Five-day Stay in New York City, Amtrak trips, train, travel

Five-day Stay in New York City
(7-12 April 2015)

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New York City buildings

Making my way to JFK Airport to meet B (Bronwen—we called her Bonnie on this trip and I call her B) was deliciously exciting. Not only were we to meet up after two years, I was also taking the New York subway for the first time! After two nights on the train from Colorado, I spent the night at the Library Hotel ahead of her arrival. Getting to and from the airport was a worry (and potentially expensive) but it turned out to be less than 40 minutes either way on the subway! Seeing her again was a easy as breathing and we picked up where we left off back at Denver International Airport in 2013.

We yakked our heads off on the subway ride back to the Roosevelt Hotel and discovered we were staying right in the heart of Manhattan (45th and Madison Ave)! We unpacked and settled into the hotel before taking off for a wine and cheese and then cocktails invitation at the Library Hotel. It was wonderful! For the most part our time in New York was cold and very cloudy but thankfully by Saturday and Sunday the sun had come out.

I decided to turn this travel story into a pictorial rather than an editorial as New York City is so visual. It's easy to get around if you have a map and orientate yourself with the layout of the city. Each night we planned a rough route we would take the next day and went from there. We pretty much walked ourselves silly and most nights our beds were welcome sights! Sticking to certain areas (Upper West Side or Midtown or Downtown) each day afforded us the opportunity to walk around and see quite a bit. Neither of us were that into museums (B lives in London with some of the most incredible museums and I lived in New York) so we tended to just see what we bumped into each day. Keep an eye out for all the unexpected "art" and unusual and famous buildings around the city.
TIP: We each used a 7-day unlimited bus and subway Metro Pass which cost $31 each (plus a $1 new card fee) and took the E train from both Lexington/53rd station and Fifth/53rd station towards Jamaica Station (get off at Sutphin Blvd.) and took the Airtrain to our desired terminal—Airtrain costs $5. It will be another $5 to come out. You can't use your Unlimited Pass card so get one card and add however many $5 trips you need.) A bargain if ever there was one!

Our first full day was spent walking and walking and walking. We started from 45th and Madison and made our way north on Fifth Avenue up to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (saw The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky and the Fatal Attraction Piotr Uklanski Photographic exhibitions as well as some Monet paintings) before crossing Central Park at 86th Street and wandering around Amsterdam Ave and Broadway. We strolled up to take a look at the quaint Pomander Walk (94th between Amsterdam and Broadway). You cannot enter as it's gated but you can peek through the gates at the adorable houses so unusual in this city of skyscrapers. Lunch was a picnic behind the Natural History Museum with some salads we bought at Zabar's, which should not be missed. It's a deli with a second floor of amazing kitchenware. We were going to go into the Natural History Museum but some obnoxious guard snapped at us for wanting to take a photo so we turned around and left. We took a bus down Central Park West (CPW) to 57th Street and walked east towards our hotel.

A walk up or down Amsterdam Ave and/or Columbus Ave is worthwhile as there any number of interesting places to seek out, and even the brownstone homes are worth taking a look at. We walked down CPW and saw the Dakota Building (72nd St) which unfortunately was shrouded in scaffolding, as were many, many other buildings around the city, and John Lennon's Strawberry Fields.

That night we enjoyed a picnic in the hotel room as we'd picked up some deli food from The Fresh Market Place on W 57th Street. Things like baked ham, salmon, green beans and fresh bread which we ate with our leftovers from lunch.

Fifth Avenue is famous for Tiffany's (worth popping into), Saks, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trump Tower, the Plaza Hotel, the beautiful Temple Emanu-El, the Empire State Building (which we didn't go up as we felt $29 a ticket to ride in an elevator was just ridiculously expensive) and so much more. We found ourselves on Museum Mile on Fifth Avenue a couple of times, and the last time was on our last day as we wanted to see the Frick Collection which was "pay as you will" on Sunday between 11am-1pm. We highly recommend you make an effort to see this collection as it is truly stunning, and you'll see works by Vermeer, Gainsborough, Titian, Turner, VanDyck, El Greco and even a Degas. We also wanted to stop by the Guggenheim Museum but were appalled at the attitude of a guard or docent for yelling at us to not take a photo in the lobby. We hot-footed it out of there. I've subsequently read reviews where people complained that they were charged $25 for so little art. The Met. Museum of Art is a much better option and you can go for free!

