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yk's NYC Trip Report: 4 days-2 Fodorites, 3 operas, 4 tours, & 4 museums
Hi all-
My husband & I are on our way home to Boston from NYC right now, so I might as well use the time to start my trip report. As you may be able to tell from the title, this is not the usual TOTR/Times Sq tour of NY. This is also not a foodie report as we didn't eat at any fancy restaurants, nor is this a shopping report as we're not into shopping. I arrived in NYC Wednesday late afternoon, and spent Thurs/Fri, and Sat AM mostly by myself. My husband joined me Sat afternoon. We left NYC Sunday late afternoon. <b>Why NYC, Why mid-March?</b> This entire trip was planned around an opera performance at the Met, La Sonnambula. I wanted to see my favorite tenor, Juan Diego Florez, sing live, so I picked this past Sat performance which I bought tickets about 4 months ago. Here's a brief overview of what I/we did, with details to follow. <b>Operas</b> Rusalka with Renee Fleming Il Trovatore with Marcelo Alvarez La Sonnambula with Juan Diego Florez and Natalie Dessay <b>Walks & Tours</b> United Nations tour NY Public Library tour Central Park walking tour Grand Central Neighborhood walking tour <b>Museums</b> Jewish Museum Tenement Museum Metropolitan Museum of Art Forbes Galleries <b>Getting there and back</b> Thanks to multiple bus companies competing for this route, bus ticket prices are fairly cheap. I bought our tickets 2 months in advance on Megabus. My BOS-NYC ticket for Wed was $1, my DH's BOS-NYC ticket for Sat was $10, and our return ticket for Sun was $11 each. Therefore, the total cost was $$33.50 (50 cents booking fee) for over 400 miles r/t. The buses are new and fairly comfortable. Most of the riders on weekends are college students, while my Wed trip (only 1/2 full) had a few older people. The bus definitely takes longer than the train, and is less comfortable. But at a fraction of the price vs Amtrak, we don't mind a longer ride. The bus is equipped with wi-fi (which is what I'm using right now to post this TR). <b>Where we stayed</b> We always stay with my friends, who live in Midtown East near the Queens Tunnel. While it's not as convenient as most hotels (about a 15-min walk to Grand Central), we can't complain since it's free! |
I'll start off with <b>Eats</b>. As I said earlier, we didn't dine at any fancy restaurants. Most of the places I/we ate were recommended by our NYC friends. I'll list them by neighborhood:
<b>Lincoln Center</b> <u>Cafe Fiorello</u> http://www.cafefiorello.com/ We had early dinner with Fodorite MademoiselleFifi here, on her recommendation. The 3 of us split the huge Antipasto Grande platter, which we could choose 4 seafood and 6 vegetables, plus Prosciutto, cheeses and olives. Every thing was delicious, with my favorite being the eggplant (and I don't even <i>like</i> eggplant!) and langoustine. While the food was good, we had an even better time talking, about travel of course, and about NYC and art. This was our first time meeting MademoiselleFifi and we certainly enjoyed it. <b>Along Central Park South</b> <u>Bouchon</u> @ Time Warner Center 3rd floor http://www.bouchonbakery.com/ Bouchon has both a serviced restaurant and a self-service counter on the 3rd floor. I think the menus are the same. As I was in a hurry, I only got a slice of Focaccia (with sundried tomatoes and spinach) to-go. They do heat it up for you on request. It was fine, nothing to rave about. <u>Sarabeth's Kitchen</u> @ 40 Central Park South http://www.sarabethscps.com/ My friend suggested this and we met here for breakfast on Saturday. I had the Garden Omelette which is decent. The place is quite big but it filled up fairly quickly by 10am. The prices are on the high side, but of course, we're paying for the location. Service was good and all the staff was courteous. Even though we finished our food by 10am, no one rushed us out the door. <b>Midtown East</b> <u>Chiyoda Sushi</u> 41st btw Madison/Fifth http://www.chiyodasushiny.com/ Another friend suggested this for a quick and cheap meal. There are actually 3 Japanese "fast food" places on that block, and I ChiYoda is the nicest and most expensive one. All 3 places mainly sell pre-packaged sushi/sashimi or bento boxes, but they also offer a limited amount of hot food such as noodle soup. I had a bowl of seaweed