With only a twenty-four hour window for New York City sightseeing, a recent brief stopover in this vibrant,
bustling city brought a whirlwind collection of experiences.
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| View from our New York Athletic Club room |
Knowing that we three couples
had a limited period in which to cram our variety of activities, we
checked into our room at the New York Athletic Club on Central Park South
(which was arranged by a good friend who happens to be a member). After
depositing our belongings in our rooms, we met in the lobby to begin our
action-packed day.
We had conferred and agreed
in advance that we would utilize our day to visit 1) the 9/11 Memorial and
Museum, 2) One World Observatory, 3) meet our NYAC friends for dinner, 4) see
Jersey Boys on Broadway. With our plan in place, we had already procured all
tickets and reservations online.
Let’s talk for a moment about
transportation within NYC. As a veteran of countless trips to this wonderful
city, I can tell you that using public transportation from trains to taxis to
the subway system is far easier than trying to drive your own vehicle up and
down, back and forth among these one-way streets--or even the two-way streets.
Just driving into the city and attempting to navigate to the NYAC was
challenging because in multiple instances, our GPS directed us to turn onto
streets that were barricaded for a parade to be held the following day. Add
that to the fact doing battle with the yellow cabs, which seem to own the
roads, is tricky at best. We could hardly wait to hand the car keys over to the
valet and say, “Bye bye” to our vehicles.
Yet, I must be honest and
tell you that it is helpful to be educated in advance about use of the subway
system. Just a few tips are: 1) Acquire a Manhattan map. This valuable tool
will give you some sense of the geography and street layout. Familiarize
yourself with the streets surrounding your destination, and know the address.
Standing on a crowded street corner and attempting to figure out a direction
can be frustrating as pedestrians rush past you in their haste and annoyance at
attempting to proceed.
2) Acquire a subway line map
so you know exactly which line you are looking for and where to find the
entrances.
3) When you enter the subway,
go to the ticket booth and don’t hesitate to ask questions. The (hopefully) friendly
people selling the subway tickets are the keepers of tremendously beneficial
knowledge.
4) Once you have your
Metrocard ticket in hand, go to the turnstile, slide it with the black strip to
the left so the ticket will be read. Quickly enter the turnstile. I
repeat…quickly. I believe that these devices were designed for a fast-moving
public, because I made the mistake of hesitating for a moment and encountered a
turnstile that would not move. My entire party was already on the other side
waiting as I pushed and tugged at the stubborn arm of the turnstile, re-swiped my
ticket and gained no ground. I had to go back to a machine, purchase yet
another ticket and try again. Lesson learned. Swipe the ticket on the correct
side, move quickly.
5) As with public
transportation in any city in the world, carefully secure and guard your
belongings. It is better to be paranoid and cautious than deal with a missing
wallet.
6) Pay attention to the
stops. You really do not want to discover that you have missed your stop, especially
if you are on a tight schedule.
For more information on
riding the New York subway system, this USA today article provides simple steps
for you to follow: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/ride-nyc-subway-4236.html.
So the first leg of our
adventure was a subway ride from Midtown Manhattan to the site of the 9/11
Memorial and Museum http://www.911memorial.org/. The memorial is free to visit
and, understandably, evokes a generally solemn, reverent atmosphere. Everyone
beyond toddler age remembers where they were and what they were doing when this
horrifying event in American history occurred. The names of all who died in the
terrorist attacks of 2/26/93 and 9/11/01 are inscribed in bronze around the
memorial pools. To locate a name, access the name finder at the above
referenced link or visit a kiosk at the memorial site.
The 9/11 museum is also a sobering reminder, but is a wonderful tribute
to those lives lost in the senseless acts of terrorism at this location.
Tickets purchased in advance online enable the visitor to choose the date and
time of their entrance. Being armed with that advantage during our
time-crunched tour was incredibly useful.
Onward to the newly constructed One World Observatory https://oneworldobservatory.com/,
we were once again holders of date and time reserved tickets. In less than sixty seconds, visitors are
transported to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. These
views of New York City are amazing, and we all agreed that we are delighted
that we included this in our itinerary.
Just a couple of hints: 1) Do not get too crazy taking photos on the
first level after your departure from the elevator. The second level actually
affords far better photo opportunities. Just saying… 2) If you have planned an
ambitious schedule, it behooves you to keep an eye on the line that forms at
the elevator to return you to the ground level. You will want to watch your
time and become a part of the queue accordingly. For the most fabulous New York
City views, the One World Observatory is a must.
The next item on our agenda was returning to New York Athletic Club to
freshen up before our dinner date with dear NYC friends. Having spent a great
deal of time in the city over the years, I knew exactly what to wear--my little
black dress and black heels.
We enjoyed a lovely dinner at BECCO http://becco-nyc.com/, where
I devoured a scrumptious veal piccata special. This restaurant is conveniently
located in the theatre district, and reservations can be made up to thirty days
in advance. It was a perfect choice for us, and the servers are most conscious
that many of their patrons are comprised of the theatre crowd.
As we dined, the rain began to pour from the skies. My husband excused
himself from the table and dashed up the street to a vendor to purchase
multiple umbrellas for our party, and then we marched the few short blocks to
see our show. The umbrellas were a bonus, but when it rains heavily in NYC, one
can be sure that massive pools of water will collect by the curbs at
intersections. Unless you have kangaroo-like abilities to leap over the flooded
puddles, your shoes and feet will become saturated. So much for the little
black heels.
Although I had already seen Jersey Boys during a Chicago trip a few
years ago, as well as the more recent movie version, I still found the show to
be a great entertainment experience. Regardless of where or how many times you
may have seen a particular show, viewing it on Broadway is always more
memorable. There is a special ambience in New York City’s theatre district that
cannot be duplicated.
Following the show, we walked back to the NYAC because…well, try to
hail a cab on a drizzly Saturday night in New York City, and see how successful
you are. You might as well be looking for a taxi in the middle of the Sahara
Desert, and we needed two of them to accommodate a party of six. Besides, a brisk walk is always good for the
heart and for absorbing the NYC atmosphere.
After a peaceful night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, we once again
faced the challenge of trying to navigate the city with a GPS that does not
recognize parade barricades. Eventually, we succeeded and headed south toward
our eagerly anticipated South Carolina beds.
As the traffic abruptly ground to a halt in the typical stop-and-go
fashion perpetually present in the Quantico/Manassas region of I-95, we
wondered if sleeping in our own home that evening was an unrealistic fantasy.
Finally, the painful auto crawl gave way to smooth sailing and we were, by the
grace of God, safely home.
Visiting New York City is one of my all time favorite things to do. The
sights, sounds and smells soak into my pores and always lure me back again.
Just remember that for an optimal visit, particularly a brief one, you cannot
do too much research and advance prep work. NYC is not a destination where you
want to wing it and flounder. Having confidence in your schedule and directions
will be the perfect setup for an enjoyable travel experience.
See you soon for another travel adventure!
Hugs from Mary Anne Benedetto
Author
of Eyelash, Never Say Perfect, 7 Easy
Steps to Memoir Writing, From Italy with Love & Limoncello, Write Your Pet’s
Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!