Other lovely avenues to stroll up or down are Madison and Park, where you'll find the sumptuous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Do go inside and have a look around. We ambled passed some interesting churches en route to the Roosevelt Island Arial Tramway (2nd Ave bet. 60th and 61st Streets), and you should take this tramway trip as it is well worth it. We got a gorgeous skyline view of Manhattan and had a lovely walk to boot! Our Metro bus/subway tickets afforded us a free ride on this cable car. Then it was off for a stroll around the United Nations building and along 42nd Street where we stopped in at the impressive Grand Central Station. Just a couple of blocks west is the enormous New York Public Library (also being renovated) which we stopped by briefly. Times Square and Broadway both by day or night are always interesting, and we saw the Naked Cowboy in all his glory despite the temperature being frigid that day.

We ate at places we stumbled upon like the Fresh Market Place on West 57th Street or the scrumptious Gourmet45 on 3rd and 45th. We also enjoyed a beautiful meal at Bread and Tulips restaurant on 26th and Park Ave where you have got to try their blood orange sorbetto! In fact, their fresh fruit sorbetti is absolutely heavenly. A toasted egg, bacon and cheese sandwich at the Tri-Tip Grill in Grand Central station was a delicious breakfast one morning. We had coffee and a cannoli at a delightful coffee shop/bakery on Bleecker Street but I can't remember the name sadly. A small soup and half a sandwich at Hale and Hearty in Chelsea Market was well worth the stop. Another lovely place to eat is in Chinatown (can't recall the name of the restaurant but I think it was on the SE corner of Mott and Bayard in Chinatown) where you're spoiled for choice.

Bus rides south on Fifth Avenue and Broadway will give you a wonderful view of the city without having to seriously wear out the soles of your shoes. You'll pass by so many beautiful buildings and can stop and hop off whenever you please. This is a great time-saver if you don't have much to spare.

Another lovely area to walk is around the Financial District as you can stop at Ground Zero, St. Paul's Chapel and Trinity Church, Wall Street, City Hall and more. The streets become narrower and wind their way through gargantuan buildings. We did find ourselves revisiting certain streets and we saw things we'd missed the first time. We got particularly lost in the West Village and had to ask locals for directions even though we had maps. It's a very confusing part of the city and even the locals, apparently, get lost, all the time! We saw more of Chinatown than we needed to but it's such a nice place that we didn't really mind.

One day while in the East Village we stopped for lunch at Katz's Deli and had a huge pastrami on rye sandwich with obligatory pickles. What an institution. Get there early if you want to avoid a line outside! It was jam-packed inside and is a fabulous place to people-watch. We crossed Delancey (as in the Amy Irving movie) and ambled along the Bowery to Chinatown.

We walked the High Line from the Meatpacking District on West 14th up until around 26th Street, and back, and then tackled the West Village and walked our way across Greenwich Willage along Bleecker Street to Little Italy and Chinatown. I loved this part of New York and will be back for more. You can hop on and off buses or ride the subway to save time down to the Financial District as it's a little far from Midtown.

We made our way over to the South Street Seaport area which is lovely. You can sit on one of the many benches and look out over the East River towards Brooklyn, get a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge, check out the fantastic candy store, or walk to the Staten Island Ferry (Red subway 1, 2, 3) and take the free ferry to get a superb view of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governor's Island. Battery Park is also undergoing some construction but you can still walk along the embankment.

We also revisted many places at night to see the difference in appearance, and for the most part, they were dramatically different. Some of those places include Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, 42nd Street, Grand Central Station, Radio City Music Hall and the NBC Building.

