We just got back this afternoon and although I%26#39;m tired, I wanted to do the trip report while things are still fresh in my mind!
Day 1 (Saturday 9/30)--We took the Acela up from DC--we always enjoy taking the Acela--what a nice ride! Got to our hotel, The Hilton Times Square to find a long line to check in. It took 30 minutes! However, when we got our room, we found out that we had been upgraded to a deluxe room--nice! We were on the 37th floor facing south and had a great view of the ESB. After washing up, we headed to Sevilla (www.sevillarestaurantandbar.com) for a great Spanish meal. I splurged and had the lobster tails in garlic sauce! We both had garlic soup and had room for dessert. Dinner for both, including a half pitcher of red sangria came to about $100 before the tip. Later on, I braved the crowds in Times Square and got a bag of Dale and Thomas popcorn for a snack. On the way back, I walked by the Olive Garden and was surprised to find a long line of people waiting for a table. I really wanted to say ';no! don%26#39;t eat in the Awful Garden--you%26#39;re in New York City--you can do so much better!'; LOL!
Day 2 (Sunday October 1)--We went to Ess-a-Bagel (www.ess-a-bagel.com) for breakfast and found that it was busier than we%26#39;ve ever seen it. My husband stood in line to order our food while I circled like a vulture ready to grab the first available table. As usual, the bagels were excellent! Then we headed to the Whitney Museum (www.whitney.org) and were very pleased to see that they were having an Edward Hopper exhibit. We%26#39;re big Edward Hopper fans and never seemed to time it so that we were in town for an exhibit. In addition, they were having a Picasso exhibit. After the Whitney, we went to the Neue Galerie (www.neuegalerie.org) My husband%26#39;s boss suggested this and it turned out to be a great suggestion. Although only one floor was opened to the public, it was well worth a visit since we got to see the famous Klimt painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Dinner was at La Fonda Boricua (www.lafondaboricua.com). Once again, we weren%26#39;t disappointed--great Puerto Rican food and inexpensive to boot. Dinner for two was $20 before the tip. At sunset, we went to the Top of the Rock and I have to agree--it is so much better than the ESB. There was no line to speak of and yes, the staff is very friendly. When we got into the elevator, we were told to look up--the ceiling is glass(plexiglass?) so you can watch the elevator head up to the top. My husband didn%26#39;t want to look LOL! I highly recommend going--the views are fantastic!
Day 3 (Monday October 2)--We decided to do a quick, cheap breakfast so we went to Mickey D%26#39;s. Afterwards, we had purchased advance tickets to the ';Inside CNN'; tour. We got there early and were able to take an earlier tour. This was a very interesting tour. You get to see the studios where various shows are recorded (Lou Dobbs, Nancy Grace, Larry King, etc.). Dinner was at Peter Luger%26#39;s(www.peterluger.com). Again, we were early birds but the restaurant was able to accomodate us. This is steak heaven! Very tender and tasty! We ordered 2 sides--tomatoes and onions, and German potatoes. For two, it cost $117 before the tip. We%26#39;ve always heard that they don%26#39;t give out menus there but once we were seated, we were given one. Plus, the waiters were all very friendly and efficient. After dinner-- the TA gathering! It was so nice to meet everyone who attended--we had a great time! Karen and Louise--I thank you both for being willing to set up this gathering after we told you that we couldn%26#39;t make the brunch. NYCgirl--so glad you were able to attend! And everybody else who came that we didn%26#39;t get to chat with--wish there was more time!
Day 4 (Tuesday, October 3)--We went to NoHo Star (www.nohostar.com) for breakfast. Then we headed up to the Cloisters. After we got off the train and headed in the direction of the Cloisters, we came across a man who volunteered at Fort Tryon Park who offered to walk us to the Cloisters and give a mini-tour along the way. The Cloisters is a lovely, peaceful place. We enjoyed sitting in the courtyard--you almost forget you%26#39;re still in Manhattan. Some time we%26#39;ll have to eat at the New Leaf restaurant! Later on, we went to Hoboken and walked around for a while before having dinner there. We found a red sauce Italian restaurant--a small neighborhood place called Delfino%26#39;s (www.hobokenmenus.com) and had some pasta and salad. It was good, the bread was delicious--no doubt it was the same bread they used for their subs. In fact, after having it, we wished we had gotten a sub LOL! Dinner was $31 before the tip.
Day 5 (Wednesday October 4)--We started out having breakfast at Bubby%26#39;s (www.bubbys.com) and tried their grits which were surprisingly good! Breakfast cost $27 for two before the tip. Afterwards, we went to the Skyscraper Museum (www.skyscraper.org). It%26#39;s a small museum but has some interesting exhibits. However, I found all the WTC exhibits to be sad. Then we went to J %26amp; R Music to look at their CDs and DVDs. They have a great selection--I ended up buying some CDs. Dinner was at Ben%26#39;s Deli. NYCgirl--your advice was spot on. I got the regular pastrami and my husband got the lean corned beef. We both ordered a bowl of matzo ball soup and half a sandwich and it was just enough. While it was all good--we still miss the Second Avenue Deli which we agree had better matzo ball soup. However, we liked the fact that Ben%26#39;s was a lot less cramped and the prices were very reasonable--$29 before the tip.
After dinner --- Jersey Boys! What a great play--worth every penny of the premium tickets! The woman who sat next to me said ';these are great seats!'; to which I said ';they should be at those prices';--she agreed. There was a bit of commotion during intermission. Our seatmates and we were all abuzz. Sitting behind us--was it her or a dead ringer? After looking up and seeing people in the balcony staring and pointing at her, we all agreed that, yes-- that is Diana Ross sitting behind us! When the play was over, she beat a hasty retreat out of there! But back to the play--it was very well done--great music and acting. I highly recommend it! We learned so much about the Four Seasons.
