# New York City Vacation



## frugalist (Dec 13, 2010)

My dear wife and I just returned from an amazing, incredible, fantastic week in The Big Apple. Our train trip was on the Silver Meteor from Sebring, FL to Penn Station and return in a bedroom, courtesy of AGR. We spent five nights at the very nice Four Points hotel on Chalmers St. just off Varick (7th Ave.) in the SoHo area of Manhattan courtesy of the Starwood Guest Rewards program. We also went out to Suffolk County on Long Island for a day where we spent one night at the LaQuinta in Bohemia courtesy of the LaQuinta loyalty program. My son and his girlfriend joined us for the week, coming up from Atlanta in a bedroom, returning in a roomette (bedroom was not available when they booked their trip), also courtesy of AGR.

I was raised on Long Island and worked in Manhattan for almost 20 years, but this was my first time back in 18 years. My wife is a Florida girl. For years, I've been telling her I wanted to take her to NY. Finally, earlier this year she said she wanted to go, and she wanted to go at Christmas time to see "The Tree", all the lights, the store window decorations, and everything else wonderful in NY this time of year.

What can I say except that it was magical? We walked a lot. Probably about 10 miles a day. Would've walked even more if it hadn't been so cold. Up and down the avenues. We ended up taking the subway a lot more than I thought we would, but the $27 7-day MetroCard is a bargain. Ducked into a store here, a hotel there. The Plaza Hotel is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Outside FAO Schwarz, there was a line around the corner just to get in! The window decorations at Bergdorf Goodman are incredible. Rockefeller Center is like no place else in the world this time of year. Took the Staten Island Ferry for the first time since I was a little kid. Walked the financial district, where I spent most of my working career. Walked to Washington Square. Unfortunately, the park is closed off, but the walkway to the iconic arch is open. Took the newly-renovated Roosevelt Island Tram. What a view of the city! Took in a show at the Cafe Wha in the Village. Saw a taping of The Daily Show. Went to Strawberry Fields in Central Park to remember the 30th anniversary of the slaying of John Lennon. Took the subway out to Coney Island for Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs. Ate dinner at Katz's Deli (one sandwich is a meal for 2). This week, I saw New York City in a way I never did before. When I was working there, I would commute into the city from Long Island, do my job, then commute home. This week, I was a tourist, showing off the city to my wife, my son and his girlfriend.

Our day on Long Island was one of reliving old memories. We took the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, rented a car, then drove around the neighborhoods where I grew up. We ate at some of the old places I used to enjoy. Again, very magical. Saturday morning, it was back on the LIRR to Penn Station. Walked into the ClubAcela, got our tickets printed for the trip home, checked a couple of bags, then went for one last walk up and down 8th Avenue before it was time to board our trains. My son had some White Castle belly-bombers (around 35th St.), my wife and I each had a dog at Gray's Papaya (around 37th St.) and we each had a very good $1 slice of pizza at a corner walk-up counter (around 38th St.). Walked across 42nd St. to get one last look at Times Square before it was time to head back to Penn Station.

The ride on Amtrak was very nice. So much better than flying, but then again, you guys all know that! It's so nice to relax in the peace and comfort of our own compartment. Plenty of room to move around in. I was really surprised at the size of the bottom bunk. My wife and I are both, shall we say, fluffy. But we managed to get into the bottom bunk very nicely and snuggled up to one another all night long. Neither one of us was looking forward to trying to climb that ladder to get into the upper!  Climate control worked great. Meals were very tasty, although my wife's steak on the return trip was way over-cooked and she ended up leaving about half of it uneaten. This is the way to go! The trips were pretty much uneventful. We were about an hour late getting into Penn Station, and about 30 minutes late getting into Sebring. No big deal. Our SCA on the northbound trip was one of those guys who just did the minimum. Even still, I gave him a small tip, and when I did he looked at it, fanned it out to see if there was any more, then slightly shook his head in disappointment. If there weren't half a dozen suitcases between him and me in the car's vestibule, I would've grabbed the money out of his hand and put it back in my pocket. On the other hand, our SCA on the southbound trip, Ray, was excellent. He popped his head in several times to see how we were doing or if we needed anything. He brought us the Sunday Times in the morning (I had forgotten we were entitled to a morning paper, since our northbound SCA neglected to give us one). And he brought our lunch to us in our room at our request (extra tip for that service, of course).

The only negative came at the very end of the trip, when we got back to our house. We had an outside water pipe burst and it was shooting water out like a volcano. We asked around, and apparently there was a deep freeze Tuesday night. So this thing was spewing since Wednesday morning. Luckily we were able to get a plumber out right away (on a Sunday evening) to fix it. We just add the repair bill to the cost of the vacation, which wasn't very much anyhow. 

In case you couldn't figure it out, we all had an absolutely wonderful time.

