Five Days in New York City

If you'd rather spend your travel money on dining, shopping, or sightseeing than on lodging, the Bowery's Whitehouse Hotel is an excellent choice. While the accommodations are small, and the bathroom facilities are communal, the rooms are all private and relatively safe. Rooms at the Bowery's Whitehouse are air-conditioned and moderately comfortable. They are ideal for travellers who want to spend more time seeing the sights than lounging in their room. The rooms are small and unapologetically undecorated.With rooms starting as low as $27.25 (up a bit since we took our trip, but still comparatively cheap) it's great on the travel budget. They provide linens and you can have a TV for your room if desired. The front desk was open 24-hours and there was no curfew—unlike some other hostels. The staff are helpful and welcoming.The front lobby is an excellent place to plan your days travels, with Internet access and seating to meet up and get organized.There were some minor drawbacks to this location. The noise-level could get kind of high if some of the other guests decided to be rowdy. Also, being shared bathroom facilities, the cleanliness of the showers were sometimes questionable. Bring a pair of flip flops and a pair of earplugs for sleeping and you should be all set! After all, this place to stay is recommended for those that are only using it to catch their 40-winks.

Being a lover of Thai food, we enjoyed two good meals at the Lemongrass Grill. The first was their interpretation of the classic dish Pad Thai. The dish was prepared in a fairly traditional manner, but was a generous portion. If you're a fan of Pad Thai you'll find it about average, there was nothing particularly unique about their preparation of this dish, but the flavoring was tasty. The second time we visited the Lemongrass Grill we tried their Massaman Curry dish. It was quite delicious, and we were certainly glad we came back for it. Overall, their menu had many choices and their meals were reasonably priced. We dined relatively early, and there was no wait to be seated and the service was quick and friendly. The restaurant was clean with pleasant decor. We stumbled upon this restaurant while walking around the city. If you like Thai food, and want to take a meal break in a comfortable, peaceful environment, then this is a good choice.

The entertainment begins the moment you walk in to the Jekyll & Hyde Club. Guests are introduced to the club in small groups and one is immediately enveloped by the dark, spooky atmosphere. Although it would spoil the fun to describe the entrance to the club, I will say that it puts one on guard.

All four floors of the club are richly decorated with all things ghoulish, odd, historical and skeletal, and interactive.

The menu has something for everyone, with a wide variety of salads, burgers, pizzas, pastas, and other entrees. They also had a large variety of specialty drinks, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. I tried a monster burger, which was a yummy take on a classic bacon cheddar burger, accompanied by a lime margarita and enjoyed both immensely. Souvenir glasses were also available to take home with you.

Although I wasn't travelling with children, I imagine the Jekyll & Hyde Club would be very kid-friendly. They did have a special kid's menu.

Overall, the club is a feast for all of the senses and would be a memorable dining experience that you're sure to want to tell your friends and family about. Quite delightful to feed your eyes and ears as well as your belly.

At the time of our visit, Ground Zero was still being demolished and preparing for its rebirth.

 

Everywhere you looked around the site there were memorials to the lives lost on September 11th. From stuffed animals, to flowers, to photographs, to unique items whose true meaning would only be known by the person who left it there and the person to whom they were remembering.

 

Of particular interest were the hundreds of badges left by firemen, police, and other service people in the line of duty. Both those that served the city on that day, and those from other cities, states and countries that wanted to pay their respect to the heroic actions that took place.

 

When we visited, there were several people looking at the mementos left around the site and surveying the progress of those responsible for clean-up and demolition. Among the visitors was Kobe Bryant, who took time to take photos with some naval officers who were also there.

 

The site promises to be an important stop on any tour of New York City, both to pay respect and to view the progress of the massive rebuild project whose completion is not expected until 2009.

The Empire State Building observation deck is an excellent vantage point from which to see Manhattan, whether it be by daylight or to see the city lights.

The deck is open from early morning until late at night, with extended summer hours.

Admission prices vary by age, but adults get in for $16. The ticket office was on the 2nd floor of the building.

We only visited the observation deck, but the building also hosted some restaurants and shops, including a post office in case you want to send off some postcards.

The lighting of the Empire States Building varies at different times of the year and depending on the occasion, may be red, white, blue, green, yellow, purple, and more. And, it doesn't have to be a traditional holiday, like Valentine's Day, it may also be lit up to bring awareness to breast cancer, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, and other causes.

A perk of membership on David Bowie's Internet site www.DavidBowie.com, he gave two members-only concerts in New York City. They were held at the Roseland Ballroom, on 52nd Street. The Roseland Ballroom has standing room for 3,200 and hosts concerts, theatre events, conventions, and sit-down dinners. It has a unique ambiance and dramatic quality about it. A long, full bar lined the back of the venue.David Bowie may never return to the Roseland Ballroom for another show, but if you ever have the opportunity to catch one of your favorite artists at this venue I highly recommend it. The setting is intimate and memorable for a concert!