Katherine's Next Trip!

I shared a few months ago about my favorite things about New York City and that I was headed there soon, and I did!  I went at the beginning of May, and I packed my schedule down to the MINUTE with delicious food and amazing shows.  

This trip started forming when George Clooney announced that he would be starring in the play version of his critically acclaimed movie Good Night, and Good Luck way back in the fall.  I had also been reading historical fiction about the theatre company that first produced the Pirates of Penzance, and shortly after I finished, Roundabout Theatre Company announced their production of Pirates! A Penzance Musical.  The stars aligned when the actual calendars did, and I planned my next trip!

In the past, I have frequented LaGuardia Airport as it is Southwest’s preferred airport for price reasons as well as the fact that I usually stayed with my friend in nearby East Harlem, but since Southwest has been increasing in price in LEAPS AND BOUNDS, I looked across many carriers.  I decided to fly with JetBlue, whose hub is at JFK, making it easy to enter the city on the subway (the AirTrain + subway is the cheapest way possible, without having to schlep my luggage onto a connecting bus like I do for arrivals/departures involving LaGuardia).   It sure does take a long time (hopping on a more expensive Long Island Railroad train would be MUCH quicker, yet slightly more expensive, but not by much in comparison to a cab from JFK), but getting to the city for $11.40 instead of closer to $100 in a cab is worth it.  

I had never flown JetBlue before, and I would ABSOLUTELY fly them again, especially to New York where they are very popular.  They really do have the most legroom I have seen in economy and they also have free wifi!  Not just the messaging apps, but really everything!  Even their boarding order makes sense, doesn’t everyone know that filling in the seats the farthest away from the front and aisle helps efficiency?  I was finally not relegated to group 13 (here’s looking at you, BA), I was in group B!  The snacks were delicious, the seatback entertainment was plentiful (I watched Lilo and Stitch on the way back in anticipation of the new movie coming out!), and my knees weren’t shoved into the seat back pocket.  I’m sold!  

Ever since losing my free hotel room perks I had before covid and my friend moving out of NYC, the prices of hotels in the city have become SO PAINFUL.  The last time I went to NYC in the middle of covid, I managed to snag a hotel room for 3 nights for under $300.  AND IT WAS A NICE HOTEL!  I checked this time, and one room for one night in 2025 was more than my three nights in 2022!  I scoured the internet for MONTHS to find something more palatable to my bank account.  I started off with booking a private room at the no frills Westside YMCA, only a few blocks from Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center.  It is in a perfect location, should you ever need to be close to midtown with a tiny budget.  Secondly, I found a better rate downtown at the Four Points by Sheraton, but if I was going to spend most of my time in Midtown, did I need to be so far away?  After that, I managed to get closer to a good budget and closer to the Theatre District at the Wyndham New Yorker, close to Madison Square Garden, Macy’s and Herald Square.  

When I am researching a location, I like to peruse planning sites, blogs, and where travelers are sharing their experiences.  Especially for somewhere that attracts a lot of tourists such as New York, I poke around the TripAdvisor forums (I don’t love how things are reviewed and ranked on TripAdvisor, but people discussing anything from restaurant recommendations to the out of the ordinary spots in town is very handy for a frequent visitor like me!) and see what people are talking about or how they are answering other travelers’ questions.  That is how I found the hotel I eventually stayed in, the Riverside Tower Hotel, I spotted it in a solo traveler’s trip report!  

The Riverside Tower Hotel is an old “club hotel” that opened in 1927 as a more upscale boardinghouse for the young people who were flocking to the city to find employment.  The original purpose explains the miniscule rooms.  Alas, I am only one person, and I only need to stand/sit/get dressed in one space at a time, so the room and price were perfect for me.  I was able to secure a river view room, as the hotel is located on Riverside Drive on the Upper West side, which gave me a wonderful view overlooking the park and opposite side of the Hudson River into New Jersey.  Frequent travelers to New York know that the distances between avenues can be long, but at 80^th street on the UWS, the distance between the avenues are short, and you find yourself about a four-minute walk away from the famous Zabar’s deli and the 79^th street stop of the 1 train, which takes you into the heart of midtown in less than 10 minutes.  It was a quiet neighborhood, it felt very safe, and was close enough to make getting back to my hotel for a quick refresh VERY easy.  Just a warning, don’t expect to get into your room early though, as they have found a way to monetize their efficient cleaning by charging for an early check-in.  They are happy to store your luggage while you start your New York City adventure.  If you’re on your own, or don’t mind being cramped with your companions (I saw MANY Europeans with their friends in the common area), and want to stay in something more private than a hostel, I will now ALWAYS suggest the Riverside Tower Hotel.  

