Loose in New York City

[Boxcar]

After checking into our Hotel last Friday night, (16th) we quickly experienced

our first taste of New York hospitality. We hopped aboard a Metro bus to travel about 13 blocks uptown only to discover we needed either a Metro pass or a pocket full of Quarters of which we had neither. While we attempting to exit the bus, the driver just closed the door and told us to have a seat. Thank you again Mr. Bus Driver.

We then boarded the Double Decker tour bus for the night tour of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. The night was cool and enjoyable as we viewed Times Square ,SOHO, China Town,Little Italy, Greenwich village and crossed the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn and back.

Saturday morning started with a Loop tour of lower Manhattan again but with a hop off at Battery Park where we caught the Staten Island Ferry and returned back to hop on the loop tour again back into mid town. By this time the temperature was uncomfortable up top of the bus so we stopped for refreshments before catching the one headed uptown around Central Park West, through Harlem and back down the East side. This phase was ridden in the lower airconditioned section of the bus.

This all loops tour really helped us learn about the city and our way around.

Sunday morning was slow getting started for my tired old body from what seemed 100 miles of walking. In fact, there seemed to be more trim and in shape people in the city than other places we have been. Has to be all the walking. I had purchased 2 one day Metro passes for the bus and subway that had unlimited use for the day. For $7 bucks each this is a bargain. We then hopped the Metro bus for Central Park West and exited it at The Tavern On The Green in Central Park. I was surprised to see all the hundreds of sun bathers laying everywhere. While strolling through the park, I found myself in bad need of a restroom, of which I quickly went searching for. At last we came upon a row of 5 port-a-potties.Now people, a couple of weeks ago there was a long thread about the restrooms on Amtrak. You have never seen anything like a Port-a-potty in Central Park on a weekend and no TP too boot. You would be surprised how many scraps of paper can be found in your wallet or pockets. We then had to find a water faucet to wash up. This pretty well filled our need to explore Central Park.

We then proceeded back down to Penn Station and caught the Subway out to Coney Island and the Boardwalk. After exploring this and the beach for awhile, we ate a couple of Nathan's Hotdogs and caught the subway back to Penn.

All in all, we didn't see any shows or tour a museum but we did see every building and items we wanted to see, and the places too.

Now I have most of my life heard how rude and unfriendly New Yorkers were. In the three days we were there, we never met a rude person. They may be short on words but not rude. Oh, I did see a few "Cabbies" wave at other cabbies or bus drivers. Guess some things hold true.

I'm sorry to say it Chicago people, but the 4 rude and unfriendly people we met was in Chicago and we were only there a total of about 5 hours both coming and going............BD

 

[MrFSS]

There is an article in this month's Readers Digest about being rude. NYC is the UN-RUDEST CITY in the world , of all major cities. I have always found that to be true the few visits I have had in that great city.

Keep the reports coming. We are enjoying them.

 

[AlanB]

NY has always had a bad reputation, IMHO an undeserved reputation, as a rude city. Now I'm not suggesting that you can't find rude people here, and I can tell you about plenty of neighborhoods to visit if you want to get robbed or worse.

But by and large most people here are just busy, not rude. I will also say that 9/11 helped to further mellow people here in NY. It had a major impact on how people treat one another.

I have a very good friend, an elderly lady who at the time was I believe 79 years young. She was walking down 34th Street toward Park Avenue. She had just visited a bank, withdrawing a few hundred dollars that she had just tucked inside her purse. She tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and suffered a nasty fall, hitting her head on the sidewalk and briefly loosing consciousness.

When she woke, there were several people around her, including one very nice man. This man had called the ambulance on his cell phone as well as the police. Even after the ambulance arrived he stood there holding her hand and talking with her as the paramedics took her vitals and loaded her onto the stretcher. He walked right along side of her still holding her hand telling her that everything would be ok, even as the paramedics rolled her to the ambulance.

She never got his name, never saw him again, but has never forgotten his kindness towards a little old lady. Oh, and when she finally remembered to check at the hospital an hour later, that $400 was still in her purse despite having been visible to anyone who had seen her fall, the ambulance crew, and anyone in the hospital. She did chide herself for not putting the money into her wallet and out of site, but was thankful that everyone that day had been honorable.

 

[Boxcar]

NY has always had a bad reputation, IMHO an undeserved reputation, as a rude city. Now I'm not suggesting that you can't find rude people here, and I can tell you about plenty of neighborhoods to visit if you want to get robbed or worse.  

You are correct on that Alan but it also holds true in every city, even here in Lubbock, Texas.

