12 things to do in New York

Published Aug 22, 2011

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A long planned holiday from South Africa to the USA led my partner and I to various destinations, most notably New York City. After visiting family and friends in Pennsylvania, we caught an Amtrak train from the quaint Victorian Station in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

We booked the train tickets online at a cost of $182 (about R1200) one-way coach for the two of us. The dozen passengers waiting to board with us were grateful that the train arrived on time, just after 11am. In a drizzly warm summer rain we climbed on, bound for New York. Along the way, the train stops at stations in Eastern Pennsylvania, for a total travel time of roughly five hours and forty-seven minutes to New York.

On board the train, there was ample room for hand luggage above the seats and at the end of the carriage for larger suitcases. The seating provided plenty of space for stretching one's legs in comfort as the Pennsylvania countryside flashed past. Back of seat pouches, similar to those on airplanes, gave a convenient space for magazines and newspapers bought prior to boarding for our reading pleasure.

Feeling hungry around two, we strolled through to the dining car to pick up coffee and muffins and by five o'clock the coach was pulling into the famous Pennsylvania Station. Directional signage guided us quickly and easily to the stairs that led us up to 33nd Street and 7th Avenue, and the entrance to the famed Madison Square Garden, sight of many a legendary boxing bout and other sporting events.

Exactly as promised on its website, the Hotel Pennsylvania was right across the street. Checking in was as easy as giving our confirmation code from our online booking and picture identity for each of us, in the form of passports.

Our 8th storey room, overlooking Madison Square Garden, was secure and adequate for the money - $209.11 for a double room for one night. The bathroom allowed for both shower and a luxuriating soak in the bathtub and there was plenty of hot water. However, there were no coffee and tea facilities in the room. Fortunately, there was a vending machine on the floor for snacks and cold drinks. A Coke cost $1.75.

After a leisurely supper in the restaurant in the hotel lobby - Lindy's - famous for its celebrity clientele and cheesecake, we sauntered out to the street and a stroll along 7th Avenue (most of the meals and sandwiches at Lindy's were about $10, and the food was tasty with generous portions served). As we exited the hotel lobby onto the street, I spotted Macy's, and made a note to shop till I dropped the next morning.

The things to do and sights to see in New York City are limited only by the size of your purse and the amount of time you have available. We gathered up brochures with information for enough activities to keep us busy for a month! The NYC Official Visitor Guide contains a wealth of information on restaurants, museums, shops, tours, and hotels. The guide is readily available in hotels, bus stations and train stations.

Tours of the city are available by bus, boat and helicopter. Contact www.bateauxnewyork or www.spiritofnewyork for more information. Information on harbour tours is available at circlelinedowntown.com.

Helicopter tours range from $139 to $295 per person. Hop on-hop off bus tours are a bargain at $75 per adult and $55 per child. Most of these tours take in the most famous sights of the city, including Macy's, the Empire State Building, Chinatown, Little Italy, Wall Street, the World Trade Centre Site, Battery Park, the United Nations, Rockefeller Centre, Greenwich Village, Times Square and the Theatre District.

Recommended places to visit include the Lincoln Centre, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the Central Park Zoo, and Harlem. Whatever your interests, there are things to see and do for the whole family in New York.

If you have more than a few days in the city, 13-hour day trips to the Boston Freedom Trail in Massachusetts to the north; the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia - and Amish Country in neighbouring Pennsylvania to the west; and, Washington, D.C., the seat of the American government, to the south. These daylong tours are a bargain at US$149 for both children and adults. Contact CitySightsNY.com or phone 001-212-812-2700 from South Africa. Or visit the company on Facebook or Twitter.

Getting around in the city is as easy as hailing a yellow city cab, but the cheapest way to move about on foot for self-guided tours is the subway, with entrances and exits well marked on the streets.

When all too soon it was time to check out of the hotel, we looked for guidance from the hotel information desk as to the cheapest and quickest way to JFK International Airport.

The friendly client service staff member advised us that just on the corner outside the hotel, we could catch a free shuttle to Grand Central Station, where we then bought transit authority bus tickets ($15 per person) for the bus trip to the airport. Be sure to allow enough time as the drive can take up to two hours in heavy traffic.

We were fortunate to make the trip in just over an hour. Dropped by the courteous driver right outside Terminal 4, we joined the long queue to check in for our Virgin Atlantic flight to London.

In the USA the Amtrak toll free line is 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). The Amtrak call centre agent will also assist you to book hotel accommodation. The website is Amtrak.com. The Hotel Pennsylvania is at 401 Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street. You can call 001-212-736-5000 from South Africa or 1-800-223-8585 within the USA. The website is www.hotelpenn.com - IOL

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