NoNames Xmas Vacation 2: Some Things Old + Some Things New

[NoName]

Day 5 – Continued………..






Reunited, we quickly jumped in a taxi to our hotel in Manhattan. Traffic was typically busy and the journey took around 90 minutes, during which time the driver attempted to speed things up as much as possible to the point where he was jumping on the accelerator and break all over the place. It was quite an unnerving experience. We somehow made it to the hotel on Central Park South – just over $75. Chose the cash option and gave him a $100 note and asked for $10 change. That’s when the guy really p#$$%d me right off as he pretended he didn’t have change. I mean, it was an obvious lie. What taxi driver goes around with no cash on them at all? Not even a single $10 note? I said I’d pay by card then but he said I couldn’t due to already selecting the cash option. Anyone know if this is correct? Anyway, after a brief stand off I gave him a piece of my mind and didn’t bother with the change. Later on I thought about it further though and if this ever happened again I would go get change somewhere and then come back and pay sans tip. Irritating start to our visit!

Things got better as we went inside to the lobby of Park Lane Hotel New York. The hotel is located on Central Park South between 5th & 6th Ave. We stayed previously on the same street a couple of building down at the Ritz Carlton Central Park and absolutely love the location. Across the road from central park is a hard beat IMO. With minimal Marriott Bonvoy points at our disposal this time I was looking for other options. Searched for a while before this place caught my eye. Great location! Big rooms by NYC standard! Only marginally more expensive than tiny rooms at various Marriott Courtyards and the like. So I booked it! The rooms could use a refresh but they are still more than good enough so we were happy with what we found. Booked 3 nights for our initial NYC stay over Xmas and another separate 3 nights over NYE.


Stay 1: 23-26 December - 3 nights in a City View Room with 2 queen beds was USD$1,761.24 including tax

Stay 2: 29 December – 1 January in a Panoramic Park View Room with 1 queen beds was US$2,230.08 including tax


Being only 2pm the room wasn’t ready for us so we left the bags and went out to the city we had been waiting for! Just a short walk a few blocks down 5th Avenue for a look around and to take it all in. With Xmas only 2 days away the crowds were out in force. Amazing festive atmosphere.




Making traffic great again as well

Never realised how big this Apple store is!

The hotel texted to say the room was ready so we headed back. Grabbed out key and then up the lifts to level 39. Down the corridor and then into our room. As I mentioned, these could use a refurb but they were fine for our 3 night stay. Don’t appear to have taken any photos but have some for the 2nd stay which I will post then. That said, the room details can be found HERE.

A short rest and then we were out to grab an early long forgotten dinner. Crowds everywhere as we walked down 6th Avenue. Our tiredness was hitting fast so we didn’t stay long. A couple of photos on the area then back to the hotel.



Found the back entrance on 58th St



Back up to the room, a quick look outside to appreciate the view and then it was sleep.

 

[I love to travel]

Day 5 – Continued………..






Reunited, we quickly jumped in a taxi to our hotel in Manhattan. Traffic was typically busy and the journey took around 90 minutes, during which time the driver attempted to speed things up as much as possible to the point where he was jumping on the accelerator and break all over the place. It was quite an unnerving experience. We somehow made it to the hotel on Central Park South – just over $75. Chose the cash option and gave him a $100 note and asked for $10 change. That’s when the guy really p#$$%d me right off as he pretended he didn’t have change. I mean, it was an obvious lie. What taxi driver goes around with no cash on them at all? Not even a single $10 note? I said I’d pay by card then but he said I couldn’t due to already selecting the cash option. Anyone know if this is correct? Anyway, after a brief stand off I gave him a piece of my mind and didn’t bother with the change. Later on I thought about it further though and if this ever happened again I would go get change somewhere and then come back and pay sans tip. Irritating start to our visit!

Things got better as we went inside to the lobby of Park Lane Hotel New York. The hotel is located on Central Park South between 5th & 6th Ave. We stayed previously on the same street a couple of building down at the Ritz Carlton Central Park and absolutely love the location. Across the road from central park is a hard beat IMO. With minimal Marriott Bonvoy points at our disposal this time I was looking for other options. Searched for a while before this place caught my eye. Great location! Big rooms by NYC standard! Only marginally more expensive than tiny rooms at various Marriott Courtyards and the like. So I booked it! The rooms could use a refresh but they are still more than good enough so we were happy with what we found. Booked 3 nights for our initial NYC stay over Xmas and another separate 3 nights over NYE.


Stay 1: 23-26 December - 3 nights in a City View Room with 2 queen beds was USD$1,761.24 including tax

Stay 2: 29 December – 1 January in a Panoramic Park View Room with 1 queen beds was US$2,230.08 including tax


Being only 2pm the room wasn’t ready for us so we left the bags and went out to the city we had been waiting for! Just a short walk a few blocks down 5th Avenue for a look around and to take it all in. With Xmas only 2 days away the crowds were out in force. Amazing festive atmosphere.

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Making traffic great again as well

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Never realised how big this Apple store is!

