New York City
Made the drive from New Haven to New York in about two hours. The traffic into the city was doable. Very different feel when driving into the city. Checked into the Elements Times Square West. This particular hotel has an agreement with the garage across the street for parking but it doesn't allow in and out. It is similar to the park and ride concept for airport hotels. This is my first time at an Elements. I like the concept, similar to Home2 Suites by Hilton. The room comes with a kitchenette and is fairly spacious for NYC. I was surprised the hotel wasn't more expensive for NYC. I think it's a bargain when you can get rates in the mid $100s. The complimentary breakfast was good, the potatoes were done just right. I was also impressed with the bagel selection. No stiff bagels here. I guess it would be bad that a NYC hotel had bad bagels. I'm also impressed with the manager's reception in the evenings. Not much food but the free beer and wine is always impressive to serve daily.
Not having had lunch, I grabbed a small snack at PokeTown on 302 W 39th Street, NYC, NY 10018. It was conveniently across the street from the hotel. I ordered the poke burrito and spam musubis. For NYC, I thought it was good.
For dinner, I met up with friends at Carmine's Italian Restaurant. The food was good. It reminds me of Bucca di Beppo with Maggiano's quality. It is likely the best value for large groups and eating in NYC.
Afterwards, I grabbed a quick drink at Tir Na Nog. I didn't stay long since the restaurant didn't have much AC and the waitress seemed overstretched.
The next day I wandered around Central Park with the family and dropped them off at the Met. I was leaving that evening to return to Boston and catch my flight home. Before I left, I checked them into the Four Points Midtown-Times Square. The rooms were a bit smaller but it was also a little less money. The one good thing was that the number of elevators and crowds were manageable. The Elements hotel had rush hour time periods for the elevators and you should always ask for a low floor just to avoid using them.
For lunch, I had some spicy beef noodle soup from Xi'an Famous Foods. If you like tagliatelle pasta, you would like the noodle in this soup. It was spicy but not overwhelming. I wasn't sure about ordering a spicy hot soup on such a hot day but it worked out. I was glad to try something new.
Overall, I'm impressed with the latest changes in Times Square. They've created a pedestrian walkway near 42nd and Avenue of the Americas. There was even street vendor foods for people to sit and enjoy. I also walked past the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. I was impressed with the number of people sitting and enjoying the day despite the weather. Definitely a nice place to hang out and converse with friends.
On this trip, I opted to take the Newark Airport Express bus. When I Google map the directions, the bus was recommended. I found odd because I normally take the NJ Transit train and assumed Google maps would make that recommendation. The bus is a little bit more than the train but it also drops you in front of your terminal. Comparing the two, I think the time it takes is comparable if you consider you have to walk and get on the AirTrain and then transfer to the NJ train to get into Penn Station. Since the hotel was next to the Port Authority terminal, the bus was a better option if you are looking to minimize your walking time dragging luggage around. The only thing is that the bus can get full. So if you come in the tail end of their waiting period, you may have to wait the full twenty or thirty minutes to get onto a bus. The train won't sell you tickets if you cannot get on the time slot.
On a side note, Boston Logan Airport has free wifi. Helpful when you have to overnight in the baggage claim area. There are also electrical outlets next to the seats and you can park yourself there and power up stuff as well. Luckily I landed around 2 am and only had to wait 2.5 hours for TSA and gate agents to open.
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| Elements Times Square West King Room |
Not having had lunch, I grabbed a small snack at PokeTown on 302 W 39th Street, NYC, NY 10018. It was conveniently across the street from the hotel. I ordered the poke burrito and spam musubis. For NYC, I thought it was good.
For dinner, I met up with friends at Carmine's Italian Restaurant. The food was good. It reminds me of Bucca di Beppo with Maggiano's quality. It is likely the best value for large groups and eating in NYC.
Afterwards, I grabbed a quick drink at Tir Na Nog. I didn't stay long since the restaurant didn't have much AC and the waitress seemed overstretched.
The next day I wandered around Central Park with the family and dropped them off at the Met. I was leaving that evening to return to Boston and catch my flight home. Before I left, I checked them into the Four Points Midtown-Times Square. The rooms were a bit smaller but it was also a little less money. The one good thing was that the number of elevators and crowds were manageable. The Elements hotel had rush hour time periods for the elevators and you should always ask for a low floor just to avoid using them.
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| Four Points Times Square West Double Room |
For lunch, I had some spicy beef noodle soup from Xi'an Famous Foods. If you like tagliatelle pasta, you would like the noodle in this soup. It was spicy but not overwhelming. I wasn't sure about ordering a spicy hot soup on such a hot day but it worked out. I was glad to try something new.
Overall, I'm impressed with the latest changes in Times Square. They've created a pedestrian walkway near 42nd and Avenue of the Americas. There was even street vendor foods for people to sit and enjoy. I also walked past the New York Public Library and Bryant Park. I was impressed with the number of people sitting and enjoying the day despite the weather. Definitely a nice place to hang out and converse with friends.
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| New York City Times Square |
On this trip, I opted to take the Newark Airport Express bus. When I Google map the directions, the bus was recommended. I found odd because I normally take the NJ Transit train and assumed Google maps would make that recommendation. The bus is a little bit more than the train but it also drops you in front of your terminal. Comparing the two, I think the time it takes is comparable if you consider you have to walk and get on the AirTrain and then transfer to the NJ train to get into Penn Station. Since the hotel was next to the Port Authority terminal, the bus was a better option if you are looking to minimize your walking time dragging luggage around. The only thing is that the bus can get full. So if you come in the tail end of their waiting period, you may have to wait the full twenty or thirty minutes to get onto a bus. The train won't sell you tickets if you cannot get on the time slot.
On a side note, Boston Logan Airport has free wifi. Helpful when you have to overnight in the baggage claim area. There are also electrical outlets next to the seats and you can park yourself there and power up stuff as well. Luckily I landed around 2 am and only had to wait 2.5 hours for TSA and gate agents to open.
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