Thrice in a lifetime

 

View from Empire State Building Oct 2020

A lifetime ago we last visited New York. Was a passing through visit en route from Boston to Washington. I'd previously done a work trip out there but that was more of a bar crawl, I think the height of culture a ride in a yellow taxi. So third time lucky for a good look around, our last trip in 2000 has about 3 photos, the one above taken from top of the Empire State Building looking down towards the Twin Towers. Remember them?

New Years Resolution to plan our travels better sort of gone to plan, there is an itinerary, some eateries booked or identified, and have generally thought through what we want to do. Planning did not quite extend to a more civilised flight time so next to no sleep and 3am departure for Heathrow.  Not the excitement it once was, but a simple journey, although blearily had to drive in and out of short stay to our actual drop off point behind the Sofitel.  Walk into the terminal as we did on our trip a month ago, and through the checks super fast.  We noted we appeared to have been upgraded to Premium Economy on the way out, we had booked it for the return, so BA finally recognising our loyalty?

Wetherspoons and BA loyalty points

Bronze don't get us in the lounge but we love a Wetherspoons breakfast and Bloody Mary - signature start to most of our adventures.  And so New York, New Amsterdam beckoned, a nice continuation piece from our last trip, the Dutch the early settlers, we will look for evidence of their influence ( I won't include the liberal drug laws, the smell of marijuana and little spliff trucks on the sidewalks in that)

Your carriage awaits

The High Life of Premium Economy

Not quite sliver service

Games are improving

Not as simple as I was expecting

So the flight itself was very comfy, and that little bit more service oriented in the cabin we were in.  Little touches like the drink before take off, a menu, fairly regular attention all appreciated, but the ability to stretch right out the most important feature I think.  7 hours just about takes us into the periphery of long haul territory so very much appreciated, able to get a few dozes in here and there.  I did watch the Barbie movie, but was a little too existential for my rather weary brain. A few console games and reading a thriller more manageable.

The US customs experience was one of our slicker and sharper engagements with this process. Queue was short, our ESTAs still valid from our recent trips to Vegas and SanFran (3rd US trip in 2 years) and the baggage appeared ... what more can you ask? Not seeing your exact same case but realising it was someone else's before your own did cause a few thoughts that we could be needing to investigate a 'case' of mistaken identity if the other owners weren't on their game.  NYPD would have loved it.

Chrissi had worked out out travel into downtown plans. It still hadn't reached midday New York time, so happy to go public so to speak.  A rail train took us out of the airport passed the car hire places and to the Jamaica Street Terminal. We then swapped to the E subway line and 10 or so stops later arrived in Manhattan. All told around 30 bucks compared to the 100 dollar plus taxi and with around the same travel time. Plus the pleasure of watching your ordinary New Yorkers go about their business, and a subway entertainer demonstrate acrobatics as the whole cabin stared at the floor.

Follow that Steam

Yellow is the colour

Room with a view

Room

On exiting the subway one would assume the simple street grid system would mean an easy find of our Hilton Hotel. 2 minutes away it said, and after some rather circular walks and initial sightings of Broadway, yellow buses, taxis etc and a few other hotels we arrived 15 minutes later! The steam coming up from the drains feels very New York, condensation reacting with warm pipes apparently, cold weather perfect for some good pictures !Check in a breeze, resort fee of $45 a night an expected addition, but we hadn't realised breakfast was included and we have $35 a day to spend in Hilton amenities so maybe we are breaking even.

Lobby beer bar

I decided to use one of the free amenities once we had dumped our stuff in the room, a very well appointed gym although 30 mins on the treadmill all that was needed to get the blood flowing post flight, and then it was a shower and out into the early evening air via a Brooklyn beer in the hotel lobby to use our daily $35 allowance.

Art

TV

Tall

Backdrop

Park

Dusk falling as we walked down 6th Avenue, and in front of us was commuter chaos, above us was the skyline and iconic buildings you expect. Someone had reminded us that New York feels like a movie set, such is it the backdrop to so many TV and film experiences.  We walked past the live TV stuff at Radio City, the Tonight Show etc  Continued onwards past the Fox News Building and Bryant Park.  On we went with Macys on our right and the Empire State Building making its presence felt to our left.  

rooftop

sunset

cocktail

north pole

xmas?

money shot

Chrissi had heard of a rather kitsch rooftop bar that was a good place to be at nightfall so we made our way there.  Like the set of Elf it was still Xmas on the 20th floor, and the views as the sun fell over the horizon and the Empire State Building directly in front of us were worth taking in. It was of course outside and was a bit cold like the North Pole, but a very strong cocktail kept us warm for the hour or so we enjoyed there.

I'd actually made a reservation for eating this evening, we want to try a few different eating experiences / cuisine we can't get too easily at home so Mexican was our choice tonight. Had found a place that I think had grown from some initial street food seller but was now an established place in its own right Mexicue

choice

share

How?

Obviously we had forgotten the unmanageable portion sizes in the US and got stuck into some shared tortilla starters. The 4 dips all worthy in their own right, the spicy corn and chille avacado particularly stood out, both felt fresh and home cooked.

Already quite full by the time the main course arrived, I went with shrimp fajitas, there was so much more on the plate spicy rice/beans, very vinegary salad, and sizzly, saucy prawns all worked well but could only get through about half a plate!!  Chrissi enjoyed mushroom quesodilla  and the uneaten ones were able to be transported home with us.

The walk back was a retracing of steps, which was just as well. Very tired, very full, and still feeling the effects of the earlier cocktail (mango) Haven't had a drink since before New Year in Haarlem so today's total of a couple of cocktails, three beers, and fizzy wine over a longish day was more than enough for a return.  It was a long day, guess we had an extra 5 hours to play with, but as we reminded ourselves it will never be the longest Wednesday, that was crossing the IDL flying from Fiji to San Fran last year.  Not bad for perhaps one of our longest Wednesdays though!