stokebailey

She's 20, and after a stressful first year too far away at college the time seemed right for a mother-daughter trip to New York. She'd been here only briefly and it was ages ago for me. Time to dip into the old piggy bank and do it in style for not all that much money.

How about in midwinter, before spring semester, after her older sister is back at her school and her daddy's back teaching? Perfect, it turns out. After they sweep up the mess in Times Square turns out to be a great time for a budget-ish trip.

Because I wanted to stay in different parts of town for the experience of it, and it turned out to work best to prepay for the rooms in three chunks, we're at the East Side first, the West Side two nights, and finally downtown.

PREP
Woody Allen movies, or fragments thereof: Manhattan, Everyone Says I Love You, Annie Hall. Fodor's. Good old Internet. Dear Jewish friend gave us $1 each to give away.

EAST SIDE
So here we are at the end of our three nights at the W on Lexington. Upgraded from "Cozy" to "Wonderful" by a kind desk clerk, the room is stylish, the bed comfortable, and the wireless internet free. Four * Manhattan rooms on Hotwire.com are so reasonable in January. The emphasis here is on making you feel cared for, and I think they do it beautifully. Spiced hot cider and baskets of apples in the lobby, coffee maker on request in your room, a "what can we do for you?" attitude. If I can find one thing to be picky about, the lobby might be just a tad too hip for us, with a DJ late into the evenings.

They have the "Accura Experience" here, a drop off service from 86th down to Battery 1000- 1900 daily. We're set to get a ride to our next hotel at checkout today, and last night a young minor league ballplayer drove us to the Joyce.

ellenem

A live report! I've been interested to hear how changing hotels worked for you. Hope you're having a good time.

musicfan

Glad you made it okay--can't wait to hear how the rest of your trip unfolds!

SandyBrit

stokebailey:

Glad you made it safely to NYC and upgraded at your first hotel. How nice is that.

It will be interesting to hear about hotel #2 etc.

Carry on please.

Sandy

sf7307

Stoke, we are far (I mean FAR) from hip, but one night we came in late from my DH's high school reunion, and a few of us (all 60-ish) went to the lobby bar, and y'know what, our money was as good as everyone else's! They treated us well, the drinks and appetizers were good, the decor excellent, in general a good time was had by all (even if I don't look like a super-model!)

sf7307

Oh, and we did have a "cozy" room - no upgrade in high season - and while the room was tiny, it was so well-designed it wasn't a problem (at least for a couple)

stokebailey

Thank you all!

I realized it was good to change hotels when walking home from Grand Central late Fri, and thinking "Okay, Park, we're almost there," instead of "Oh, my! Gorgeous Park Ave lit up for the holidays!" Taking it for granted, in other words.

"Treating you well" is what the W does very well. We did get spoiled on the customer service there, and the bed was very comfortable and the room quiet. We had not sense of the outside world besides the occasional distant taxi horn and a little boy who waved at us from his window at the Waldorf Astoria across Lexington. Being at the end of a hall on the 16th floor helped, I guess, besides old fashioned solid hotel construction that helps soundproofing.

WEST SIDE
The reason the noise question comes up is our Empire Hotel experience. The decor is someone's idea of high style: browns, oranges and animal prints. We were able to check in to a 5th floor room that was smallish but adequate. Beds are pillow top, very comfortable, with Frette linens. It seemed nice and quiet, overlooking more rooms and Lincoln Center Annex roof.

By the time we left for Guggenheim Cheap/Free Evening, though, it sounded like a semi truck was idling just outside the window. We figured it was temporary, but when we got back after the opera at almost midnight, it was if anything even louder. I have never before asked to change rooms at a hotel, but after some wrangling with the desk we were given a larger but stuffy smoking room with a view.

The beds are great, and we can get used to smells. The lobby had a party atmosphere on Saturday night, and it's all turned out fine. It was great to be able to cross the plaza at Lincoln Center, cross a street, and be at our hotel.

stokebailey

Wednesday, after we settled in for our first night at the W, we headed out for a bite to eat. We headed straight west and were delighted to see that the tree and decorations were still up at Rockefeller Center, with golden Prometheus and skaters gliding. Glorious.

