Jim and I have been to New York City many times. We used to bring our children in the 1990’s and early 2000’s every year at Christmas time. We have only been back a couple times since. We decided to do a quick trip as we took care of some business nearby. We brought our 13-year-old granddaughter along with us as she had never been. Because we were short on time due to our appointment, we made the most out of the day we had to show her the sights as we reminisced on taking her mother and uncle many times years earlier.
We left for our 4.5-hour drive from our hometown in Massachusetts to Manhattan at 5:30 am on a Thursday morning. We did not encounter much traffic on our ride and arrived at our hotel, Le Meridien on W. 57th St near Central Park at 10:00 am and fortunately we were able to check right in.
Central Park
Our granddaughter is a horse lover, so we started our trip with a horse drawn carriage ride around Central Park. The hotel was a block back from Central Park so we just walked up a block and negotiated our ride. The pedi-bike people were pretty aggressive in trying to steer us away from the horses and toward their bikes, but we knew what we wanted to do so pushed on to the carriages. We opted for the 20-minute tour which cost $65 plus tip. At other points in our lives we would not have splurged on this, but with our granddaughter, we did.
Many of the old staples that we used to visit near Central Park have now gone or changed. The old Park Plaza Hotel (from Home Alone 2 fame) is now mainly residential. However, you can still walk into the lobby to see the beautifully decorated trees during the holiday season. FAO Schwartz has now moved from across the street to Rockefeller Center, and Dylan’s Candy Store has moved to smaller venues around the city.
Statue of Liberty
From the Park Plaza we cabbed to Battery Park to catch our 12:00 ferry to The Statue of Liberty (15 minutes). Thank goodness we pre-purchased tickets to walk up to the pedestal, rather than all the way to the crown, as there were 195 stairs just to the top of the pedestal which I found difficult enough, never mind another 162 more on a single file spiral staircase to the crown. We spent 1 ½ hours on Liberty Island and ferried back. We chose not to get off on the Ellis Island stop as we visited before. I do recommend visiting if you have never been, especially if you have any ancestors who made their way to America via this port. You can even search by names to find out when and how they arrived and where they originated.
9/11 Memorial, Museum and The Freedom Tower
Next stop was the lunch at Eataly NYC Downtown (101 Liberty St). We opted for traditional Neapolitan pizzas at Vino & … (yes, the … is in the name). This satisfied our mature palates as well as a teenager’s. It was quick as we were short on time and was conveniently located around the corner from our next stop… The Freedom Tower’s One World Observatory, the 9/11 Memorial and 9/11 Museum.
With Jim being a firefighter, 9/11’s devastation hit particularly close to home. In 2001, we were unsure whether to take our then annual NYC Christmas trip with our children. We did and were so moved by what we encountered. We were able to walk down the ramp into the excavation site where it was so humbling to see the enormity of the devastation and the work that lay ahead to recover and rebuild. Though we could see excavators working, we heard only silence. No talking, no chatter, no cat calls, no laughter. Through restaurant windows on the surrounding streets, we could see tables with half-eaten plates of food that had been abandoned 3 months earlier, still covered with an inch of ash. Steel pillars still stuck out jaggedly from surrounding buildings where they landed during the explosion. I did not take any pictures as it seemed sacrilegious at the time. The area has since recovered and the new, taller tower stands as a reminder of our country’s resilience. We have been back to NYC several times since 9/11, but those memories of our 2001 visit will never leave me.
As beautiful as The Freedom Tower is on the outside, the gorgeous 360° view from the One World Observatory on the 100th floor is spectacular. I have to say I was disappointed with the commercialism of the visit, however. I found it very expensive, and you are ushered through a gauntlet of people selling tours and photos of your party. We purchased tickets at the kiosk (was our only option since I did not prepurchase) and I was confused as to which type of ticket to buy. I mistakenly clicked on the premium package ($75+ per person (pp)) which was $20 per ticket pricier that the basic ticket price ($55+, what I wanted) and there was no way to exchange them once purchased. For this premium price we got to skip the non-existent line for entry and received $15 each to spend in the gift shop or café. We spent the money in the gift shop on a $30 baseball hat with an American Flag on it and a Christmas ornament. All toll, this visit took approximately an hour.