Next up: an Alaska cruise roundtrip out of Vancouver in July. The train trip from Sebring to Vancouver, roundtrip in bedrooms all the way, has already been booked, again courtesy of AGR.


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## kal-tex (Dec 13, 2010)

Great trip report! It makes me even more anxious to get to New York - I've been trying to convince my husband that we should go, but he, like your wife, has been hesitant. Isn't FREE-AGR travel wonderful?


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## Shanghai (Dec 13, 2010)

*Thanks for the great report. I'm glad you had an outstanding holiday trip.*

*We usually go to Tampa for a couple of weeks in February on the Silver Star.*

*We live in New Jersey, about 24 miles west of the city. I worked downtown*

*for a few years and did the commute like you. Three years ago, we did a*

*Christmas in the city for three days and nights and had a wonderful time.*

*The city is decorated beautifully and the walk along Fifth Avenue and the*

*store windows are an unique experience. I didn't know there was a White Castle*

*joint in the city and didn't know you can get a slice of pizza for one dollar!!*

*Our daughter lives on Long Island (Plandome) so we take the NJ Transit train to*

*NYP and the LIRR to Plandome often. I hope you have a nice Christmas in Florida.*


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## frugalist (Dec 13, 2010)

kal-tex said:


> Great trip report! It makes me even more anxious to get to New York - I've been trying to convince my husband that we should go, but he, like your wife, has been hesitant. Isn't FREE-AGR travel wonderful?


Maybe if you show him this thread, he might not be so reluctant to go. 

Yes, AGR travel is wonderful! Probably one of the best values of all the travel loyalty programs out there. I'm estimating our train trip would've cost close to $2,000 if we had to pay for it. And my son's trip would've been around $1,500. The Starwood Preferred Guest program is also great. Our room in Manhattan would've come to well over $2,000 after taxes for five nights. My son and his girlfriend stayed in the same hotel, also on an SPG award, so they saved the same amount on their room. So between the four of us, we saved about $8,000 on travel and lodging. We could never have afforded these kinds of accommodation without AGR and SPG.


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## frugalist (Dec 13, 2010)

Additional thoughts and comments:

Sometimes when I go on a trip, I set myself an interesting challenge. For example, I went to visit my son in Atlanta for a few days in November while my wife was on a business trip to California. I set myself the challenge of riding every mile of the Atlanta MARTA rail system during the day while my son was at work. And I succeeded! For this trip to New York, I set myself the challenge of using as many modes of transportation as possible during our stay. We did: Amtrak long-distance train, NYC taxicab, NYC subway, NYC bus, walk, Staten Island Ferry, Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tram, Long Island Railroad, rental car. We chose not to do a horse-drawn carriage ride or a pedicab ride, so I acknowledge that we didn't get 100%. But it was fun.

Thoughts about the ClubAcela: we were very pleased with the whole experience. I had read some comments that the attendants in the CA were gruff and curt, but that was not my experience at all. We were buzzed in and I asked the attendant if she handled ticketing and baggage checking here. Very politely she asked to see my reservation and ID. She said after she printed our tickets, all we had to do was take our bags to the baggage claim counter right around the corner and they would handle the baggage checking there. Again, very polite and courteous. After I checked our bags, we sat down for a few minutes to rest. We had some soda and a muffin. The lounge was crowded but there were seats for everyone. I liked the fact that the soda machine worked. When I was in the Washington, DC CA in July, the only soda was little 8-ounce cans. I drink a lot of soda, so having the soda machine working was a big plus. We all agreed that the CA was a great place to relax and wait for your train, away from the maddening crowd out in the main waiting area.

I used to love picking up some croissants or muffins from Au Bon Pain when I worked in the city. I can't find an Au Bon Pain where I live now (I just checked Google Maps and there are a couple in Orlando). So when we were in NYC, we went to Au Bon Pain a couple of times. I discovered that during the last hour a store is open, they sell any remaining baked goods for half-price. What a deal!

The $1 slice of pizza from a walk-up counter on the corner of 8th Ave. and about 38th St (it's on the southwest corner) was some of the best pizza I had during the week. The crust is not paper-thin like a lot of NY pizza. I like mine a little thicker. It's not Chicago-style, but the crust is a little chewier than most NY pizza. And the sauce is good, and they put a decent amount of cheese on it. The same place also sells fresh baked goods at amazing prices. Since this was the very last place we went to before we got on our train home, we got 3 HUGE croissants for $1 apiece. I just now warmed one up in the microwave and had it for lunch. Excellent!


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## Bill Haithcoat (Dec 13, 2010)

Fascinating report. Count me among those who love the Big Apple, not just the trains.


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## pennyk (Dec 13, 2010)

WOW, great report. Trains, Jon Stewart and John Lennon all in one trip - priceless!!

