Stuff stuffy Britain, gimme the BA anyday! (New York City)

Member Name: jacquelina

Product:	New York City
Date:	05/03/01 (404 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plenty to see and do for all ages, not too expensive, accessible

Disadvantages: ?

After 3 months in London I decided I needed a break from the hectic pace of city life, so I booked a trip to, er, New York.
Myself and my (young) Auntie Marilin scanned teletext for about 20 mins, saw a good deal, rang up with our credit card details and the trip was booked - very simple. The cost was £329 for 3 nights in a 2* hotel in Manhattan in January, which was about the cheapest we could find (we weren't too concerned about standards of accommodation, we were more bothered about having lots of spending money).

Our airline was Air India, the Travel Agency was Airtours. The flight from Heathrow was 5 hours, however, after about 2 hours, the smell of the spicy Indian cooking became a bit too overpowering, and I love Indian Food!

We arrived in New York in the evening, and the immigration was very unpleasant - woe betide anyone who is not a US citizen! Whilst those with US Passports were warmly welcomed back to the US, the rest of us were herded into queues to watch the ordeals of those in front of us, in our case, a young Indian gentleman, who was being thoroughly grilled by the ferocious 'lady' on the desk. "What will you be doing in New York, sir?" "Working." "What kind of work?" "Engineering." "I'm not asking you what it says on your passport, Sir, I'm asking you what work you will be doing in New York." "Engineering." "No, not your occupation sir.." (shouting now). This went on for another 5 minutes, whilst cold beads of sweat began to form on my forehead. Eventually the poor man was allowed through - and it was our turn. Marilin explained we were on holiday, whilst I realised with horror that we had filled in the wrong details on our temporary visas (these are given to you on the plane shortly before arrival). When the charming woman at the desk realised this, she simply slammed them back down in front of us - without explanation. I explained to a
bewildered Marilin our mistake, which we quickly amended, and scuttled off - welcome to New York!

JFK airport is a lot less grand and smaller than I'd imagined, or indeed than I'd seen on films. We got in a taxi easily; Airtours offered to pre-book one for us, but we thought it may be cheaper just to get one on arrival. As it happens, there is a flat rate of (I think) $30 from the airport to anywhere in Manhattan, which was about the same as the tour operator would have charged.

In the taxi, the first thing we noticed was that EVERYTHING'S SO MUCH BIGGER!!! The roads, the cars, and as we neared our destination, the buildings. The transfer time is approximately 20 mins. The taxi driver put up with our over-excited chattering in the back..'Oooh, look, it's a Skyscraper!', quite happy to humour us, 'Yeah, that's the Empire State Building' (the view when you approach Manhattan at night is absolutely breath-taking - exactly as I had imagined it to be). However, our driver's good humour vanished when we arrived at our destination and tipped him 10%, which we thought was ok (that's what the guide book said!). From then on, we made sure we tipped 15% - anything for a peaceful life.

As we stepped out of the cab I nearly slipped on the frozen snow on the 'sidewalks' - it had been there for days apparently, and we had narrowly missed the worst snow in New York in about 5 years. Our hotel was called the Howard Johnson Hotel and was on West 54th Street. I couldn't fault the hotel - it was clean, comfortable, all rooms had satellite TV's and en suite bathrooms, and the staff were helpful and polite. Plus, we were delighted when we left the hotel on that 1st evening to discover that Macys was literally next door and the Empire State Building was just 'up the road'. We went to both of those on our first night.

Macys was big, but nothing special really and a bit confusing; giv
e me House of Fraser any day! But it's a great place to stock up on toiletries and cosmetics such as Clinique - about 2/3 of the cost they are in the UK.

