Hey guys! Thanks for all your encouragement for the second part of my report. I鈥檓 sorry its taken so long, but I鈥檝e been working 14 hour shifts in preparation for my next trip to Aspen in Feb!!!
So, we鈥檇 just been out to the River Caf茅, and then Beekman Tower for drinks. When we came out it had gone really cold so we cabbed back over to our hotel and got into bed. During our trip, whenever we were in our room we were always watching the A%26amp;E channel. Its all true crime stories which me and Colin love, if they had it in the UK I鈥檇 never get a thing done! so we cosied up and watched that.
The next morning (Friday) we got up at ten. I鈥檓 a real night owl at home and the early mornings were really starting to get to me but we didn鈥檛 want to miss the city. For our breakfast we decided to eat in the hotel restaurant (Foleys), because we thought we should try it once, and it had a good view over Times Square. It was all you can eat, and I tried a bagel for the first time ever, with cream cheese. It was an exciting moment (its so about the little things for me). After that we decided to do 34th street shopping as we鈥檇 only done Macy鈥檚 previously. I bought so much stuff, it was one of the happiest days of my life. We hammered Macy鈥檚 again for half an hour, where I bought a bag and purse, then H%26amp;M for two more bags and a fleece, and then I just went mad in Forever 21 and Banana Republic. I thought Colin wouldn鈥檛 really want to shop, but he was getting into it more than I was! We went in a cheap suit shop (which there are loads of) and there were bright red suits (for pimps only). I really wanted Col to get one for fancy dress parties. We were laughing so much. By this point we had started adopting the NY accent now and again 鈥?I think we just wanted to be New Yorkers. I kept saying 鈥楾hank you鈥?in an American accent, and when some guy asked Col for a cigarette on the street, he thought I wasn鈥檛 listening, so he broke into American, saying 鈥楽ure buddy, no problem鈥? Obviously, I told him what a loser he was.
By the time we reached the end of the street, it had gone dark (ooops). Today I had planned for us to go to the village and lunch at Balthazar, but Col preferred to shop as we鈥檇 already been through it on the bus tour. I felt we missed out there. We decided to get an early meal on the way back to the hotel, and then go out later on an empty stomach to get lashed (that means drunk!), so we went to TGI Friday鈥檚. I know in a city of beautiful and varied cuisine that is a terrible admission, but only pure fat, stodge and carbs would do after a day in the shops. Back at our hotel, Colin fell asleep whilst I gazed at my new purchases! That night we were really keen to try out the Marriott Marquis revolving restaurant for cocktails and then hit a few more bars, as I鈥檇 heard a lot about the hotel on the forum. I know everyone moans about the lifts but the hotel just seems so badly planned it was a joke. You have to go up all escalators to get to the lifts in the first place, and then there are certain lifts for certain floors, and you have to queue for the lifts for the bar. Some girl was complaining to a lift attendant because she鈥檇 been waiting for the lift to her room on the fortieth floor for over twenty minutes! Anyway the revolving bar was quite cool, but our waiter didn鈥檛 come over for over half an hour 鈥?we were just sitting there without a drink, but he鈥檇 definitely seen us. Then he started serving other people before us, so when he went past I asked if we could have two menus and he was really rude saying we could only have one menu. Okay! About fifteen minutes later he gave us a menu and then later came back to serve us. We asked for two drinks each, because we didn鈥檛 want to have to wait another half hour to be served again and thought we鈥檇 just go elsewhere after, and he said you cant get more than one at a time in NY 鈥?which we didn鈥檛 mind as he said it was the law, but he was really rude again, so we just decided to leave, as we don鈥檛 mind paying expensive prices, but not for crap service. By the time we got downstairs the queue for the lifts were massive! Nightmare. So we were glad we hadn鈥檛 stayed there. After that we got drunk in some local bars 鈥?Col didn鈥檛 really want to stray to far from our hotel because he thought he might lose me in the big city! At about two am we found ourselves in the Times Square 24 hours McDonalds with about thirty dollars worth of food for two. Walking back to our hotel we were offered loads of cocaine and ecstasy, which we politely declined!
The next morning it was Saturday. We brunched at The Brooklyn Diner 鈥?everyone going to NY should definitely go, as the food was great, and the chocolate shakes made me cry with joy. After that we went to Armani where Col got a suit for five hundred pounds less than the same one in the UK. We also went to Grand Central Station and Juniors (yum yum), Bloomingdales and then made our way down fifth avenue via a few shops, to the Rockefeller Centre and the ESB for dusk. The queues to just get in some of the shops such as SAKS and FAO Schwartz were an hour and a half 鈥?going all round the block. How do you guys manage to do your Christmas shopping? By the time we got to the ESB, they were also queuing for an hour and a half (even with my pre purchased online tickets), and it would have been pitch black by then, so we decided to go early the next morning. That night I decided we were going to Charascarria Plataforma (?) as I had read all good reviews on here and it seemed really interesting. Col, however was really not keen as he thought it would be some bino all you can eat place! How wrong he was 鈥?it turned out to be his favourite meal of our trip. For anyone wondering where to eat, this place is so cool. The cocktails are gorgeous, and the restaurant system is so great. The maitre鈥檇 seemed to take a liking to us though and kept coming over and turning our cards to green and beckoning servers over! Every bit of meat was just cooked to perfection, but we were racing to turn our cards back to red before we were flocked by servers 鈥?we were so full! It was brilliant, and just such a great NY experience.