What would a trip to New York be without a "dog" from one of the many vendors all over the city!! We enjoyed ours outside the Met. Museum of Art along with a fresh fruit smoothie each (not cheap at $6 each but exquisitely delicious). We also bargained a couple of hotdogs for $2 instead of his ridiculous $3 at another location. Do look for a bakery in the Village where you can have some tasty coffee and one of the many delectable pastries on offer. Our last lunch was a tasty flatbread toasted sandwich at Cosi, right across the street from our hotel on 45th!

Do we miss not seeing the MOMA Museum or the Museum of Arts and Design or the Morgan Library and Museum or regret not peeking into Saks or Bergdorf Goodman? Not for a second. Seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection was incredible. Besides, what we didn't get to see this time, we'll get to see on another trip! It's quality rather than quantity I always believe.
TIP: Save hard for a decent hotel and shortcut on the rest! Being comfortable at night after walking and sightseeing all day is priceless. If you plan carefully you really can have an inexpensive vacation in New York despite all the tempting things there are to buy. You can eat cheaply and well and you can see and do so much for very little! Check out the list of free museum days .

Friends

It was tough saying goodbye but we knew we'd be planning another trip in no time! B headed off for London and I went to retrieve my suitcase from the hotel and head off to my final night in the city, at the Casablanca Hotel. I was happy to have been able to meet up with my friend and enjoy such a fantastic trip with her.
A little sad, but a lot of happy!

A variety of photographs we took around New York City to whet your appetite!
"Art" We Spotted

Unusual and/or Famous Buildings

Areas We Walked Around
We decided to concentrate on certain areas to maximize our limited time and rather than run backwards and forwards, which we did a couple of times, we saw what we could as we went. We made rough notes of places to see (or not) in one particular area the next day and took it from there.
In no particular order, we saw:

Upper East Side — Upper West Side — Central Park — Midtown — Garment District —
Diamond District — Chelsea — Meatpacking District and West Village — Greenwich Village —
Lower East Side — NoHo and SoHo (North of Houston and South of Houston) — Little Italy —
Chinatown — Battery Park — Seaport District — Financial District

TIP: Do some research before you leave and see what is on offer in the areas you plan to be or want to visit. Also check hotel booking websites to see if there are any specials that you may be able to take advantage of. We checked weather.com (use the zip code 10011) to get an idea of the weather and what to pack.

Accommodations
Library Hotel Roosevelt Hotel Casablanca Hotel

Library Hotel
This little gem, no diamond of a hotel, was a very welcome respite to this weary traveller. It turned out to be an unexpected oasis amidst the madness that is Manhattan. Tucked around a quiet corner a block away from the New York Public Library, the Library Hotel was convenient to many tourist sights. Living up to its name, there were any number of books on neat bookshelves around the hotel as well as inside the rooms. Designed on the Dewey Decimal System, each floor was a specific category and each room a division thereof. I was on the Technology floor and in the Manufacturing room (602). My bed was extremely comfortable and the linens enveloped me in a nurturing cocoon. The amenities in the room included terry robes, slippers, iron and ironing board, TV, iHome gadget, extra pillows, hairdryer, mini fridge and DVD player and more.
On the second floor is the Reading Room where guests can sit and work or read at tables and help themselves to coffee and tea and cookies all day and all night. This is also where breakfast is served (don't miss it) and their wine and cheese evenings from 5-8pm (don't miss this either!). The night we had some wine and cheese was a pleasant surprise as we discovered two lovely ladies typing away at manual typewriters. Maya and Amy had a sign that said "Give us one word and we'll give you two poems". My word was "honesty" (I think B's word was "hope") and sure enough, we were presented with a poem from each of them, read to us at our table, and given to us to keep on 3"x5" index cards. (Food for the Soul Train) What a fantastic idea, for a hotel full of words!
The staff are attentive and extremely helpful and friendly, just what you need when you arrive. Their rooftop terraces (one enclosed, the other not) and bar are also worth checking out, especially on a clear night as you can sip a cocktail and get an up-close-and-personal view of the tops of nearby buildings twinkling in the night.
The attention to detail throughout the hotel is astonishing. They have thought of everything, right down to a polite (not to mention handy) note with the expected weather for the next day and a list of complimentary items available on request. If you forgot your toothbrush or toothpaste or ear plugs, you can get replacements. The free wi-fi works well, and with a large counter in the room, so much the better! I loved that the staff remembered me a day later, after I'd left! You are able to store luggage here after check-out. This is one classy little hotel and quite possibly one of the most wonderful hotels I have ever stayed in.

