My two days in NYC

Had an absolutely wonderful time and learned a lesson. Never plan anything for your first night if you%26#39;re coming in they afternoon. First of all my plane was late and then I took Airlink into the city which took forever. So, I called an cancelled my Fiorello reservation and wrote off the cost of my ticket to Slava%26#39;s Snowshow.

Got a great room at the Westside Y on the sixth floor which is the same floor the computer banks are on. I found out two things. 1) Anyone who is a guest can use their Y facilities which includes heated pool, sauna, and fitness room; and, 2) they do have private rooms en suite for about $100 a night. Next time I%26#39;m going to upgrade from a single with shared bath for $68.

Tuesday I spent the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and saw four special exhibitions they had. The Prague one was extremely well done and of special interest to me as I was flying to Prague on Wednesday. The other thre exhibits were the Van Gogh drawings, the Fra Angelica retrospective (my second favorite), and a photography exhibit on the occult called ';The Perfect Medium.';

I had a 5:30 reservation for Angus McIndoe and was very pleased with my choice. Had an excellent grilled salmon and followed that with an warm apple pie for dessert.

Afterwards I went to see Spamalot which I%26#39;ve been waiting to do ever since it opened. I wasn%26#39;t disappointed and laughed all the way through.

Getting a cab back from the show was almost impossible. Two wouldn%26#39;t take me because the ride was two short (20 blocks?) but the third one was the charm. This was good because the evening had turned very cold and I was freezing.

By morning I had a cold so I didn%26#39;t do the Guggenheim. Instead around 11:30 I walked to Cafe Fiorello and managed to get in without a reservation for lunch. I was amazed at how popular the restaurant is and how wonderful the food is. I started with a mouthwatering salad of greens with caramelized pears and nuts followed by a pasta with basil, pesto, green beans and parmesan. Extraodinary.

Following lunch I walked to the Vivian Beaumont theater for Light in the Piazza which was superb. Well deserving of all the Tony%26#39;s.

Did Airlink back to JFK and the driver was there 10 minutes ahead of schedule. So, although I did no sightseeing, it was absolutely fantastic for the most part and keeps reminding me why it is hard to beat New York for a wonderful vacation.

My two days in NYC

Sounds fabulous. I hope your trip to Prague is just as good and the cold doesn%26#39;t slow you down. Very happy holidays!

My two days in NYC

Come back soon to sample our delicious Pizza or spend some time in Chinatown and enjoy a delicious meal. Neither of which can be found as good anywhere outside of New York City!

Sorry you had to miss Slava%26#39;s Snowshow--especially since you already had the tickets. I do agree--it can be risky planning to do something the first night in town. Otherwise, it sounds like you had a great time.

Thanks for the report! Short and sweet. Too bad about the Snowshow, etc. Hope you recovered ffrom your cold quickly. Please add your opinions to the restaurant reviews on these websites. They will be very helpful.

www.menupages.com

www.newyork.citysearch.com

Also, put your restaurant reviews in the ';dining'; section on the TA page.

Great report i agree with not making plans as you do not know what will happen, e.g weather, running late etc... glad you enjoyed your trip and wrap up for Prague.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays

The Y is a wonderful bargain, isn%26#39;t it? I don%26#39;t understand why people put up with some of the awful ';budget'; hotels when they could have such great amenities at the Y.

Sounds like you a had a wonderful, but too brief, trip. Thanks for the report, and have a wonderful visit to Prague.

Sorry I%26#39;m so late in responding.

BeeGee, I%26#39;ve been to New York so many times (actually was born in Manhattan 66 years ago) and when I have more time Chinatown is always on my agenda.

Bettina, I don%26#39;t understand why people prefer some of the awful ';hotels'; either. The Y is kept superclean and you can%26#39;t beat the location. BTW, I%26#39;m in DC now and staying at the International Hostel there which isn%26#39;t as great as the Westside Y but still beats the price of a hotel in DC. A friend of mine joined me in DC and we have a double room for $79 a night.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season all. I%26#39;m off to KC tomorrow to spend Christmas with my son and then back to the Virgin Islands to warm up.