I went to The Big Apple, New York City, all by myself! Below is a summary of my wonderful adventure:
Thursday, October 16, 2014:
I boarded a non-stop plane from Denver to La Guardia Airport at 11:50 am. The plane arrived in New York at around 5 pm. On the plane, I met an elderly couple who had a time share in NYC who had just gone to their grand-daughter's wedding in Estes Park where they also owned a cabin. It was fun talking to them. Also, on the plane, I bought the wifi and logged into the Super Shuttle and reserved a shared ride to my hotel.
It didn't take long to get my luggage and the Super Shuttle office was close to the baggage claim. I had to wait about thirty minutes for the Super Shuttle, but was on my way rather quickly. On the Super Shuttle, I met two ladies who were spending a week enjoying the opera and sites of NYC and a man who was visiting his family in the city.
It took a long time to get to Hotel Mela, my hotel, which was located at 120 W. 44th Ave right between Avenue of the Americas and Broadway. I think I boarded the Super Shuttle at 6:15 pm and didn't arrive at Hotel Mela until 8 pm! I was the last passenger to leave that Super Shuttle in fact, so the driver helped me bring my luggage inside the hotel lobby which was very nice.
Hotel Mela was and is a small New York hotel, and it didn't take long to check in. I was in Room 210 and discovered that the elevators were very small. As I tried to load my luggage in the elevator, an employee offered to have my luggage sent up, so I glady accepted the offer.
Once settled in my room, I looked out the window and discovered I was right across the street from a Broadway show called Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I also realized I was hungry, so I unpacked my scooter and began walking down 44th Street towards Broadway.
WOW...that is the word to describe what I saw! It was AMAZING! Lights, people, activity, TIMES SQUARE!
I forgot about food and began exploring Broadway. I realized I better not go too far since I did not want to get lost. I finially went inside a small store and deli near my hotel and got some food. I returned to my room to find ice and pillows delivered to me. Apparently someone else had ordered those items, but I gladly accepted them and began to relax.
Later that night, at around 11 pm, I went back to the store without the scooter and got more food and drinks. I explored Times Square more and felt totally safe since so many people were there.
I did some checking on how I would get to Long Island's airport for my flight to Baltimore, and discovered that the Super Shuttle and the Church Avenue Car Servicer was way too expensive, I decided to deal with that issue in the morning and finally went to bed in a very, very comfortable bed that seemed to have at least ten pillows on it!
Friday, October 17, 2014:
I woke up on Friday morning and made some coffee in my room and enjoyed some television and watched the news. I then searched the internet and reserved a shuttle to Long Island for Monday's trip on The Carmel Limo. I would get "door to door service" from my hotel to the airport at a fairly reasonable price.
With that project done, I dressed and decided I'd check out the ticket booth for discount Broadway tickets and then eat at Juniors in Times Square.
I boarded my scooter and found the Ticket Booth, but discovered it did not open to 3 pm, so I headed towards Juniors. On the way, I met a young girl who was selling what I thought was discount Broadway show tickets. She recommended "On the Town," a new show, and she said the tickets were only $70. I thought that was a bargain price, so after I told her I would buy a ticket for that show. She told me that I needed to accompany her to a ticket office to purchase the ticket.
At that point, I should have told her I changed my mind, but I went with her anyway. We ended up at an office near 8th Avenue at 42nd Street I believe. There, I bought the ticket in cash and left.
Then I headed to Juniors and had a great meal!
After lunch, I thought I would find my theater, The Lyric Theater, and discovered I'd paid $30 too much for the ticket. Oh well...well perhaps I would not have even known about the show if I had not been ripped off....
I then explored the area trying to find the About.com offices which I discovered later were just around the corner from my hotel off of 43rd Street (the address was 1500 Broadway, but the entrance was on 43rd Street).
After that I went back to my hotel and after restoring my energy, I decided to head to 5th Avenue and the New York Public Library on my scooter.
The library was amazing! I spent at least an hour and a half there taking photos and exploring and I also saw a film on the library and its history.
After the library trip, I went to Bryant Park and checked out the ice rink, which was not open yet, but I took a ton of photos there too. It was neat seeing so many people enjoying the park! I felt so happy to be in NYC!
Then I went back to my hotel, and got ready for the About.com cocktail party opening event. Instead of going on Broadway, I took my scooter down 44th Street to Avenue of the Americas and then turned on 43rd Street towards Broadway and the About.com offices.
At the office, the About.com people met us and escorted us up to the 6th floor and I checked in.
I took my friend's Kathie Fry's advice (Kathie had been the Inline Skating Guide for five years) and began looking at name tags and introduced myself to everyone I met that night. It was so fun and the food was amazing! I ate everything that came my way!
