My wife Nikki and I went to NYC in November/December last year and we had about 1 week in the city. We have been there once before (see trip report from 2004) but there was still more to check out this time. We got to check out a Broadway show, go to a basketball game at Madison Square Garden, we visited Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island etc. Here is the trip report with pictures and links and if you follow the right arrow you will also get to the sections that contains the interactive Google map, more pictures from our trip and a review of the hotel we used (Quality Inn in Long Island City). The only section that is not complete yet is the eating and drinking in NYC but that is coming soon :-)
Well, let me know what you think and please let me know if you find any errors
Nice report Gard. Too bad you had to suffer through a Knick's game but obviously they gave a good effort because they knew you were in the stands watching. The "fans" are booing because they are an awful team for the past three years. And the fans believe the coach is even worse. No accountability.
Posts: 652 | Location: Palmyra, NJ, USA | Registered: 29 July 2003
I read your review of the Quality Inn where you stayed, and here are a few of the reactions I had for your future reference. We travel through the eastern US by car quite a bit, visiting family, etc., and we usually stay at places like the Quality Inn since these are only on-the-road, one-night stops.
I would call the Quality Inn a motel, rather than a hotel, since, as you discovered, it is hardly a full service establishment. The breakfast you described is rather typical for many of these motels; it is often loosely described as "continental", meaning it doesn't provide a full range of choices and there is no table service. These have actually improved over the past few years, and they are actually better than they used to be. Some of the higher end facilities offer full service, hot breakfasts, but often they are not complimentary.
Just something to keep in mind in case your next visit to the US includes a road trip!
Was I too harsh when it comes to the hotel? I guess you can call it a motel...not that I'm totally sure what the difference is But the Quality Inn refers to the place as a hotel on their homepage. Well, even if I was not that impressed with the breakfast it was still better than nothing. ANd I do recommend the hotel to others as a cheaper alternative to the Manhattan hotels :-)
I don't think you were too harsh. It's just that I, and probably most North American travelers, would have different expectations for a motel than a hotel.
I just looked, and as I expected, the word "motel" is a combination of the words "motor" and "hotel," and it is older than I thought, originating about 1925, about the time people here first took to the road with their new cars.
From the "wisegeek" website: "Hotels serve a different purpose than motels, and as such, they are located in or near cities. . . . A guest might stay at a hotel for a week or longer on business or pleasure, and “extras” are expected. Hotels commonly offer Jacuzzis, gyms, pools, restaurants, room service, cable television, Internet connectivity, and other luxuries....
"While the average motel may not have the accoutrements found at hotels, it offers easy access, reasonable rates, and a less complicated experience. This makes a motel ideal for a night’s sleep as travelers make their way through the country’s ...roads to an ultimate destination."
Anyway, the next time you head west across the Atlantic, perhaps you should try the quintessential American experiencee: the road trip. Rent a car, head out on the road, and stop where and when it seems convenient. You can see a lot of unexpected and interesting things this way. I'd be glad to offer some itineraries. I'm not suggesting this is preferable to a few major destinations. It's just different.
I didn't find your hotel review harsh. It's more pleasant to read praise and raves, but what can you do?
B&H is closed on Saturdays because it's owned by Hasidic Jews. Saturday is their sabbath, so the store closes early on Fridays and stays closed on Saturdays.
Olympia Trailways bus run by Coach USA operates bus service between Newark Airport and Manhattan for about the same price as NJ Transit.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a fabulous, detailed trip report. Love your sense of humor and irony!
Posts: 57 | Location: NYC | Registered: 24 August 2007
Gard, what a GREAT trip report!! I am originally from New York - born in Brooklyn. I have lived all over the world since I was 12, but always call NY my home. Yet you have captured the essence of it all - I love your humor, your point of view. Thanks!
I finally got around to reading your trip report, and I found it very enjoyable - and well written. (I was surprised you said something about your difficulty with English. I've never noticed it here. Is it only with spoken English?)
I am always interested in seeing what others say about places I know rather well. I lived in or very near NYC (across the Hudson in Bergen Co., NJ) for about 15 years from about age 10; and I worked there for a few years as well. My immediate family remained there; my two brothers still live in or near the city. So I've been there innumerable times (and I'm now past 70).
What strikes me when I read reports like yours are all the tourist sites I've NEVER visited. I did go to Ellis Island once with my father, I think before it had even reopened to the public. (His attorney had some access to it). I did see many Broadway shows, mostly when I was in high school or college. I did go to one of the prior Madison Square Gardens a few times as a teen, probably to see Rangers games, and I have taken the Circle Line tour around Manhattan. However, despite wanting to go forever, I've never been to the State of Liberty nor gone to the top of the Empire State Building nor to the "top of the Rock." A few times I thought of going to the ESB, but, each time, the weather precluded the possibility of seeing much of anything.
Now, the interesting thing is that I HAVE been to the top of both the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Building in Chicago (and even eaten in the latter). I suppose my experience is another example of how unlikely it is to play tourist in your own backyard, so to speak. You always assume you'll do it some day, but often don't.
Anyway, Gard, you may have inspired me to at least to get to the Statue of Liberty on one of my next visits to NYC. I'll just have to find some excuse to get away from friends or family or just take some of them with me.
I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. We have the same problem here by the way. We have some amazing attractions here in the area where I live (like Pulpit rock...see picture below) and there are lots of people here that have not been there but most tourists come here to see just that. But it is always great to hear that I have been able to capture some of the essence and that I have been able to inspire others :-)
But the Quality Inn refers to the place as a hotel on their homepage. Well, even if I was not that impressed with the breakfast it was still better than nothing. ANd I do recommend the hotel to others as a cheaper alternative to the Manhattan hotels :-)
