New York City 12/27-29, 2003: A Christmas Present! **COMPLETED!** About This Page:

[Perky2sol]

Hi everyone!



Just wanted to let you all know that our trip to NYC was absolutely fabulous! Stay tuned here for a full report of the details. I have it just about done, and will post it here in the next day or so. The weather was fabulous, the Broadway show was fabulous, and the Christmas surprise for DD went so well. Thanks for all your pixie dust when I was thinking this was not going to happen.

[AKLRULZ]

Excellent - will look forward to hearing more about it!

[ProChristo]

Fantastic! I'll be watching for the report.

[Colexis Mom]

Glad you had a great time Can't wait to ready your TR

[chezp]

I'm looking forward to your trip report - it sounds like you had a great time!

[Perky2sol]

Part One:


DECEMBER 27 –29, 2003 TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY!
A Christmas Present


Travelers: Me (Gail, age 40)
DH (Bob, age 43)
DD (Marie, age 14)


Prologue: For over a year now, I have been telling Marie that I would like to share New York City with her. She’s caught the bug (I can do that so well), and has been asking pretty frequently to take a trip there. So I got to thinking about it (as only I can do), and realized that with the break we have during Christmas, and with the stores and such all decked out, it would make a great time for a short family trip to The Big Apple. I did some quick research of prices, and figured that the whole trip for three night’s, and one or two shows would cost in the neighborhood of $2,500. That’s a lot of dough! But we could cut back some things and make it work.

So, being the good wife that I try to be, I shared this with Bob. He didn’t bite right away. Did I let this discourage me? Of course not. Granted, he is under a lot of pressure at his job, and taking time off when they are extremely behind already is not going over well with him. Back and forth we went, with him telling me to go alone with Marie, and my saying that that was not acceptable to me. Finally, a compromise was born. He would take off one day from work, and we would make it a long weekend trip, from Saturday to Monday.

Planning: The Master Planner (a/k/a me!) sprang into action. My research began. I consulted my well-known New York City expert friend, Karen, who answered many of my questions, and pointed me in the right direction for information. I checked and re-checked availability at several hotels that had suites. I wanted to get something that was either a one-bedroom or two-bedroom, but I didn’t want to pay an outrageous price for it. (I don’t want much, do I?) I noticed that availability was being depleted pretty fast. I made a decision to book a couple of places (through Expedia.com), knowing that there is a $25 cancellation charge should things change. I thought the risk of not getting what we wanted outweighed the fee. I reserved one night at Shelburne Suites Hotel in the Murray Hill section, and two nights at Embassy Suites Hotel, which is located near Ground Zero. As our plans and dates were rearranged, I ended up having to cancel the Embassy Suites reservation, and procured a new one-night reservation at Beekman since Shelburne did not have additional availability for us.

I also began researching Broadway shows. I wanted Marie to get a real Broadway feel, and so I ruled out Lion King, which even though brought with it rave reviews from the Internet and people I knew, I didn’t want to do a “Disney” production. I wanted a “Broadway” production. I joined the group “Playbill” on the Internet, and received e-mail notifications of discounts, etc. As it turned out, there were no discounts offered for the show that we needed to attend, but I still enjoyed getting the information.

Finally, the research included the “how to get there from here” scenario. Bob really wanted to take the train. I was thinking that the train would be a pretty big expense, so it may make sense to take a plane, a bus, or even to simply drive (although this was my least favorite choice). Amtrak was offering some pretty good fares, so we ended up taking the train, with the three of us getting round-trip service for a total of $350.

The final preparations included purchasing two of the same guide book (one for me and one for Marie). I also bought the souvenir book and CD from 42nd Street, hoping that that would be the show we would see.


The Surprise: Okay, so now that we know what we are doing, how do we surprise Marie with this truly unique Christmas present? I decided that I would collect some things for her to review prior to going, and pack them in a present with a note about the trip. I wrapped this box of things in special paper, and made sure that Bob knew which one it was. He decided to put it away from the other gifts that were under the tree for her. He hid it behind the curtain on the porch. Now, you must remember that Gail’s family was present Christmas morning. So there were 11 people altogether. Timothy, Marie’s 7-year-old cousin, spotted the “hidden” present, and asked his father about it, who said to never mind about it. Kids!!! Anyway, just about everything was all opened, and Bob said,

“Wait a minute. There’s one that’s missing.” He then went and got that one, and gave it to Marie. She was very surprised, and shocked, in fact. But she thought it was very cool. We got the whole thing on video tape, of course. That night before bed, she asked me many questions about it all. I could tell she was excited.


