Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

HELLO, MANHATTAN!

The Big Apple is especially magical during the holiday season.

- BY JENNY T. SWENSON

Just moments before I had received an unexpected offer from a dear friend who had invited us to spend a few nights in her Manhattan condo at The Phillips Club in the very ritzy Lincoln Square area of Manhattan. We quickly agreed four days in early December would be an ideal time to take in the Christmas spirit and lights for which the Big Apple is so well-known.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Convenient­ly situated at Columbus and West 66th Street, our luxurious two-bedroom accommodat­ion couldn’t have been more perfect. I’ve always preferred to take in the sights and sounds of New York on foot and we were within easy walking distance of Central Park, Columbus Circle, Carnegie Hall, numerous museums, theatres, Rockefelle­r Centre and Times Square.

The first thing we purchased was a New York CITYPASS, which entitled access to the Empire State Building, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolit­an Museum of Art, the Top of the Rock Observatio­n Deck or the Guggenheim Museum, the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or a Circle Line Sightseein­g Cruise and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum or Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. The pass

also guaranteed exclusive discounts on the entry fees to any of the optional attraction­s listed. We had plenty of ground to cover and, over the course of our stay, we would walk about 43 kilometres—a distance equal to twice the length of Manhattan Island.

Of the many attraction­s we experience­d, we especially enjoyed a relaxing Circle Line Sightseein­g Cruise, which departs from Midtown’s Pier 83 and completely circumnavi­gates Manhattan. It gave us the opportunit­y to rest our weary feet as we took in breathtaki­ng views of the city skyline from every angle as well as the Statue of Liberty.

From there, we hoofed it all the way down along the West Side Highway to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum between Fulton and Liberty Streets—referred to as Ground Zero—to pay homage to the nearly 3,000 victims of that eventful catastroph­e in 2001. The name of every person who perished is honoured in bronze around two Memorial pools. Words cannot express the

deep sorrow that engulfed me when my eyes fell upon the names of an unborn child and her mother. Truth be told, I had to walk away from the site. It was all too much to bear.

We couldn’t resist a late-night drink at the Top of the Rock. At US$18, it may have been the most expensive glass of wine I ever drank. However, the views were spectacula­r and included in the price. Seating is reserved for those who order food from the pricey menu, so it was standing room only for us. In the plaza below, we stopped to admire the world-renowned Rockefelle­r Christmas Tree, a 22-metre, 12-ton green pyramid decked out in red, white and blue lights and crowned by a 2.8-metre topper designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. Each year, millions gather to watch the lighting of New York’s iconic Christmas symbol. It must be quite a spectacle to behold.

DINING AROUND TOWN

As you can imagine, the dining options were endless. We could have dined at any of the trendy restaurant­s, such as the Tribeca Grill in Lower Manhattan, owned by actor Robert De Niro, or Le Cirque with its impressive wine list, or Ellen’s Stardust Diner where singing waitstaff cater to a long line of hungry diners. Instead, we opted to see what we might discover when hunger struck.

We hit the jackpot at a small, rustic Italian eatery called Da Mikele on Church Street in the Tribeca neighbourh­ood, where the food and service were excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at the all-time favourite Rosie O’grady’s Restaurant in Times Square, just steps from the Gershwin Theatre, where we had reserved tickets for WICKED that evening.

The best surprise was the outdoor Columbus Circle Holiday Market, located on the southwest corner of Central Park where we savoured tasty treats prepared by various food and refreshmen­t vendors. This market is one of many that pop up throughout the city from mid-november through January. It definitely ignited the Christmas spirit in us as we roamed from booth to booth searching for unique gifts for friends and family members. Even if you don’t plan to do much shopping, the atmosphere is festive and definitely gets you in the holiday mood.

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 ??  ?? BELOW: The musical, WICKED, has entertaine­d audiences at the famous Gershwin Theatre since 2003. Joan Marcus
BELOW: The musical, WICKED, has entertaine­d audiences at the famous Gershwin Theatre since 2003. Joan Marcus
 ??  ?? RIGHT: Our 2.5-hour cruise with Circle Line Sightseein­g Cruises took us past more than 130 of the city’s most iconic landmarks. BELOW: As you might expect, New York City specialize­s in over-the-top Christmas decoration­s.
V&V Hospitalit­y & Media Services
RIGHT: Our 2.5-hour cruise with Circle Line Sightseein­g Cruises took us past more than 130 of the city’s most iconic landmarks. BELOW: As you might expect, New York City specialize­s in over-the-top Christmas decoration­s. V&V Hospitalit­y & Media Services
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