The Empire State Building was a bit of a let down. From the base, this building just looks like an office block. Marilin and I made our way inside, and were guided up to the top in carefully manned elevators - manned by lunatics! The elevators travel 80 floors in about 5 seconds, and during this time I was delighted to hear about when one of the lifts fell and some poor unfortunate's feet ended up in their head or something similar. At the top, we realised we hadn't bought tickets, and oh no, you can't purchase them at the top, you have to go down, down, all the way back down to the basement, where there is a poorly signposted ticket booth - cost for adults, about $11. Eventually, we found our way to the top and outside, where I think the view was fantastic but my memory isn't too clear as it was so cold I couldn't stand still long enough to admire it, so windy my hair kept whipping across my face like some sort of wayward balaclava and I all the pictures I took look like I've tried to photograph strobe lights, thanks to my shaking hands. In the gift shop, I couldn't resist buying a shot glass with a little yellow cab on it. Well, at least I didn't buy a mini Empire State Building. Apparently, the World Trade Centre is more impressive, as a building and in terms of the views.

We finished our first evening in New York with a trip to a very Quentin Tarantino-esque diner - I think diners are great places to observe New Yorkers, as well as to eat humongous amounts of very fattening foods at very cheap prices.

The next morning we departed our hotel with our sights firmly set on shopping. In the daytime New York looks quite different - the sun was beautiful but it also highlighted the smog that hangs in the air - the pollution problem is worse than London&#
39;s. We did most of the big shops like Saks and Tiffany's (no, we didn't spend any money here, we just gawped) - all of which were easy to get to on foot. Take a map, but don't be afraid to ask people - its not like London where people edge away from you if you approach them on the street. New Yorkers can seem brash and impatient, but they are also very approachable and open (well, not all of them obviously). Mind you, if you do ask someone for directions the chances are they will be a lost tourist as well.

After hitting the shops we wondered around aimlessly for a couple of hours, happy just to soak up the atmosphere. We stumbled upon Times Square, which was pretty impressive - the cheap tickets booth for the Broadway shows called TKDS is in the centre of Times Square and there were no queues on Friday afternoon, however on Saturday afternoon the queue was just ridiculous. Being the silly fools that we are, we didn't buy our tickets on the Friday. We also stumbled upon the Carnegie Hall but we didn't explore it as the need for liquid refreshment was calling, and luckily, just down the road from this we found a magnificent place, the Russian Tea Rooms. The Russian Tea Rooms comprises of 3 floors of the most opulent and grand decor you could imagine, with scarlet leather seating, gold and gilt everywhere, a crystal aquarium in the shape of a bear juggling three golden balls, chandeliers...the works. If you have not booked a lunch, which is very pricey, you are 'welcome' (permitted) to sit at the bar and drink or eat puddings or snacks. There are a wide variety of exotic teas, as well as the obligatory dozens of vodkas. You can watch the rich and famous tuck into their dinners, and afterwards, take a trip up to marvel over the other 2 floors in the elevators. I was very impressed by the place, but others may find it oppressively gaudy. You will probably feel more relaxed in this place if you are dressed reasonably smartly (this m
ay also help you to get passed the doorman!)

Later on in the day, still in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, we wandered the streets looking for somewhere to eat, and stumbled upon a small, empty restaurant called the Metro seafood restaurant. Being seafood fanatics, myself and my Auntie chatted to the friendly doorman for a while, debating whether to go in a)because it was pricey and b)because it was empty. The doorman's charm won us over, however, and we found ourselves perched at the bar opposite a Sly Stallone look- and sound-alike barman, whose brother, we discovered, was about to start University in Cardiff. He regaled us with stories, one which particularly stands out in my mind was of the man who used to bring his girlfriend into the bar so that he (the barman) - would talk to her in that Stallone drawl - it was the only way he could get her turned on, apparently. I'm not sure if this was supposed to impress us, anyhow, unlike the barman, who obviously thought he was, the food was divine; mussels with ginger, garlic and chilli, clams with some other saucy stuff, and gorgeous fresh bread with sesame seeds and onion - we only ordered starters but there was more than enough to feed us both.

