LT55: New York for Newbies

ISSUE 55 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 55 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018 THE MAGAZINE FOR CORPORATE AND LEISURE TRAVELLERS

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Destination U.S.A., New York City

New York for Newbies

By Roderick Eime

New York City remains a favourite overseas destinations for Aussies and Kiwis despite consistently strong competition from cities like London, Los Angeles and Bangkok. But how should a NYC ‘newbie’ approach this massive metropolis? A middle-aged Roderick Eime takes his belated first bite of the Big Apple.

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W

“

hat? You’ve never been to New York?” was for many years the common response to my confession when I admitted having never travelled to New York City. I’ve been to some pretty far flung places in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and ventured deep into Southeast Asia as well as the jungles of Africa and South America…I figured New York City could wait.

No matter what your time of life, New York City is a bit daunting for a first timer. It’s by far the most populous city in the USA with more than 8.6 million inhabitants across the five boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and The Bronx.

It’s starred in countless movies and TV series and has a European history that predates Captain Cook’s visits to NZ by some 150 years.

With its sometimes brash and brutal persona, it’s like no other city in the USA, or indeed the world.

But don’t be afraid, NYC can be tamed. Despite predictions of a ‘Trump Slump’, NYC topped 13 million international visitors in 2017, up 400,000 from 2016, proving it is a city people still want to visit and is very visitable. So, you’re in good company.

Another benefit to reaching middle age, is having many friends and colleagues who have visited or lived in NYC who are more than happy to share their experiences. So let me relate my own, flavoured with those of my learned compatriots.

tour company tells you) and save a bundle (almost half price) at the same time as well as getting priority access. The main pass will get you six top attractions, but if you’re pressed for time, the budget C3 will allow you to cherry-pick your top three. www.citypass.com/new-york

Firehouse from Ghostbusters movies

Statue of Liberty from Circle Line Cruise

Deck of USS Intrepid

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Staying in NYC: As you can imagine, there are a myriad choices of NYC accommodation across every hotel star rating and AirBNB. Travel writing colleague, Louise, has been visiting NYC for several years and likes to stay for extended periods as she works on her next article.

“Hotels are pretty expensive in Manhattan and while AirBNB may be the cheaper option, you might consider staying out in one of the boroughs,” Louise tells me. “Try Brooklyn, or even New Jersey, across the Hudson River, at Hoboken or Jersey City, which are only short train rides away and might even get you that famous NYC skyline view, which you can’t actually see from Manhattan.”

In Manhattan, the charmingly traditional Hotel Beacon on Broadway is a firm favourite amongst Aussies and Kiwis. Say ‘G’day’ to GM Tom Travers and enjoy superior digs right in the heart of the action, or if you want to get off the island, the Aparium Groups’ brand new, 150-room MC Hotel in New Jersey will be open by the time you read this.

Sightseeing: First-timers have to see the key landmarks, I get that, but you know you’ll be battling the tourist crowds at the same time. My advice is to get a bonus book of pre-paid tickets like CityPASS. You can visit these sites in your own time (not when your

I planned my visits around the hop-on/hop-off bus routes which, when they work, are ideal. You also get bonus admission tickets and discounts at attractions too. I chose Gray Line, but you can also choose Big Bus or Top View. If you have enough time, get Gray Line’s ‘All Around Town’ pass (48 or 72 hour options) which allows you to jump from one route to another.

Tip: For a more personalised, intimate tour, try Intrepid’s Urban Adventures for a chance to see New York like a local. www. urbanadventures.com Getting Around NYC: I like to walk new cities, quite literally until my feet ache. But NYC’s footpaths are not for the faint-hearted. They are pedestrian expressways…so be prepared. “New York is a fast-paced city and New Yorkers walk as fast as they live,” says Lance, a young best-selling author making his mark stateside, “so if you’re thinking of taking a relaxing stroll, head to Central Park as the sidewalks are fast lanes and no place for dawdlers.”

If you’re not on the hop-on/ hop-off bus, others might tell you to use the subway, but it can be daunting and if you’re not paying attention, you could end up somewhere unexpected. Cabs are everywhere and Uber works well too.

Tip: If you are travelling solo or as a couple, UberPOOL is inexpensive if you have a relaxed schedule and don’t mind sharing with others.

Eating Out: Two senior NYC tour guides both told me to avoid the many food carts all over Manhattan like the plague.

“Those carts are ‘life threatening’, says Joe, a New York native who works as a harbour cruise guide,

Pow Wow

One World Trade Center

Crushed firetruck from 9/11 memorial

“just sit and watch one for a while and you’ll see what I mean. They have no sanitary provisions and are not subject to the same rigorous inspections like the restaurants.”

That comes as disappointing advice as the food carts are a signature experience for many in NYC. But food trucks come in all shapes and sizes and one of my former editors, Kristie, who moved

to New York a few years back, says you can still enjoy decent street food.

“If you’re really hankering for street food, you can do a lot better than the ubiquitous hot dog vendors,” she says. “Food trucks (as opposed to ‘carts’) can be found all over the city, some in fixed locations and some tweeting the location of their moveable feasts.

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William Tecumseh Sherman Monument

McGee’s Pub from ‘How I Met Your Mother’

As many as 100 vendors congregate at food fest Smorgasburg in Brooklyn on weekends.”