Saturday, December 27th, 2003


Time To Go: Everything was set. Marie was now in on it, and so the packing began on Friday. Had to keep it limited to just the bare necessities since we were going to be carrying it all by hand on the train and to the hotels. And the Master Planner kept mentioning that whatever purchases were made in NYC had to be hand-carried, so we were not likely to get carried away with the shopping spree. The luggage consisted of each of us having a small wheeled bag, one backpack, one insulated bag that held some snacks and drinks, and the laptop computer bag. I also went to the bank on Friday and got some travelers checks and cash.

Saturday morning went well. I awoke at 6am, and got in the shower. Bob followed right after me, and I woke Marie who had breakfast, and then showered herself. We got the last minute things into suitcases, and said our tearful good-byes to my sister and family after a truly blessed Christmas and week with them. They would be leaving for home a couple hours after we left. So at about 7:48am, the van left for the train station. No problems with traffic, and we were at the Route 128 Amtrak station at about 8:30am for a departure time of 8:50am. Checked the board, and everything was “on time.” Praise God!

The train trip was very uneventful and pleasant. The train was a sold-out reserved coach, which meant that every seat was taken. This made sitting together difficult. We managed to find two aisle seats next to each other, and another aisle seat in front of those, so that’s where we landed. Marie and I were in the same row, with Bob ahead of me. Marie had a nice young woman who offered to share her magazines (none of which Marie liked and said they were trash). I was next to a young man who looked to be studying medicine on his laptop, and whom I learned was from California, and knew very little about the East Coast. (He asked me where Plymouth was. Hope I didn’t offend him when I responded “you know, the birthplace of our Country.” He said he knew that, but geographically, he said he didn’t, and wanted to know if it was near the water. Likely story. Hope he does better with medicine.) Bob answered a couple simple questions from the young woman seated next to him (like "what stop is coming up next?"), so I have no idea anything about her. We arrived into Penn Station, New York City on time, and hungry for lunch.

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Stay tuned for Part Two!

[chezp]

Excellent start to your trip report Gail - I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

[ProChristo]

Great start to your TR, Gail. I can't wait to read more.

[ QUOTE ]
(He asked me where Plymouth was. Hope I didn’t offend him when I responded “you know, the birthplace of our Country.” He said he knew that, but geographically, he said he didn’t, and wanted to know if it was near the water. Likely story. Hope he does better with medicine.)

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay, that's just scary.

[tikibird]

Glad to hear that things worked out for you, and enjoyed the first segment of your report. Love GCC, and looking forward to more!

[Colexis Mom]

Great start Gail Looking forward to more

[Perky2sol]

Thanks for all your nice comments, guys. Here's more....

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Part Two:

Lunch: Dialogue about what to do next ended with a discussion about filling bellies before trekking across the City to find our first hotel and drop the luggage. Across the street from Penn Station, was a place called O’Grady’s Sports Pub. In we went, and were seated at a table in front of the window at the corner of 31st and Eighth Avenue. On the opposite corner was the Post Office. Across the Street was Penn Station and Madison Square Garden, and I don’t remember what was on the other corner. This turned out to be a great choice, although the wait seemed a bit long. Bob ordered a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. Marie ordered fresh ravioli, and I had a chicken Caesar salad. All reviews of food were that it was fabulous. Honestly, Bob’s was about the best-looking Steak sandwich I had ever seen, and he said it was great. The bill with tip totaled $45, which included three soft drinks.

While we were eating, I checked maps, and decided that we should walk to find the hotel in order to take in the City. I figured out how to go via Broadway and Times Square. We first made a quick stop at the Post Office to mail the bills that I had in my back pack. This building is massive, and very impressive. Inside is no different. I did not spend a lot of time in there, but what I saw was beautiful and huge. Then again, New York City has 8 million residents, so that’s a lot of junk mail!!!!

