October 3rd ~ We arrived!
Excelsior Hotel lobby
After a sleepless night, we were happy to have pre-arranged transportation from Newark airport to Manhattan. I found a company online with reasonable rates that would do the job. Through Go Airlink NYC you can book private or shared rides. The will pick up at all three of the major airports that service NYC and deliver you to your hotel. We opted for the shared van which cost us $21 each.
Upon arrival, we proceeded to the baggage claim/ground transportation level. Having smash-packed everything into carry-on luggage, we went straight to the desk where the agent took our information and had us take a chair to wait a few minutes for our driver to come collect us.
We ended up in a van with seven other people. One family was from Brazil with their two-year old daughter and another couple was from Israel. The mix made for some interesting conversations as we motored through the Lincoln Tunnel toward Manhattan.
An early morning arrival is not ideal from a traffic standpoint, and we hit the commute rush. We decided to simply enjoy the scenery and pretend we were on a guided tour of the city.
We have chosen the Excelsior Hotel for our four night stay for several reasons:
- The reviews were OK
- The price was still high, but with our hotels.com discount, it was more reasonable than most hotels in New York City. Hotels here are NOT cheap 🙂
- Location – I wanted something near Central Park and in one of the neighborhoods so we could get more of a local feel. The Excelsior is on 81st Street which is just one block from the park.
- It was walking distance to the Metropolitan Museum which was a must-see for this trip.
It was 10:00 by the time we finally arrived and Tim and I were both blurry-eyed. Of course our room was not ready this early, but we were able to check in, leave our luggage with the bell man and use the restrooms.
Much to my delight, even before we left the hotel, Tim received a phone call from the front desk that our room was ready!
Our room
The room was a little chilly, so we tried to get the heat to come on. Hmm, did not seem to be working. After a call to the desk to inquire, we were informed that no, there is no heat available. It does not get turned on until October 15th. We have hence found out that is normal for the hotels in NYC. There is an ordinance that says they can turn on the heat by October 1st if the outside temperature dips below 55 degrees.
Who knew? Obviously we didn’t. I love learning little tidbits of trivial information as we travel…
As much as I wanted to get out the door and explore, the bed won the argument and we succumbed to a several hour nap. Tim of course required some nourishment before sleeping, so he deserted me, scoped out the neighborhood, had breakfast and then rejoined me for some rest.
By the time we finally got ourselves back upright, it was mid afternoon and I was anxious to get some steps in. Since Central Park was only a block away, we decided to start our explorations there.
Map of Central Park
Having seen shots of Central Park in many movies and TV shows, I was delighted to finally experience it in person. It made the park more meaningful and it came to life for me. Families playing games, eating, soaking up the sunshine, walking, jogging, riding bikes and most common – walking their dogs.
Great Lawn
Turtle pond was a fun photo stop with the castle in the near background.
Belvedere Castle overlooking Turtle Pond in Central Park
Tim sporting a new beard
After a couple of hours walking and exploring, we returned to the hotel to freshen up and then chose a restaurant a few blocks away called “Good Enough to Eat”. It is a local favorite, best known for breakfast. But, the salad and half chicken dinner with roasted vegetables and creamy mashed potatoes was generous enough for the two of us to share. A welcome margarita topped off the meal.
Already I am loving our location. It is fabulous to be able to walk the streets and feel like you are having a “local” experience in one of the neighborhoods, and not just hanging out in touristy places.
Planter on the street near hotel
Tim is already sound asleep beside me, so I will close for now with much anticipation of waking up rested tomorrow and ready to get out the door to see/do/experience more.
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I am grateful that we are having the opportunity to see more of New York City. The last time we were here was back in 1991, when we took two months to drive around the country before we started our business. On that trip we concentrated on the Time Square area, checked out Wall Street, visited Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as well as landing outstanding tickets to watch both Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera on Broadway.
A Note From Abroad 
I love NYC! The last time I was there was about a year ago and I stayed at the Wellington Hotel just a few blocks south of Central Park. Enjoy your time there!
