very long (epic!) NYC trip report
Jun 13th, 2001 | 01:01 PM
#4
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Thanks for the advice, Lisa!
Here's DAY #1:
I thank all of you who provided helpful information for our trip! We're safely home (and exhausted). Here's our trip report, which may interest or help others:
On Thursday, we flew Midway Airlines into LaGuardia - smooth flight and easy procedures. A company called "Classic" provided van service to the hotel for our group of 22. We were angry at our driver - although we had reserved seating for 11 in each van, he had loaded the front seat of his van with so much stuff that we couldn't use it, so one passenger had to sit on another's lap … every time he encountered a stall in traffic, instead of waiting it out, he'd turn and take a different route … we arrived at our hotel more than 30 minutes after the other van. Frustrating!
On the bright side, we did get the scenic tour - from the stop-and-go traffic on the Queensboro bridge, I watched two maintenance guys ride the Roosevelt Island tram on its roof, balancing on the arm connecting the tram to the cable (scary!). The other van driver and both "Classic" van drivers on our return shuttle were very good.
We stayed at the Edison and enjoyed it. The front desk folks were fast and friendly. The rooms, while not spacious, were larger than this forum had led me to believe. They were also clean (although the maid did not seem to notice potential problems, like the light in the bathroom beginning to dim - one night, when we arrived home too late to call maintenance, we had to take "disco showers" in the strobe-light effect).
The café at the Edison was a fast and inexpensive choice for breakfast on two days. A news article posted on the door reported that Neil Simon's newest play uses the café as its setting. The lobby, while small, provided comfortable seating areas to meet friends (and the lady who bought my "Lion King" ticket after I listed it on ebay). With its location less than one block from the "TKTS" booth in Times Square, the Edison is ideal for persons who are in NYC to see plays. Tourists who want to visit other locations in the city can expect a two- or three-block walk to bus stops or subway stations.
After we checked into the hotel, we visited Bryant Park, NY Public Library Reading Room and Grand Central Terminal, eating lunch at the Oyster Bar (great service, good food, high prices - probably not worth the cost). We also went to the top of the Empire State Building to enjoy the view - this was definitely a trip highlight. Several folks had told us to go at night, but our schedule required that we go during the daytime, and we were not disappointed - the views were amazing.
Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art, and we had "seen it all" in an hour - most of MOMA is closed due to construction. However, it was a great thrill to see so many works that we had previously seen only in books, with paintings by Picasso, Dali, Johns, Monet, Pollock and Warhol.
We ate supper at Indochine on Lafayette Street and really enjoyed it, although our budget limited us to an appetizer, a drink and rice. The carpaccio was outstanding, possibly the best I've ever eaten, and the atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing. I'd recommend this to anyone.
Blue Man Group was the evening's entertainment. It was fun and I'm glad I saw it, but I didn't like it completely - some parts were a bit too weird for me.
Here's DAY #1:
I thank all of you who provided helpful information for our trip! We're safely home (and exhausted). Here's our trip report, which may interest or help others:
On Thursday, we flew Midway Airlines into LaGuardia - smooth flight and easy procedures. A company called "Classic" provided van service to the hotel for our group of 22. We were angry at our driver - although we had reserved seating for 11 in each van, he had loaded the front seat of his van with so much stuff that we couldn't use it, so one passenger had to sit on another's lap … every time he encountered a stall in traffic, instead of waiting it out, he'd turn and take a different route … we arrived at our hotel more than 30 minutes after the other van. Frustrating!
On the bright side, we did get the scenic tour - from the stop-and-go traffic on the Queensboro bridge, I watched two maintenance guys ride the Roosevelt Island tram on its roof, balancing on the arm connecting the tram to the cable (scary!). The other van driver and both "Classic" van drivers on our return shuttle were very good.
We stayed at the Edison and enjoyed it. The front desk folks were fast and friendly. The rooms, while not spacious, were larger than this forum had led me to believe. They were also clean (although the maid did not seem to notice potential problems, like the light in the bathroom beginning to dim - one night, when we arrived home too late to call maintenance, we had to take "disco showers" in the strobe-light effect).
