Chef-Review of New York Restaurant wd-50

What do East Coast culinary types do on their day off? They take a train to NYC to sample some of the best Manhattan has to offer. Two young chefs from the Washington, D.C. area went to New York just to sample the fine culinary expertise of Wylie Dufresne at his notable Lower East Side Manhattan restaurant. Read one chef’s review as the duo experienced an 11-course dinner at wd-50.

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PayPal Saves You $50 on Midwest Airlines Tickets

Midwest Airlines and PayPal have teamed up to help you get away to your favorite destination with an extra $50 in your pocket. It’s too good to pass up this summer. Midwest has no blackout dates, either. That’s $50 off per ticket on your reservation. So if 4 of you fly, you’ll save $200! Like I said — too good to pass up! You’ll need to purchase your tickets online and use the special promo code. Get that promo code here and get away for a few days with your friends.

Upper West Side Hotel — With a Penthouse View of New York’s Skyline

How About a NYC Room with a View? Penthouse, Please!

You just can’t beat a penthouse view of the New York City skyline. We checked in to an Upper West Side boutique hotel, On The Ave Hotel, not expecting a penthouse suite — but we did book a room with a terrace (at an unbelievable special rate!) Imagine our delight when our room key opened up to a penthouse suite with this spectacular view!
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Edgy Shops and Dining in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg

Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Coming Alive as a New Greenwich Village
I’d heard about Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn. That it is pretty much the way Greenwich Village was 30 years ago or more. Young fashion designers, up-and-coming artists and musicians, less expensive living and the place to meet other artsy up-and-comers. Read the rest of this entry »


Skip the Shuttles in New York City

If you want to save money, but waste valuable time, take the Super Shuttle from La Guardia to your Manhattan hotel. My time in NYC is always limited — there’s way more I want to do than my time will allow. So when 3 hours of my time is totally wasted in transit, I get steamed. So would you … Read the rest of this entry »

Visit 2 East Coast Cities on 1 Roundtrip Airfare

You’d love to visit New York again. But you’re dying to see Boston … or maybe Philadelphia or D.C. You can only afford one trip this season. Which city will you choose? Now you don’t have to choose just one city after all.

Introducing 2-city roundtrip travel on Midwest Airlines and an inexpensive fare between cities on the brand new Bolt Bus. Read the rest of this entry »

Manhattan Vintage Clothing, Antique Textile Sale

If you enjoy vintage clothing and appreciate the quality of antique textiles, get on a flight to New York! More than 80 antique textile and vintage clothing dealers will be featured at this Vintage Clothing & Antique Textile Show & Sale. Friday/Saturday — April 25-26. Check out the information at Manhattan Vintage. For the very best nonstop flights from Milwaukee or Kansas City — at very competitive fares, visit midwestairlines.com.

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Finding Luggage You Love

Shopping for Luggage?

If you’re thinking you’d might like a new suitcase for your next girlfriends’ getaway, check out this link to New York Magazine’s site. It offers up 117 different luggage styles ranging in price from $18 to $6,500. You’ll find a wide assortment of colors, textures, styles and finishes. From hardside metal to softside boring. Even a nice looking croc finish that looks ultra chic. Take a look at the exquisite set of retro luggage — it’s up there on page 6 or 7 at the pricier end of the collection. There must be something in there for you! For my personal luggage shopping tips . . .

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Going to NYC? Hit These December Sales!

If you’re doing your holiday shopping up right this year — in New York City, you’ll want to note the dates of these special sales. Just got an e-mail from The Budget Fashionista. Here’s her sale info:

New York Sale: 15% Off Lingerie and Activewear
15% Off Lingerie and Activewear
Free Shipping
Lavinia Lingerie
New York, NY 10150
11.02.07 – 11.30.07
11/02/07 – 11/30/07 24/7
212-486-4050
http://www.lavinialingerie.com

Maxx New York Handbag Sample Sale
Prices range from $15-$150
385 5th Ave. 10th Floor (corner of 36th street)
New York, NY 10016
11.26.07 – 12.01.07
Monday -Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm

Christopher Fischer Fall Sample Sale Cashmere for men, women, baby, and home
80 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
11.28.07 – 12.01.07
11:00 – 7:00
212-965-9009
http://www.ChristopherFischer.com
Soho@Christopherfischer.com

Qi Sample Sale – Everything 50% off and more!
224 West 35th Street, suite 1008A
New York, NY 10001
12.03.07 – 12.07.07
10 am- 7pm
212-239-8880
www.qicashmere.com

NYC Rocks for Day Trip Holiday Shopping!