I travel on the Silver Meteor quite often and I usually get a pretty good SCA.

Stay warm, I'm in Orlando and it is supposed to freeze here tonight (Monday) (and I assume Sebring too).


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## frugalist (Dec 15, 2010)

pennyk said:


> WOW, great report. Trains, Jon Stewart and John Lennon all in one trip - priceless!!


Lots of trains! And that's not a bad thing. 

The taping of The Daily Show was interesting. I was surprised that they take the full 28-30 minutes to tape the show. They stop the action at the points where commercials are seen. Then after 2-3 minutes resume. I was expecting them to just go from one segment straight to another then edit the commercials in after the taping. Jon messed up one of his lines and had to re-do it after the end of the regular taping. Sort of a Take 2 for two sentences. The correct line was overdubbed onto the original.

The mood at Strawberry Fields was understandably somber and respectful. Very beautiful scene. I'm glad I went there that morning.



> I travel on the Silver Meteor quite often and I usually get a pretty good SCA.


It would be fun to run into one another on a train some day. We'll be on the Silver Meteor again in July. Maybe then.



> Stay warm, I'm in Orlando and it is supposed to freeze here tonight (Monday) (and I assume Sebring too).


We survived this week's freeze without incident.


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## Sbaitso (Dec 16, 2010)

Thanks for the great report! I've been on the Silver Star before but never the Silver Meteor and always wondered how it was.

I'm going to take my second trip to NYC in the spring and already can't wait to go. Your wife is lucky to have someone so familiar with the area show her around. It would be great to have a built in "tour guide" in the group!  It was also very interesting to get your impressions as a visitor versus someone living / working there. I'm sure, like anywhere, it's very different living there versus visiting, but it was a lifelong dream to be able to go and the first trip was amazing. Every time I see the train go past I think about how many days until the trip!

I've never heard of Au Bon Pain but I will try to check them out while I'm there.

Thanks again for the report and information.


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## frugalist (Dec 16, 2010)

Sbaitso said:


> I'm going to take my second trip to NYC in the spring and already can't wait to go. Your wife is lucky to have someone so familiar with the area show her around. It would be great to have a built in "tour guide" in the group!


I'd be happy to volunteer my services as vacation planner/tour guide. All you have to do is cover my expenses! 



> It was also very interesting to get your impressions as a visitor versus someone living / working there. I'm sure, like anywhere, it's very different living there versus visiting, but it was a lifelong dream to be able to go and the first trip was amazing. Every time I see the train go past I think about how many days until the trip!


It's more fun going as a tourist. There were days when I would go to the Sebring station and just watch the northbound Silver Meteor come in and take on its load of passengers. I would think, "In xx days, we'll be on this train heading to New York." I never did anything like that in anticipation of a plane ride.



> I've never heard of Au Bon Pain but I will try to check them out while I'm there.


Somewhat similar to Panera Bread. If you have one near you, you have a rough idea of what Au Bon Pain is like.

Enjoy your trip and let me know if I can help.


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## edding (Dec 16, 2010)

Great report! I've stayed in that Sheraton 4 Points and will stay there again in March -- it's a nice hotel in a fun area( my son is chef at Quattro restaurant just down the street). NYC is a great city to visit. Would love to arrive in a sleeper someday( took a sleeper from there to Orlando many many years ago -- late 70's).


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## NETrainfan (Dec 16, 2010)

Enjoyable review. Good details about NYC. Sounds like a very active trip.

Reminds me of the days when we would take the train into the city(NY) from CT and do many of the things you did.

Now we go to Florida on the Silver Meteor to take cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral (Orlando), or Jacksonville. Noted that you are taking the train to your cruise. Traveling by train and ship is fun!


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2010)

frugalist said:


> Our day on Long Island was one of reliving old memories. We took the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, rented a car, then drove around the neighborhoods where I grew up. We ate at some of the old places I used to enjoy. Again, very magical. Saturday morning, it was back on the LIRR to Penn Station.


I bet the M7's were a surprise!


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## frugalist (Dec 18, 2010)

Guest said:


> frugalist said:
> 
> 
> > Our day on Long Island was one of reliving old memories. We took the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, rented a car, then drove around the neighborhoods where I grew up. We ate at some of the old places I used to enjoy. Again, very magical. Saturday morning, it was back on the LIRR to Penn Station.
> ...


M7's? What are they?


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## AlanB (Dec 18, 2010)

frugalist said:


> Guest said:
> 
> 
> > frugalist said:
> ...


The new railcars in use on the LIRR, the electric ones that is.

Back when you rode the LIRR daily you would have been in either M1's or M3's.


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## frugalist (Dec 18, 2010)

Ahhh... I liked them. I like the electronic signs announcing the next stop and destination both visually and audibly. The ride was nice and smooth. Don't know if that's a function of better technology in the building of the cars or better tracks, or a combination of the two. The blue seats are nice too.