As I lived in Italy for two years while serving with Cru, I am VERY particular and discerning about my Italian restaurants.  After catching wind of a trattoria with the area code of my town in Italy, Salerno, I went to investigate their origins, and lo and behold, the owner is from Salerno!  I had to try it!  I first visited Zero Otto Nove in 2022 on my winter Music Man trip (with that cheap hotel!) and I needed to go back.  I convinced my Atlanta friend who moved to NYC a few years ago to come with me, and we enjoyed amazing and authentic Neapolitan (I count it being local because both Napoli and Salerno are in the same region of Italy!) pizza.  My favorite is always the Diavola pizza topped with spicy salami, but many of my friends’ favorite pizzas are on their menu as well, like the classic Margherita and the Quattro Formaggi.  Located in the Flatiron District, it is in a great spot to visit other fun shops like Eataly (they were giving out free samples of mozzarella di bufala when I stopped by!) and the Rizzoli Bookstore where I have found some neat books before.  

After an enjoyable lunch, I popped down to the Fora Pop Up storefront to see what my travel advising company was up to!  I have mentioned I’m a travel advisor, right? 😉 It was so welcoming and had so many interesting details to help folks start dreaming about and booking their next trip!  

After returning to my hotel to get refreshed and spruced up for my evening, I took the 1 train back to Times Square to revisit Charlie Palmer Steak in its new location, the elegant Knickerbocker Hotel (I also visited this restaurant in 2022, just like Zero Otto Nove!).  They have a very enjoyable pre-theatre menu, with 3 courses for $68, which includes steak frites!  It’s a great option before a show, as it is open throughout the afternoon and evening compared to other theatre district restaurants that don’t open until 5 or 5:30pm, so there is no need to rush through such a delicious meal! 

After the inevitable “New York throwing a wrench in things” blocking off Times Square for a pay-per-view boxing match, I hopped on the train for one stop to get to the theatre.  My current New York friend had scoffed when I mentioned considering the subway when pondering the boxing match and needing to get to the other side of Times Square at a busy time.  

Since starting to frequent NYC over the past 13 years I have ridden the subway COUNTLESS times.  In the past, I have ALWAYS utilized the unlimited 7-day Metrocard for the price of 12 rides.  It is so freeing when I know I can save time and energy whenever I want by hopping on a subway to traverse the city.  I am almost always in the city for four or more days, and I always end up getting my money’s worth out of the pass.  Since my last visit, the MTA started the contactless payment system across the city, meaning you could tap your “contactless” card, phone, or watch to pay for rides.  It keeps track of your rides, and after your twelfth ride, it stops charging you and everything after that is free.  It provides the most flexibility, because you don’t end up having to deal with loading money onto cards or keeping track of how many rides you have taken.  You can decide how much or little to ride, and you always get your money’s worth for how many times you want to ride.  Since the attractions are spread throughout the city, it’s almost a no-brainer to use the subway and buses to hit everything on your itinerary. 

One funny tidbit that I want to mention is that apps like Citymapper and now even Google Maps and Apple Maps give amazing directions on how to exit the subway to start heading to your destination.  But because I couldn’t find the street signs when I got to street level, I ended up walking completely around the block trying to find the direction to walk towards the theatre.  It was even a theatre I had been to!  

I arrived at the theatre approximately 30 minutes in advance, as my preshow rituals dictate.  Many people suggest using the bathroom at the restaurant before you head to the theatre so that you miss out on the lines inside, but I want to go to the bathroom as close to curtain time as possible, so I give myself plenty of time to deal with the security line, getting my bearings in the theatre, perusing the merchandise and purchasing my magnet, taking my playbill picture, and settling in for the show.  Many shows are very strict regarding latecomers, so there should be no reason for you to be held back from your seats when you plan to arrive 30 minutes ahead of time. 

A note on my seats, I can USUALLY find discount codes for cheaper tickets, but with these big name shows that I was making a point to see this weekend, I had to bite the bullet and buy mostly full price seats.  I even told myself when I heard about the play, “self, if I can get tickets for under $150, I will go”.  When tickets went on sale, the lowest priced tickets in the mezzanine were $99, and I said “Sold!”  Since each seat in the theatre has a different perspective, I used the website aviewfrommyseat.com to check the sight lines of any show I was considering, helping me to make my decisions on how much I am willing to sacrifice money or views to get the perfectly priced seat.  It is supported by theatregoers who upload pictures from their seats so everyone can make informed decisions.  It’s so helpful!

The show was very well done, and since I had been impressed with the movie, I knew what to expect, because it was THE EXACT SAME THING.  I mean, it was a well-done show, but you could save your money by watching the movie.  It got very confrontational in the last 5 minutes, which was not a part of the movie, so I kind of left the theatre with an icky feeling.  It was just unnecessary.  With a 7pm curtain and the show finishing at 8:45 (because it had no intermission), I was glad for an early night to prepare for the rest of the weekend when I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping much.  