Late lunch was at 'Wichcraft, at 555 5th Ave, or actually around the corner. Excellent soup and sandwiches. More wandering around and a nap, and then we were ready for dinner and some jazz. The concierge at W recommended The Garage in West Village, and I wanted to find Mamoud's to eat. We took the 6 train to Bleeker St, and walked over and down Bowery and stumbled upon Forcella, which rang a bell from recent restaurant review. We loved it. Try the Montanara, with crust that's lightly fried before it's baked. My daughter H had the Margherita and pronounced it the best since Florence. For me it was the best possibly ever. The genius cook there is a 4 time world pizza champ.

We walked west on Bleeker then and up to The Garage. Mark Devine Trio was playing some very sweet jazz. We were able to get seats at the bar and listen to two sets, until they quit at 2200. Another combo started at 2230, but it had been a long day. We took the subway to Grand Central, then walked home very contented.

suewoo

I so love New York, and I'm enjoying your report!

Anything that's fried before baked wins my vote.

Nikki

I'm enjoying your report very much. A couple weeks ago I spent two nights in New York at two hotels in two different neighborhoods and it was fun seeing the city from different angles.

stokebailey

Thank you, suewoo and Nikki.

TWO THEMES
The opening clarinet solo and theme from Rhapsody in Blue keep going through my head. My dtr H started quoting Woody Allen's opening narrative to Manhattan: "Chapter One. He adored New York City. He idealized it out of all proportion. No, he romanticized it..." We will break into either of these at any time.

Thursday morning, a leisurely breakfast and then MOMA. I haven't been there since it was redone, and the architecture is stunning now. A great place, and the international fellow visitors are as beautiful as anything.

We headed up 5th Ave. I wanted to peek into Harry Winston's to see where that adorable scene in Everyone Says I Love You was filmed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsiIPY_vzFU
We were shy about going in, not being in the market currently for fabulous jewels, but the distinguished man at the door beckoned us in. He hadn't heard about the movie, and in return for that cultural tip he gave us a quick rundown on the millions of dollars worth of 40 carat diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. A sweet guy. We didn't linger to try anything on.

Nikki

I have a different take on the Museum of Modern Art, which I described in my trip report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-york-city.cfm

Although we also noticed the large percentage of international visitors.

yk

stokebailey, I can't wait to hear the rest of your trip.

So, did you know what was the noise from at Empire Hotel? It's so conveniently located for Lincoln Center, that I'm always tempted to recommend it to some of my overseas opera fans. Is it one you will recommend or not?

stokebailey

Nikki, so true (in your report) about the lack of seating at the MOMA. We came with drawing pads and crayons, hoping to find something sketchable within view of a bench; no dice. I think there was seating in the Monet waterlilies room, but those'd be tricky ones to sketch. I never saw anyone with folding stools, either.

I'd only been to the old MOMA three or four times before, so had never had a chance to get attached to the former design.

Hi, yk. Hmm. Yes, I think I would recommend the Empire. The decor grew on me, and H liked the style of it all along. Our Hotwire room was understandably going to be their least primo at such a great price. The smoking room we ended up with eventually was really very nice: good bathroom, great shower, very comfortable sheets and bed. It was also convenient for taking the subway home from the Joyce Theater, straight up 8th Ave.

There was a party kind of atmosphere about the Empire Saturday night, and now that we're at the Sheraton Tribeca tonight I realize that playing loud hip music in lobbies must be the new thing, since 3/3 have done it.

TIPS H TOLD ME TO INCLUDE:
1.Even if everyone else starts to cross the street, still look both ways.
2.New Yorkers walk kind of slowly. To pass them when they block sidewalk, just jog left.
3.I forgot the third one, and the free internet in the Sheraton lobby is about to run out of time. Will provide later.

isabel

The people walking slowly are not New Yorkers - they are the other tourists.

