Sometimes one just needs to get away from it all for a minute. The hubby and I decided to take a quick fly in and out to one of our favorite cities (for me, it is my most favorite), New York City. We stayed a couple of blocks from Times Square rather in Midtown like usual. It was very interesting to walk out the door and be so close to Broadway and Rockefeller Center.
We have the blessed privilege of being able to go to New York more often in recent years. Because of being able to go more often, how we visit has shifted. In the past it was always a puzzle to fit in as many shows as possible in the time we were there. A couple of years ago, I reminded the hubby and some very close friends, family really, there is much more to New York than just the shows. We still take in quite a few shows, but we are also seeing more of the city.
This trip the main goal was to see the Radio City Rockettes, see holiday displays, and to try out our new timeshare location, Central on 5th, the newest Hilton Grand Vacations hotel. I will say we love our timeshare and the Hilton brand. We’ve had nothing but good luck and wonderful memories created from visiting their multiple locations around the country. Highly recommend them if you are in a place to purchase a timeshare.
Central on 5th is in a great location. As said above, it is close to Times Square (but not too close) and the Rockefeller Center complex. The subway isn’t too far away to travel around Manhattan, and as the name states, half a block from Fifth Avenue. There are also a number of promising restaurants close to it worth trying on a longer stay. The rooms were nice, the staff fantastic, and the second floor deck area was a great place to sit out of the rain to read with the heat lamps on. If we stay here again, I’ll definitely take more advantage of this area just to relax.
As I was saying, we now do our visits a little differently, such as just relaxing and reading a book listening to the sounds of the city. We also wing it a bit on shows. This time we had purchased Rockette tickets before traveling, but then got on one of the discounted ticket sites to see what was available as a spontaneous show. Just an aside, these sites can be handy when traveling as a couple, but more challenging the more people in one’s party. The hubby found a show called The Big Gay Jamboree playing at the historic Orpheum Theater in the Village. This is the area of the original Broadway back in the day before it moved north to the Times Square area. It was a magnificent old theater. The wear and tear of time are evident, but this just adds to the ambiance of the experience; the show itself was very campy (as it was meant to be), funny, and the performances were first rate. One of the best parts was when an audience member was chosen as part of the storyline and the main actress used his phone to call for “help.” She reached his mom, who spoke only Spanish. It was funny because the guy had to explain to his mom what was happening in real time. I can only imagine what the conversation was like later when he had a chance to really talk out what had just happened.
The show itself was a matinee so we had gone into Chelsea, which was close to the theater, to just walk around. I, of course, had looked for bookstores in the area. There is a book I’ve been trying to find that seems to be so popular as to be sold out everywhere I’ve tried, in-person and online. The first bookstore, Posman Books, was one of the smallest I’ve ever visited. It was wall-to-wall people and books from floor to ceiling with old wood shelving. Beautiful and homey is how I would describe the feeling. It goes without saying I walked out with a book or two.
Next we were off to another bookstore that wasn’t too far away. Bluestockings is a different kind of bookstore. It describes itself as a radical bookstore, cafe, and activist center. It is located in the Lower Eastside. The bookstore definitely lives up to its name. There are books and themes one would never find in another bookstore, and I’ve been to many a bookstore. It is long, dark, and narrow and most definitely a place to visit. You will find books on topics you didn’t even realize are available and need to be read. Once again I did not leave empty handed.
While walking to the theater after, our stomachs were telling us it was time to eat. I don’t know if you have ever walked around Manhattan, but there is a wide choice and variety of eateries just calling out to step inside to try the food. We settled on pizza at La Vera—it is New York after all. Thankfully, since I have gone vegan, there was a pizza that had been made without cheese and meat. The crust was the thinnest I’ve ever had. I’m not even sure how they got it so thin without the toppings just falling through. Our slices hit the spot. I’d recommend a stop as they had at least 50 different combinations of toppings from which to choose.
As we walked to the Orpheum, we happened upon a vintage used clothing store. The hubby enjoys seeing what is offered at second hand stores. Me, not so much. Too many memories of hand-me-downs growing up. Surprise of surprise though, I ended up buying three new shirts. One purple to add to my purple collection. One a blue-plaid, which is very unusual for me. And, a blue paisley-ish shirt that brought back memories of my favorite shirt from my elementary school years. The blue-plaid I decided to wear to the Rockettes that evening.
