Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth America

[irv]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Yes, that is a window real estate brochure detailing the bargain price of $24,950,000 There were many others around the same price tag......the streets reeked of money.


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Feeling starving after the rotten schnitzel.....we walked a short distance down Madsion Ave and dined at II Ristorante, Salumeria Rosi Il Ristorante New York Beautiful meal and worth a visit if you're in the area.

After dinner we strolled back to the hotel and passed a real estate office :shock:


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Yes, that is a window real estate brochure detailing the bargain price of $24,950,000 There were many others around the same price tag......the streets reeked of money.[/QUOTE]

 

[Magpie10]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Fantastic TR a Mario, thanks for taking the time to post and for the great photos, really loving this TR, and also found some tips with respect to the laundry from other AFFers so helpful. Keep the reports coming.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Christmas Day...

After reading posts from other members here on AFF we decided to see the Rockettes, Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. That took out the afternoon so Christmas lunch was the only other thing on the agenda....after failing to get a table in a few places - I asked the Hotel Concierge for his opinion.

He recommended Maloney and Porcelli Maloney & Porcelli the day was set.

As we walked out of the hotel the girls spotted this



I think they were disappointed when they worked out it wasn't me that organised it



We walked thru Central Park and saw this little fellow......




That Metlife building was once called the Pan Am Building.....the little one in front is the Helmsley Building and was designed by the same firm that did Grand Central Station.

Lunch was lovely and we tried to have a little bit of home with the prawns

 

[craven morehead]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

"X-mas eve - craving Chinese we dined at Philippe Philippe Restaurant | 33 East 60th Street, New York | 212.644.8885 the Peaking Duck was delicious! This is a really funky place not your usual Chinese environment. The place was pumping - great evening."

Was the Peaking Duck looking at you kinda sneaky like ?? :mrgreen:

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

"X-mas eve - craving Chinese we dined at Philippe Philippe Restaurant | 33 East 60th Street, New York | 212.644.8885 the Peaking Duck was delicious! This is a really funky place not your usual Chinese environment. The place was pumping - great evening."

Was the Peaking Duck looking at you kinda sneaky like ?? :mrgreen:

thanks cm ..... the duck certainly was at his PEAK when we met

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Special thanks to mrs.dr.ron and Princess Fiona as it was their posts/suggestions that got us motivated to see the Rockettes.

Radio City Music Hall is a stunning entertainment venue and the Christmas Spectacular was a great way to celebrate Christmas in NYC.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

I remember dining up at The Stratosphere revolving restaurant and in the menu as a "guide to our international visitors" it was suggested 20-30% for tipping :mrgreen: !!!!

LOL......wonder how many suckers they hook a day!

For those curious like I was here is what that $25 mil will get you 1185 Park Avenue Unit PH16G Manhattan NY | Douglas Elliman

Using the link you posted I found one for $95M :shock: Sherry Netherland, 781 Fifth Avenue Unit 18FL | Douglas Elliman check-out the monthly maintenance fee :shock::shock::shock:

Fantastic TR a Mario, thanks for taking the time to post and for the great photos, really loving this TR, and also found some tips with respect to the laundry from other AFFers so helpful. Keep the reports coming.

Thanks for nice comments Magpie10 BTW is Mario for Super Mario???

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

After the show we spilled out (along with half of NY) into the Rockefeller Centre....the place was packed. St Patricks Cathedral was drawing huge crowds and everyone seemed to end up at the Rockefeller....



The Rockefeller tree



Caught the end of this fellow proposing to his partner..



Proposal over the skating resumed.



Not the smartest idea in a very crowded place. Not long after I took this shot...he got the wobbles and she went very close to crowd surfing



After being completely shown up earlier in the day by some other schmucks horse and cart trick.....I redeemed myself with a late, very cold and dark ride through Central Park to our hotel. The girls were very pleased!!!

It was a fantastic Christmas Day.....one to remember!

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Hurricane Sandy closed Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty - lucky for us it has re-opened....on a limited basis.

We didn't bother getting off at Liberty Island as we had no interest in climbing the old girl.....cruise around the Is was good enough.



View back to Manhattan.....that large building on the left is One World Trade Centre (Formally - Freedom Tower) One World Trade Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



The ferry stops at Liberty Is first...



Arriving at Ellis Is



The Great Hall...



View of the old girl from Ellis Is.....you can imagine all those new immigrates staring at her!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Hope you will indulge me telling a NYC story.