The café at the Edison was a fast and inexpensive choice for breakfast on two days. A news article posted on the door reported that Neil Simon's newest play uses the café as its setting. The lobby, while small, provided comfortable seating areas to meet friends (and the lady who bought my "Lion King" ticket after I listed it on ebay). With its location less than one block from the "TKTS" booth in Times Square, the Edison is ideal for persons who are in NYC to see plays. Tourists who want to visit other locations in the city can expect a two- or three-block walk to bus stops or subway stations.
After we checked into the hotel, we visited Bryant Park, NY Public Library Reading Room and Grand Central Terminal, eating lunch at the Oyster Bar (great service, good food, high prices - probably not worth the cost). We also went to the top of the Empire State Building to enjoy the view - this was definitely a trip highlight. Several folks had told us to go at night, but our schedule required that we go during the daytime, and we were not disappointed - the views were amazing.
Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art, and we had "seen it all" in an hour - most of MOMA is closed due to construction. However, it was a great thrill to see so many works that we had previously seen only in books, with paintings by Picasso, Dali, Johns, Monet, Pollock and Warhol.
We ate supper at Indochine on Lafayette Street and really enjoyed it, although our budget limited us to an appetizer, a drink and rice. The carpaccio was outstanding, possibly the best I've ever eaten, and the atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing. I'd recommend this to anyone.
Blue Man Group was the evening's entertainment. It was fun and I'm glad I saw it, but I didn't like it completely - some parts were a bit too weird for me.
Jun 13th, 2001 | 01:02 PM
#5
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Posts: n/a
Here's DAY #2:
Friday morning began with a bus ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Jacqueline Kennedy exhibit. Kudos to the curator! This was a wonderful exhibit, with well-researched historical records as well as beautiful fashions. Although the first rooms were designed poorly, creating a bottleneck at the beginning of the exhibit, we were able to see everything within an hour or so. (GO EARLY! Before lunch, the line was already stretching back to the Great Hall of the museum.)
We ate a quick lunch on the rooftop garden, enjoying the view across Central Park and taking photographs. My friends left the museum to go shopping along Fifth Avenue, but I loved the Met and spent six hours there, mostly in the American room reproductions and the European paintings (also saw the Temple of Dendur and the Astor Court oriental garden). Next on the list: a prix-fixe dinner at Mocca, a Hungarian restaurant on Second Avenue, with food I'd never tried (cherry soup and chestnut puree, for example). The atmosphere was fun - my waitress was a grandmotherly type; everyone in the restaurant called out "bless you" when I sneezed and "bye!" when I left; the owner kept dragging people (customers, the busboy, friends who passed on the sidewalk) to show them a yellow-and-chrome Harley-Davidson parked along the curb that she wanted to buy. The meal was filling but not as tasty as I'd hoped, with the veal in mushroom sauce undercooked.
There was time to stop at the hotel before the evening's adventure: We saw The Producers! Yes, the hype is accurate - this show is amazing. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are getting the lion's share of the attention, of course, but all of the cast is solid, with great singing and dancing performances across the boards. And it's absolutely hilarious - Mel Brooks is a genius. We were able to get some great "stage door" photos as Nathan Lane left the theatre after the performance. (The paparazzi were pleased to get shots of Mayor Guiliani and his girlfriend as they left the theatre, too.)
Friday morning began with a bus ride to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Jacqueline Kennedy exhibit. Kudos to the curator! This was a wonderful exhibit, with well-researched historical records as well as beautiful fashions. Although the first rooms were designed poorly, creating a bottleneck at the beginning of the exhibit, we were able to see everything within an hour or so. (GO EARLY! Before lunch, the line was already stretching back to the Great Hall of the museum.)