Contact details
See my TripAdvisor review.

Roosevelt Hotel
This old hotel has two redeeming aspects: one is its fantastic location, the other is the comfortable beds. It's not that cheap in comparison to other hotels (see the Library Hotel above starting at around $289 a night) at an average of $259 a night (we had two beds). The worst thing about this hotel is that they charge $16/24 hrs for wi-fi! In this day and age! (Most TripAdvisor complaints are wi-fi related.) You can go across the road to Cosi and get free wif-fi and a much cheaper breakfast and/or cup of coffee. Our room had most things you'd expect in a hotel like a table and chair, TV, safe, iron and ironing board, aircon, etc., and it was nice to come back to a safe neighborhood and comfortable beds every night. The old and large entrance and foyer is impressive but once you get to see the real hotel, you don't notice it much. However, here is a list of what we came up against, the first one being the most disgusting!
1. One of the men who received and stowed left luggage has this line down pat: "There's no charge to store luggage but it's customary to leave a gratuity. There'll be a change of staff and you can pick up until midnight. I won't be here then." I was appalled at hearing this and felt slighted and insulted. It felt as though he was talking down to some uncultured or ignorant person who has no idea of how travel works or is unaccustomed to tipping.
2. We requested a coffee machine which was delivered along with coffee and creamers and sugars. The next day we called at 10.15pm and had to ask for coffee for the next morning which was delivered an hour later. The next night we called around 11pm and never received our coffee. We called the next day and received just one sachet of coffee even though there were two of us in the room, after a reminder call. We couldn't understand why it was not automatically replaced seeing as we had a coffee machine. Eventually we gave up asking for coffee to be sent for our coffee machine and didn't have any on both Saturday or Sunday mornings.
3. I had two holes in my sheets (I have photos) which I noticed were replaced the next day.
4. Our room, 1464, was next to a service area and around 3am I could hear carts being pushed around and bumped, and although it didn't last that long (about 30 minutes), I was awake and unable to get back to sleep.
5. Our bathroom was okay but a little tired looking with brown tile dirt behind the door. It wasn't that offensive just a little yucky to look at. The sink faucet was tough to use.
6. When checking in and asking questions at the desk, we were met with surly faces and barely any recognition or even traces of smiles which was rather off-putting. It felt as though we were disturbing a few of the women behind the desk. Not at all very welcoming, and neither were the outside men who are one's first impression of the hotel. I asked for some help and was given an answer but also a look that said, "that's gonna cost you, lady". It left a bitter taste in my mouth as he turned to grumble to his co-workers.
You can eat on the premises but why anyone would pay $22 for two eggs with potatoes, bacon or sausage and toast or $19 for a Belgian waffle with Vermont maple syrup is beyond me.

Contact details
See my TripAdvisor review.
Casablanca Hotel
The Casablanca Hotel is a sister hotel of the Library Hotel (they have others in their stable) and had many of the same qualities about it, like the same friendly and informative staff, computers and printers for guests to use, free wi-fi and such. Around the corner from the famed and busy Times Square, this little hotel turned out to be an oasis in the chaos. I stayed in room 407 which had two double beds, a table and chair, a chest of drawers, a fantastic bathroom, exceptionally comfortable beds and linens, turndown service, robes and slippers and so much more. I enjoyed the quiet of this hotel. They also have wine and cheese from 5-8pm and a free breakfast on the second floor! I found myself chatting to a few other guests and I discovered one couple were there celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. There were also a few children there, so it's suitable for all ages. Do spend a little time admiring their artwork and tiny mosaic designs. I loved their wall lights in the hallways!
The Casablanca also offers coffee and tea and pastries throughout the day and night, so if you can't sleep, you can always come down and have a cuppa or a cookie and read. An air of quiet contemplation is evident throughout the hotel, as was in the Library Hotel, which makes this an ideal hotel for all types of travellers. The breakfast was tasty and was replenished non-stop. It was lovely to see staff members with smiles on their faces, who recognized you, and asked how your day was!

