"Fairytale of New York" a New York City Travel Page by BeatChick

The kidlets & I visited NYC 2nd week of October (Wednesday, October 8th - Sunday, October 12th)! We were there during Meg's 16th birthday.

Originally, I'd found great airfares through Skybus for just $70 RT for each of us. With those kinds of prices how could I NOT take the kids to New York? BUT Skybus (thanks to my faboo friend, Callavetta, for the head's up) went UNDER so I was left with finding another route. And yep, my money was refunded so that was a great relief.

Anywho, I checked into Amtrak and discovered that for a wee bit more per person we could get from the middle of Cincinnati (via the lovely art deco Union Terminal at the Cincinnati Museum Center) to the middle of New York (Penn Station)! See, that flight on Skybus would've dropped us off in Newburgh, NY and it was going to cost us another $70 each R/T just to get from the airport into the city and to the hotel. AND we would've gotten there later than via Amtrak. Yeah, I don't mind paying an extra $2.90 per person to avoid all the airline security AND get there faster.

So it's a win-win all 'round! :D

More than a few recs by one of my fave VTers, Davequ:
John's Pizza
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/144e41/
278 Bleecker St
http://www.johnsofbleeckerstreet.com/
Corner Bistro (NYC’s best burger)
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/14341e/
331 W 4th St
New York, NY 10014
Mon-Sat 11:30am- 4:00am
Sun 12:00pm- 4:00am
Tel: (212) 242-9502
Fax: (212) 242-9502
http://cornerbistro.ypguides.net/
These 2 are highly recommended by Frommer's Irreverent Guide to NY!

A rec by my New Yorker friends, Daniel & Lori:
La Bergamote
Daniel writes: Oh, did I mention La Bergamote to you? It's this bakery that has the only croissants that I've EVER tasted that taste just like the ones in Paris. I'm not kidding. That is a must for you.
Doing further research I've found that the almond croissant, Napoleon (raspberries in the filling), & Eclaire au Chocolat are also musts! They're also recommended by Fodor's NYC Gold Guide.
169 9th Ave
New York, NY 10011
(212) 627-9010
http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/7104453

Doing research for my one of my trips to Paris I discovered:
Le Pain Quotidien (breakfast - Belgian bakery - 15 locations throughout Manhattan); the closest one to us will be at:
Union Square
38 East 19th Street NY 10003
(212) 673-7900
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1b8886/
http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

We'll be staying at Ye Olde Carlton Arms Hotel - $140/night for a triple room - not too shabby. We look forward to staying at this really cool, eclectic, arty hotel (each room is painted by a different artist)!
http://www.carltonarms.com/

At the bottom of the website, click on "the rooms" to see photos of all the rooms. This is divided into 4 sections: A, B, C, D which are the 4 floors of the hotel. The triples without bathroom are #s 3, 10, 14 (A floor has no 14). The #3 rooms look out onto the street, #14 rooms look onto the back of the hotel (no view but the quietest rooms), #10 rooms look onto an airshaft.

Each room has been painted by a different artist. Cool!

We stayed on the 1st floor (no elevators!) with one of the airshaft rooms.

Hotel also has internet access from 8am - midnight and hair dryers/blow dryers (less room to take up in your suitcase)!