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| Ellen Freudenheim is About.com's Brooklyn Expert. We met at last year's Expert Event. We just ended getting our photo taken together at this year's event. I used Ellen's excellent article last May as the inspiration for Annabelle and I to scooter across the Brooklyn Bridge! |
The cocktail party was from 5 pm to 7 pm, so I left at about 6:50 and headed towards my show and the Lyric Theater on my scooter. After checking my scooter at the coat check, I ended up being there quite early and took photos and settled in my seeat. I was quite disappointed that I was seated in the very top seat, but made due and began to relax.
The show was really great, especially the dancing. I am very glad I went.
Once I returned to my hotel, throuigh huge crowds on Broadway, I settled in for the night and happily went to bed excited about the next day's adventures!
Saturday, October 18, 2014:
About.com's Saturday Expert Event was not in Times Square, but at the IAC building near Chelsea Piers, so left my hotel at about 8:15 on my scooter and headed towards 5th Avenue and then began a scooter ride down towards 18th Street. Eventually, I turned towards the West Side Highway when I got to about 23rd Street. When I got to 11th Avenue, I turned left and rode to 18th Street and the meeting.
I arrived in plenty of time for the wonderful breakfast About.com had catered and met more and more Experts. I met someone from Israel who wrote about something to do with groups and it was so fun to talk to him.
The meeting went from 10 am to 4 pm and was followed by more mingling and cocktails. At lunch, I met more Experts and About.com staff. That was the best thing about the conference.
At about 5:30 or 5:45 pm, I decided it was time to return to my hotel, but this time, I crossed the West Side Highway and rode on the bike path next to the highway on my scooter back to 45th Street. It was an AWESOME ride and so fast! I made a mental note to use that route next year...
On the way back, on 4th Street, I discovered I was in a very quaint neighborhood lined with Brownstones. I then passed cafes and even a Comfort Inn.
Finally, I arrived to a very crowded Broadway and made my way through the Saturday night crowds and people going to their Broadway shows. Finally, I found 44th Street, and bought a pretzel and drink on the corner and headed back to my hotel.
I spent the evening relaxing and also looking out the window at the happy Times Square crowds.
Sunday, October 20, 2014:
I woke up early enough to make sure I got About.com's Expert event early enough to eat the breakfast they provided and socialize. The meetings started at 10 am. It was nice and convenient to be back in Times Square. The meetings were great and the BEST PART was learning about Pinterest and also meeting more Experts.
Before I knew it, the Expert Event was over at around 2 pm and that meant I had to rush to get to the Imperial Theatre so I could see Les Miserables! The crowds were getting thick, so I was no where as early to arrive as I had for On the Town. I had a reserved center seat in Row T and sat next to a nice family who had come to the show from New Jersey.
Les Miserables was of course fantastic. The theater was very small and the restroom attendent was an old lady who got the women in and out in a military type style.
After getting my scooter, I headed towards the subway station, but ended up entering at the Port Authority entrance and walking quite a distance to the Times Square area which was all underground and warm inside. I finally got on the #1 subway train (which had people packed inside like sardines), got off at 86th St and Broadway and headed towards 89th and 90th Streets to where I was going to meet my childhood friend Valerie Geller for dinner at Cafe Candle West, a very upscale vegan restaurant on the Upper West Side.
The time with Valerie was a major highlight and also the food at Cafe Candle West was amazing.
I grew up on Somera Road in Belair, California (near Los Angeles). Around the corner was Roberto Lane. At that corner lived Valerie Geller. The last day we saw one another was the day we graduated from Emerson Junior High. Thanks to Facebook, Valerie and I reunited! Valerie and I played together as kids and she also read stories from Dark Shadows to our 8th grade English class! How neat is this?!!!
After hugging Valerie good-bye, I headed back to the 86th Street station on my scooter, entered the subway (which now was nice an empty), got back on the #1 train, and headed back to Times Square. It took awhile for me to figure out which direction my hotel was, but finally, I figured it out, walked through a mass of people, and made it back to the hotel.
I was very relieved to be back in the hotel and also very tired. I did some packing and then went to bed.
Monday, October 20, 2014:
I woke up around 7 am, watched the news and drank coffee. I knew I had a long day ahead of me, and wanted to enjoy the last bit of time at Hotel Mela. It did not take a long time to pack. I printed my boarding pass at the computers that were right near my room on the 2nd floor and made sure I had everything and headed down the small elevators to the lobby and checked out and waited for my ride from Carmel Limo.
At exactly 10 am the limo arrived and I headed out the door and the driver helped me load my things and we headed toward the MacArthur Airport in Long Island.
My driver was from China and very friendly. He lived in Brooklyn. It was his first time driving to MacArthur Airport and we had a nice chat on the way.
Once I arrived at the MacArthur Airport in Long Island everything seemed so peaceful and quiet. I was there three hours early, but was glad to be away from the New York City crowds and looked forward to my flight to Baltimore and meeting my dad and seeing Joel!
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