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Thank you Kathleen! Sounds like a great location to stay.
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It was great. A grand old hotel with easy subway access and walkability to all kinds of places. A little less of a “neighborhood” than where you are, though.
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We are hoping that the Encore Voyage will take us to New York City in the not too distant future. Thanks for showing us the ropes!
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More to come 🙂
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New York a fascinating city, enjoy. You might try Air B&B if available. We have used them and gotten great rooms in larger cities.
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We too like Air B&B, but this time could not find a good/reasonable rate in the location we wanted.
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The magical NYC! It is on my bucket list for a while and I really hope t cross it off very soon. When’s the best time of the year to explore it?
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We are very fond of traveling in the fall. The weather is normally still mild and there are smaller crowds. And of course, it you have time to travel up into New England, the fall foliage is magnificent.
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Neat!! I recognize the location in one shot with the water from the film Enchanted. (I think that was the film) smile.
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My favourite kind of accommodation is in a suburb! I, too, like to ‘live like a local’!
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We are really enjoying this neighborhood area. Some great restaurants to choose from as well.
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The fun you will have. I love the idea of staying next to central park and look forward to reading about all of your adventure to come.
I haven’t been to New York since 2002, you are bringing up such good memories. I was in my 20’s and loved roller blading at the time, but I wasn’t very good at it. I brought my roller blades with me because I thought roller blading through central park sounded magical. I put on my blades and started skating and to my surprise there are hills in central park, lots of hills. I started taking on speed and going faster than I was use to, I was afraid to stop, so I kept going faster and faster; dangerously fast. People were moving out of my way as I was yelling that I couldn’t stop, just when I had decided to tuck and roll, I had squatted down low and was looking for a grassy spot, I turned the corner to find an large hill headed up instead of down. My speed slowed down enough so I could safely stop without tucking and rolling. Whew! I didn’t die or need an ambulance. It was a good day. I ended up near the castle. Have fun. I don’t recommend roller blading in NY. lol.
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Stephanie – what a terrifying experience! Not the greatest memory to take home from this magnificent and diverse city 🙃 Glad it had a happy ending.
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You are in a great location with easy access to some of NYC’s wonders
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Lulu, we really liked being in the upper Westside neighborhood.
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I visited NY for the first time last year to mark my 60th birthday! First time ever in US! Stayed in a Airbnb way up in West 48th. Learnt to use the subway C line. Walked the HighLine, wandered through CentralPark, went to MoMA and the Met and the Whitney. All on foot. All by myself! Only 4 days but I had a great time. Hope to go back in a couple of years (I live in Ireland)
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I’m so happy that you enjoyed your visit to the USA. Good for you at getting out and exploring by yourself and on foot. That is my favorite way to experience an area. As amazing as New York City is, it is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg of what our country has to offer. I hope your travels will include a return (hopefully longer) visit where you can see more.
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Yes. Definitely! I had 10 days in SanFrancusco too, and was hooked 🙂
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P.S. We think that your homeland is pretty spectacular too 😃
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Thanks Tim and Joanne! I’ve lived in Ireland for 10 years (married an Irishman), before that in Wales for 25 (3 children and 4 grandchildren still there), born in Germany, probably ‘from’ England, lived in Nepal too. Always slightly confused as to where my ‘homeland’ really is 🙂
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Glad to see you posting again, although I am months behind in my reading, yet again! I look forward to more posts about NYC. It’s been many years since I’ve been and I never really got to see enough of Central Park. Definitely on the bucket list for one day. 🙂
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We had such a great time in NYC. Seeing the 9/11 Memorial and The Met were highlights.
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Oh yes the memorial is definitely a must see for me too.
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great read. the 9/11 Memorial is amazing and leaves you somber
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We were so impressed by the quality job they did – telling the story as well as properly paying respect to those who were lost.
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they did, I wasn’t disappointed at all.
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