At the bar a young couple sat next to us; within 5 minutes we were chatting to the girl, who used to live in London (and preferred it's less-frenzied pace of life and cleaner air!!), and she invited us to a launch party she was having for her new business - customizing mobile phone covers. Sadly, we were not going to be 'in town' (calling New York a town is like calling London a village). Speaking of villages, the next woman to join us at the bar was a tipsy middle aged lady, who whipped off her coat to reveal to her audience that she was not wearing a skirt - or did not appear to be. Sly Stallone gave us a knowing glance at this - perhaps they were already acquainted?! We sought her advice on where to go for a good evening out - compri
sing booze, dancing - and men. Now don't get us wrong - we're not a pair of complete floozies - we just wanted to see how the American men compared to our dear old Brits, in terms of intellect and witty repartée of course. She advised us to go to Greenwich Village; not West Greenwich..."What the **** you wanna go there for, it's full of gays!" Typical of New Yorkers to speak their minds - you have been warned. We agreed to try her suggestion of East Greenwich, which she assured us would be much more our scene.

We jumped in a taxi at about nine that evening - yellow cabs are easy enough to flag down, and the driver dropped us off in what he said was the middle of East Greenwich, but what looked like little more than a street of restaurants to us. We dived into the first bar we came to, an Irish bar called O' something or other, and I was outraged to be asked for I.ID. by the little scamp on the door who couldn't have been more than 17 himself. Halfway through my tirade about almost being almost 23, 5 hour flights and the dangers of carrying one's passport with them on a night out, he waved me in. Hrmmph. For anyone who does look like they could be less than 21 (I can assure you, I do not), it would be wise to take a photocopy of your passport out, just to ensure your evening isn't ruined completely. In the Irish bar we sank a couple of vodkas each whilst deciding what to do next. I say a couple, the measures are rather generous over there, I think they were doubles or maybe even trebles. I asked for a vodka and lime - I got a vodka with a wedge of lime in it. I should have said lime cordial, apparently. We moved on to a bar around the corner on the recommendation of the barman, called Tai Tai's or Pi Pi's or....something along those lines anyway. I cant tell you too much about the rest of the night, except that a most enjoyable evening was passed... I think. Oh, and New Yorkers can be a little forward....
r>Somehow, we made it out of bed on the Saturday morning, our first port of call being anywhere serving big hearty breakfasts. After about an hour of wandering (very fussy, us girls), growing weaker and weaker by the minute, we stumbled upon a wonderful cafe/restaurant called L'Express, on Park Avenue South. This was a fairly large, but very cosy and crammed restaurant, full of buzzy trendy young New Yorkers. Despite how busy it was, we were seated straight away. I ordered poached eggs and bacon, my aunty ordered scrambled eggs and bacon, with fresh oj and coffee. Our breakfasts came served with odd bacon - it was more like the streaky stuff than good old thick back rashers, salad and...fried potatoes?! Apparently, this is very common over there. The breakfast was delicious - it came to about $9 each - not cheap but definitely worth it, and we left feeling fortified and ready to face another big day in the metropolis. Unfortunately, we wasted most of this day - not having made an itinerary before we arrived, we didn't really know where to go or what to do. If you are only going to New York for a few days, I would definitely planning your trip carefully before you go. I was disappointed that I didn't get to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Bronx Zoo, Harlem to sample some of that Soul Food, or even Central Park! But I was not too disheartened as I knew in my heart that I would be returning to New York in the not-too-distant future.

We meandered back to the hotel early evening, stopping for a slice of delectable New York cheesecake and a coffee. We had planned to nip back for a quick change, and then head out for a pre-theatre dinner and then to catch a Broadway show (phew!), however, the jetlag and the previous nights excesses caught up with us, and we didn't get out until late. By the time we reached Broadway, the only tickets left for Chicago (the show we really wanted to see) were limited view only. We popped into the Broadhurst
theatre next door on West 44th Street, where Fosse was showing, and the cheapest tickets were $85!!! However, we were determined to see a show, bought our tickets, and enjoyed a fantastic performance with a great view. Not the best musical I have ever seen - some parts seemed to go on a bit too long, but there were some magical moments. I bought the CD when I got home and I haven't stopped listening to it (just about)! They were selling the CD'S and other souvenirs after the show, and CD's are significantly cheaper over there - definately something to stock up on.

