24 Hours in NYC
Our decision to visit NYC was yet again purely motivated by our need to accumulate United points toward our elite status (which has now triumphantly been achieved after our most recent business trip to europe and a visit to Hawai’i!)
We settled on The Lucerne Hotel because of its close proximity to Central Park, The Museum of Natural History, generalized shopping and the annual Christmas Market. $260 per night sounded pretty darn good to us considering the typical rates in that area. Our arrival into JFK around 10pm rendered a relatively short taxi-stand line. $45 flat rate anywhere within NYC is a much better and safer option than bothering with public transport.
Our room was spacious for city standards. Everything was very clean and operational. The place may be in need of a little face lift regarding choice of decor, but it worked for us. Earplugs came in handy as expected in a busy city atmosphere.
The meal we had been offered on the plane was pretty sad, so we headed to a deli/convenience store right across the street for something to snack on. On our way out of the market we couldn’t help but be drawn to the luscious picture of an oversized cookie reading: Insomnia Cookies. A freshly baked dark chocolate chip cookie oozing with gooey, delicious morsels of sugary goodness was perhaps a poor choice at 11:30pm and right before bed, but we inevitably gave in to the emanation of doughy fragrance.
The next morning, breakfast at Nice Matin downstairs was delightful. Friendly staff and surprisingly good food. The coupon we had received upon check-in made for a very affordable breakfast.
We had planned a leisurely shopping day in Soho, but the rain and monsoon caliper winds put a damper into that novel notion. We decided on the more sheltered option of exploring the Museum of Natural History. An Imax featuring some galactic, NASA type documentary killed a good 45 minutes of our day. After that we traipsed through taxidermic animal exhibits taking cheesy photos all the while. Do yourself a favor and do not eat lunch at the museum. Not good at all.
We took a cab to Cafe Freida for dinner. They had barely any vegetarian options but what I ended up with was delicious.
By the time we had finished dinner the rain had let up and the winds had died down. We took a walk along Broadway and soon arrived at the Christmas Market (at Central Park West and Broadway). We then had a look in a nearby mall decorated with dangling star like lights that colorfully twinkled along with instrumental Christmas carols.
Soon enough we had walked back to the hotel, collected our bags and were off to the airport… after a four-hour delay, we were officially on our way home!
Hi Heather!
Thanks for stopping by my blog recently. Looks like you had a fine time in NYC. I would’ve suggested you go right to Candle 79 for a divine vegan or vegetarian dinner! Next time, it’s a MUST!
Happy Healthy New Year!
So sad I missed it! I’ll keep Candle 79 on my list of restaurants for future reference… I’m sure I’ll be back to NY some day and will definitely pay them a visit! Thanks for stopping by & Happy New Year
Your blog is so much fun to read im glad i checked it out!
What do you do for work? Im only asking because its awesome that you get to travel so much.
Okay I’ll try to make this long story short and bearable for you..
Since I was about 8 years old my mom and I spent 3 months a year living in europe (mostly Sweden and Holland) as she taught massage and nutrition at various retreat centers. After turning 18 and moving to LA I traveled as a print model occasionally. Then at age 20 I married my husband and we’ve built a business that requires excessive international travel to attend meetings. We try our best to make time for touristy adventures as often as possible when we find ourselves near an interesting location. I rarely stay in one place and as physically grueling as constant travel becomes, I wouldn’t have it any other way… well, not sure how much longer I’ll have that attitude!
Great post, Heather, and excellent photos, as always (even the moose pictures and the $7 bottle of water). Did you happen to go the Planetarium next door to the Museum of Natural History? We’re going to NYC in March and are planning to visit both for the first time in a lot of years. Finding vegetarian meals is always fun, isn’t it?
Happy New Year!
Thanks! I wish we would have had a little more time to explore the planetarium and many other sights. I’m sure I’ll be back there some time in the near future and look forward to exploring more of the city.
I’m going to need to start on my europe post here pretty soon… I’ve posted absolutely nothing in 2011! I need to get my A into G as soon as possible (apparently kiwi’s aren’t the only ones with the strange sayings). Wish me luck with that and I hope your new year is going wonderfully!
I’m still choking on the $260 a night! Beautiful room and photos! Looked like a wonderful time
I know, and that was the cheapest we could find in the area!!
Very nice! Next time in NYC drop me a line if you want to know the sightseeing and food scene well – I’ll send you a 24 hour marathon list
But seems like you did some splendid photography nonetheless. Which reminds me to get on with my travel spree blogging (currently in the EU, actually). Starting with a few fun restaurant reviews, but hotels will definitely be next!
Any NYC advice would be greatly appreciated whenever you have time to write it all down. I may not have plans to visit right now, but my folks will be making a touristy stop-over to do some sightseeing this coming October. Any info you have to share will be eagerly received by them