For the most part, I don’t really get dressed-up to go to the Broadway shows we see. It just isn’t really an expectation in this day and age, for better or for naught. However, I had decided I wanted to get a little more dressy to see the Rockettes. The hubby always looks fabulous at the shows, so not too out of the ordinary for him. It just felt like a show to not go see in jeans. Although the shoes were a little uncomfortable since they aren’t worn often, I’m glad I did. It just made the evening feel more special.
Now, although I’m not gaga over the Rockettes, they were on my bucket list to see after watching them so often on the TV over the years. Let me tell you, it was so much better and more fun than I had expected; seeing them should go on everyone’s bucket list in my humble opinion. There were not one, but two organ players for the pre-show. The auditorium is enormous. We estimated it seats about 4,000, but in reality it seats just 40 seats shy of 6,000. Mind you, there are three or four shows everyday, at least for the holiday show. It was packed! Which seems to be the norm as the lines were always long whenever walking by.
The show itself was fantastic. The two organ players, the live orchestra, and the singing and dancing just makes one feel good. For me as a tech geek, the way they have made the walls of the auditorium essentially LED screens fascinated me to no end. The Rockettes themselves are amazing in the talent they must bring to the stage. They have to be able to sing, to dance, to tap, and remain in amazing sychroncity that astounds the mind and senses. There was a bit of a variety show while the Rockettes made their costume changes. There was a full-sized double-decker bus on stage. There were even live animals on stage. I mean, there was a camel as part of the show. What you get for the ticket prices are well worth the cost.
That was just Sunday!
Monday and Tuesday were much more laid back. I did my usual early morning walkabouts. Then we just kind of played it by ear. Monday found us perusing the Bryant Park Holiday Market. There are about a hundred different vendors peddling things such as wooden kitchenware, teas, candles, clothes, trinkets, sauces, spices, and of course a variety of food offerings. We walked by them all and stopped when something caught our eye. With space limited in our luggage, we had to be strategic in our purchases. In the end, we bought a couple varieties of tea and several tins of spice mixes. Thankfully these two vendors, along with several others from whom we wanted to make purchases, have online stores and delivery.
After lunch at the Times Square Brooklyn Diner, rather than the Midtown location we usually eat at during our stays, we headed off to the High Line. During a previous visit, we had walked the southern half of the High Line park. We’ve wanted to walk the northern portion, but hadn’t had the opportunity on our last couple of visits. The High Line is an old railroad elevated track that had been unused for many years. Someone had the grand idea to turn it into an urban walking trail, which has come into existence. It is lined with plants, trees, and sculptures. As you walk, there are also great views of the skyline and a large selection of architectural structures to wonder about. There are a number of places to exit, which we did at Chelsea Market. We walked through the market and would like to come back to try some of the food options there. Oh, surprise of surprises, the first vendor we passed in the market, was, wait for it, a bookstore! Another purchase was made, but I’m sure that isn’t a surprise.
On Tuesday, we woke up to rain so we relaxed in the lounge a bit after breakfast. Thankfully it stopped around eleven. We went walking around to see the displays before heading to the airport to go home. Some displays were better than others. Saks Fifth Avenue is widely known for doing great displays, but I personally was disappointed in what I saw. Bergdorf Goodman’s on the other hand were stunning. But, the most spectacular actually goes to Louis Vuitton. They had wrapped their entire location to look like stacked luggage, one on top of the other. It was awe inspiring for some reason. I’m so glad we stumbled upon it as a picture just doesn’t do it justice.
Our final stop before the airport was lunch at one of our favorite places, Rue 57. We found it during one of our visits a couple of years ago. The food is good and the prices aren’t too bad for Manhattan. Plus the location and decor are great and old-fashioned. It all adds up to a wonderful meal.
I’m now looking forward to our next visit, hopefully in March or April. The weather should be warmer and more things starting to bloom. It will be wonderful to walk through Central Park and along the High Line to enjoy the flora. Plus who knows what new restaurant is awaiting and what new shows will be playing.
See you soon NYC!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 