We just got back from a short trip to New York City. Having unused upgrades that we didn’t want to lose was a good incentive, so we looked around for a good travel deal. The New York Times Travel Show was coming up and that was an excellent excuse to return to the “Big Apple” for a few days.
Tip: Arriving at JFK we made our way out to the Algonquin by Marriott via yellow cab. It makes no sense to have a car in Manhattan, the parking alone at the hotel was over $50 a night.
We booked a hotel near Times Square and spent most of our time in this area. Staying in Manhattan was practical and cost effective as we could walk to all the places we intended on visiting.
Tip: We stayed at the Algonquin. Our room was small but comfortable. The whole hotel had an old wood paneled feel from another era. Nice place, if you like that kind of thing but for us the choice was location, location, location.
Also, being close to Broadway was ideal to go out to a show. We went to Paramour, a combo Broadway musical with acrobatics put on by Cirque du Soleil. We had high expectations and weren’t let down. The story line was interesting, the music and performers entertaining and the acrobats fascinating. Go if you can, you won’t be disappointed!
The Lyric Theater was also beautiful to look at even if the seats were pretty crowded. They added in-seat delivery of concessions, which was nice as it avoided having to wait in line.
We also discovered a neat place this time around: Ellen’s Stardust Theater on Broadway and 51st . The wait staff takes turns singing Broadway hits and I have to say, they are a talented bunch.
Between taking our order and bringing out our mains, our waitress got up there and blasted out an amazing rendition of more than one Broadway classic. We hope someone discovers her there, and we were sure she was just between gigs. If you’ve never been there, it’s definitely a must do and you won’t regret a short wait in line to get a table.
Even though the travel show kept us busy, we found time to revisit some of the places we had visited a few years back.
See our write-up on the travel show
Some highlights:
Walking along Broadway and taking in the sights, reveling in the overload of lights and advertising around Times Square and roaming around the Rockefeller Center should be on every travelers list when in New York City.
Tip: St Patrick’s Cathedral is in the area and popping-in for a quick visit is worth it. The church is as impressive as it is beautiful. It’s also a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
For a bird’s eye view of Manhattan take the elevator up either at the Rockefeller Tower or the Empire State Building. Both places offer incredible vistas of the city. If you are interested in getting different perspectives and if your time and budget permit, you might want to do both.
We opted for the iconic Empire State Building even though we expected long lines (we had waited for hours on a previous trip) we were delighted when we saw that there was hardly anyone in line. Perhaps this had to do with the fact that we were visiting on a cold winter night!
Good to know: Be prepared to pay a stiff price to get up the Empire State Building. When they said $108 (at the time of our visit in 2017) for two for the elevator ride we couldn’t believe it! You can get to the 86th floor for $34 (now, $44) but going up the extra few floors in the tower costs an extra $20 at the time.
The Art Deco Grand Central Terminal, which dates back to 1871, is impressive. The building is a work of art; don’t forget to look up at the ceiling. It’s decorated with a huge painting of the 12 astrological signs. Shops and a food court are available. There is even an oyster bar!
The New York Public Library is exquisite and worth a visit. It was founded in 1895 and paid for with private funds. The idea was to give all New Yorkers access to free information. The collection of books, some ancient, is exceptional. Visiting this place will bring you back to another era.
New York has plenty of shopping opportunities for all pocketbooks. Big brand stores to small designer boutiques. You are sure to find something you like. I did 🙂
With a tip from our friends and neighbors we also found the B&H camera store, which is a sight to see. Aside from expert advice and a huge inventory letting you touch and feel the merchandise this place was quite something to see in operation. If you’re even mildly interested in cameras or photography, we would definitely recommend a visit on 34th St at 9th Ave.
We also visited Sam Ash music store on 34th St and 8th Ave, next to the colossal Macys store that takes up a whole city block! While Sam Ash has a lot of locations, we were impressed by this store, which was huge. Especially impressive was the selection of old vintage guitars from the 50s and 60s some of which were well over $10,000. I practically had to drag my husband out of there. Certainly, any musicians or wannabe musicians should go have a look.
Of course, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island make for an interesting visit if your time permits. When we visited some years back, we waited for a long time to take the ferry to get there but we appreciated our visit.
Tip: A faster way to get closer for good photo opportunity of the statue is to take the ferry to Staten Island.
Related Posts:
- Things to Do and Places to See in New York City
- Some Interesting and Affordable Places to Eat in Manhattan
- Attending the New York Times Travel Show