Tip (Kristie’s): Price-fixed lunch menus at the city’s finest restaurants represent the best ‘foodie’ value. For less than US$50 you can enjoy three courses from top chefs including Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud and Eric Ripert.

The Halal Guys’ bargain gyro-platter is worth lining up for at 53rd & 6th and there is a wealth of choice outside of Manhattan. Take the famous (and expensive) Peter Luger Steak House in Brooklyn for example, or the renowned and affordable international flavours throughout Queens.

Also worth noting are the NYC Sanitation Inspection Grades displayed at the door of restaurants.

My guides tell me only eat at the A-graded ones.

Tip: New York regular and noted travel scribe, Lee Tulloch, advises: “Don’t eat in the theatre district. Just don’t. The food is mostly horrible.

In fact, the whole Broadway area is mostly horrible with the exception of the new Knickerbocker​Hotel at Times Square, which has a fantastic value three-course pre-theatre menu at US$45.

Egyptian antiquities at The Met

Wise Words: Some snippets of advice I wish I’d heard before my trip.

• Don’t forget to tip. Servers are paid poorly, so it’s part of the system. You are entitled to withhold tips for bad service too.

• Don’t make a fuss if you see a celebrity. A polite nod or ‘hello’ is the limit. It’s an unwritten Manhattan rule. Don’t break it.

• A valid credit card with usable limit is super convenient - and vital.

• If you have a time-dependent event i.e. a plane to catch - leave plenty of time to make it. NYC traffic is notorious for a reason.

• Tap water is great and perfectly safe. Save money on expensive and unnecessary bottled water.

• Broadway shows are expensive, but find the Theatre Development Fund’s TKTS Booth at 47th and Broadway which sells heavily discounted, last-minute tickets.

• Avoid the cheesy costume characters in Times Square and the pedicabs in Central Park.

Scams are rife.

THE JEWEL OF THE UPPER WEST SIDE

Located on Manhattan’s trendy Upper West Side, the Hotel Beacon’s 278 rooms and suites are refurbished in a contemporary style. All have fully-equipped kitchenettes, marble bathrooms, flat panel TVs, in-room safes and free wi-fi. There is an on-site restaurant, fitness center and popular Beacon Bar. The hotel is near to Central Park, Lincoln Center and the subway.

Rod’s Top Five: 1.

Strawberry Fields Memorial to John Lennon

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and Museum of Natural History are both geek heaven 2. Harbour Cruise - everyone does it because it’s cool.

3. The Met - it’s just astonishing.

4. The Empire State Building breathtaking from top to bottom.

5. Spyscape - great fun and enlightening too. www.nycgo.com

2130 BROADWAY AT 75TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10023 44 www.letstravelmag.com U.S.A., New York City

TEL #: 212-787-1100 | FAX #: 212-787-8119 | WWW.BEACONHOTEL.COM | EMAIL: RESERVATIONS@BEACONHOTEL.COM

A Beacon on the West Side

By Roderick Eime

The Beacon Hotel on New York City’s Upper West Side has been a poorly kept secret among Kiwis and Aussies visiting the Big Apple for years. You can lay most of the blame with GM, Tom Travers, who makes regular calls down under to visit his busy friends in the travel industry who send more than 2,000 guests from the Antipodes through his doors every year.

T

om’s ebullient and gentile style is wonderfully ‘old school’ hotelier, where he is frequently on hand to welcome guests personally and offer his decades of wisdom as a native New Yorker to first timers and regulars alike. During my stay of just three nights, it was normal to hear our accents in the foyer on a daily basis.

Architect, Walter Ahlschlager, designed this exquisite hotel in the beaux-arts style and when the 24-floor Hotel Beacon opened its doors in 1928 alongside its namesake theatre, it set the neighbourhood abuzz. It towered above all other surrounding buildings, even rivalling the skyscrapers of Midtown Manhattan.

The hotel’s name is derived from a massive airway beacon installed on the rooftop as a symbol of the growing excitement at the time for air travel and the romance and glamour it instilled.

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It was only one year before the hotel’s opening that Charles Lindbergh completed his famous first solo transatlantic flight.

Today the 260-room Beacon retains its Jazz Era charm, remains affordable and is the only property in the vicinity with kitchenettes in each room and full kitchen facilities in all the one-bedroom suites, making the hotel ideal for the longer stays preferred by us. The kitchen facility naturally lends itself to money-saving as not every guest can afford to eat out three times a day in New York City.

The Hotel Beacon’s easy access to both Broadway and Central Park are certainly key ingredients for its continued popularity, making these two landmarks an easy stroll for visitors. Furthermore, that neighbourhood plays host to numerous family-owned eateries and stores such as the Fairway Deli which, I’m told, sells more than 60 odd tons of Parmesan cheese annually.

Downstairs the Beacon Bar is open till late with inventive cocktails alongside your old favourites. The perfectly timed happy hour is the right place for your pre-show drinks or light meals before heading downtown.

When planning your next (or first) trip to NYC, book an extended stay at The Hotel Beacon and enjoy legendary service and hospitality in a style to which we should all become accustomed.

facts: Hotel Beacon NYC 2130 Broadway New York, NY 10023 P: + 1 212 787 1100 www.beaconhotel.com

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