Trip Report -- NYC
Nov 2nd, 1999 | 09:25 AM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Trip Report -- NYC
Just got back from a great little weekend trip to New York City. It's sort of a mini-tradition that I go every year for Halloween weekend because of the crazy parade in the Village.
My lodgings were the most inexpensive of all -- on a friend's couch in her Park Slope apartment, so I don't have any hotel suggestions. But I wanted to share a few highlights with fellow Fodorites, especially anybody headed up there this weekend for the marathon.
1) The New York Airport Service shuttle from the LGA is the best deal going. It's only $10, comes every 20-30 mins. and drops you off at Grand Central, Port Authority, Penn Station and mid-town hotels. You're in the city within a half hour with no hassle.
2) Ess-a-Bagel. By far my favorite bagel place in New York. There are several locations but my favorite is at 51st and 3rd Ave. You simply can't get anything bad there. I had the best, most fresh lox with creme cheese on plain in my life. I get the same thing everytime I'm there and it's always the best one I ever had.
3) If you're in Brooklyn and like to try new foods, I highly recommend the new South African restaurant Madiba. It's at 195 Dekalb Ave. in Fort Greene. Cozy and intimate place, very attentive waitstaff and outstanding selection of South African food. The food perfectly combines the native, Cape Malay and European cultures in South Africa.
4) The Coffee Bar in the Village is still one of the best places to drink and people watch. A trendy spot, to be sure, but they make the best Martinis at the most reasonable prices and you'll meet lots of interesting people.
5) Dying for cheap theater tix and don't want to sit in the nosebleed section? Ask for orchestra seats. I got a 3rd row, $20 seat to "Chicago." Only a tiny, tiny bit of the stage was obscured. Sandy Duncan is great as Roxie Hart, by the way. You totally forget about her being the Triscuit lady in this role.
6) Go dancing at Nell's. The address is escaping me but it's multi-level fun. Reggae on one floor, hip-hop on another floor, R&B/house music on yet another floor. Very cool place.
7) If you don't want to deal with the crowd's at the Vanguard or the Blue Note, go to Sweet Basil in the Village for straight-ahead jazz.
All of that plus shopping in the Village, raiding the Sephora and MAC makeup stores, hanging out in Times Square (saw Will Smith outside the MTV studio on Broadway) AND the Halloween parade made it a wonderful weekend. Saw a dead ringer for Audrey Hepburn as Holly GoLightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Approached her to say what a fabulous costume and out comes this deep bass voice "Why, thank you dahling." Only in New York!
My lodgings were the most inexpensive of all -- on a friend's couch in her Park Slope apartment, so I don't have any hotel suggestions. But I wanted to share a few highlights with fellow Fodorites, especially anybody headed up there this weekend for the marathon.
1) The New York Airport Service shuttle from the LGA is the best deal going. It's only $10, comes every 20-30 mins. and drops you off at Grand Central, Port Authority, Penn Station and mid-town hotels. You're in the city within a half hour with no hassle.
2) Ess-a-Bagel. By far my favorite bagel place in New York. There are several locations but my favorite is at 51st and 3rd Ave. You simply can't get anything bad there. I had the best, most fresh lox with creme cheese on plain in my life. I get the same thing everytime I'm there and it's always the best one I ever had.
3) If you're in Brooklyn and like to try new foods, I highly recommend the new South African restaurant Madiba. It's at 195 Dekalb Ave. in Fort Greene. Cozy and intimate place, very attentive waitstaff and outstanding selection of South African food. The food perfectly combines the native, Cape Malay and European cultures in South Africa.
4) The Coffee Bar in the Village is still one of the best places to drink and people watch. A trendy spot, to be sure, but they make the best Martinis at the most reasonable prices and you'll meet lots of interesting people.
5) Dying for cheap theater tix and don't want to sit in the nosebleed section? Ask for orchestra seats. I got a 3rd row, $20 seat to "Chicago." Only a tiny, tiny bit of the stage was obscured. Sandy Duncan is great as Roxie Hart, by the way. You totally forget about her being the Triscuit lady in this role.
6) Go dancing at Nell's. The address is escaping me but it's multi-level fun. Reggae on one floor, hip-hop on another floor, R&B/house music on yet another floor. Very cool place.
7) If you don't want to deal with the crowd's at the Vanguard or the Blue Note, go to Sweet Basil in the Village for straight-ahead jazz.
All of that plus shopping in the Village, raiding the Sephora and MAC makeup stores, hanging out in Times Square (saw Will Smith outside the MTV studio on Broadway) AND the Halloween parade made it a wonderful weekend. Saw a dead ringer for Audrey Hepburn as Holly GoLightly in "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Approached her to say what a fabulous costume and out comes this deep bass voice "Why, thank you dahling." Only in New York!
Nov 2nd, 1999 | 03:38 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Just a word about airport transportation - while that shuttle is a great deal for one person....Couples can't beat the limo deal, esp from Manhattan back to the airport. We took one last month, to LaG, for something like $23 - and that included on-time (actually a couple mins early) p/u right at the door of our hotel (in drneching rain!), by a mini-van with tons of room for us and luggage. And a very skilled driver. There are ads for these places (with $2-off coupons) in all the tourist mags (Where, etc).