We ate a quick lunch on the rooftop garden, enjoying the view across Central Park and taking photographs. My friends left the museum to go shopping along Fifth Avenue, but I loved the Met and spent six hours there, mostly in the American room reproductions and the European paintings (also saw the Temple of Dendur and the Astor Court oriental garden). Next on the list: a prix-fixe dinner at Mocca, a Hungarian restaurant on Second Avenue, with food I'd never tried (cherry soup and chestnut puree, for example). The atmosphere was fun - my waitress was a grandmotherly type; everyone in the restaurant called out "bless you" when I sneezed and "bye!" when I left; the owner kept dragging people (customers, the busboy, friends who passed on the sidewalk) to show them a yellow-and-chrome Harley-Davidson parked along the curb that she wanted to buy. The meal was filling but not as tasty as I'd hoped, with the veal in mushroom sauce undercooked.
There was time to stop at the hotel before the evening's adventure: We saw The Producers! Yes, the hype is accurate - this show is amazing. Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick are getting the lion's share of the attention, of course, but all of the cast is solid, with great singing and dancing performances across the boards. And it's absolutely hilarious - Mel Brooks is a genius. We were able to get some great "stage door" photos as Nathan Lane left the theatre after the performance. (The paparazzi were pleased to get shots of Mayor Guiliani and his girlfriend as they left the theatre, too.)
Jun 13th, 2001 | 01:04 PM
#6
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Posts: n/a
Here's DAY #3:
We began Saturday's activities with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Jamaican guys who present the acrobatic show at the ferry landing were very talented and entertaining! This level of scripting and choreography from a group of amateur street performers was very impressive. The crowds were moderate, and we had short waits to board the ferry at each stop, but we enjoyed both stops. The exhibits at Ellis Island were particularly affecting.
I spent the afternoon in Little Italy and Chinatown, beginning with lunch at Luna - the food was not memorable, but I was very grateful to the waiter who left a pitcher of water on the table! (A NYC friend tells me that the Gambini family owns this restaurant, so maybe I shouldn't be critical.) The mango ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory was yummy, and it was nice to get away from the crowds on Canal Street. I also enjoyed browsing through the items at Pearl River (basically, a Chinese version of Wal-Mart).
That night, I saw One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with Gary Sinese, which was WONDERFUL. I absolutely recommend it. (And Sinese autographed my playbill, which was fun. He's a very attractive man.) Hurry if you want to see this - Steppenwolf Theatre Company is producing it as a limited engagement, so you only have a couple of weeks left during its run, and IT'S WORTH IT.
We began Saturday's activities with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The Jamaican guys who present the acrobatic show at the ferry landing were very talented and entertaining! This level of scripting and choreography from a group of amateur street performers was very impressive. The crowds were moderate, and we had short waits to board the ferry at each stop, but we enjoyed both stops. The exhibits at Ellis Island were particularly affecting.
I spent the afternoon in Little Italy and Chinatown, beginning with lunch at Luna - the food was not memorable, but I was very grateful to the waiter who left a pitcher of water on the table! (A NYC friend tells me that the Gambini family owns this restaurant, so maybe I shouldn't be critical.) The mango ice cream at the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory was yummy, and it was nice to get away from the crowds on Canal Street. I also enjoyed browsing through the items at Pearl River (basically, a Chinese version of Wal-Mart).
That night, I saw One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with Gary Sinese, which was WONDERFUL. I absolutely recommend it. (And Sinese autographed my playbill, which was fun. He's a very attractive man.) Hurry if you want to see this - Steppenwolf Theatre Company is producing it as a limited engagement, so you only have a couple of weeks left during its run, and IT'S WORTH IT.
Jun 13th, 2001 | 01:05 PM
#7
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Here's DAY #4 (It's the final chapter of my epic! Thanks for reading!):
Sunday was our last day, and we were very tired. I went to the American Museum of Natural History and spent several hours there. (If I hadn't been so tired, I might have spent more time in the exhibits.) The plan was to catch the 79th Street bus through Central Park and stroll down Fifth Avenue, doing a bit of shopping.
