"The road is always better than the inn."
When you visit New York, you probably have a fundamental disagreement with that famous Cervantes sentiment. Getting there is not half the fun, much less the highlight of the trip.
Subways make it possible to avoid gridlocked streets and crowded sidewalks, but let's face it: only a nut would ride subways for pleasure, though based on my experience, a few of them do.
This time, however, we decided to play tourist, buying 48 hour tickets for the Big Bus hop-on, hop-off tour along with our hotel reservation at Hilton Newark Penn before leaving home through our vendor Travel Bound .
On Tuesday, we rode along with Gina on her morning commute train into Philadelphia, which was actually very pleasant despite traveling with suitcases during rush hour. We walked outside the station and caught the Megabus to NYC for $9 per person rather than taking trains all the way. The bus had more leg room than airplanes and free internet, so it was also a pleasant enough ride until we reached NYC.
After a quick coffee, short subway ride, long walk and rapid check-in at our Hell's Kitchen Comfort Inn (actually quite nice with a friendly staff), we backtracked to the M & M Store to catch the Big Bus. We grabbed seats on top, plugged in our headphones and sped away...at about 1 mile per hour. We were gridlocked in Time Square traffic.
At Trump Tower, our guide talked about a prior job working in that building where everything purportedly ran with "military-like efficiency," and every smudge on any surface was immediately wiped clean by dilligent staff who loved their boss.
"Donald Trump has been the subject of tabloid controversy lately, but as a New Yorker I have to say he's done a lot of good for our city, donating money to a lot of worthwhile causes. And his kids are all wonderful people too," gushed our guide.
We passed the Dakota Building, in front of which John Lennon was killed in 1980. It remains a very expensive co-op, close to Central Park where Strawberry Fields was carved out in tribute to Lennon. Fans continue to flock to the area to pay their respects the former Beatle. Around the corner are plenty of other massive buildings where well-known celebrities (whose names were rattled off by our guide) own multi-million dollar condos and co-ops.
Our Big Bus Tour took place over two days, if not a full 48 hours we had planned. We had instead spent an extra day in Pennsylvania to visit Valley Forge. The Big Bus Tour came with a Hornblower cruise past the New York Skyline Stature of Liberty, which we enjoyed the first afternoon.
Too soon, it was time to say goodnight to Amy and her boyfriend Lukas, because after the second partial day on the hop-on, hop-off tour, we would be heading to Brooklyn to catch the Caribbean Princess.
Taxis moving at a snail's pace blocked interesections from all four directions as our bus inched forward as if the driver thought he was on a moped that could squeeze through the cracks. It brought to mind the first time I visited New York in the passenger seat of Pat Welch's pickup truck 40 years ago. It was a good reminder of why we don't rent a car in the City.
Nonetheless, the view from the top of the bus and the constant patter from New York guides who obviously love their city as well as their jobs was a totally different world than pushing forward on the crowded sidewalks and streets below.
We were elevated above it all.
A lot of history about the founding of our nation took place here, but that's for another day.
We would play tourists in one of the great cities of the world, taking in the sites without searching for a lot of historical significance, although one of the first things our guide pointed out was the spot in Time Square where Tupac Shakur was shot five times in 1994. That attack didn't kill the rapper, but it was a precursor to his violent end. Our guide of course proudly pointed out the tower where the ball drops at midnight on New Year's Eve.
It was the first time I fully appreciated the scale of the architecture, including the huge museums, the largest Cathedral in the world as well as many other beautiful churches and other monumental buildings.
"Donald Trump has been the subject of tabloid controversy lately, but as a New Yorker I have to say he's done a lot of good for our city, donating money to a lot of worthwhile causes. And his kids are all wonderful people too," gushed our guide.
We passed the Dakota Building, in front of which John Lennon was killed in 1980. It remains a very expensive co-op, close to Central Park where Strawberry Fields was carved out in tribute to Lennon. Fans continue to flock to the area to pay their respects the former Beatle. Around the corner are plenty of other massive buildings where well-known celebrities (whose names were rattled off by our guide) own multi-million dollar condos and co-ops.
The Dakota Building got its name because at the time of its construction in the early 1880s, the Upper West Side was so sparsely populated that others living in Manhattan considered it as remote as the Dakota Territories. Nonetheless, it became and remains one of the most prestigious buildings in the city, which of course has closed in all around it, with the exception of the open space set aside for Central Park.
There are four routes, including one to Brooklyn and a night tour which we wanted to take but for which we simply didn't have time. We never took advantage of hopping off to spend time anywhere until we reached the stop for the scenic cruise, but we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend it.
Taking advantage of the hop-on, hop-off feature could make it better.
However, we had places to go and things to do.
After the cruise, we walked over to the Freedom Tower, which rises above dual sunken fountains where the Twin Towers once stood.
We will never forget the terror of 9-11 and the waves of uncertainty that radiated from it.
The fact that America got back on its feet so quickly is a testament to our people and leaders like New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
We continued walking over to the Time Inc. building where Amy worked as Digital Editor for Travel+Leisure.
The modern building rises along the waterfront. Next to it is a beautiful park ideal for taking lunch.
There are panoramic views in all directions.
The offices themselves epitomize modern luxury, somewhat like a Celebrity cruise ship.
We met a few of Amy's co-workers, who were all friendly and bright.
As we left for dinner, I couldn't help wondering what Amy was thinking leaving this wonderful job to take a new position as Online Director of Popular Science.
As Amy explained at Nai Tapas Bar over delicious sangria, empanadas, steak and other tapas, it was an opportunity which she hadn't actively sought but also one that she couldn't turn down, because such breaks don't come around that often.
Too soon, it was time to say goodnight to Amy and her boyfriend Lukas, because after the second partial day on the hop-on, hop-off tour, we would be heading to Brooklyn to catch the Caribbean Princess.
Area Around Time Inc. Building
Scenic Manhattan Cruise
Odds and Ends
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