Park who showed up to see Lady GaGa was a whole different kind of theater. Loved strolling through the park. So beautiful—and great people-watching. There were several jazz bands playing for tips and it was lovely to sit on a bench and soak in the sights and sounds.
We’ve been to NYC many times and had visited all the major museums, but had never been to Brooklyn. We remedied that this time. It wasn’t nearly as complicated or confusing as it seemed when I’d researched it. Took one subway to Brighton Beach and loved walking through “Little Russia,” then strolling the boardwalk toward Coney Island. The subway maps were easy to read and we had no trouble getting anywhere we needed—but we were mostly on foot, except for our day in Brooklyn and our trip to Battery Park.
We enjoyed a walk in Brooklyn Heights with its beautiful old buildings, and admired the views across to Manhattan from the Promenade. Then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a wonderful day!
We love walking and really enjoyed strolling along the Esplanade in Battery Park City, with its views of Lady Liberty and the Hudson. Then wandered through Tribeca and Greenwich Village where we stopped for good Chinese food at Suzie’s on Bleeker Street.
The weather:
Perfect; sunny, blue skies – just a little too hot.
That’s the scoop! It was a wonderful trip to the best city in the world—and I hope this will help some others with their planning.
Hotel:
We booked our hotel as a “mystery hotel” on bookit.com. By reading the descriptions, I was able to figure out that it would be the 3* Ameritania. The 54th & 7th (Times Square area) location was the most important factor for us. All I care about is a comfy bed, good shower, quiet, and location, location, location.
The $158/nt price was great; the hotel was adequate. Our standard room was tiny—even for NYC, and did not have a closet—or anywhere to hang clothes!!! There was no coffee maker in the room. The ironing board and iron sat on the floor. But … the bathroom and shower were great; it was exceptionally quiet – and we were never there other than to sleep. So it was fine.
Food:
We’re not “foodies,” don't drink alcohol, and don’t need to spend a lot of money to enjoy a meal. Several meals were from street carts. The best was the Halal Brothers. Delicious! One of our favorite meals was at Uncle Nick’s on 9th (around 49th) for fantastic, reasonably priced Greek food that was some of the best I’ve ever had. $52 w/tax & tip for a shared Greek salad (it was BIG and delicious); and kebab plates on pilaf. (I’d learned about it on this forum!)
The most interesting, unusual meal was at Balkanika on 9th. We split a meza plate with exceptional hummus (they have countless varieties); Russian chicken salad; and warm pita, followed by a delicious stew. ($32 w/tax & tip)The portions were large and the prices, low. It was a nice, funky atmosphere with lots of people enjoying their wines and tapas-type plates.
Rosie O’Grady’s was fine, but not a favorite. We enjoyed large portions of Shepherd’s pie and salads.
Breakfasts were at Bagel & Bean, on 7th near 54th. The bagels with smoked salmon were as good as it gets. There was no point in going anywhere else after I’d tasted that first bagel! (My mouth’s watering as I write this!)
We ate our way through Brighton Beach, feasting on miniature knishes (from gourmet delis); chicken sticks from stands; fresh fruit; and goodies. Bought lots of Russian candies as gifts. Some of them might even be given away ;-)
And of course, had to pick up a slice at Ray’s pizza.
We'd typically eat at Katz's and/or Carnegie Deli, but it didn't work out this time.
Shows:
The only shows I REALLY wanted to see were “Book of Mormon” and “War Horse.” Since I wasn’t about to pay what it would have cost to snag those tix, that left two options: 1) standing room, or 2) the ticket lottery. “War Horse” offers neither of these options, so that wasn’t going to happen.
The first time, I arrived at the theater for “The Book of Mormon” at 3:30PM – and there were 24 people ahead of me waiting to buy standing room tix. There are (25) standing room spots – and 23 of the people ahead of me planned to buy two tix (which is the max). I did the math and accepted that it was hopeless. I waited for the lottery. I didn’t win. Maybe I’d used up all my lottery luck when DP won us front row center for Idina Menzel’s final performance of “Wicked.”
