| Easy redeye flights out of major California cities make | | | | For us, the big question was where to begin? There |
| a weekend in the Big Apple not only possible, but quite | | | | are so many fascinating attractions in New York City |
| affordable. | | | | you could spend weeks visiting and not run out of |
| And who can resist a trip to the Big Apple when you | | | | interesting things to do. Our challenge was to skim a |
| can do it for a few hundred dollars, lose just one day | | | | few of the best off the top, knowing full well we would |
| of work and be back in the office Monday morning | | | | have to leave many "must-sees" for a future trip. |
| telling travel tales like you were an A-list celebrity?. | | | | Just strolling the city, for us, was a great way to get |
| But can a trip from California to New York really work | | | | started. Because our hotel was so well-located, it was |
| in such a tight time frame? Do you really have time to | | | | just a short walk to sights like Rockefeller Center with |
| see anything? Will it be a fun getaway or a gauntlet of | | | | its ice skating rink, holiday decorations and festive spirit. |
| stress-inducing hassles and deadlines? | | | | Nearby is the Radio City Music Hall as well as the |
| We decided to try it out. Our late evening flight left | | | | Museum of Television and Radio. The expensive |
| from San Diego on Thursday, arriving about 7 a.m. | | | | stores along Fifth Avenue also are close at hand. |
| Friday morning. Because of the late departure, we | | | | Stepping onto the streets of midtown Manhattan, the |
| were able to put in a full day of work on Thursday | | | | energy is palpable as thousands of New Yorkers |
| and were only absent from the office on Friday. | | | | scurry about their daily business, a sea of humanity |
| The first thing you have to realize on your New York | | | | crowding the sidewalks while vehicular traffic is so |
| weekend is that not all airlines are created equal and it | | | | congested that it often is just at a standstill. |
| has to do more with legroom than anything else. We're | | | | Everywhere you look are the yellow cabs that many |
| actually less concerned about service than we are | | | | city residents use instead of owning their own cars. |
| about comfort -- and a tight configuration of the seats | | | | And, of course, the subways are a popular and |
| can be quite uncomfortable. Some airlines simply | | | | efficient way to get up and down the island. |
| configure their seats too close together to have any | | | | We have to admit we may have seen one too many |
| comfort at all on a red-eye flight. | | | | movies depicting the New York subway system as a |
| Unfortunately, the airline we chose - mainly because it | | | | dark, dreary, old repository of big-city low life, and |
| was the lowest fare at the time - was not the one | | | | were a little apprehensive about using the subways for |
| with the most legroom. We flew Delta on one of their | | | | our primary means of transportation. Since this was a |
| newer 737's (Flight 748) and realized as soon as we | | | | family weekend, we also weren't certain we should be |
| sat down that there seemed to be less room than | | | | taking our nine-year-old daughter in such places. But |
| other airlines we had flown recently. Since most | | | | we're happy to report our fears were greatly |
| people try to sleep on a redeye, be forewarned - you | | | | exaggerated. |
| won't get much sleep if you are frozen in position for | | | | The subway system in New York could use a little |
| the entire five-hour flight time. | | | | sprucing up, but it's very functional and not at all |
| Of course the younger you are, the less you will be | | | | intimidating. People of all ages and walks of life use the |
| concerned about losing sleep. And even those of us | | | | subway to go everywhere in the city and we were |
| who are older can generally make it up the next night - | | | | told by the city's visitor office that the subway system |
| as we did, by retiring earlier than usual on Friday night. | | | | is, indeed, quite safe. We ended up using the subway |
| But a Friday 7 a.m. arrival is ideal for getting a full day | | | | several times - once we figured out the ticketing, |
| of sightseeing done in New York City. Be prepared for | | | | pricing and routing - to reach several points of interest |
| at least an hour in the cab if you're arriving at Kennedy | | | | in Manhattan that would have been pricy to reach by |
| International as we did - it's rush hour all the way into | | | | cab and too time-consuming to reach on foot. For |
| the city and Kennedy is located some distance away | | | | $2.25 a ride, the subway is a bargain. |
| from downtown. Depending on flight schedules, | | | | For example, we were told of a new walkway down |
| LaGuardia or Newark may prove to be more | | | | in the Chelsea area that was proving quite popular |
| convenient airports for your arrival. | | | | with New Yorkers looking for an interesting stroll. We |
| Our cab dropped us off at our hotel - the Renaissance | | | | took the subway to a station near what is called the |
| New York Hotel 57 at the corner of East 57th and | | | | High Line, a former elevated rail line that has been |
| Lexington, close to many attractions in the midtown | | | | converted to a walking path. It offers great views of |
| area of Manhattan, and just a few short blocks from | | | | the city, excellent exercise and is a gateway to the |
| Central Park. Conveniently, the hotel allowed us to | | | | stylish row houses and trendy restaurants of Chelsea. |
| check in right away - a welcome gesture that enabled | | | | And so it went for our two days of sightseeing - |
| us to change clothes and freshen up before we | | | | identifying places we wanted to visit, figuring out where |
| began our first day of sightseeing. We also figured out | | | | they were relative to the subways and then grouping |
| right away we had chosen a great place to stay - the | | | | our attractions for each subway destination. We |
| Renaissance New York Hotel 57 is one of Marriott's | | | | managed to see a lot - the World Trade Center, the |
| first hotels being launched under the newly re-defined | | | | Statue of Liberty boat tour, the Museum of Natural |
| Renaissance brand. This particular hotel is a stylish | | | | History, Times Square, Central Park, the Broadway |
| boutique hotel that fits in with its neighborhood of art | | | | District, Chelsea, the Diamond District, and the Avenue |
| galleries and fashionable shops, and its comfortable | | | | of the Americas where major media and the country's |
| rooms are designed and furnished to offer surprises to | | | | top corporations are headquartered. We experienced |
| the prototypical Renaissance guest. That person, PR | | | | New York hot dogs, New York pizza, New York |
| director Kathy Duffy explains, is a "discovery person" | | | | roasted chestnuts, New York deli food - in other |
| who looks for unusual out-of-the-way features and | | | | words, before our Sunday morning departure, we had |
| attractions. | | | | managed to take a huge bite out of the Big Apple. |
| When we visit a new city, often our first stop is the | | | | AT A GLANCE |
| local visitor information office and New York was no | | | | WHERE: New York City - basically the center of the |
| exception. Since this is the Big Apple, nothing is done | | | | universe. |
| half-way and the visitor center at NYC & Company, | | | | WHAT: A weekend in New York City can be |
| just a few blocks from our hotel in midtown, is one of | | | | affordable and not burn a lot of vacation time. You'll |
| the best we've seen. The center recently underwent a | | | | come back invigorated. |
| $1.8 million renovation that includes a new interactive | | | | WHEN: Year-round, although dress really warm in |
| trip planner with digital NYC maps and up-to-the-minute | | | | winter. Even with subways at hand, you'll be doing lots |
| event and venue information on attractions throughout | | | | of walking. |
| the city's five buroughs. We also picked up our New | | | | WHY: It's a unique experience, and great fodder for |
| York CityPasses which include admission to a number | | | | your Monday morning conversations around the water |
| of NYC attractions for between $59 and $79. | | | | cooler. |