It's really a coincidence that this subject came up today. I just opened my July edition of Readers Digest and there is a survey on the most courtious of 35 major cities in the World and NYC came in #1 at 80% of the people that passed the test. NYC was the only US city on the list.

A big WELL done New York.....BD

 

[caravanman]

I mostly avoid organised tour bus trips and prefer to buy an all day pass for the public buses. Your tours sounded great, so I am wondering what the costs of the open top tours were? I have visited New York several times, and found people to be pretty cool, and open minded.

Ed. B)

 

[user 683]

I make it to NYC a couple times every 12-18 months and I must say that folks seem to be pretty cool about things. I also think 9-11 contributed to this - the entire city came together in ways that most of us who don't live in the area can probably not imagine.

I'll also chime in regarding the double decker bus tours. Yeah, its touristy, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the area's history. I remember one guide on the downtown loop who was simply amazing! The OTP between WAS and NYP seems to be really good as well.

Deimos

 

[Boxcar]

I mostly avoid organised tour bus trips and prefer to buy an all day pass for the public buses. Your tours sounded great, so I am wondering what the costs of the open top tours were? I have visited New York several times, and found people to be pretty cool, and open minded.Ed.   B)

Ed.....I'm not comfortable promoting any commercial item on this forum by listing the price but if you should happen to google Sightseeingworld.com

and click on New York, Huummmmmmm

Yepper Deimos.....I felt somewhat the same on learning and on the touristy bit and had a good tour guide also. He said not to worry about being a tourist in Times Square as no self respecting New Yorker would be caught there after sundown....

 

[Boxcar]

There is an article in this month's Readers Digest about being rude.  NYC is the UN-RUDEST CITY in the world , of all major cities.  I have always found that to be true the few visits I have had in that great city.
Keep the reports coming.  We are enjoying them.

Hey MrFSS...sorry about posting the very same thing you did....I somehow overshot your post.......

 

[MrFSS]

Hey MrFSS...sorry about posting the very same thing you did....I somehow overshot your post.......

Not a problem - I think we got the point across!!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I am one of those people who "Love the Big Apple".

I have usually been treated quite well.

But the big test was when I took my elderly and ill mother on the train overnight from ATl to NYC and back. Don't remember her age but she was in the early stages of Parkinsons disease. We were treated like royalty , people got taxis for us, others waited patiently for us, got wheel chairs for her, the works. Good treatment both on the train and in The City.

I was taken good care of in 1988 in various ways leaving my hotel when I had to cancel my train and fly home as quickly as possible. My father was expected to die (though he did not--not for another year) and they did good things to rush me out, ignore part of my costs, (like phone bills, taxes, etc) etc.

There there is the memory of my first big trip to NYC and Boston, stayed about a week in each one . Probably mid 70's. Anyway, each city had such a bad reputation for crime. I was more afraid than I admitted but I knew I had to "grow up" and see as many different places as possible, and take the train to them. Anway, it was not until I got BACK to hometown Chattanooga, and was waiting for a bus home---and realized I was more afraid in that particular spot in Chattanooga than I had been the whole two weeks in BOS or NYC.

 

[Boxcar]

Anway, it was not until I got BACK to hometown Chattanooga, and was waiting for a bus home---and realized I was more afraid in that particular spot in Chattanooga than I had been the whole two weeks in BOS or NYC.

An interesting story Bill. I think we all get so use to our hometown surroundings that we forget that some danger lurks in all of them. I'm no longer afraid of NYC but still have a healthy respect of potentially dangerous situations.

 

[veggin']

Boxcar, sounds like a great trip. I am trying to plan a trip to NYC. from cincinati.

We are thinking about Cinti to Chi to NYC and back on the Cardinal.

I haven't been on a train in several years, when last we took our pre teens to D.C. on the Cardinal. Would rather not take the same route,but don't see another way.

We are thinking about end of Sept or early Oct.

I would appreciate any Input from all you regular riders.

Thanks, ML

 

[MrFSS]

Boxcar, sounds like a great trip. I am trying to plan a trip to NYC. from cincinati.
We are thinking about Cinti to Chi to NYC and back on the Cardinal.

I haven't been on a train in several years, when last we took our pre teens to D.C. on the Cardinal. Would rather not take the same route,but don't see another way.

We are thinking about end of Sept or early Oct.

I would appreciate any Input from all you regular riders.

Thanks, ML

If you don't want to ride the Cardinal all the way to New York, consider coming and going via Chicago on the Capitol Limited and an Acela to NYP and The Lake shore Limited back to Chicago, or vice-versa. Of, course you'd have to ride the Cardinal to and from Cincy.