FYI, the people at the front of the SRO line had arrived at 10 AM.
We headed to the Times Square TKTS booth around 5 PM. There were lots of shows available, but not the ones near the top of my list. I was shocked to find the line quite short. Five minutes later, with great trepidation we went for “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.” I figured it would be awful, but I would forever be able to say that I saw the biggest, most-expensive flop in B’way history. Besides, at 50% off for 8th row orchestra, my curiosity won out.
The retooled version had opened in previews less than a week earlier—and I’d heard nothing about it. Well, someone in line told me that the major problems had all been fixed.
The opening was breathtaking. Wow! I thought, “This is going to be amazing!” It quickly sank, with the lame, unnecessary number about bullying. And I was struggling to understand the lyrics sung by Arachne and Peter. I heard everyone else perfectly. The problem seemed to be the timbre of their voices—not the sound system. But wait … it picked up again and was mostly REALLY good! There were a couple of fantastic songs and phenomenal visual effects. We left at intermission surprised to be really liking it.
Was not crazy about the 2nd act opening … and why was the Arachne even there? The character seemed superfluous—but did have good songs. Wait … But then … it picked up again. Oh, if only they’d let me come in and cut three numbers and tighten up the story, I could save the day!
Bottom line – we really liked it. The flying/fight sequence was OMG incredible. Most of the songs were good—and some were terrific. The ending made everyone cheer. The audience clearly loved it. I didn’t “LOVE” it – but I definitely enjoyed it (much more than expected) and I think with a few more tweaks, it could run for a decade or more, thrilling audiences. What a nice surprise!!!
Our second attempt at “Book of Mormon” standing room tix was for the Saturday matinee. I arrived before 9:30 AM – and it was worse than the previous time. It wasn’t meant to be. (sniff, sniff)
We LOVED John Leguizamo’s “Ghetto Klown.” 50% off at TKTS—again virtually NO wait. (Maybe three people ahead of us in line.) 4th row, dead center orchestra. The writing and performance were equally excellent. Very memorable and powerful.
Lastly, “My Big Gay Italian Wedding.” Again, 50% off at TKTS – and again, no line. It was fun, and we laughed a lot—but I wouldn’t call it “great.”
Other Entertainment:
We saw the “Harry Potter” and “Pompeii” exhibits. “Harry” was mobbed and not set up well. It was okay—but not great. “Pompeii” was terrific.” Both were at the Discovery Center, Times Square.
Watching the crowds in Central Park who showed up to see Lady GaGa was a whole different kind of theater. Loved strolling through the park. So beautiful—and great people-watching. There were several jazz bands playing for tips and it was lovely to sit on a bench and soak in the sights and sounds.
We’ve been to NYC many times and had visited all the major museums, but had never been to Brooklyn. We remedied that this time. It wasn’t nearly as complicated or confusing as it seemed when I’d researched it. Took one subway to Brighton Beach and loved walking through “Little Russia,” then strolling the boardwalk toward Coney Island. The subway maps were easy to read and we had no trouble getting anywhere we needed—but we were mostly on foot, except for our day in Brooklyn and our trip to Battery Park.
We enjoyed a walk in Brooklyn Heights with its beautiful old buildings, and admired the views across to Manhattan from the Promenade. Then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a wonderful day!
We love walking and really enjoyed strolling along the Esplanade in Battery Park City, with its views of Lady Liberty and the Hudson. Then wandered through Tribeca and Greenwich Village where we stopped for good Chinese food at Suzie’s on Bleeker Street.
The weather:
Perfect; sunny, blue skies – just a little too hot.
That’s the scoop! It was a wonderful trip to the best city in the world—and I hope this will help some others with their planning.
Jun 6th, 2011 | 02:02 PM
#5
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,106
Likes: 0
I didn't notice "brides" on the menu ;-)
Here's a link to my pix:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...hotos-_-Sharer
Here's a link to my pix:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/...hotos-_-Sharer