We then started walking. We went up by Times Square and Broadway. On 42nd Street, I saw the theater for the Show, and since I had not procured advance tickets, I thought it was a good idea to check in there and see if we could get them now for tomorrow’s matinee show. Bob and Marie stayed outside while I took traveler’s checks and went inside. There was a bit of a line, but it moved quickly. When it was my turn, I asked if there was seating available for tomorrow’s matinee. The woman told me yes, and the price is $101 each. Ouch! But I knew it was the show I really wanted to see, and so I went for it. She told me that our seats were 11th row center, and I was thrilled. Bob said that he had better like this show given the price. I was not worried about that at all.

On to our walk we went. It was quite a way’s, granted, but being able to look up and down the streets while walking was fabulous. There were a lot of people. I wasn’t positive of the location of the hotel, but knew it was in the area of the United Nations. So we walked 42nd Street all the way to First Avenue. We took a left onto First Avenue, and there were some police officers (3) gathered and talking. I asked directions, and he pointed me ahead a couple more blocks. The address we needed was 3 Mitchell Place. We crossed to the other side of the Street, and were now past the United Nations complex. We spotted the Beekman right away near where the officers had told us.


Beekman Tower Hotel: We arrived at the hotel right around 3pm. This hotel is located near the United Nations building at the corner of 49th and First Avenue. We walked down First Avenue and past the United Nations complex on our way here. It has both water views and City views, and is about 28 stories high. The top of the hotel is a piano bar, that boasts a 360 degree view of the City. We did not end up checking this out, but it sounded quite nice.

The room was not ready, and the clerk said it would only be a few minutes. It turned into 20 minutes, which irritated Bob a bit. The clerk tried to offer us a beverage “on the house” or lunch at the restaurant with a 15% discount. Not interested. I actually thought the few minutes of forced rest was good. It had been a long walk. Finally, the clerk announced it was ready, and he gave us the keys to suite 8F.

The suite was very nice. It had a small kitchen that had apartment-sized appliances, a living/dining area, and a bedroom. The living/dining room had a desk complete with fax machine and data port, the couch was a sleeper/sofa, and a nice arm chair. The bed in the separate bedroom was queen-sized. There were TV armoires in each of the rooms. Off the bedroom was the bathroom. The bedroom also had a large walk-in closet with an in-room safe. The view was City view, and overlooked First Avenue (via a corner window in the bedroom).

We spent a little while in the room exploring and getting settled a bit, and then decided to head back out into the City. It was still light outside at this point, and the people were everywhere.


St. Patrick’s Cathedral: We came across St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and walked half way around it before finding an entrance. It happened to be the side entrance. The place inside was packed. There was no service going on, even though it was about 4:15pm. People were moving about looking at the statues of various religious scenes, and lighting candles, etc. Marie was a bit uncomfortable in here, so we didn’t stay long. I snapped a few pictures.

Rockefeller Center/Radio City Music Hall: Next we came to Rockefeller Center on our way uptown, and caught a glimpse of the huge Christmas Tree in the center. We moved towards it, where the ice skating was. We were never able to even see the rink, since the people were just too thick, and we decided not to slice our way through them. The tree was just gigantic, and the pictures don’t truly capture that.

We continued on our way, taking in the sights and sounds. We saw on the street a jeep traveling with what looked like manicans dressed like Santas. There was a building on the Avenue of the America’s that said Jekyll and Hyde, and was apparently a dinner show of some sort. This must be where the jeep was headed.

Central Park: We arrived at the 59th Street (also known as Central Park South) entrance to Central Park right about dusk. The horse-drawn carriage rides were doing a booming business. There was a steady stream of them entering the Park at that end. We stopped and sat on a bench for a bit and rested. We decided to walk into the Park, and then exit the other side on Fifth Avenue. So, we begin walking, and immediately come upon Wollman Skating Rink. The Rink was packed with skaters, and we found that we had come upon the side where people were waiting to skate. The line was enormous. We walked around to the observation deck and took it all in. It seemed like a great place to skate. We continued walking, and came to the Ice Cream House, which had just closed for the evening. On the exit to Central Park on Fifth Avenue, there was a vending selling hot and cold beverages. We bought two hot chocolates, and Bob had a soft drink. We crossed the Street, and were at the entrance to the building which houses General Motors offices, CBS television, and FAO Schwartz.