Tomsd

"Stoked" by your report. When last in NY - we ventured over to Motorino's - toward the East side from Greenwich V- and had the best Margherita pizza I have had since visting Florence way back in '75. And while I toured the various Greenwich Pizza Pie places - and had a nice piece at John's - didn't happen upon Forcella - so doubly appreciate your review/travel report.

There are some Italian restaurants in Greenwich V - here is what I included on my NY Bistro Lunch Report - at Tout Va Bien:

BTW - joined my sister and her friend at a good Italian restaurant in the West Village - Dell'anima (8th and Jane) - and had a wonderful pasta dish (Zagat gives them a 25 for food) . The manager told me their new place, L'Artusti (228 W. 10th - between Bleeker and Hudson) - had already passed them in the food ratings.

And later that week - my sister and her friend (the friend had flown in from Italy to see her first grand-daughter) had another good Italian meal at another cute West Village place - Piccola Angelo (621 Hudson @ Jane) which is also rated at 25 (food) by Zagats.

stokebailey

Nope, isabel, New Yorkers. There aren't many tourists clogging the streets just now. Anyway, a lot of the slow persons are walking dogs. (furthermore, I'm just quoting my daughter H, who thinks we've been walking too quickly everywhere and has noted that no one ever passes us. Also, she's gotten in the habit of putting her hand protectively in front of me at intersections to keep me from darting eagerly into the street. Probably without her I'd be typing this from a hospital bed instead of the spacious and airy Sheraton Tribeca lobby en route to breakfast at Cafe Orlin.)

(A further PS to local who think that when we look up we're gawking at the tall buildings, saying 'golly' to each other in our hick accents: we are actually admiring the architecture.)

Oh, thank you Tomsd. Great tips. Our last evening tonight we're headed to see Richard III at BAM, and were hoping to sample some of the Brooklyn cheap but wonderful food I keep reading about in NYT. But maybe we can still squeeze in Motorino.

yk, I realize I didn't fully answer your question about the noise at Empire. The desk knew just what I was talking about, and muttered something about a ventilation system. Maybe for the Chowder House? We were on the 5th floor, facing other rooms, and the sound like a loud rattly air conditioner seemed to come from the rooftop a few stories lower. When I stomped downstairs at midnight requesting another room, my only nonsmoking option was on the third floor facing the same source of noise. If I were to stay there again I'd insist on an outward facing, or possibly 10th or 11th floor, room.

A word about the opera Enchanted Island: enchanting. After the final curtain call we looked at each other and said, "Now THAT was an opera!" It ranged between delightful and ravishing. Costumes, the dance, every singer as good as could be imagined. Someone threw Placido D. a bouquet and the Caliban ran forward in character and retrieved it. See this production if you possibly can. We were in the 32.50 "Family" level, equivalent of Upper Slips at Covent Garden, had to lean a bit and miss a little of the stage, but it was still fine. It would be a great kid's opera if it weren't quite so long. The last curtain fell at 2340.

And, as above, it was great to be able to get the will call tickets at our convience earlier, stroll over 30 min before curtain and then just cross the street and be home.

yk

Thanks for explaining the Empire hotel noise situation. I'm glad you enjoyed Enchanted Island. I must say that the Family Circle seats are way better than Upper Slips in terms of sight lines! I have spent many hours in Upper Slips seats in my younger years (they cost less than 5 GBP) and I had to twist my torso and lean way forward in order to see anything. OTOH, pretty much all FC seats at the Met (except the ones called FC SIDES).

Anyway, it IS nice to stay at Empire hotel and be home in a matter of 5 minutes. Can't beat its location!

isabel

Dog walkers and this article notwithstanding New Yorkers generally walk a lot faster than most people - http://empirezone.blogs.nytimes.com/...-in-the-world/ (read the comments by the New Yorkers at the end of the article)

Tomsd

Stoke: Here is the webpage for Motorino's and one "Pizza Wars" review had them as #1, even though there are good pizza pies in Manhattan and also over in Brooklyn. http://motorinopizza.com/