and vegetables soba noodles, while my friend got one of the pre-packaged sushi assortment. The sushi was fair - what you'd expect from supermarkets, and my noodle was fair as well. For $7-8, it's a good option if you are in the Grand Central area and are craving for cheap Japanese food. <u>La Mediterranee</u> 2nd Ave btw 50th/51st Sts http://www.lamediterraneeny.com/ My DH's friend met us there for Sunday brunch this morning. The place is... hmmm... a bit old-fashioned. It's the kind of restaurant that hasn't changed for a few decades, with low ceiling, low lighting. Probably perfect for a romantic dinner (for older couples), but certainly not an ideal setting for brunch. After days of eating unhealthy food, I opted for an egg white omelette with steamed vegetables. That was, not surprisingly, relatively tasteless. However, it came with french fries which were VERY good. DH ordered the French Toast which he said was VERY good "crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside" were his comments. The restaurant was empty except us when it opens at 11:30am but by 1pm it was quite full, because it offers live music starting at 1pm. 99% of the patrons are way past middle-age - the folks who have lived in that neighborhood for decades. <u>Smörgås Chef</u> @ Scandinavia House Park Ave @ 38th http://www.smorgaschef.com/index_scandinaviahouse.htm I met Fodorite 111op for a late lunch there. It was MY idea, as we've eaten at AQ Cafe before, and I didn't realize Smörgås Chef had replaced AQ. Anyway, we still ate there because I don't think there is much (if any) Scandinavian food in Boston. They offer a $14 2-course "power lunch" which includes soup or green salad, and then choice of sandwich or entree. I chose the soup of the day, which was cream of mushroom soup; followed by a Norwegian smoked salmon sandwich with chive scrambled eggs. Some greens and potato salad were on the side. Overall, it was good but I don't think their menu is as "exotic" as AQ cafe according to my memory. <b>Chinatown</b> <u>Super Taste Restaurant</u> Eldridge St @ Canal http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/super-taste/ I picked this hole-in-the-wall place based on Chowhound reviews as well as the proximity to the Tenement Museum (about a 10-min walk). We met 2 of my friends there for a quick lunch. The restaurant is small, sits no more than 20. Menus are on the wall, all in Chinese, but they also have a printed take-out menu with English translation. The 4 of us ordered 4 different kinds of noodle soup, plus we shared a plate of dumplings. 2 of the noodles were good (oxtail and lamb), but 2 weren't as good (tendon and beef brisket, both of which require a long stewing/cooking time or they will be tough, which was the case). The steamed dumplings were really good, and a bargain at $3 for 8 dumplings! The noodle soup prices range between $4.50-$5.50 IIRC. I really couldn't tell if the noodles are hand-made. If they were, they didn't really seem so because all were of uniform size... |
Hi yk. I eat at Cafe Fiorello when going to the ballet and usually eat that antipasto as my dinner. Did you go up to the antipasto bar to pick what you wanted? I like to do that. It used to be CHEAP for that dish, but it's gone up a lot in the last 2 years. Looking forward to the rest of your report. Oh, did that bus stop in Providence? Or was it NS?
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Didn't I suggest AQ as one of the options? But I concede it was your idea to eat there. I'm glad it wasn't disastrous. :) Seriously it was nice seeing you again!
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Very nice trip report and sounds like a wonderful trip too. Nice when you can stay for free!
Did you take the Bolt (Greyhound) Bus? I've taken it between DC and NYC and I love being able to use my computer and plug in electronics. It is longer than the train but, as you pointed out, at a fraction of the price. |
Lauren- We took megabus (megabus.com) this trip and also on our last trip. I think it has more frequent departures compared to Boltbus, as Megabus offers 11 departures daily during the week and 13 on weekends. However, their buses don't have power outlet, so my mini laptop runs out of battery before the trip is over. I may try Boltbus next time if the time is convenient and the fare is just as competitive.