The 9/11 Memorial has two square reflecting pools in the footprint where the original towers stood. They are surrounded with black metal that is inscribed with names of those lost in the 9/11 terrorist attack.
The 9/11 Museum is steps away and is always a highlight of our trips to NYC. This was our 3rd visit and each time I am humbled. My granddaughter, who is a history buff, said this was her favorite part of the trip. I believe that every American should visit this site at least once in their life to see the enormity of this attack on America. The museum displays actual fire and police apparatus that were destroyed as the towers tumbled, genuine radio transmissions, videos and photographs, audio and visual reminiscences from family members of those lost, and a wall of over 3000 photographs of each person who perished. The museum hits on all of our senses and is so moving.
Rockefeller Center
Every holiday trip to NYC has to include a visit to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas Tree, Saks 5th Avenue windows and the beautiful light displays on the building behind the Angel Promenade. While watching the skaters, our granddaughter got a chuckle out of the story of my son taking an epic fall while skating at Rockefeller Center when he was her age. We opted not to skate as she is not a skater and our knees wouldn’t like it very much anymore.
Even 1 ½ weeks after Christmas, the city was crowded. We checked out the tin soldiers on the façade of Radio City Music Hall, then we walked 10-15 minutes from Rockefeller Center to Times Square and found some of our favorite NYC street food – Nuts4Nuts.
Times Square
This is another place that has changed over the years. It is still crowded, bustling and so very bright, but gone is the Toys R Us store with the full-sized ferris wheel. We watched some street performers for a minute and eventually found the M&M store which was a pleaser for our granddaughter. This store has M&Ms displayed in every way imaginable. We ended up buying our souvenirs for the other 7 grandchildren here rather than I love New York t-shirts that they probably wouldn’t wear anyway. From here we walked 5 minutes to 8th Ave and W 44th St to our 7:00 dinner reservation at The Sugar Factory. The 13-year-old had a little trouble keeping up with her spry grandparents at times as teens today are not used to walking so much, especially in the cold.
After our Sugar Factory experience, we hailed a cab back to our hotel and called it a night. We left after breakfast to go to our appointment that brought us to NYC in the first place. On our way home, we stopped at Doughnut Plant in Queens to pick up pre-ordered doughnuts to bring home.
Hotel
Le Meridien – Because we were just staying for one night, I had no preference on what part of town we stayed in, but if you are staying longer, I suggest getting a centralized hotel in the middle of the action so you can walk to sites more easily. Staying near Rockefeller Center or Times Square is a best bet.
To book our hotel I used Hotel Tonight, a third-party app that I have had good luck with previously. You cannot book very far out with this app, so if you are going anywhere during a peak travel time, the app may not be the best choice. I selected Le Meridian on W 57th St for $175/night for its low price and positive reviews. I often look at the price on the Hotel Tonight app and then check on the actual hotel website to see if it is worth using a 3rd party site or should I just book with the hotel directly as most often the app requires payment in advance and is non-refundable. I found that the app offered significant savings, and I knew we were definitely going on this date so I booked through Hotel Tonight app.
Our plan had been to valet park the car overnight and leave our luggage with the concierge as check-in time wasn’t until 4pm. We were pleasantly surprised when we were able to check in to our room immediately which was wonderful with a teenager who wore pajama bottoms for the ride. She was able to catch her breath and change into jeans before venturing out exploring.
The hotel front desk staff were friendly and professional. The room and bathroom were immaculate and comfortable. The room was small as most are in NYC, but we only used the room to sleep. The hotel also gave us a $40 voucher to use at the restaurant which we did not use, however the atmosphere at the restaurant was upscale and the menu looked fantastic. We opted to walk a couple of blocks to the Brooklyn Diner for a wonderful NYC breakfast that was more in line with my granddaughter’s palate.
Food
Vino & … – at Eataly downtown is an area that is a sit-down restaurant/bar with waitstaff that only seats for those ordering at this restaurant vs communal seating and take away meals at the other stands. We got pizzas that were very good, but I forgot to take any pics. The rest of the menu looked delicious as well but we were grabbing a quick lunch on the way to the 9/11 memorial so did not investigate further.