FAO Schwartz: Since we couldn’t bring our beverages into the store, we sat just outside and finished our drinks. As we were taking in the sights, we looked up to the building that is just beside this one. There was a person in a window looking down, We could not make out the face since it was several stories up, but we waved anyway. The person waved back, but not with an arm, with his body. Not sure if it was a nursing home of some sort, or what the story was. Marie and I both marveled at the person returning our waves the best they could.

The store was truly amazing, and packed with people. There was even a line outside that you had to go through, although it didn’t take long. The store is going to be closing down, so there was a huge sale, of course. Things were very picked over, and we didn’t see anything that we absolutely couldn’t live without. So we left.

Trump Tower: Back on our walking tour, on the way back to the hotel, we stopped in to Trump Tower. Inside this massive and impressive building, there is shopping, dining, and fancy decorations. We did not go into any of the shops. We simply took a walking tour through it, and then exited out through the atrium, which was quite warm. There was a beautifully-decorated three-story Christmas Tree in this building.

Grand Central Station: Also on the way back to the hotel, we stopped into Grand Central Station. This was something I had not remembered when Bob and I went in 1999. As we entered, there was a wedding party having pictures taken. I got a shot of the bride and groom (from the rear). We wondered if they actually had their vows here. This station is generally a commuter train station, and it was very busy. We walked through it, and found a massive food court, as well as stores. The ceiling above was made to look like the sky, and there was a laser light show going on; however, I didn’t quite catch the theme of it as we walked through.

Dinner: As we continued to walk back to the hotel, we decided to pick up fast food for supper. We came across Wendy’s near to where the hotel was, and in we went to pick up our supper ($14). We decided to carry it back with us, and eat in our room. This food was the biggest disappointment of the trip. It was not up to par for Wendy’s.

Across from the hotel, there was a Grocery store. I said I would make a stop at the store, and meet them back at the room. I went in and purchased a quart of milk, some orange juice, two bottles of water, and a box of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes. The bill was $10.99. Back at the room, after we ate dinner, Bob and Marie watched a movie on the computer (Pirates of the Caribbean) while I read and fell asleep. They went to bed after the movie was over (probably about 10).


Sunday, December 28th, 2003

Check-Out: We were up fairly early, and ready to check out of the room, having had the breakfast items I purchased (leaving enough cereal for tomorrow morning). We knew that we would be checking into the next hotel later in the day, but decided to take the bags there this morning and leave them with bell services before going out for the day. The walk to the hotel was not bad at all. Along the way, I saw a sign for the Mission for Sierra Leone, which is the community in Africa that our church supports. In fact, we actually built their church building for them. I took a picture to bring it back to church.

We arrived at the new hotel at about 9:30am. Bob filled out the paperwork to pre-check us in, and the Bell Captain took our bags (left him a tip of $6). Off we went for the day. I made sure he had the tickets for the show in the afternoon, figuring we would not be returning prior to that.

Empire State Building: The hotel was near the Empire State Building, so I decided we should start there this morning. We arrived there about 10am, and proceeded to the line to get into the place. Well, that line was practically all the way down one side of the building. It took about 20 minutes before we were inside. Once inside, you are directed to purchase tickets in the basement. The line was extremely long for that, too. But we got in it anyway. Marie was nervous about going to the Observation Deck. While waiting, there was a man that said that if we wanted to buy the combo deal, which included the Motion Ride attraction as well as the Observation Deck, the line was much shorter, and we’d be on our way faster. He mentioned something about waiting over an hour just for the Observation Deck tickets. We took the bait, and followed this guy (along with about 100 other people) to the second floor of the building. We bought the combo tickets, which cost $20 for Bob and I, and $18 for Marie. (They had a youth ticket.) Marie was still not convinced she wanted to do the Observation Deck.

