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"Guest-blogger Judith Whitehead lives in Amherst N.Y. and has worked in the ophthalmology field of medicine for over 30 years... Today she talks about her trip to the Big Apple
and realizes there's no place like home. !Enjoy! ;D)
and realizes there's no place like home. !Enjoy! ;D)
Weekend in the Concrete Jungle
My husband and I decided to take a short vacation to the concrete jungle…Manhattan. It was an adventure to say the least.
Working our way across the George Washington bridge through New Jersey to the city paying $13.00 to cross the bridge we knew we were getting close. The traffic was lined up like sardines and the horns began to blow. Better know where you are going because there is no patience for the hesitant driver there.
We had made plans to stay at a Hilton property in the city across from Central Park ; no longer was the car an advantage but an inconvenience as to where to put it. A parking valet was made available for a mere $50.00 a night as we were told, and if we were to take the car out on the street again, there would be an additional charge. The car was taken away and stacked elsewhere because space is a commodity in NYC.
We picked a hot steamy weekend to visit the area with 98% humidity the whole weekend. It was as if we were in the shower all day long. I had to take my carriage ride through Central Park even though I felt sorry for the horses and gave the driver a healthy tip who was wilting on top of the carriage as well.
A rickshaw was also available for a mode of transportation for a mere $4.00 per 3 minutes ride. We put on about 20 miles in walking the whole area making sure we stopped at Carnegie deli for a must relished corned beef sandwich for $18.00 and a bowl of wonderful matzo ball soup. We toured 5th avenue and Broadway; thought we could catch a reasonable show 20 minutes before it was about to start… no such luck…still over $100.00 a TICKET even at the last minute.
Our last breakfast was at the famous Russian tea room. We found the most reasonable breakfast early in the am for just $10.00 a person but neglected to notice that a cup of coffee to go with the food cost $8.00 a person. Guess it wasn’t such a bargain after all.
We decided to take in the Museum of modern Art…no bargain there; no senior discount for us and each painting had a crowd in front of it which made it almost impossible to take photos. After 3 days of walking our feet off and sweating through the streets of Manhattan, it was time to leave. We gave our valet a half hour notice to collect our car and off we went. We left with a little less money in our pockets, a few less pounds from being in a sauna all weekend and after only a few hours of driving found some peace and quiet on the open road driving through New York back to some open spaces to enjoy.
The city is a nice place to visit only; yes it is exciting to see the hustle and bustle of the city but I was happy to return to a city where people make eye contact and enjoy life just a little more.
Hana Hou, (Encore) Shared from Facebook...
2 comments:
$18.00 for a corned beef sandwich and I thought Kaua'i was expensive!
Very nice story! 20 miles...your husband and you did get some walking in, didn't you Meredith?!
A walk down memory lane for me from my days of graduate school in Delaware, and trips to NYC. Christmas at Rockefeller Center, Fifth Ave., lunch at the Commissary, and dancing at the Paladium and Limelight Clubs.
Isn't NYC the most expensive place to live next to Hawaii? Yes, $18.00 for a sandwich may surpass Kaua'i prices.
Australia can be expensive in some spots. However, wages are high than in the US, and there are reasonably priced places to shop an dine and find value and quality--all rolled-up together.
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