Centralparkgirl - Did you and your DH have a good birthday? I guess you guys went to SF? Anyway, the Megabus makes one stop at Hartford, CT. The 3 of us just split the huge antipasto platter. I sent my husband & MademoiselleFifi to pick the food out. We were hoping to get seats at the antipasto bar but a table opened up first. The "regular" antipasto plate (3 seafood, 4 veggies) is $30, and the "grande" antipasto platter that we shared is $50. We actually couldn't finish all the food on the grande, so in retrospect, the "regular" plate would have been enough. (We actually wanted to get the "regular" but our waiter didn't think that would be enough food for 3 as dinner, since we didn't order anything else.) 111op - yes, you certainly did suggest AQ as a potential choice. |
yk, was up in NYC the weekend of March 4-9 on a much less interesting trip than yours. I was on a "FAM" (familiarization) tour where tour directors learn how to deal with groups in Manhattan. We were also in a prep class to take the NYC tour guide exam. All of us passed it. I live in DC and have been guiding/tour directing here and want to expand to the entire MidAtlantic. We did do Top of the Rock and NO (sigh!) operas. Groups don't go to the opera. I would have much rather done what you did, but, then, I would not have passed the test.
I grew up in Connecticut just outside NYC, so I sort of had a head start on the the tour guide exam. You need licenses to work in DC and NYC legally. |
yk - my mistake - I get the $30 antipasto for dinner - it used to be $21 or so not so long ago. I usually request the banquet room (to the left in the back) because it's quieter. I can't remember how you know about our birthdays - mine was Wed and dh on Fri - we celebrated here in the city. I was in SF last w/end with ds and came back Tues. I asked about the bus because it sounds great and ds takes Peter Pan/Bonanza from Providence. Did you see the Chagall exhibit and if so, did you use the audioguide?
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Lauren - Yes, I did read your TR earlier this week. Congrats on getting the license.
Hi CPG- you were very helpful answering all my Qs in this thread (in which you mentioned your b-days) http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...lots-of-qs.cfm I don't think any of these bus companies serve Providence, since it is kind of "out of the way" between BOS/NYC. More about Chagall and the rest of TR tomorrow. I need to upload my pics so that I can post the TR with pics ready. |
One of these days, when I get to NYC, I do want to go to the Met. I go to the opera once every few years in DC. I like it but I am not a fanatic. I also like the theater as well. When I was in NYC, I passed the line for TKTS and sighed. I didn't have time with all the studying.
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Looking forward to your La Sonnambula report.
We're seeing it this Saturday. Dessay and Florez certainly were a fabulous pair in La Fille du Regiment, so we can't wait. |
Ah, isn't it nice to have friends w/apt. in the city...enjoyed the 'eats' portion...looking forward to the rest.
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Hi yk - I'm enjoying your trip report, and looking forward to the rest, particularly info about the tours and Tenement Museum. I'll be in NYC for one day on May 16th, and I'm trying to decide what I want to see and do. I want to have a good weather and bad weather plan in place, just in case.
Robyn :)>- |
Your title looks like the itinerary from my recent trip to Paris, only my trip lasted two weeks and yours was only four days! If you had managed to do all that and finish the trip report on the bus back to Boston, I think you would have beat some kind of record, but you do get special mention for getting as much of the report written as you did. Looking forward to the rest.
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Thanks for all your kind comments!
Next: <b>In search of French <i>macarons</i> in NYC</b> A few months ago, there was a thread about Laduree macarons over in the Europe forum which made me have a craving for good macarons. http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-macaroons.cfm Sadly, I tried a couple places in Boston that offer them, and all were terrible. Several posters recommended a couple of places in NYC that make good macarons, so I tried 2 on this trip. <u>Macaron Cafe</u> W 36th St @ 7th Ave www.macaroncafe.com and <u>Bouchon Cafe</u> @ Time Warner Center 3rd floor I bought 1 dozen assorted flavors from Macaron Cafe ($21), and 1/2 dozen from Bouchon ($12). Both are fairly comparable, with very nice texture. Crispy but not crumbly on the outside, and soft/slightly chewy on the inside. Some flavors are better than others, such as lemon and coffee. However, some just look pretty but I couldn't tell what flavor they are. Both are quite sweet, sweeter than I would like. I think, overall, they're not bad, but still don't seem as good as Laduree based on my memory. I didn't get around to try those from La Maison du Chocolat, so that will have to wait until next time. |
Enjoying your report, yk. Just as much as I enjoyed the London one I read last night. Love your details! Glad you had a good trip.