Day 6 (Thursday October 5)--We had breakfast in Grand Central Station at a take-out type of place. I wanted to try the whispering gallery but couldn%26#39;t convince my husband to try it! Then we used our ';City Walks'; card to do a walk that took us over to the UN. Years ago, someone told me that if you make a wish on the 3rd flag on the right, it will come true. Of course these days you can%26#39;t get that close to any of the flags--security is so tight! Along the way, we stopped in the lobby of the Chrysler building to see that great Art Deco architecture. Before dinner, we went to the Marquis Theater box office to see if they had any tickets for Friday%26#39;s performance of the Drowsy Chaperone. We had a choice--we could sit together in seats that had obstructed views or we could get two orchestra tickets and sit apart. We chose the latter. Dinner was at Lombardi%26#39;s for pizza and a salad. We%26#39;ve now tried Lombardi%26#39;s, John%26#39;s on Bleecker Street and Grimaldi%26#39;s. Of the 3, we both agree that John%26#39;s is our favorite. Don%26#39;t get me wrong--the other 2 are good--better than what we can find at home. Later in the evening, we went to Cleopatra%26#39;s Needle (www.cleopatrasneedleny.com) to have a drink and listen to some live jazz. We then walked quite a distance down Broadway--always a pleasant walk.
Day 7 (Friday October 6)--Once again, we had breakfast at NoHo Star--as you may have guessed, we really like their breakfasts! We then walked to Union Square and took the subway uptown to go to The Museum of Television and Radio (www.mtr.org/). This a great museum--and well priced at $10/person. We first went on a tour which I recommend doing since you learn how things work there. The best thing about it--is their film library--so many old TV programs! As our guide told us, you could literally spend days in there. Your ticket gives you a library time. At the library, you use a computer to research old shows. If they have it, you can watch it. As a non-member, you are allowed 2 hours of watching. I decided to see what, if anything, was available from my childhood growing up in the Boston area. So many old shows weren%26#39;t available but I found one local performer, Rex Trailer, but not doing the show I watched as a kid. Instead, it was from one that he did in 1974. So we decided to watch that. Our guide told us that Humphrey Bogart did a TV performance of ';The Petrified Forest';. Lauren Bacall found it at her home and donated it to the museum. We decided to watch it. Next time we%26#39;re in town, we%26#39;re going back to this museum! Dinner was at Thalia%26#39;s (www.restaurantthalia.com). We got there early and could only order off the bar menu which was a good thing since it is cheaper, although limited in the selections. Afterwards, The Drowsy Chaperone. This is a very entertaining play! I don%26#39;t think I%26#39;m giving too much away by saying that when ';Aldolfo'; is in a scene, he steals the show!
Day 8 (Saturday October 7)--back home! As usual, it was a fast week! Now--I have to catch up on the laundry! Later, I%26#39;ll post my hotel and restaurant reviews. Karen and Louise--I%26#39;ll also read your trip reports.
Trip report 9/30-10/7--and a great vacation it was!Thanks for the detailed report! I%26#39;m going to NYC for the first time and appreciate all the information.
Trip report 9/30-10/7--and a great vacation it was!Welcome back Sue! You have been missed.
A great trip report, you done quite a lot. I agree with you about Olive Garden (yuck) you managed to try many of NYC great resturants.
Excellent report. I enjoyed every word. Thank you.
Wow, Sue, great report, you did so much in the week you were here, very impressive. IT was nice meeting both of you, and I am glad you enjoyed Ben%26#39;s - although it is not 2nd Avenue Deli, it is pretty darn good, as well as The Drowsy Chaperone.
Fabulous report on a marvelous trip, SueFee -- especially love the fact that you included specific info on the costs of your restaurant meals in addition to your evaluations!
Great report, I really like that you included the prices as well. I%26#39;m so sorry to have missed you this trip. But I have a feeling you%26#39;ll be back.
Great report, Sue, you did a lot of fun stuff.
Quick question about the Museum of TV - how long did you have to wait before it was your turn to do the viewing? How long was the tour in the beginning - do they run frequently?
Thanks again for a great report.
I also enjoyed your well written and informative report. I t was interesting to read about some lesser heard of places and it gave us all some new ideas for our trips. The restaurant reviews were also terrific! Glad you had a great visit!
Great to read all about your trip Sue, it sounded a lot of fun. Thanks for taking the time to come to Julius , it was great to put a face to the name and meet Mr Sue!
Sue,
I have been looking forward to your report, and it didn%26#39;t disappoint. Thanks for the tip about Ben%26#39;s, with 2nd Avenue gone, I need a replacement and I am gonna give Ben%26#39;s a whirl.
Glad you tried Luger%26#39;s. The porterhouse steak is really quite special. Did you ever get to Ray%26#39;s the Steaks in D.C.? I think there are two branches now, but I haven%26#39;t been keeping up on it.
You did some great bargain dining...well done.
Next time you have to take the subeay up to East Harlem for a taste of Patsy%26#39;s pizza, then you will have sampled all the old time faves.
I also enjoy the Museum of TV and Radio, especially if I am tired and need to chill for an hour or two. This is one museum that is easy on the feet. Interesting that you found something with Rex Trailer. New Yorkers may not know him but I do... hoofbeats hoofbeats hoofbeats... Some other things there...world events like landing on the moon, Kennedy assassination...very interesting to see the broadcasts... also old Smothers Brothers shows and Laugh In very funny...amazing to think Smothers were thrown off tv for their political humor, so tame by today%26#39;s standards...and genuinely funny to boot.
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