Tag Archives: new york city

New York—-Two Tales One City

Ah… New York City. The Big Apple… The City That Never Sleeps… Home of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade… and the place where you visitors should expect the unexpected. Where am I going with this? Follow me… two big stories about two major New York City landmarks made headlines this week and I found it interesting that both had connections to the travel industry. The first bit of news is about one of the Big Apple’s most photographed buildings. The Plaza (it’s a hotel and so much more) is the fictional home to the mischievous Eloise, the setting for Mr. … Continue reading →

Grand Central Spa

If I had a dime for each time my mother would stop her mealtime preparation and ask me, my three brothers and our respective friends milling about her kitchen: “What do you think this place is… Grand Central Station?” I’d be a very rich person. Even if you have never stepped foot in the city’s iconic mass transit terminal you know that it is not a place commuters come for rest and relaxation… or is it? In a move that that can only be described as oxymoronic, the Big Apple’s landmark train station is hosting a Spa Experience. From October … Continue reading →

New York Post 9/11: Still A Tourist Hot Spot

There’s no doubt the September 11th terror attacks crippled New York’s tourism industry. I remember watching the news in the dark days and weeks following the collapse of the World Trade Center and hearing hotel operators say they could barely give rooms away in the heart of the city. It was an unbelievable sound bite that still sticks with me these many years later. I remember my best friend, a flight attendant for American Airlines, telling me how empty the flights to JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark were. Add that to restaurants, theaters, museums, and other local attractions that saw patronage … Continue reading →

Travel Updates: Dinosaur Museum and Airport Parking

Here’s a quick update on two travel items I wrote about in previous blogs: Wyoming Dinosaur Center In a previous blog I told you about our family’s summer plans to toss dirt around in Thermopolis, Wyoming—home of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. If that blog didn’t convince you that you too should be giving your child the unique opportunity to dig deep for a piece of history, perhaps this bit of information will. Just a few days ago the center opened its new exhibit featuring a rare birdlike dinosaur specimen. According to experts, the Wyoming Dinosaur Center’s Archaeopteryx specimen is second … Continue reading →

Another Reason NOT To Drive In New York City

If you thought parking in New York City was expensive (brace yourself) be prepared to dig just as deep for the privilege of merely driving into the most congested part of Manhattan. If city leaders get their way motorists will have to fork over a bit of green because the city’s mayor wants to go “green.” According to a proposal outlined by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the plan to charge motorists stems from the boom in population and the affect it’s having on the environment. “Let’s face up to the fact that our population growth is putting our city … Continue reading →

Subway Stories

My cousin celebrated his 25th birthday in New York City last night. (He lives on Long Island so the excitement surrounding the event wasn’t derived from the location.) As you can imagine it was a late night and he ended up riding the subway to a friend’s home in Queens. When I spoke to him earlier today he was desperately trying to find his iPod. From what he can remember, it was still in his jacket pocket when he boarded the subway last night. But, this morning it was gone. Losing your iPod on a New York City subway… please! … Continue reading →

Robotic Parking in New York

Have you ever driven in New York City? It’s an experience you won’t soon forget. Have you ever tried parking your car in New York City? That’s also an experience one never forgets. The times I’ve been forced to park in the city I tend to walk away wondering if my car will be there when I return. I could pay someone else to deal with my vehicle, but I have visions of the scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” where two parking attendants take Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari on a joy ride (not that I own a Ferrari)… If you … Continue reading →

Taxis With TVs—Not A Bad Way To Travel

Let’s face it; New York City cabs (and their drivers) don’t exactly have the world’s best reputation. But, that could soon be changing. According to the city’s Taxi & Limousine Commission a new generation of taxis could be hitting the streets the Big Apple within two weeks. The revamped cabs will be sporting TVs, but, they’re not just your ordinary monitors, these TVs are designed to help riders pass the time, pay the fare and even find their lost items from bags to umbrellas. The taxi commission showed off the new and improved cabs to the media yesterday. The updated … Continue reading →

New York Steps Up to the Plate

New Yorkers are known for being an independent bunch and they are by their very nature survivors. This week, New York steps up to the plate in the area of fitness as the New York City’s health department announced that restaurants in New York City have to phase out artificial fats that are widely used in frying, baked goods and other food products. Trans fats, as they are known as, raise the bad LDL cholesterol levels and lower the HDL cholesterol. This can increase inflammation of the internal organs and is considered a major contributor to heart disease. The chairman … Continue reading →

My Thanksgiving “Dream” Trip

It has always been my dream to attend the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In November 2002, after watching the festivities from the tropics (my childhood home in Hawaii) for nearly two decades I figured it was about time I hunkered down and made the commitment to see the glorious bands, balloons and floats in person. (Yes, even my husband was game.) The only problem—in late Spring of 2003 I got pregnant and was forced to nix our plans to watch the parade in person. Fast forward five years–I have all ready made plans for our family … Continue reading →