The next day started off with my FAVORITE pancakes in the world.  I found out about Clinton Street Baking Company many moons ago and I can’t visit NYC without eating their blueberry pancakes with maple butter.  The maple butter is SO GOOD that there is NO NEED for any syrup to accompany the stack of fluffiness on your plate.  Their original location is on the Lower East Side and quite tiny, but they do make reservations.  With their main restaurant opening at 9am but with limited availability, sometimes for my touring goals I opt for visiting their counter service outpost at the Time Out Market in Brooklyn.  It opens at 8am with ample seating and spectacular views from the Dumbo neighborhood of the Manhattan skyline.  It normally takes around 30+ minutes for me to get there depending on my lodging (from my UWS hotel it took around 45 min), but despite the early wake up call, it’s always worth it to start the day with a delicious meal and a spectacular view.  

Following breakfast, I had secured a “flexible entry” morning ticket (hidden in the ticket buying process when you are selecting a time for your visit, the price is midway between the strict timed entry and completely open and very expensive “anytime ticket”) at the Museum of Broadway near Times Square.  The museum starts out with an informative video of the history of Broadway theatres in New York City and then you are released to travel through exhibits representing different eras and unique and notable Broadway shows.  

The whole building is set up like you are backstage at a Broadway theatre and it is a very thorough journey through the evolution of Broadway as we know it.  If you’re a Broadway fan, I would say it is worth a visit to learn even more about it as well as spot some fun props from a few of your favorite shows!

As I was planning my trip, I was trying to take into consideration my “refreshing and dressing up for the theatre” schedule as well as being able to reach my insulin pump (hard to do under dresses!) at mealtimes.  That may sound strange, but I had my eyes on a delicious Tuscan sandwich counter near Times Square where I wouldn’t be able to access my insulin pump if I went to after I changed into a dress, so I went to grab an early lunch directly after the Museum of Broadway before heading back to get ready for my two-show day.  All’Antico Viniao is a famous sandwich counter in Florence that I lament has been overrun with Instagrammers and American study abroad students causing lines to stretch down the street.  I have never visited because I always have other restaurants in mind when I am in Florence and I can’t imagine anything living up to that hype.  I figured if I wanted a quick lunch nearby after my decadent pancake breakfast, All’Antico Viniao would be the place!  

I asked the employee for help deciding between two of the sandwiches that caught my eye, and we ended up going with La Toscana, which is made up of salame Toscana, pecorino Toscano, and truffle honey.  DELICIOUS, but so sticky with the honey getting all over me.  While I was eating, an Italian family stopped in and was talking to the manager in Italian, and of course I butted in and practiced my Italian a little bit.  I was amused as I listened to them all talk and very satisfied as I devoured my Tuscan sandwich.  

A quick subway ride back to my hotel to change, and back down to Times Square to see the second of my aims in visiting this weekend, “Pirates! A Penzance Musical”.  They changed the name of it, as it is a bit of a reimagining of the original, set in New Orleans instead of in England and it was given a distinct jazz flair.  

You might know SOME of the songs in the show, with the most famous being the “Major General’s Song” (“I am the very model of a modern major general”).  Starring Frasier’s David Hyde Pierce and Tony Nominated Ramin Karimloo, this revival was SO FUN, hilarious, and entertaining.  I had read that some “Gilbert and Sullivan purists” were upset at some of the changes to the classic musical, but I didn’t find anything to object to in the adaptation (though I have never seen the REAL musical, so take my observations with a grain of salt).  The price of the ticket would have been worth it if I ONLY heard Ramin sing “I am the Pirate King” and David sing “Major General’s Song”. I was in awe of how amazing their performances were.  

As it was a Roundabout Theatre production, a nonprofit that celebrates the power of theatre by spotlighting classics from the past, developing new works of the present, and educating minds of the future, they have frequent educational opportunities after many of their Saturday matinee shows where audience members can get a peek into the behind the scenes of the making of a show or perspectives of the actors and their training processes.  After my matinee, we were lucky enough to have an actor Q&A where many of the performers shared insights into the making of the show.  I also learned that David Hyde Pierce is also known as DHP from some of the actors telling their stories!  It was fascinating to hear about their sword training and how they all contributed to the finished product of such a fun musical from the actors themselves.

I will leave you imagining the hilarity and amusement I experienced through the afternoon as you dream of your next trip to NYC, as I hope this has inspired your next trip as well!

Stay tuned for the rest of “Katherine’s Next Trip” to New York City!