We were still shattered after the show and headed back to the hotel, via another diner for some more healthy food. Most diners are licensed to sell bottled beers, but I think that is the only alcohol they sell. I found it was the little things about the big city that made it seem so magical, even the clichés like the steam rising from the manholes in the road at night and the constant aroma of freshly cooked bagels wafting from every street corner are just so perfectly New York! Back at the hotel, we got an early night so that we could cram as much into our last day as possible.

On Sunday morning we rose early-ish, and after some fortification by coffee and bagels, we headed to the subway to catch the train to South Parade, from where one catches the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. The subways are easy to use, operating on a coins system, which you simply slot in - I believe these are being phased out soon, so will probably become collectors items in the future - stock up on a few to give to your grandkids! The subways are okay if a little dingy, and the trains do look like rusty old tin buckets (with wheels), and the seats are really more like benches - you might find yourself sliding accidentally into the person sat next to you on a particularly twisty or fast journey. Okay, I didn't like the subway! However, I should point out that on no point during our trip, even on
the subway which was pretty quiet, did my Aunty or I ever feel unsafe. Granted, we did not venture to any of the areas with the worst reputations, ie the Bronx and certain parts of Harlem, however there are many guided excursions to these places if you do want to visit but are apprehensive about going yourself. Disembarking at South Parade, you are greeted with the mammoth financial district of South Manhattan towering over you - it really is an impressive sight, the twin skyscrapers of the World Trade Centre an easily recognisable landmark. The ferry terminal is easily signposted from the underground station, and is only a couple of minutes walk. It was a misty and cold Sunday afternoon as we boarded the boat - the Statue of Liberty was just visible in the distance, and even as we drew closer, it seemed much smaller than I'd imagined. The ferry was cheap enough, and we were to discover there was no admission to the Statue itself, though donations are welcomed. A note to anyone who is scared of birds (well I know a few!), when the ferry sets sail, the seagulls follow, and there are literally hundreds of them bobbing up and down above your head. Even myself, who used to own and love a little yellow budgerigar (R.I.P Minstrel) felt slightly uneasy at the Hitchcockian turn of events. Also, if you suffer from sea-sickness, you might want to wait for a calm day - the ride was a little choppy. However, it only takes 15-20 minutes or so; I can't remember if the Ferry Stops at Ellis Island, a tourist attraction that is something to do with the first immigrants to the USA (excuse my ignorance y'all) on the way to or on the way back from Liberty Island, anyhow, you can skip this attraction and stay on the boat if, like we were, you are a bit short of time (or just not interested). Even on a cold Winters day in January, the queues for the statue were long. Up close it looks fairly impressive (though I preferred the view of the Manhattan skyline), though it's n
ot until you are inside the statue that you get an idea of the true scale of the thing. If you want to climb the stairs to the statue's crown, give yourself a whole day. You have to climb - the lifts only go as far as the balconies. Marilin and I thought we would have time to climb to the top, but after over an hour of climbing at approximately 1 stair every minute, with many many stairs (22 flights worth, actually), we realised we were going to miss our flight back to the UK (as it happened, we could have stayed as our flight was delayed for 5 hours). We naughtily sneaked over a barrier to get to the balcony, and I reckon the view from here must have been just as good as the view from the crown - better even, as the crown is windowed-in. Looking up at the crown from the ferry, you can see the falshbulbs from all the cameras popping inside. Manhattan looked beautiful - a mixture of misty blues, greys and pinks, the hazy outlines of the skyscrapers enhanced by the subtle light of the suns rays through the wintry clouds - oh yes, I'm a poet too. I am pleased that I had such a wonderful final impression of New York (for my first visit at least!).

We rushed back to the hotel, which had allowed us to leave our luggage in a secure room after we'd checked out that morning. We made it back to the airport with ease and with plenty of time, to be greeted with the daunting prospect of a 5 hour delay, and a queue of about 300 people at check-in which wasn't going anywhere. To avoid this, my Aunty suggested we try and get away with taking all of our luggage as hand-luggage. Little pessimist that I am, I thought there was no way they'd let us on with two huge holdalls, plus shopping! Thankfully, they did, and after I'd located a stall selling New York Yankees baseball caps (a last minute impulse), Marilin and I retired to the haven of the airport bar to drink our much deserved Vodkas - and plan our next trip!