Three Days in New York, Day 3

I was not departing from New York until Monday, but Sunday was the last full day in the city. I decided that I needed to do something absolutely cliche and go on a bus tour of the city.

There are a few choices as far as tours go, but I had to go with the TV and Movie Tour. I purchased my tickets online, but I think you can buy them in the city. On your tour date, you meet a tour guide at the designated location, pass over your confirmation and away you go.

Day 3: Acting Like a Tourist

A good chunk of the tour is on the bus, listening to the guide and viewing clips on mini TVs before passing by key spots around the city. Occasionally, you will stop and get out to take photos at the more popular locations. The information and anecdotes from the tour guide are great, but flying by the sites in the bus is not the most pleasant experience. Between the film clips and trying to lean up against the windows to catch the smallest glimpse of each location, you feel like you miss out on a lot. I tried to remember as much as possible so that when I return to New York - and believe me, I'll go back very soon - I can seek these places out on my own and have a closer look.

This is a perfect example of the kind of photos that are taken while driving past each location. This, just in case it is completely unrecognizable, is the statue of atlas that is shown in the opening of Saturday Night Live.

This is what it actually looks like....

I can't fully discount the experience because we did get out of the bus fairly often to take some photos. Below are a few of my favourites:

This was actually near the end of the tour, but I can't start talking about favourite sites without mention of the Friends building. When I was growing up, Friends was THE sitcom. As you'll see from the picture, there is no way that the exterior shot they chose was appropriate to the plot of the show. Anyone who has watched Friends knows that they spent a lot of their time out on the balcony. Well, I'm embarrassed to say that before seeing it the flesh, I never realized that there is actually no balcony on the outside of the building. 

Our tour started at 11am, so I was pleased to find out that there was a stop for lunch - of course, they wouldn't stop just anywhere. This is Ben's Pizza, featured in Men In Black II (hence the movie poster in the background). If you remember, this pizza place was where Rosario Dawson's character worked and, ultimately, where Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones solve the mystery...I won't give away anymore than that.

Who you gonna call? 

This seemed to be the most popular stop for everyone on the bus tour. Except for lunch, only because it took time to eat, this was the longest stop on the tour. This is the fire hall from Ghostbusters, and they certainly do not hide it - note the Ghostbusters emblem in the background. Surprisingly, this is a fully functioning fire hall, though I'm not sure how the firefighters feel about having tourists lounging around throughout the day. We were peering through the windows and blocking the door the whole time...and we were warned to get the heck out of the way if the sirens went off. I would imagine that nothing has gone wrong thus far, since they are still making this stop on the tour.

This was the final stop on the tour, and may be the least obvious. This bar was the inspiration for MacLaren's Pub, a set on the show How I Met Your Mother. The guide told us that the show's writers used to hang out here, inspiring this major aspect of the show. For those who have not seen HIMYM, the cast spends most of their time at this pub, probably more than any other setting. The (real) pub has certainly latched onto this - they have a number of stills from the show all around the interior. I was so hoping to make my way back here at night for a few drinks, but alas, it didn't work out, so this is something else that will have to be saved for my next trip.

As frustrating as it was to miss so many locations along the way, I really think that tours like this are a great way to check out the city. When the weather is warmer, I would definitely try to get on a double decker when you can sit out in the open, free to see the buildings, statues and other sites in their entirety.

Little did I know that my TV and Movie Sites tour wouldn't end when the bus was parked.

That evening, after dinner at the Olive Garden in the middle of Times Square, we ventured to another darkly it pub in Greenwich Village. The Slaughtered Lamb, at 182 West and 4th Street, is one of the locations in the film, New York, I Love You. If I'm not mistaken, Bradley Cooper's love story starts here...don't quote me on that, it's been a while since I saw this film.

As far as dark pubs go, this one is pretty dingy...and fantastic. But, I have to say that Jekyll and Hyde from night #1 stole the show. 

I didn't head into Greenwich village on my first trip to NYC, but this experience has made this area of the city one of my favourites. If I were to ever live out one of my dreams of moving to Manhattan, I think I would have to settle here. It's so fun and so full of character and life. What a great way to end my trip to the Big Apple.

New York, I REALLY do love you!

Three Days in New York, Day 1

I'm homesick for a place that's not even mine. It's a strange feeling; I've only spent a total of six days here in my whole life and I have no family or friends to call upon. What is it about New York City that just gets to me?

This February I spent three unbelievable days on the streets of Manhattan. I escaped into the night to more secluded spots to hang with the locals and took in the more "touristy" destinations, creating a perfectly balanced vacation in the city the never sleeps.

Day 1: Checking in, a French bistro, Times Square and Jekyll and Hyde

We arrived in NYC, ready and rearing to go! Airports being as they are, we were delayed about an hour and a half before finally taking off. This put us at JFK at about 4:00 p.m. - rush hour. It took us a cool 3.5 hours to be shuttled from the gate to the hotel; the only saving grace was that we got to see a lot of Manhattan on the way. However, it goes without saying that we were delighted to finally arrive to our hotel.

The Hotel Pennsylvania is located at 401 7th Avenue, just across from Madison Square Garden. The exterior and lobby are quite impressive, but the rooms are nothing to write home about...

However, the view was quite nice (definitely a step up from the brick wall that was my view during my first trip to NYC). We were just blocks from Times Square and the Empire State building and just a kitty-corner away from Penn Station.





We landed on my birthday, so a special dinner on the first night was in order. We chose Pigalle, a French bistro located at 790 8th Avenue, just between 48th and 49th streets.

A hop skip and a jump through Times Square revved up our appetites.

Times Square is the epitome of tourist spots in Manhattan. It puts your senses into complete overdrive and you just start to feel the city enter your veins; the lights, the people, performers and tacky gift shops litter the streets and sidewalks and give this strip a certain charm. I love walking through here.

I have to admit, I was kind of nervous to go to a French restaurant day one, but it proved to have a very casual atmosphere - definitely inviting. I learned later that Pigalle is certified "Green" by the Green Restaurant Association. I don't yet know what exactly that means, but I do know the food was great; roasted duck with wild rice and a pomegranate sauce was the perfect introduction to the great food adventure that is New York.

I usually go with wine if I'm going to drink while out at dinner, but this was New York and I needed to get more adventurous. This drink was named after Picasso and featured the green fairy - Absinthe - how very very French! This drink was super heavy on the anise flavour and inescapably pungent; it may not have been the hallucinogen drink that Picasso dabbled in, but it was certainly an experience for my taste buds.






Well, this is New York and a night out does not end at dinner. I'm not into the club scene and I wanted something with more character where I could rest my weary feet and chat with my dear friends. We wandered into Greenwich Village and stumbled upon an eerie pub called Jekyll and Hyde - sounds intriguing...

I love it here! The decor is a mishmash of campy props - a stack of skulls, a werewolf head and mummy casket - this is definitely a collection you would expect of Dr. Jekyll. 

The best feature, by far, are the washrooms! The staff will direct you into Dr. Jekyll's library, but there is nary a washroom sign to be seen. What you need to do is feel your way along the bookshelves until a doorway gives way to a push, revealing the washroom behind - how great is that?!

Jekyll and Hyde was surprisingly relaxed; they had some great rock playing, old monster flicks on a TV in the back and they offered a menu full of creative (and nerd-friendly) drinks to choose from.

 

Are you a champion?

Day one in the Big Apple started with a (gentle) bang; a great dinner, a fantastic walk through Times Square and a browse through Dr. Jekyll's library was our remedy to a long day of traveling.

More New York adventures to come...