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The hotel texted to say the room was ready so we headed back. Grabbed out key and then up the lifts to level 39. Down the corridor and then into our room. As I mentioned, these could use a refurb but they were fine for our 3 night stay. Don’t appear to have taken any photos but have some for the 2nd stay which I will post then.

A short rest and then we were out to grab an early long forgotten dinner. Crowds everywhere as we walked down 6th Avenue. Our tiredness was hitting fast so we didn’t stay long. A couple of photos on the area then back to the hotel.

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Found the back entrance on 58th St

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Back up to the room, a quick look outside to appreciate the view and then it was sleep.

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Whilst I hate the cold, always wanted to do a Xmas in New York, this has reminded me why. Thanks for posting.

 

[NoName]

Day 6







Woke up with anticipation for the first full day in NYC and looked out the window to a joyous sight – it was snowing!

Hadn’t planned on getting outside so early but I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this. The other two were still keen to rest but I jumped up, put clothes on and was out the door about 15 minutes later. I walked around the area of the hotel, down to 5th avenue all the while being belted with snow! It was just magical!

Snowing in NYC on Christmas Eve! Does it get any better?

Decided to wander through the park for a little bit.

They are straight on to clearing the snow!

Rang Mrs NoName and told here that she better get out of bed and get downstairs before the snow stopped or she would likely regret it. Thankfully she listened and a few minutes later they met me outside the hotel. They were both similarly excited. We did another short walk around before adjourning to room to eat breakfast.

An hour later and we were ready to go again and on our way to the first stop a few blocks away. Walked straight down 59th St and after a brief stop at one of the subway stations along the way to get 7 day passes (US$34 per pass) we were soon at 2nd Avenue and ready to board the Roosevelt Island Tramway. In our several visits to NYC we had never gone to Roosevelt Island and with it being on the itinerary this time, riding the tramway to get there was the obvious option. The tramway crosses the East River from the corner of 59th & 2nd to Roosevelt Island. It uses the same fare structure as the MTA, so we were able to swipe the metro cards we had just bought. Perfect!

 

[NoName]

Whilst I hate the cold, always wanted to do a Xmas in New York, this has reminded me why. Thanks for posting.

It gets better!

 

[NoName]

Day 6 - Continued…….





Roosevelt Island is an island in the middle of the East River between Mahattan Island and Queens. Its quite small, around 3km long and maybe 300m wide at its widest point so the idea was to circumnavigate it. We hopped off the tramway (which is located maybe 1/3 of the way up the island from South to North) and began walking North up the Manhattan side. Lots of great views!





After longer than I had expected, we reached the top of the island and Lighthouse Park.



The girl puzzle monument




Roosevelt Island Lighthouse



Back down the Queens side of the island which it has to be said was not quite as scenic.




Old Small Small Pox Hospital




Got down the other end to find the FDR Four Freedoms Park was closed on Tuesdays. Oh well! Walked back up the small part of the Manhattan side of the island that we hadn’t seen.

FDR Hope Memorial – reading that this is to provide inspiration to those with disabilities

 

[VPS]

I admire your stamina going to all those lounges and all the eating and drinking. If I drank that much I'd be in bed for a day or two.

 

[NoName]

I admire your stamina going to all those lounges and all the eating and drinking. If I drank that much I'd be in bed for a day or two.

Need to be able to give an accurate first hand review of all of these things. And of course, someone’s got to do it!

 

[NoName]

Day 6 - Continued…….





Back to where we started and instead of taking the tramway back to Manhattan we were jumping on the subway. Yes the island has a subway station as well. Jumped on the F train, changed to the B train several stops later and a few more stops later we were off at Grand St. Half a block down Chrystie St in Chinatown and we were at our lunch venue – Wah Fung No1 Fast Food.

This place has a bit of a viral following and is very popular with long lines every day. They basically just do roast meats and the option that inevitably pops up whenever you see them mentioned on social media is their roast pork or chicken on a small rice for US$5.75. An almost unheard of cheap feed in an extremely expensive city. We lined up and waited for our turn. Probably took 15 minutes to get to the front but eventually Mrs NoName was in and ordering.





We went for a similar option – larger but equally great value. Pork, chicken & duck on a large rice for US$9! A bargain and was more than enough to feed us all.




Went to the park across the road to eat and once inhaled we were off again. Back to the subway station, back on the B train then off again two stops later at 4th St. A one block walk and we were in Washington Square park. Much the same as when we visited in the summer several years ago. There were still performers and people everywhere, really snow and cold weather was the only difference.




Washington Arch – the main feature of the park.




Walked up 5th Avenue for a while until the other two had had enough. Around 34th St we ducked off to one of the subway lines for a quick ride back up to the hotel. It was mid-afternoon and we needed a rest.

 

[NoName]

Day 6 – Continued……….