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I forgot to mention that I have been to NYC dozens of times over the years, so that's why you won't find me visiting places like Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Times Sq etc as I've been to all those before.
<b>Walks & Tours</b> <u>United Nations Tour</u> $12.50 for 45-min tour http://www.un.org/tours/pages/gi.htm http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3073.jpg Detail of an entrance door at UN http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3074.jpg The UN offers guided tours M-F. The visitors' entrance is located at 46th/1st Ave, allow yourself extra 5 mins to get through the security check. The first tour starts between 9:30-9:45am. They don't sell tickets in advance, only first-come, first-serve. The UN Lobby is free to enter. There are usually exhibits in the lobby, plus, the beautiful Chagall Peace window is in the lobby as well. http://www.un.org/events/UNART/VisitUs.htm http://www.peacewindow.org/window.html The 2nd link above gives a good overview of the Peace Window. Unfortunately, there are no descriptions on location. I wish I had read/printed the overview before my visit. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3075.jpg http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3076.jpg The guided tour takes us into the restricted section of the buildings. Majority of the tour involves explaining the work of UN, with lots of posters/exhibits in galleries. The main stop of the tour is the General Assembly Room. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3078.jpg The last portion of the tour showcases some of the unique gifts from different countries to the UN. For example, the Japanese Peace Garden in front of one of the building; a huge ivory carving from China, the beautiful embroidered cloth that once covered the Kaaba in Mecca, and a tapestry titled "Chernobyl" from Belarus ... etc etc etc http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3077.jpg <u>NY Public Library Tour</u> Free http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/tourschedule.cfm The NYPL offers free building tours twice a day of the Humanities & Social Science Library building at 5th/42nd. I didn't realize this is a research-only library. Sculpture on the side of the main entrance: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3104.jpg Our tour size is quite large - at least 30 people. The tour is fairly interesting and we were led into various reading rooms. What I find disappointing though, is that the NYPL holds many, many rare (or historic) documents and books, yet very few of them are on view. Our guide kept telling us about their special collection of this and rare collection of that, but we couldn't see any of it. I wish the NYPL would do what the British Library does - create a space/galleries as an exhibit to show off all these rare items. One of the most fascinating fact I learned on this tour, is that the site of the library was a reservoir before the library was built. There is a gallery in the library which details the building of the library, complete with historic photos. Right now at the NYPL is a small exhibition of Art Deco Design, on view until mid-May. http://www.nypl.org/research/calenda...esc.cfm?id=479 Some photos of the interior of NYPL: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3106.jpg http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3082.jpg Outside the Library, across the street, one can get a great view of the Gold & Black Art Deco top of the American Standard Building. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3108.jpg |
<b>Walks and Tours continued</b>
<u>Central Park Walking Tour</u> FREE; 1.5 hrs http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/P...s_walkingtours The Central Park Conservancy offers a variety of walking tours, all free to the public. I chose the <b>Cross-Park Promenade</b> simply based on my schedule. http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/P...sParkPromenade The tour is <i>fantastic</i>, and I really encourage everyone to take one of the tours. Our group that day has only 5 people, plus 2 guides who are very knowledgeable. Weather that day was gorgeous with beautiful sunshine. Temperature was in the high 30s, which is fine with me coming from Boston. Of course I came prepared - down jacket, thick-soled boots, cashmere from top to bottom (hat, scarf, sweater, knee-high socks). The Cross-Park Promenade starts at 72nd & Fifth on the East side, and ends at 72nd and CPW on the West side. At the start of the tour, we learned about Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead (designers of Central Park) and the history of Central Park. Along the way, we saw many statues and sights, such as the Samuel Morse statue, the Conservatory waters, the Alice in Wonderland sculpture group, Hans Christian Andersen and his ugly duckling (http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3085.jpg ) Waldo Hutchins Bench with its equinox lines inscribed and a beautiful sundial: (http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3084.jpg ) http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_...n.php?id=11309 We walked past the Boat House, then the Bethesda fountain, followed by the <b>highlight</b> on this tour - the recently restored <u>Bethesda Terrace Arcade</u>. http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/P...ethesdaterrace The ceiling of the arcade is decorated with beautiful Minton tiles from England. The tiles were removed in the 1980s due to water damage from seepage of water from the road above. The tiles were finally repaired and restored, and the terrace was reopened in March 2007. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3087.jpg Minton tiles ceiling: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3086.jpg Continuing westward, we arrived at Bow Bridge (http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3092.jpg ) and a lake (http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3089.jpg ) and then to Cherry Hill with its horse fountain, before we finally arrived at Strawberry fields and ended with the John Lennon "Imagine" mosaic. As I said, the tour is truly wonderful and is the one I enjoyed the most out of the 4 tours I took on this trip. The small size and relatively quiet surroundings made it easy to hear our guides, and Central Park itself is quite amazing. I plan on taking other Conservancy tours in my future visits. |
Hi yk!