Unfortunately, the plan didn't work. Sunday was Puerto Rican Day in NYC, so all crosspark streets were closed - we detoured all the way around the northern end of the park and wound up on Lexington. I couldn't walk to Fifth Avenue - all crosstown traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, was blocked from 60th Street to 42nd Street. The sidewalks were packed with people trying to get to the celebration and parade, and there were three cops (or more) on every corner. It wasn't scary, but it was tense.
The good news is that I wound up in a wonderful restaurant for brunch. Unable to get across town, I took a bus south to the Gramercy Park area and stopped at Friend of the Farmer on Irving Place. The meal was wonderful - the waiter placed warm, fresh cornbread and chunky applesauce on the table as soon as I sat down, which was balm for a tired soul, and things continued to get better from there. A subway train carried me back to the hotel, and the Jamaican van driver set a speed record through the Queens tunnel.
The trip was fun but I am so glad to be home. (Did you know that NYC restaurants don't offer free refills on ice tea? Gosh, I'm glad to be home.) Other revelations: I had planned to walk as little as possible; my first purchase was a metro pass, and I caught subs and buses whenever possible, but I still wound up with blisters on the soles of both feet. I never felt unsafe, even when I was exploring by myself, but some others in our group did see a mugging from a distance. I didn't see any celebrities on the street (not even Billy Baldwin *grin*). I think I accomplished a lot in four days, but there are so many things I didn't do. I didn't eat any "typical" NYC food - no bagels or hot dogs or pretzels from street vendors. I didn't see much of Greenwich Village or Soho or Chelsea. I didn't explore Rockefeller Center or Radio City or any of the fancy stores or hotels. I didn't buy handbags or watches or sunglasses on the street (although one woman in our group bought at least eight handbags). Those are all things that I'll save for my NEXT trip!
Sunday was our last day, and we were very tired. I went to the American Museum of Natural History and spent several hours there. (If I hadn't been so tired, I might have spent more time in the exhibits.) The plan was to catch the 79th Street bus through Central Park and stroll down Fifth Avenue, doing a bit of shopping.
Unfortunately, the plan didn't work. Sunday was Puerto Rican Day in NYC, so all crosspark streets were closed - we detoured all the way around the northern end of the park and wound up on Lexington. I couldn't walk to Fifth Avenue - all crosstown traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, was blocked from 60th Street to 42nd Street. The sidewalks were packed with people trying to get to the celebration and parade, and there were three cops (or more) on every corner. It wasn't scary, but it was tense.
The good news is that I wound up in a wonderful restaurant for brunch. Unable to get across town, I took a bus south to the Gramercy Park area and stopped at Friend of the Farmer on Irving Place. The meal was wonderful - the waiter placed warm, fresh cornbread and chunky applesauce on the table as soon as I sat down, which was balm for a tired soul, and things continued to get better from there. A subway train carried me back to the hotel, and the Jamaican van driver set a speed record through the Queens tunnel.
The trip was fun but I am so glad to be home. (Did you know that NYC restaurants don't offer free refills on ice tea? Gosh, I'm glad to be home.) Other revelations: I had planned to walk as little as possible; my first purchase was a metro pass, and I caught subs and buses whenever possible, but I still wound up with blisters on the soles of both feet. I never felt unsafe, even when I was exploring by myself, but some others in our group did see a mugging from a distance. I didn't see any celebrities on the street (not even Billy Baldwin *grin*). I think I accomplished a lot in four days, but there are so many things I didn't do. I didn't eat any "typical" NYC food - no bagels or hot dogs or pretzels from street vendors. I didn't see much of Greenwich Village or Soho or Chelsea. I didn't explore Rockefeller Center or Radio City or any of the fancy stores or hotels. I didn't buy handbags or watches or sunglasses on the street (although one woman in our group bought at least eight handbags). Those are all things that I'll save for my NEXT trip!
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Jun 14th, 2001 | 06:59 AM
#10
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Great report! I enjoyed "The Producers" and "Cuckoo's Nest" too. Glad you liked the Edison (I know some people aren't crazy about it but the location really is great, and you can't beat the price). Your report makes me think it's time for another trip to NYC -- I haven't seen the JK exhibit at the Met!