So we go through the ticket taker to this Motion Ride. It is called Sky Ride, and it is a fairly new attraction at the Empire State Building. You enter a room that has all kinds of memorabilia, and winds you to the doors to the pre-show. The final leg of it is a tribute to the heroes of 9/11. It is quite moving. There is the usual video playing of what is in store, and the warnings about health problems that you should pass on this ride if you have. The doors open, and we move into the pre-show area. We watch a video that lists the top 10 “attractions” of New York City. This is an interesting list, which includes things such as various modes of transportation, an off-Broadway show called “Blue Man Group” and finally, the number one on the list is this Sky Ride, of course. You proceed into the actual ride area, and it is a smaller version of a motion ride, such as MOM at Jordan’s Furniture store, or Star Tours at Disney. The ride itself is excellent. You are taken through Manhattan via various modes of transportation. Kevin Bacon is your guide, and it has the usual mishaps associated with rides gone wrong. Very fun. When its over, it dumps you into.....a gift shop, of course! It is now 11:30am. Although we have now been here for an hour and a half, I would rank this attraction as amongst the “not to be missed” should you ever visit The Big Apple! I especially love how they weave in tribute to our 9/11 heroes throughout this attraction.

From there, you enter the line to proceed to the Observation Deck. Again, Marie gets very nervous. (She does not like heights at all, and in fact, didn't want to sleep in any tall buildings.) I tell her that there is inside and outside, and she does not have to go outside if she doesn’t want to. This line is gigantic, and we are probably at least an hour from reaching the Deck. The corridor that you end up in is about the longest one I’ve ever seen, and you go a length and a half in it. There is a security check after you give your tickets and before you get in an elevator. They make you empty all pockets, and then walk through the metal detector. I was wearing my leather jacket that is loaded with pockets, and they were all being used. So emptying my pockets was no small matter. And once emptied, then I had to put everything back. But I am happy to do it to be safe and know that no one is getting anything passed them.

We enter the elevator that takes you only to floor 80. The Deck is on the 86th floor. When you exit at the 80th floor, you enter another room of mazes and are given the chance to buy a pre-recorded tour, and you also have your picture taken to later view and purchase if you choose. Finally, you make it to the elevator that takes you to the Deck. Once there, you are emptied into the gift shop, and you can move freely among the Deck at will. Marie stayed inside the whole time. Bob and I went out and looked at the sights. I took a lot of pictures up here. There is a corridor in the inside that has a mirror, so you are looking at yourself and the view at the same time. I took a picture there. I was also able to get pictures with the Statue of Liberty in the distance, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ground sight. I totally enjoyed this Deck, and could have spent a lot more time, but Marie was uncomfortable, so we exited. You basically do the whole approach in reverse to go down (which luckily is not as long as the getting in part). More lines, and the photo viewing. I thought the photo came out great, and so we bought the package, which was two copies for $15. We were on the ground and out of the building at about 1pm. So the whole thing took 3 hours.

Lunch: Our bellies are needing some attention again at this point. Knowing that we don’t have much time until our 3pm matinee show, we scout out the very immediate surroundings, and decide on a place called Empire State Pizza Restaurant. We go inside, and are given menus. We can look at the menus and decide, and then tell them what we want. The options were innumerable. I get a tuna salad plate. Marie has a chicken cordon blue sandwich, and Bob has a chicken parmegian sandwich. The total bill was $22.50, which included chips for Bob, and three soft drinks. This food was exceptional. I ate my salad, and then had half of Marie’s sandwich, which she would have never been able to finish. The portions were huge! Bob was very happy with his selection, as well. There was an NYPD officer who was having lunch while we were there, which made me feel very safe. Its just about two o’clock, so we have a little time to kill before our show, which isn’t that far away from where we are.

Macy’s: Since we have less than an hour, I decide we needed to go to Macy’s. It is right up the street from the Empire State Building, and not too far from the theatre. So off we went. This is truly an amazing store. It was very crowded (as was everything), but it was very impressive. We only looked on the main floor and the second floor. We found a rack that had items from the Thanksgiving Day Parade. There was a teddy bear that was a majorette that asked to come home with me, so he did. Marie and I made a rest stop while here, too, and the bathroom was very crowded. There was just no escaping people. We spent about a half hour here, and then headed to the theatre.