I'm not planning a trip to NYC, but I just wanted to say, as usual, your trip reports are extremely well organized and a pleasure to read. :-) |
<B>Walks and Tours continued</b>
<u>Grand Central Neighborhood Walking Tour</u> FREE 1.5-2 hours http://www.grandcentralpartnership.o..._free_tour.asp This tour is offered once a week on Fridays. It is different from the Wed afternoon tour of Grand Central <i>Terminal</i>. Anyway, the tour I took has pluses and minuses. Pluses: it's free and it's educational. It took me inside buildings which I never thought about entering, and showed me decor/architecture which I seemed to ignore even though I have walked past many of these sights hundreds of times. I learned about history of the neighborhood. Minuses: it's free, so the tour group is HUGE. My tour has no less than 50 people - imagine trying to listen to the guide while standing at the corner of 42nd/Lexington. He also doesn't have the time/patience to wait for everyone before he starts talking. As hard as I tried, I probably missed half of what he said on the tour. The tour begins in the indoor Sculpture Court at 120 Park Ave. This is an excellent choice, because it is quiet, climate-controlled, and has plenty of seats. The first 30 minutes of the tour is spent inside the Court where we learned about the history of the neighborhood. Next, we stepped outside and looked at the facade of Grand Central - built in Beaux-Arts style, with Mercury in the center, flanked by Minerva and Hercules. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3109.jpg Close-up of colorful clock on facade: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3111.jpg Our next stop is the lobby of <u>Bowery Savings Bank</u>, located at 110 East 42nd. The lobby connects to the subway entrance, and the subway sign is highly decorated with a dolphin on top: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3113.jpg Side view of subway sign: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3119.jpg The elevator lobby of the Bowery Savings Bank is quite beautiful. The ceiling has gold leaf decoration: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3114.jpg Elevator doors: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3115.jpg Detail of a gate: http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3121.jpg Next door to the lobby, is the main hall of the Bowery Savings Bank. It is now owned by the Cipriani's. We were able to go in for a look. http://www.cipriani.com/ciprianinew/...2nd-street.php The interior is massive, with huge marble columns - each one is made of a different marble. The floor is also all marble, again made with different kinds and colors to make it a mosaic pattern. Next, we stopped outside the <u>Chanin Building</u> at the corner of 42nd/Lexington. This is a beautiful Art Deco building, but we didn't go inside. Our guide pointed out the beautiful wrap-around frieze just above the store-front level. The frieze depicts various types of life form, including jellyfish, fish, water fowl. It is supposed to depict Darwin's theory of evolution, which of course, was (and is still) quite controversial at the time of construction. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3122.jpg http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3123.jpg Our second to last stop is the <u>Chrysler Building</u>. First, we cranked our necks from across the street to look at the outside of the building - hubcaps, wheels, eagles etc. We then entered the lobby, which is fairly dark and our eyes took some time to adjust to the low lighting. The lobby is beautiful, clad in red marble with Art Deco light fixtures. http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3126.jpg http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3124.jpg The elevator doors are made of wood marquetry http://i406.photobucket.com/albums/p...9/IMG_3127.jpg Our final stop is the <u>Grand Central Terminal</u>. We entered via the passageway where the food vendors are, and I swear we must have lost 20% of our group there! All the vendors there are supposed to have NY connections in order to set up a stall there. Inside GCT, we marveled at the main concourse, and finally ended the tour at the Whispering Gallery. Even though the tour is supposed to be 1.5 hours long, our tour lasted for 2 hours. Do keep that in mind if you plan on taking this tour. |
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