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## AlanB (Dec 18, 2010)

frugalist said:


> . The ride was nice and smooth. Don't know if that's a function of better technology in the building of the cars or better tracks, or a combination of the two.


Probably a combination, but with more emphasis on better cars and in particular the trucks & springs.


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## Sbaitso (Dec 19, 2010)

> I bet the M7's were a surprise!


Are those the cars that MTA Metro-North runs out of Grand Central? I took one of those from Grand Central to Fordham to go to Arthur Avenue a couple of years ago and was really impressed. I couldn't believe how quick and clean they were and the ride was so smooth you couldn't feel you were moving at some points.


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## AlanB (Dec 19, 2010)

Sbaitso said:


> > I bet the M7's were a surprise!
> 
> 
> Are those the cars that MTA Metro-North runs out of Grand Central? I took one of those from Grand Central to Fordham to go to Arthur Avenue a couple of years ago and was really impressed. I couldn't believe how quick and clean they were and the ride was so smooth you couldn't feel you were moving at some points.


Essentially they're the same cars, but there are some subtle differences and the Metro North cars are newer than the LIRR's. The Metro North cars are also designated M7A's.


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## had8ley (Dec 19, 2010)

Great report~ who says you can't go back ??? We did a similar trip in April for spring break.(My patents and grand-parents are buried in New Jersey and on the Island) Our grand-daughter conned us into taking a cab over to Brooklyn in order to walk back to Manhattan. The path is about 10 feet wide with a bike lane and a pedestrian lane. Well...we took the cab at the exact wrong time (4 p.m.) and met the hoards coming home and almost got run over by irate bicyclists numerous times.Believe it or not,I'd do it again but bring a baseball bat next go 'round !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## frugalist (Dec 19, 2010)

had8ley said:


> Great report~ who says you can't go back ??? We did a similar trip in April for spring break.(My patents and grand-parents are buried in New Jersey and on the Island) Our grand-daughter conned us into taking a cab over to Brooklyn in order to walk back to Manhattan. The path is about 10 feet wide with a bike lane and a pedestrian lane. Well...we took the cab at the exact wrong time (4 p.m.) and met the hoards coming home and almost got run over by irate bicyclists numerous times.Believe it or not,I'd do it again but bring a baseball bat next go 'round !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


Ya gotta go with the flow. 

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was on our list of things to do, but it was just too damn cold to do it this time. I can't believe we were crazy enough to walk a few blocks along the Coney Island boardwalk!

My wife loved the city and wants to go back again, but in the Spring or Autumn. We'll do it then. Another one of those things I never did in all the years I lived and worked there.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (Dec 20, 2010)

frugalist said:


> The $1 slice of pizza from a walk-up counter on the corner of 8th Ave. and about 38th St (it's on the southwest corner) was some of the best pizza I had during the week. The crust is not paper-thin like a lot of NY pizza. I like mine a little thicker. It's not Chicago-style, but the crust is a little chewier than most NY pizza. And the sauce is good, and they put a decent amount of cheese on it.


One can get the best pizza without even leaving Orlando, at NYPD. :wub:


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## frugalist (Dec 21, 2010)

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> frugalist said:
> 
> 
> > The $1 slice of pizza from a walk-up counter on the corner of 8th Ave. and about 38th St (it's on the southwest corner) was some of the best pizza I had during the week. The crust is not paper-thin like a lot of NY pizza. I like mine a little thicker. It's not Chicago-style, but the crust is a little chewier than most NY pizza. And the sauce is good, and they put a decent amount of cheese on it.
> ...


You can also get the best Chicago-style pizza without even leaving Orlando at Giordano's. So many people on this forum recommend a visit to Giordano's when going to Chicago. I ordered one from their Orlando restaurant last summer and it was all it was cracked up to be. I'm ashamed to say it, but it gives the best NY pizza a serious run for its money.


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## RailFanLNK (Dec 27, 2010)

Sounds like a great trip! I took my wife and two kids to NYC-DC in the summer of '08 and we loved it! Our trip was on AGR as well! Glad things went well!


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## jb64 (Sep 25, 2011)

bringing up an old thread to ask a question.

My spouse has finally agreed to go with me to New York City. He has never been. I have been a couple of times but this time will be different because we are only doing a day trip due to other obligations. My question is, how do we get the most out of trip? I wanted to go during the Christmas season to see the decorations for my birthday which is also during the Christmas season. We will be taking Acela from Was at 9 am arriving 11:46 in NYP. Any suggestions for an itenarary for the day? We will be taking Acela back at 6 pm, so we have roughly five hours. Would a hop on hop off tour be our best bet to see the most? This will also be black friday, how crazy will it be in NYC, particularly times square and Rockefeller Center?

Thanks for any suggestions


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