42nd Street: Upon arriving at the theatre, we went right in, and ended up inline to be seated in the Orchestra section, which is the most front and center section of the theatre. We could hear the band warming up. We purchased two bags of M&M’s and one bottle of water, and it cost $10. (Yes, that’s right, $10!!!) Water is the only beverage allowed in the theatre, since I witnessed an usher confiscating someone’s bottle of Sprite from them. Anyway, we were all pretty excited about seeing what this show had to offer.

From start to finish it was captivating. It is a story about a girl who comes to New York to be in a show. There is a show getting started, and she happens upon the audition, albeit at the end of the audition. Well, as you can guess, they don’t need any other dancers, but she impresses the director and choreographer, and lands a part as a dancer. I won’t give the rest of it away, but it is fascinating what they did with props and costumes in this show. The music is wonderful, including “We’re In the Money” and “42nd Street.” I am still humming the 42nd Street tune. Needless to say, I was very pleased at this choice for a show. And Bob enjoyed it, too, even though he was skeptical about it.

The show let out about 5:35pm. None of us were particularly hungry at this point, so we decided to go and check into our new suite. We walked back to the hotel.

Shelburne Suites Hotel: Bob checked us in and got our room assignment (7L), and the bellman says he will bring our luggage to us. This hotel is located in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan. It is on Lexington Avenue (#303), at the corner of 37th Street. It is a smaller building, although it is a larger hotel. I think that is because there are many residences in this area. Again, this is an all suites hotel. We arrive to our room, and are immediately impressed with its size and layout. You enter into a foyer of sorts. To your immediate right is a galley kitchen, full-sized. To the left is a closet and the door to the bathroom, and then another closet. Straight ahead is the door to the bedroom, which has a king-sized bed and a large walk-in closet. The area turns right and into the living/dining area, which is very good sized, and has dining table and chairs, sofa, wing chair, desk, TV and coffee table. Bob and I comment about how the place is bigger than Mike and Sam’s condo was.

We take turns with the bathroom, and the bellman brings our luggage ($6 tip). So we settle in and discuss dinner. Originally, we had planned to eat at a place called Carmine’s that Mike and Sam took us to in 1999. But that was all the way back to the theatre district, and we didn’t want to make that trip again today. So, we looked at the room service menu. There is also a restaurant off the lobby of the hotel, and we decide to try it instead of traveling outside or ordering room service. So off we go to RARE.

Dinner: RARE, as it is called, is a quaint little place with a pub atmosphere. We did not wait for a table even though the place was fairly busy. We ordered soft drinks, and began perusing the menu. Marie ordered a Caesar salad, Bob got a burger, and I chose a special, which was half a roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans (my favorite veggie). I told Marie that I would share my chicken with her if she wanted. Again, the food did not disappoint, although I think the wait for it was unusually long. I wish that I had had room for dessert, but I just didn’t. There was a chocolate layer cake on the dessert menu that looked tempting. The food was fabulous. The bill was $55 which included the tip.

I needed to make another trip to the grocery store. So off I went to the market about a block down the street. I purchased another quart of milk, orange juice, one bottle of water, two cans of soda, and a bottle of Arizona Iced Tea for $7.14. Back at the room, it was early to bed tonight for all of us. We had a great day, and were tired, so we simply called it an early night. The bed here was more comfortable to both Bob and I, so we slept better, even though we still heard the street noises during the night.

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Part Three (Final Chapter) Coming Soon!!!

[tikibird]

I'm so enjoying this report! It's bringing back some great memories of my trips to NYC and making me want to go back even more than I already did!

Thanks for pointing out that there are many good, reasonably-priced places to eat in NYC, and for sharing your day with us. Can't wait for more!

[chezp]

Wow - such detail, this is an excellent report. I can't get over how much walking you guys did and how busy everything was! I'm looking forward to the next part.

[Colexis Mom]

Great update Gail I've been to many of those places that you've listed, and it is such fun I don't know if I'd be so brave to do it with those crowds though, kudos to you!! Looking forward to more

[Perky2sol]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow - such detail, this is an excellent report. I can't get over how much walking you guys did and how busy everything was! I'm looking forward to the next part.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cheryl, I felt like we did more walking than we do when we are on a WDW trip. I am happy to report that we did NOT have any blisters, since I forgot the moleskin!