 

[Guest]

We thought about the Lake Shore limited from Chi to NYC and then coming back on the Cardinal.

Any tips on best time or days to travel. When we ere last on the Cardinal they had a Dining Car it looks ike that is gone now.

Any ideas on nice hotels esonabley price in the city?

Thanks , ML

 

[MrFSS]

We thought about the Lake Shore limited from Chi to NYC and then coming back on the Cardinal.
Any tips on best time or days to travel. When we ere last on the Cardinal they had a Dining Car it looks ike that is gone now.

Any ideas on nice hotels esonabley price in the city?

Thanks , ML

If you will take The Cardinal one way, might be best to take it east bound, the better scenery is in the daylight going that way.

Don't know what you consider reasonably priced, but for a decent hotel in mid-town you will pay $200-500 a night. There are some with "deals" but you have to look for them.

 

[veggin']

Thanks for the info, I don't think we want to take Cardinal eastbound, since we have taken that route both e & w

As of right now I am looking at cin to chi - coach 3am - 10:30 am.

run around Chi for several hours and catch the Lake Shore at 8 pm.in sleeper ( I have been given diff. responses about meals on this trip -

dinner & breakfast and breakfast only... anyone know for sure?)

get in Buffalo at approx 7am found a shuttle from train stations to Niagra Falls, On and stay the day and night.

Via Rial to Windsor, day travel

night in Windsor and catch Wolverine to Chi ... day travel

Chi overnight back to Cin

All input welcome. Thanks ML

 

[AlanB]

run around Chi for several hours and catch the Lake Shore at 8 pm.in sleeper ( I have been given diff. responses about meals on this trip -dinner & breakfast and breakfast only... anyone know for sure?)

You will definately get dinner on the LSL out of Chicago. Current procedure is to board sleeping car passengers from the Metropolitan Lounge at 7:00 - 7:15 PM. This way you'll already be seated in the diner and at the very least should have ordered your food, before you ever leave the station. If things work right, you should at least be eating your salad, if not your dinner before the train pulls out.

If for any reason there is a problem with either the dining car, or an on-time departure, then those in the lounge can expect to be given an allowence to go upstairs and buy dinner, prior to boarding.

So make sure that you are in the lounge by 6:30 PM or so, so as to be ready for the early boarding.

Turning to breakfast, assuming that you get up early and the train isn't by some miracle running early, you should be able to get breakfast in the dining car before Buffalo. The dining car should open at 6:00 AM, the latest 6:30 AM. Of course the odds are that the train will be late, so you'll probably have more time to enjoy breakfast.

However, I would still recommend that you have everything packed and ready to de-train, before heading for the dining car.

 

[MrFSS]

run around Chi for several hours and catch the Lake Shore at 8 pm.in sleeper ( I have been given diff. responses about meals on this trip -dinner & breakfast and breakfast only... anyone know for sure?)

You will definately get dinner on the LSL out of Chicago. Current procedure is to board sleeping car passengers from the Metropolitan Lounge at 7:00 - 7:15 PM. This way you'll already be seated in the diner and at the very least should have ordered your food, before you ever leave the station. If things work right, you should at least be eating your salad, if not your dinner before the train pulls out.

If for any reason there is a problem with either the dining car, or an on-time departure, then those in the lounge can expect to be given an allowence to go upstairs and buy dinner, prior to boarding.

So make sure that you are in the lounge by 6:30 PM or so, so as to be ready for the early boarding.

Turning to breakfast, assuming that you get up early and the train isn't by some miracle running early, you should be able to get breakfast in the dining car before Buffalo. The dining car should open at 6:00 AM, the latest 6:30 AM. Of course the odds are that the train will be late, so you'll probably have more time to enjoy breakfast.

However, I would still recommend that you have everything packed and ready to de-train, before heading for the dining car.

Alan - I have been watching this train into NYP for the last week or so. It has been anywhere from 5 minutes early to almost 7 hours late.

What do they do for sleeping car folk if they arrive past the evening meal time? Serve something? Do they carry enough to do that?

Just curious.

 

[AlanB]

Alan - I have been watching this train into NYP for the last week or so. It has been anywhere from 5 minutes early to almost 7 hours late.
What do they do for sleeping car folk if they arrive past the evening meal time? Serve something? Do they carry enough to do that?

Just curious.

Well if they do anything for sleeping car pax on a late arrival into NYP, then they forgot to tell me. On my recent trip, we didn't arrive into NYP until 8:30PM and there was no mention of a dinner in the dining car to us. And I walked through the dining car after Albany taking some pictures and they sure didn't look like they were preping for dinner service.