The Sugar Factory – is a chain that has restaurants in several major cities and is known as a place for celebrities to go for special occasions and birthdays, though I am not sure why. This NYC location, just outside of Times Square, had mediocre food and overpriced cocktails and desserts. We thought it would be fun for a teenager, but it was average at best with a whopping price tag. As soon as our appetizer arrived, so did a Sugar Factory photographer who insisted on taking about 15 minutes worth of posed photos of the 3 of us. She had us moving tables and chairs so she could get the best photos of us showing tacky peace signs for the camera. Needless to say, the food was now cold and the photos were hideous, so we did not purchase any. I didn’t even ask the price because I was so annoyed, but I should have to be able to let all of you know.
Nuts4Nuts – No visit to Manhattan is complete without getting a bag of mixed nuts with coconut from the Nuts4Nuts cart. Look for the orange and white umbrella on the most delicious smelling food cart in Manhattan. Only certain of these carts carry roasted coconut as well as a variety of nuts – peanuts, almonds and cashews. I am getting hungry just typing this. These have to be eaten while warm, not as good to buy extra to have later.
The Brooklyn Diner on W 57th – We had a $40 voucher to spend at the hotel restaurant but instead we opted for a New York diner experience. Lucky for us, the Brooklyn Diner on W 57th was a block and a half from the hotel. The menu had typical American breakfast fare as well as New York staples such as bagels with cream cheese and lox. We are so happy we gave it a shot as the food and the staff were outstanding. It was a perfect way to end our Manhattan journey.
Doughnut Plant in Queens – I gave birth to a donut connoisseur. Anytime we share our travel plans with our daughter she will proceed to give us a rundown of the best donuts in the area. She has had donuts from Doughnut Plant before and had very specific requests for us to bring home to her. We ordered a dozen on-line at their store in Queens that we would be driving by on our way out of the city. A dozen donuts from a boutiquey donut shop runs over $50. When we delivered them later that day we all got to taste test some of the best tasting donuts we have ever had. We still prefer Union Square Donuts in Boston, though.
Transportation
We drove from Massachusetts to Manhattan as we have done many times in the past. I have traveled to NYC via bus on a girl’s trip previously, but I didn’t like this method. We have never taken the Amtrak train as it can be expensive when paying for an entire family, but Jim and I would like to try it when we go again with just the two of us. flying isn’t worth it to us to sit in traffic to get to the airport, park, shuttle and deal with possible flight delays.
The first thing we always do in NYC is to get rid of the car. Traffic is notoriously an issue and there is no parking to be found. Check with the hotel prior to ensure they have valet parking. You will have to pay but it is worth it. We paid $85 for our stay. It makes sense to walk, hail a cab or use public transportation while in the city. I am not a subway fan but that is an inexpensive option. We have always used cabs to get around when not wanting to walk or the distance is too far.
Remember that the yellow cab rates are regulated by the NYC government, and they have a counter that shows you how much the ride is adding up to. If you call an Uber, you generally get the price up front. If an unsolicited Uber driver ushers you to their car when you are waiting to hail a cab, you have bypassed the ability to see the price on the Uber app, and unless you negotiate the fare first you may be very surprised like we were when we got to our destination. While hailing a cab from downtown to midtown, an Uber driver coaxed us into his car and then proceeded to charge us 3 times as much as a yellow cab. We know better but my granddaughter was cold, and we opted for the quickest ride. Shame on us and shame on the driver. Please never do this when traveling alone or when vulnerable.
Also, remember that in NYC both cabs and Ubers (or any other ride share service) are only allowed to have 4 passengers. This gets tricky when traveling with groups larger than 4. It is important to have a plan where everyone knows the destination when you need to split up to get to the same place.
Packing
New York City is cold and windy in the winter. Be prepared and pack for it. You will need a hat, gloves, scarf and warm but comfortable shoes. Pickpockets are known to prey on visitors, so it is wise when it is necessary to carry a purse to bring a cross-body style. Some use a traveler’s belt as well. Keep anything like phones, wallets and money in a front pocket.
Remember that hotel rooms are small so don’t overpack. If you have a large suitcase, you may not have a place to store it that is out of the way. If your hotel has a pool, remember to pack a swimsuit, cover up and flip flops too!!
Thanks for the tips! I’m thinking of planning a trip to NYC one of these days.🗽