Can one take a bite out of the Big Apple in just a couple of days? One can certainly have a nibble or two - it just depends on how energetic you are. The first part of making a Manhattan experience enjoyable is to find a good hotel in the section of New York that you plan to spend the most time in. In mid-town, one of the best options and still affordable, is the Omni Berkshire at 21 east 52nd Street. Originally built in 1926 it was here that Rodgers and Hammerstein celebrated their first collaboration, Oklahoma. In 2010 Omni renovated the hotel into a contemporary but comfortable interior with classic artwork and luxury amenities. Next door is the La Grenouille the haute cuisine French restaurant founded by Charles Masson, Sr., 1962. Besides famous for the frog legs (the restaurant’s namesake means the frog) dishes like pike quenelles or Grand Marnier soufflé are classic, nostalgic, fine French food. Rockefeller Center, opened in 1933, was John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s vision of a city within a city. It is a testament to the Art Deco design of its era. The Today Show brings entertainment to the center at the Today Plaza. Dierks Bentley kicked off the Memorial Day weekend by performing his hit I hold On which was also timed with the release of his new album, Black. NBC studios at Rockefeller Plaza continues to operated its legendary studio tour. It is the home of the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers and NBC Nightly News. With over a 100 shops at Rockefeller Center there is great shopping as well as great services such as Eddie’s Show Repair in the underground concourse. A popular place to repair or shine shoes, it isn’t uncommon to run into NBC personalties like Tom Brokaw getting their shoes buffed up. With a new shine to show-off, lets talk a walk around mid-town. In the summer the ice skating rink becomes a sunken gardens overseen by the iconic Prometheus statue created by Paul Manship. More current icons like Mario adorn the nearby shops. Wisdom, the creative power of the universe, adorns the entrance to the main building of Rockefeller Center. Atlas towers over the main entrance on fifth avenue. This great Art Deco statue has even been used on US postage stamps. Across the street is St. Patrick’s Cathedral which opened in 1879. The stunning $175 million dollar restoration was completed last year. At 725 Fifth Avenue is Trump Tower, a 58 story skyscraper developed by Donald Trump at the former Bonwit Teller location. Not only does it house The Trump Organization and Mr. Trump’s penthouse residence, it also has The Trump Grill, The Trump Cafe, The Trump Bar, The Trump Store, and Trump’s Ice Cream Parlor. All that was missing at the door was a group of Trumpeters! A big draw to Trump Tower is the Trump store selling Trump Campaign Gear. From Trump tee-shirts and bumperstickers to Trump hats in camouflage, white, black and red (red hats sell out fast daily). From Fifth Avenue it is a short walk to Broadway and the theater district. There are a lot of hot shows right now and tickets for ones like Hamilton need to be purchased months in advance. However there are some last minute theater ticket websites such as todaytix.com where you can save almost 50% and get good seats at the last minute. Bright Star, a tony-award-winning musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell tells a true story from the American south in the 1920s-40s and is a feel-great show. An added extra surprise was that at the beginning of the second half, the curtain raised revealing Steve Martin in the flesh playing a bluegrass tune on his banjo. One World Trade Center also known as the new Freedom Tower soars 104 floors above where 9-11 memories are still vivid. Freedom Tower is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. At 432 Park Avenue is the 1306’ skyscraper - the tallest residential tower in the Western Hemisphere. The New York Subway is still the fastest and most affordable way to get around Manhattan. A single fare Metro Card costs $3.00. No sandwich is more quintessential New York than a pastrami on rye and one of the highest rated can be found at Pastrami Queen, 78th and Lexington. Serendipity 3 located at 225 east 60th street has been a popular restaurant and ice cream parlor for years. Oprah made Serendipity 3’s Frozen Hot Chocolate famous because after one sip she “wanted to dance on the chandeliers”. The line to get in can be long but once at a table the ice cream sundaes come out fast. Need more hot fudge… not a problem at Serendipity. All one needs after one of these mouth watering, concoctions is a place to walk off all that sugar energy… maybe running it off might be better idea. Taking a bite out of the big apple, even for just a few days can deliver an adrenaline rush …that lasts way longer than a New York minute

Comments