I was there in 1991 when the "Welcome Home' ticker-tape parade happened after Operation Desert Storm (liberation of Kuwait). I got a prime position on Broadway (on fence around Trinity Church ) and sure enough, there was actual ticker-tape raining down (I still have a fragment).

The ticker tape ran out after a while and then came the regular confetti.

Then it turned into ripped up phone book pages.

Towards the end they obviously got tired of tearing it up and large chunks of telephone book remnants got tossed out some windows. One of those would have seriously hurt some-one if they got hit!

Time to leave!

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Hope you will indulge me telling a NYC story.

I was there in 1991 when the "Welcome Home' ticker-tape parade happened after Operation Desert Storm (liberation of Kuwait). I got a prime position on Broadway (on fence around Trinity Church ) and sure enough, there was actual ticker-tape raining down (I still have a fragment).

The ticker tape ran out after a while and then came the regular confetti.

Then it turned into ripped up phone book pages.

Towards the end they obviously got tired of tearing it up and large chunks of telephone book remnants got tossed out some windows. One of those would have seriously hurt some-one if they got hit!

Time to leave!

Wouldn't be this fence - would it ?

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Wouldn't be this fence - would it ?

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That's it. At the church gate there was a large post and you could get a standing spot about 30cm off the pavement on its footing. I got there early had defended my turf against all comers!

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

The ferry delivered us back to Battery Park. We then went for a walk....this is the best city for walking!



Trinity Church



The grounds of Trinity Church



Classic Little Italy



Grand Central [-]Station[/-] Terminal



New York Public Library

 

[parsonstrish]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Thank you, thoroughly enjoying report & fantastic pics. Saw Christmas rockette spectacular one trip & still retain that happy feeling. Thanks again.

 

[Hvr]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

<snip>








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Grand Central Station

Actually I suspect it's Grand Central Terminal not Grand Central Station.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Dinner tonight is at Balthazar Balthazar Restaurant :: Home

Have been looking forward to this since I booked some 6 weeks earlier.....tried for Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, but no luck.....fully booked.












This photo is just too cute not to include.......

This is a very popular restaurant. We had the best time and the evening was one of the best of the trip.....a must visit when in NYC!

 

[Magpie10]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Sorry Amaroo auto spell check, memo to self check prior to posting! Once again thanks for taking the time to post, your kids are very lucky to have a parent who spoils them with such a wonderful holiday, memories to keep!




Thanks for nice comments Magpie10 BTW is Mario for Super Mario???[/QUOTE]

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Actually I suspect it's Grand Central Terminal not Grand Central Station.

Thanks Hvr you are quite correct!

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Top of the Rock - beautiful sunny day







The once Pan Am building where you could catch a helicopter to JFK...

Quote from Wiki....
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Helicopter service[edit]

The building previously had helicopter service to Pan Am's terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, a 7-to-10-minute flight from the rooftop helipad. The New York Airways Vertol 107 flights lasted from December 21, 1965 to February 18, 1968; Sikorsky S-61 flights operated for a few months in 1977, ending after an accident atop the building killed five people.[SUP][8][/SUP][SUP][9][/SUP]
On May 16, 1977, about one minute after a Sikorsky S-61L landed and its 20 passengers disembarked, the right front landing gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to topple onto its side with the rotors still turning. One of the five 20-foot blades broke off and flew into a crowd of passengers waiting to board. Three men, including film director Michael Findlay, were killed instantly and another man died later in a hospital.[SUP][10][/SUP] The blade sailed over the side of the building and killed a pedestrian on the corner of Madison Avenue and 43rd Street. Two other people were seriously injured.[SUP][11][/SUP][SUP][12]
[/SUP]
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We then spent our last afternoon in NYC walking around Soho and seeing the American Museum of Natural History.....which by the way was the busiest tourist site we encountered on the trip. It was chock-a-block!



Classic New York....typical building in the Cast Iron District of Soho Soho Architecture - The Cast Iron District | Manhattan, New York

 

[amaroo]

Re: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.......& Helicopter....& Airboat - A month in Nth Ame

Where did that 5 days go

Tips for NYC... Don't bother buying any city passes - we purchased New York City Passes. They don't save you money, the fast track is a farce and they sort of control your choices/activity as you've got this nagging - I've got to do this because I've already paid for it!

Time to catch a train to Washington DC.

Amtrak 2207 Acela Express Business class....... NY Penn Station - DC Union Station.

Thanks to a great tip on another AFF thread we used the RedCap service to pre-board and get our substantial luggage put away before general boarding.....$20 very well spent!










I really like train travel and this was no exception....free WIFI, food/drinks for purchase.