The next morning was our last day. We had decided to do Central Park, and when Col opened the curtains it was snowing, and there was snow all over! I鈥檓 not religious but it was like a beautiful gift from God for our last day! First we went to the ESB, but were told there was zero visibility. We had tickets though so we went up anyway. You literally couldn鈥檛 see a thing, and we had the audio tour saying 鈥榮traight ahead of you is the Chrysler Building鈥? It was quite funny. On the way over to Central Park, we stopped of at Ellen鈥檚 Stardust Diner 鈥?It was like being in Grease, just so funny, the staff are brilliant and so theatrical 鈥?standing on the booths belting out classics from The Little Mermaid. Seeing Central Park in the snow was just lovely. We walked up to The Dakota buildings, past the Strawberry Field memorial and along the Mall to the Wolman Rink. Afterwards we were running short of time, so we flagged a cab to take us back to Times Square. We must have looked like such loser tourists 鈥?Col just madly waves standing in the street at any cab even though it鈥檚 blatantly full of customers, whilst I stand on the pavement doubled up laughing. After finally reaching Times Square we spent loads of cash in Sephora. I love that shop - its inspirational! (and the one in Paris is a must for anyone heading over that way). And then it was all over. We cabbed back to JFK in silence thinking about the best time we鈥檇 had.
Since we鈥檝e been home, we鈥檝e been back working in the pub where Col is a manager and I work on the bar. After being home for two weeks I am missing New York so much, and I don鈥檛 know when we鈥檒l next make it back. We had the best time, and I just think it鈥檚 down to all the help from everyone here. We didn鈥檛 get to do some of the things I鈥檇 planned (the Village etc.) but I wouldn鈥檛 have changed anything. We did so many great things and experienced so many finds that we would have never known of if not for all of you. So thanks everyone, and until I next return, I鈥檒l just go back to being a quiet forum addict, reading all your lovely posts. Love from Cath xxx
Caths big trip report part 2Glad you enjoyed your trip, maybe one day you will come back %26amp; do the things you missed this trip (although you sure did a lot).
Have fun in Aspen.
Caths big trip report part 2Great report, Cath.
Well, I see The View at the Marriott still has some of the snootiest wait staff in town. I used to go there to meet friends after work now and then many years ago, and we had to put up with major attitude more than once. I really don%26#39;t get it, it%26#39;s like they TRAIN them to be jerks.
Sorry you had to walk out, but glad to hear most of the rest of your trip was fun.
What a FUN report! I will have to steal some of your ideas!!! :) Thanx for sharing!
I love your reports, they are such fun, and it%26#39;s so easy to imagine myself right there with you. Well done on a fabulous trip.
Cath - it sounds like you had such a good laugh whilst you were there!
Glad you liked Churascaria (sp) we loved it too :)
Great report! Thank you! Love your upbeat attitude and humorous view on things. Since you went to the churuscaria plataforma and got stuffed to the gills, and since you had the spine to leave the Marriot Marquis, you are forgiven your trips to McDonalds and TGI Friday%26#39;s, and your shameless attempts at speaking New Yorkese!
Next time you%26#39;re here, buy a dozen bagels at Ess A Bagel or H%26amp;H, and take them home!
Well put, QBx3!
What a great report. You sound like you could have fun anywhere, though. The New York accent was a nice touch. And good for you for bailing on the View. I agree, I won%26#39;t spend money unless I%26#39;m well treated, and there%26#39;s really no excuse. By the way, I%26#39;d never heard there was a law against serving two drinks. Anyone else ever hear of that?
By the way, I do my Christmas shopping at odd times and never at the major Fifth Ave. shops -- too crowded and way too expensive. I steer clear of Macy%26#39;s and that area%26#39;s shops as well. Plus I do lots of internet shopping. I just can%26#39;t handle the crowds!
You found an interesting way to avoid the long wait at the ESB -- just go in zero visibility!!! That%26#39;s funny.
So, after all the carbs and fat, does Col%26#39;s Armani need a bit of altering?
Well put, QBx3!
What a great report. You sound like you could have fun anywhere, though. The New York accent was a nice touch. And good for you for bailing on the View. I agree, I won%26#39;t spend money unless I%26#39;m well treated, and there%26#39;s really no excuse. By the way, I%26#39;d never heard there was a law against serving two drinks. Anyone else ever hear of that?
By the way, I do my Christmas shopping at odd times and never at the major Fifth Ave. shops -- too crowded and way too expensive. I steer clear of Macy%26#39;s and that area%26#39;s shops as well. Plus I do lots of internet shopping. I just can%26#39;t handle the crowds!
You found an interesting way to avoid the long wait at the ESB -- just go in zero visibility!!! That%26#39;s funny.
So, after all the carbs and fat, does Col%26#39;s Armani need a bit of altering?
Oops!
Dear Cath,
I%26#39;ve been living in Manhattan since 1966, but reading your report brought it all back to me--how magical it all seemed when I first got here. Naturally, I STILL love it, couldn%26#39;t possibly live anywhere else (well, maybe Paris). Anyway, it was delightful reading your post and catching your enthusiasm. Hints for next time: Yes, by all means, do the Village but also take a look at Battery Park City and Brooklyn. There%26#39;s nothing as peaceful as Park Slope, Brooklyn on a Sunday morning. Great Italian restaurant: Becco in the Theatre District; favorite fish restaurant: Salmon River on E. 40th St. We LOVE tourists like you and Col. Please come back soon.
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