Want to know how the trip I won to New York City went?
Nov 1st, 2000, 06:19 AM
#1
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Posts: n/a
Want to know how the trip I won to New York City went?
Thanks Fodorites for helping me plan my 3 day stay in NYC! About a month ago I won a 3 day, 2 night stay in New York City. My hubby’s response was “Call me when you get there!” That was fine. He stayed with our daughters while a girlfriend and I went.
We were met at the LaGuardia by a car service limo. How neat to see someone holding MY name up in the airport! The driver definitely knew his way around the area. We quickly arrived at the hotel in what I can only describe as an introduction to NYC driving! Many times during the ride I could have reached out of the window and slapped the car next to us. He was an aggressive driver, but a safe one.
Got to the hotel several hours before check-in, so we left our bags with the bellhops and went exploring. Jumped on the subway and headed “downtown”. Wandered thru Greenwich Village a little bit. Saw the park with the huge arch. Wandered on down to Little Italy and China Town. Ate a great late lunch on the sidewalk in Little Italy. Then wandered on over to the World Trade Center and bought ½ price tickets to Jeckyll & Hyde with David Hasselhoff. We were about 5 rows back from the stage! Saw the “bull”. Walked thru Battery Park & saw Lady Liberty against the setting sun. Ouch! After the show, we ate at Leo Lindy’s on Times Square.
Wed, we walked thru Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spent more time there than we had planned, thrilled and surprised to find so many Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Monet, etc. The Armani collection at the Guggenheim was a disappointment, but offset by more Picasso, Rodin, Manet, etc.. An unexpected treat was watching a parochial school letting the children out for the afternoon. After a late lunch at another Italian restaurant, we stumbled onto an area crawling with cops! President Clinton was having dinner in the area. After picking up our tickets at Carnegie Hall, we only had to wait a few minutes to get to watch the Presidential motorcade rush by.
Thursday we headed back downtown for more of ChinaTown, Little Italy, and the World Trade Center area. The car service picked us back up at 5 for our 7:00 flight out of LaGuardia. Wish we had the first driver back! Trying to get to the airport during rush hour, past Shea Stadium where the 5th game of the World Series was playing – well, it was an exercise in patience! I honestly think our first driver would have had us there 30 minutes earlier!
What were my impressions? The streets of NYC are drab – not from dirt, but from the fact that everyone wears black! Even the children. If you’re not wearing black, you’re from out of town! We saw lots of older couples (50+) holding hands. In Central Park, we saw a small group of women of several different combinations of races pushing strollers with obviously their children of a different racial blend. NYC has a stereotype for rudeness – we found anything but that! Several times we were studying our maps trying to decide how we needed to get where we wanted to go, when we were approached with the question “Can I help you?” The subways – you really need to hire a crew armed with scrub brushes and lye soap. But more than that, someone needs to take lessons from Marta (in Atlanta), Metro (in D.C.) or Disney on clarifying signs and directions for the Subway! I loved the gregariousness of the Italian restaurants in Little Italy. The Broadway/Carnegie Hall performances were not impressive as the buildings themselves. Altho a very nice hotel, I’ve had more spacious and well equipped for a whole lot less. But then again, I didn’t have to pay for it and we’re talking NYC here. All in all, I had a WONDERFUL time. But, as the saying goes, (for me) “It’s a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
Thanks again Fodorites. The info I found here over the past month helped me to develop my itinerary.
We were met at the LaGuardia by a car service limo. How neat to see someone holding MY name up in the airport! The driver definitely knew his way around the area. We quickly arrived at the hotel in what I can only describe as an introduction to NYC driving! Many times during the ride I could have reached out of the window and slapped the car next to us. He was an aggressive driver, but a safe one.
Got to the hotel several hours before check-in, so we left our bags with the bellhops and went exploring. Jumped on the subway and headed “downtown”. Wandered thru Greenwich Village a little bit. Saw the park with the huge arch. Wandered on down to Little Italy and China Town. Ate a great late lunch on the sidewalk in Little Italy. Then wandered on over to the World Trade Center and bought ½ price tickets to Jeckyll & Hyde with David Hasselhoff. We were about 5 rows back from the stage! Saw the “bull”. Walked thru Battery Park & saw Lady Liberty against the setting sun. Ouch! After the show, we ate at Leo Lindy’s on Times Square.
Wed, we walked thru Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Spent more time there than we had planned, thrilled and surprised to find so many Renoir, Degas, Van Gogh, Monet, etc. The Armani collection at the Guggenheim was a disappointment, but offset by more Picasso, Rodin, Manet, etc.. An unexpected treat was watching a parochial school letting the children out for the afternoon. After a late lunch at another Italian restaurant, we stumbled onto an area crawling with cops! President Clinton was having dinner in the area. After picking up our tickets at Carnegie Hall, we only had to wait a few minutes to get to watch the Presidential motorcade rush by.