We headed back out around 5 and set off down 6th avenue. Found something quick to eat along the way and then jumped on the D train at Rockefeller Centre. This was going to be a pretty long trip, all the way to Brooklyn infact. 14 stops later we hopped off in what seemed a world away from Manhattan at 79th St Brooklyn. Much to the irritation of the other two, there was still a 15 minute walk through a residential neighbourhood to navigate but despite the complaining it would be worth it. We were going to check out the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. This is run entirely by the homeowners of Dyker Heights and it is incredible to see what they come up with. Almost every house in the area is decorated with an amazing array of Christmas lights and decorations. We spent a couple of hours walking up and down the streets in amazement!

The main area with the light displays are from 11th to 13th Ave from 83rd to 86th St. So a good dozen or so blocks. Various different companies run bus tours and I looked into them and they take you close enough to the area and then you explore on foot. The popularity of the displays are such that the crowds are simply too large for vehicular traffic to be practical. In the end I couldn’t justify what would have been close to A$100 per person for something so easy to do using public transport. Word of warning: eat before you go. While there are lots of food truck type vendors that come to the area, they are all extremely expensive, gouging mercilessly. Think a big pretzel for over US$10.

By the time we were done it was close to 9pm and we were all ready for bed. Walked back to the train station we had come from, jumped on and 45 minutes or so later we were back in our room.

The other two were absolutely done but somehow I had gotten my second wind so decided to go for a walk down Times Square and beyond. I mean, why not right? Its fair to say it was busy out there, crowds out in force once again.





I smashed out about 25 block down and then the same back before I’d had enough. Back to the hotel and bed after what had been a great Christmas Eve and looking forward to Christmas Day the next morning.

 

[NoName]

Day 7





Christmas day! In our favourite city! Fair to say we were in good spirits when we woke up. Lazed around for a bit before deciding to go up to the rooftop to see what the view was like. Went up under the guise of possibly having breakfast (obscene pricing so no) and asked if we could also have a look around. No issue there. The view out over the park are stunning!




Decided to go for a walk to see how the Rockefeller Tree was looking. Wandered out and down 6th Ave again to have a look. Got there to find a crowd but not as big a crowd as we had feared.



What a beautiful morning to be ice skating! A little jealous it has to be said!

We made the short walk back up 5th avenue towards the hotel to get ourselves ready for Christmas lunch.



We quickly changed into some nicer clothes and made our way back out, across the road for a walk through the park to our lunch destination.

 

[NoName]

Day 7 - Continued…….





Half an hour or so or sauntering through the park and we arrived at our venue. Located near central park west and 66th st, Tavern On The Green is a classic New York City restaurant which, except for a brief closure in the early 2010s, has been open for 90 years. At Christmas time it is known for extensive festive decorations and this was one of the reasons we ended up coming here.








We took our seats and perused the menu. Prix Fixe the only option of Christmas Day so that’s what we were going for. US$135 per adults + US$65 per child + tax + 20% tip automatically added. Also had a bottle of wine and soft drink for NoName Jnr (cost unknown 7 weeks later)




Soup first up





Gnocchi for both the adult NoNames



Meatballs for NoName Jnr. He wasn’t a big fan for some reason but got through most of it.



In an extremely boring display, we all went for the beef tenderloin for our main. Tasted great but was a very large serving. Struggled to get through it all.



No photo of the unexciting ice cream that NoName Jnr had however here’s one of my Crème Brulee. Whenever this is on a dessert menu that is generally the end of my decision making process and that was the case here again. Really enjoyed it.



Mrs NoName went for the lemon berry meringue tart which she also liked.



And that was Christmas lunch. A thoroughly enjoyable experience in a beautiful venue. It was definitely on the pricey side but that was to be expected on Christmas day in a place like this in a city that is anything but cheap. We would definitely return in the future if the opportunity presented.

 

[NoName]

Day 7 - Continued……





Stomachs were certainly full so that meant it was time to walk some of it off and what better place to do it that in central park. We wandered further north for a while taking in the scenery.






Bow Bridge



Got to Belvedere Castle where we decided we had gone far enough.




Turned around and retraced our steps before detouring onto a different path back to the hotel.

Bethesda Fountain – frozen this time of year

 

[NoName]

Day 7 - Continued……





The other two were a little tired from the walking at this point and being around 4pm, we had a rest for a while before heading back out after it got dark. Back down 6th avenue to take a look at the Bryant Park Christmas Markets. We’d been here very briefly last time but only had the most superficial of looks and hadn’t really gone in to look at all. That changed this time which was a good decision. Not in the same galaxy as European Christmas Markets but it was not bad and was a fun experience. We grabbed a hot chocolate and walked around for a while.






The Christmas tree was a standout!

Another ice skating rink. Looked fun but not tonight for us.

Once done there we made the one block trek over to Time Square. Just your typical madhouse as you have to expect this time of year.

He was too good!



NoName Jnr insisted on some highly overprices MnMs so we went into their Times Square shop. He hasn’t quite realised that the same bag her bought here could have been bought for a franction of the price elsewhere. Maybe not as fun to just pick up a bag off the shelf at a supermarket?




And that was it for the night and also for part 1 of our NYC stay. We were off to Boston bright and early the next morning. Back to the hotel, made sure everything was packed and ready for tomorrow and then it was bed.