Lisash
Knows all the words to 'It's
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,994
Cast Members: Me, DH, DD & DS
Monday 17th April
Will keep this a short one as not really Disney unless you count several visits to 'World of Disney' store.
We flew Virgin from Heathrow early on Easter Monday. As the flight was only just over six hours the time passed quite quickly. We got a yellow cab to the hotel (45$ plus tips & $2 toll fees)
Stayed at the Swissotel The Drake on Park Avenue & 56th Street. Really lovely hotel. Built in 1927 so fabulous art deco lobby. Rooms excellent all beautifully fitted out. Sadly it is so beautiful it has been bought by a billionaire who is turning it into condominiums so it closes at the end of the month. (was shocked to see the same has happened to the Plaza which was probably one of the city's most famous hotels)
We spent the rest of the day checking out shops on 5th Avenue near hotel Gucci, YSL, Tiffany's to name a few. Then TGI's for dinner and an early night as we were shattered
Tuesday 18th April
We got tickets for the Grey line open topped bus's so we could hop on/off and see the sights. DH bartered with the saleman to give us three days for the price of two. We got the downtown loop to Battery Park and got the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island immigration museum $11.50 (an absolute bargain) had to queue for an hour for the first ferry but well worth the wait the view's from Liberty Island are amazing. Got the ferry back and walked over to ground zero (not much changed since out last visit 2 years ago) then went to Times Square for dinner at Planet Hollywood and early night (all that walking is exhausting)
Wednesday 19th April
Did uptown bus tour round Harlem and the museum mile. Got off at Metropolitain Art Museum and spent few hours in there then took a walk around Central Park in the afternoon. Took DS to FAO Schwartz (they sell some amazing stuff even have full size cuddly elephants!) & Dylans Candy Bar for an ice cream sundae. Then we had a look around Grand Central station (the food hall is definately worth a visit) and had dinner at Carnegies Deli. DH had the corned beef & pastrami (huge)
Thursday 20th April
Went downtown to Greenwich Village and the Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker Street for a famous cupcake which we sat and ate in the little park opposite the shop. Really recommend a trip there the cakes are to die for! Then we got a bus to Pier 17 & the old Fulton Street fish market site which has been re-developed with some really good shops/restaurants for lunch. We spent the afternoon in the Empire State Building. I wasn't that bothered as we have been before and while the view is great the queue is always massive (60 minutes this time) and it's very commercialised (everybody has to have pic taken in front of cardboard cutout of building and you have to fight through worlds smallest gift shop to get out onto observation desk) We had dinner at Bubba Gumps on Times Square (highly recommended for food & location)
Friday 21st April
Spent the day shopping Bloomingdales, Macy's, Gap, H&M, DS loved the NBA store & Niketown. I did a little Disney shopping at World of Disney & got some bargain perfume at Sephora. DD spent an absolute fortune! We checked out the TKTs booth to see if we could take in a show but there was nothing DS would have sat through so we just spent time around Times Square in the Virgin Megastore, Toys R Us & the Hershey Shop then had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe
Saturday 22nd April
It was raining hard but we didn't mind as we were going home. It worked in our favour as it meant DH & I could pop without the children who preferred to lie in watching TV. We ran round to Tiffany's where I sneakily got DD her 18th birthday present (a silver 'return to Tiffany's' necklace & bracelet) which I have sneaked home and hidden till her birthday in September. We checked out and grabbed lunch in Times Square before getting a cab to the airport. The flight home was pretty uneventful apart from a long wait to take off as there were 15 or so planes in front of us in the queue.
So there ends our New York trip. My feet are still killing me nearly a week on but it was well worth it. We had a ball & only 7 months till Disney !!
Monday 17th April
Will keep this a short one as not really Disney unless you count several visits to 'World of Disney' store.
We flew Virgin from Heathrow early on Easter Monday. As the flight was only just over six hours the time passed quite quickly. We got a yellow cab to the hotel (45$ plus tips & $2 toll fees)
Stayed at the Swissotel The Drake on Park Avenue & 56th Street. Really lovely hotel. Built in 1927 so fabulous art deco lobby. Rooms excellent all beautifully fitted out. Sadly it is so beautiful it has been bought by a billionaire who is turning it into condominiums so it closes at the end of the month. (was shocked to see the same has happened to the Plaza which was probably one of the city's most famous hotels)
We spent the rest of the day checking out shops on 5th Avenue near hotel Gucci, YSL, Tiffany's to name a few. Then TGI's for dinner and an early night as we were shattered
Tuesday 18th April
We got tickets for the Grey line open topped bus's so we could hop on/off and see the sights. DH bartered with the saleman to give us three days for the price of two. We got the downtown loop to Battery Park and got the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island immigration museum $11.50 (an absolute bargain) had to queue for an hour for the first ferry but well worth the wait the view's from Liberty Island are amazing. Got the ferry back and walked over to ground zero (not much changed since out last visit 2 years ago) then went to Times Square for dinner at Planet Hollywood and early night (all that walking is exhausting)
Wednesday 19th April
Did uptown bus tour round Harlem and the museum mile. Got off at Metropolitain Art Museum and spent few hours in there then took a walk around Central Park in the afternoon. Took DS to FAO Schwartz (they sell some amazing stuff even have full size cuddly elephants!) & Dylans Candy Bar for an ice cream sundae. Then we had a look around Grand Central station (the food hall is definately worth a visit) and had dinner at Carnegies Deli. DH had the corned beef & pastrami (huge)
Thursday 20th April
Went downtown to Greenwich Village and the Magnolia Bakery on Bleeker Street for a famous cupcake which we sat and ate in the little park opposite the shop. Really recommend a trip there the cakes are to die for! Then we got a bus to Pier 17 & the old Fulton Street fish market site which has been re-developed with some really good shops/restaurants for lunch. We spent the afternoon in the Empire State Building. I wasn't that bothered as we have been before and while the view is great the queue is always massive (60 minutes this time) and it's very commercialised (everybody has to have pic taken in front of cardboard cutout of building and you have to fight through worlds smallest gift shop to get out onto observation desk) We had dinner at Bubba Gumps on Times Square (highly recommended for food & location)
Friday 21st April
Spent the day shopping Bloomingdales, Macy's, Gap, H&M, DS loved the NBA store & Niketown. I did a little Disney shopping at World of Disney & got some bargain perfume at Sephora. DD spent an absolute fortune! We checked out the TKTs booth to see if we could take in a show but there was nothing DS would have sat through so we just spent time around Times Square in the Virgin Megastore, Toys R Us & the Hershey Shop then had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe
Saturday 22nd April
It was raining hard but we didn't mind as we were going home. It worked in our favour as it meant DH & I could pop without the children who preferred to lie in watching TV. We ran round to Tiffany's where I sneakily got DD her 18th birthday present (a silver 'return to Tiffany's' necklace & bracelet) which I have sneaked home and hidden till her birthday in September. We checked out and grabbed lunch in Times Square before getting a cab to the airport. The flight home was pretty uneventful apart from a long wait to take off as there were 15 or so planes in front of us in the queue.
So there ends our New York trip. My feet are still killing me nearly a week on but it was well worth it. We had a ball & only 7 months till Disney !!