Thursday we headed back downtown for more of ChinaTown, Little Italy, and the World Trade Center area. The car service picked us back up at 5 for our 7:00 flight out of LaGuardia. Wish we had the first driver back! Trying to get to the airport during rush hour, past Shea Stadium where the 5th game of the World Series was playing – well, it was an exercise in patience! I honestly think our first driver would have had us there 30 minutes earlier!
What were my impressions? The streets of NYC are drab – not from dirt, but from the fact that everyone wears black! Even the children. If you’re not wearing black, you’re from out of town! We saw lots of older couples (50+) holding hands. In Central Park, we saw a small group of women of several different combinations of races pushing strollers with obviously their children of a different racial blend. NYC has a stereotype for rudeness – we found anything but that! Several times we were studying our maps trying to decide how we needed to get where we wanted to go, when we were approached with the question “Can I help you?” The subways – you really need to hire a crew armed with scrub brushes and lye soap. But more than that, someone needs to take lessons from Marta (in Atlanta), Metro (in D.C.) or Disney on clarifying signs and directions for the Subway! I loved the gregariousness of the Italian restaurants in Little Italy. The Broadway/Carnegie Hall performances were not impressive as the buildings themselves. Altho a very nice hotel, I’ve had more spacious and well equipped for a whole lot less. But then again, I didn’t have to pay for it and we’re talking NYC here. All in all, I had a WONDERFUL time. But, as the saying goes, (for me) “It’s a great place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
Thanks again Fodorites. The info I found here over the past month helped me to develop my itinerary.
Nov 1st, 2000, 06:33 AM
#2
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Posts: n/a
Hi S;
Sounds like you had a pretty full 3 days! Washington Square Park is the on downtown with the arch, beautiful isn't it with very interesting people!. The subways are unfortunately open 24/7/365 and the folks who use them are not the neatest...hence the "clean me syndrome"
I live here and would not live anywhere else but I always enjoy hearing what other people's expereinces are.
I would have liked to have seen you picked up earlier for the airport run. 5PM for a 7PM flight would have given me a heart attack especially with the World Series in full swing. President Clinton too! Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to NYC and hopefully plan on returning to visit again soon.
Sounds like you had a pretty full 3 days! Washington Square Park is the on downtown with the arch, beautiful isn't it with very interesting people!. The subways are unfortunately open 24/7/365 and the folks who use them are not the neatest...hence the "clean me syndrome"
I live here and would not live anywhere else but I always enjoy hearing what other people's expereinces are.
I would have liked to have seen you picked up earlier for the airport run. 5PM for a 7PM flight would have given me a heart attack especially with the World Series in full swing. President Clinton too! Wow! I'm glad you enjoyed your visit to NYC and hopefully plan on returning to visit again soon.
Nov 1st, 2000, 06:41 AM
#3
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Posts: n/a
Forgot to mention that we both had already done the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building on previous trips years earlier. By-passed those this trip. Decided not to spend $13.50 to ride a crowded elevator to the top of the World Trade center to look down.
Forgot also to mention the NYC cops we saw down by the "bull" wearing kilts & putting bagpipes in the trunk. "Double-dog-dared" each other to go up and ask what you wear underneath a kilt! But didn't.
Forgot also to mention the NYC cops we saw down by the "bull" wearing kilts & putting bagpipes in the trunk. "Double-dog-dared" each other to go up and ask what you wear underneath a kilt! But didn't.
Nov 1st, 2000, 09:45 AM
#5
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We stayed at the Wellington one block from Carnegie Hall. It was a very nice hotel. One of the performers at the concert at Carnegie Hall was checking out when we did. The Vienna Symphony was there while we were too.
But, for instance, this same friend and I went to the Memphis Blues Festival 6 months ago & stayed about a block off Beale St. Same price range on the room. The room in Memphis was twice the size, had a kingsize bed & sofa sleeper, corner room, coffee maker & built in hair dryer, refrigerator stocked with champagne, etc. My friend came home from TDY at Cape Canaveral for the trip. Her TDY accomodations were more spacious as well, at 1/3 the cost. BUT, and again I state, real estate in Manhattan is a bit different than most other places in the world. We were not displeased with the hotel.
But, for instance, this same friend and I went to the Memphis Blues Festival 6 months ago & stayed about a block off Beale St. Same price range on the room. The room in Memphis was twice the size, had a kingsize bed & sofa sleeper, corner room, coffee maker & built in hair dryer, refrigerator stocked with champagne, etc. My friend came home from TDY at Cape Canaveral for the trip. Her TDY accomodations were more spacious as well, at 1/3 the cost. BUT, and again I state, real estate in Manhattan is a bit different than most other places in the world. We were not displeased with the hotel.