Contact details
See my TripAdvisor review.
Accommodation Contacts

Library Hotel - 299 Madison Avenue (41st St.), New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 983-4500
Web: www.libraryhotel.com/
Email: reservations@libraryhotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LibraryHotelCollection
Twitter: @LibraryHotel
Instagram: https://instagram.com/libraryhotel/
Free wi-fi and computers and printers for guests to use.
Rates from: $289 or $299 a night depending on what time of the year you visit. Roosevelt Hotel - 45 E 45th St., New York, NY 10017
Tel: (866) 530-9379
Web: www.theroosevelthotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rooseveltnyc
Twitter: www.twitter.com/RooseveltNYC
Wi-fi: $16 for 24 hrs!
Rates from: $259 a night (we had two beds)
Casablanca Hotel - 147 West 43rd St., New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 869-1212
Web: www.casablancahotel.com/
Email: rooms@casablancahotel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CasablancaHotel
Twitter: @CasablancaHotel
Instagram: https://instagram.com/casablancahotelnyc/
Free wi-fi and computers and printers for guests to use.
Rates from: $199 a night depending on what time of year you go.

Contacts Email me

Bread and Tulips Rustic Italian Kitchen & Bar
365 Park Avenue South, New York City, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 532-9100
Web: www.breadandtulipsnyc.com
Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Avenue (at 15th Street), New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212) 652-2110
Web: http://chelseamarket.com
Cosi
38 E. 45th St, New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 370-0705
Web: http://getcosi.com/
Food for the Soul Train (Amy and Maya)
Web: www.food4thesoultrain.com
Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021
Tel: (212) 288-0700
Web: www.frick.org
Gourmet45
721 3rd Ave, New York, NY
(212) 682-6220
Hale & Hearty
Chelsea Market, 75 Ninth Avenue (at 15th Street), New York, NY 10011
Tel: (212) 255-2400
Web: www.haleandhearty.com/
High Line
Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th and 12th Avenues
Tel: (212) 206.9922
Web: www.thehighline.org
Email: info@thehighline.org
Katz's Deli
205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002 (at Ludlow St)
Tel: (212) 254-2246
Web: katzsdelicatessen.com
Metro Subway/Bus
7-Day Unlimited Pass information
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd Street), New York, NY 10028
Tel: (212) 535-7710
Web: www.metmuseum.org
Email: web.site@metmuseum.org
New York Public Library
Cnr. Fifth Ave and 42nd Street, New York
Tel: (917) 275-6975
Web: www.nypl.org
Staten Island Ferry
4 Whitehall Street New York NY 10004
Web: siferry.com
Tri-Tip Grill
Lower Level Dining Concourse, Grand Central Terminal, 89 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 557-1000
Web: www.tritipgrill.com
Zabar's
2245 Broadway, New York, NY 10024 (bet. 80th & 81st Streets)
Tel: (212) 787-2000
Web: www.zabars.com
Email: info@zabars.com

Do check out this museum free days link when planning your trip to see how to save money seeing whichever museums you fancy.

Route
I boarded the Southwest Chief train in La Junta, CO and overnighted to Chicago. From Chicago I travelled on the Lake Shore Limited to New York City, also an overnight trip. The return journey was on the Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia for a few hours, on the Northeast Regional to Washington, DC for an overnight, to Charlottesville, VA on the Northeast Regional for an overnight, on the Cardinal to Chicago (overnight trip) and on the Southwest Chief to La Junta, CO, also an overnight trip.
Amtrak

For the story of the return journey from New York City, click here.
E-mail: pettprojects@yahoo.com
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