Shopping Trip Ideas — Even a Day Trip Option
There’s still time — and great airfares – for you and your girlfriends to shop NYC! If you can get 6 gals together, you can get a Travels with Tish-only group fare that permits roundtrip travel on the same day. How fun would that be? Or make that shopping trip in January for after-Christmas bargains!
Shopping News.
Here’s the latest news from the Lower East Side of New York. (SoHo, Chinatown, TriBeCa, the Village, etc.) Check out the Web site for info and contacts. http://www.lowereastsideny.com. Greenwich Village. SoHo. TriBeCa. Chinatown. Little Italy.

Fun Links for Fashion Shopping
Manolo’s Blog – No, not Manolo Blahnik (for those of you who are Sex in the City fans), but Manolo the shoe guy who seems to know a lot about the world of shoe fashion. Very fun to browse this blog’s pages.

About: NYC for Visitors — Details on where to find the bargains in NYC. Also visit this page on the same blog for information on the top NY department stores like Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and others.

December Things to Do and See in NYC. Check out the holiday festivities unique to Manhattan.

Info from Travels with Tish. Don’t forget to check out my previous posts about New York City, especially the terrific shopping options in Lower Manhattan.

Have a great trip — even if just for a day!

TIPS:
1) Special Airfare for 6 (or more) Gals. Just $200 roundtrip (including all taxes and fees) for a one-day or overnight trip. Limited dates in December and January, but well worth it!

2) Maps of Lower Manhattan. Print out a street map and a subway map to put in your pocket before you go.

3) Hotels Rooms for 4 or 6. Not too many Manhattan hotels accommodate more than 2 in a room. But I’ve compiled a list that will take 4, 5 or 6 in a room. Fly together, room together — have fun and save bucks for shopping or theatre tickets!

4) Events in Manhattan. Check out the events that will be going on during your NYC visit — like the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle that runs December 1-24. Also the Holiday Market at Union Square runs through December 24. An opportunity to find those unique gifts you can’t find at home. You might want to check out the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Christmas tree and Neopolitan Baroque Creche — a perennial NY favorite.

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Manhattan Hotels — 4 or More to a Room

Manhattan hotels that accommodate 4 adults (or even 6) are very hard to find. When gals get together for a getaway, they usually like to room together — more fun, less cost. I’ve done some online research and have come up with a list of hotels that can work out well for a group. (Haven’t stayed at any of these, but they look pretty decent. I’d suggest you check out the Web sites and then visit TripAdvisor.com to see if there are any reviews.)

Upper East/West Side

• 1871 House– a B&B at 62nd & Park Avenue near Central Park
• Buckingham Hotel — 57th St. & 6th Avenue in Arts District
• Affinia Gardens — 64th & 2nd Avenue (up to 6)
• Surrey Hotel — 76th St. between 5th & Madison near Central Park (can take 6)

Midtown — Times Square/Garment District Areas

• Tudor Hotel at the U.N. — 42nd St. & 2nd Avenue
• Courtyard Marriott Midtown East — 3rd Avenue & 53rd St.
• Doubletree Guest Suites NYC — 47th & Broadway near Times Square
• Murray Hill Inn — 30th near Lexington.
• Hilton Times Square — 42nd Street near 7th.
• Hotel Metro — Midtown 35th & Broadway (can take 6)
• Radisson Martinique — 32nd & Broadway
• Belvedere Hotel – 48th Street near Times Square.
• Eastgate Tower Hotel — 32nd St. between 2nd & 3rd (can take 6)
• Shelburne Murray Hill — 37th & Lexington (can take 6)
• Affinia Manhattan — 7th Avenue at 31st.
• Affinia Dumont –34th and Lexington
• Affinia 50 — 50th & 3rd Avenue

Lower Manhattan — Convenient for Chinatown, Canal Street, Little Italy, Ground Zero, SoHo, Greenwich Village, Staten Island Ferry, Battery Park

• Embassy Suites NY — Lower Manhattan near Financial District and Battery Park
• NY Marriott Financial Center — Lower Manhattan on Albany Street near West Side Highway — just south of Ground Zero area.

TIPS:
1) Private Bath or Shared? This is NYC — don’t forget to ask before you book whether or not your room has a private bathroom. All of these hotels I’ve listed do have private baths, but at least one or two offer both options.

2) Choose Your Hotel Location Around Your Plans. If you have a firm agenda, it makes sense to select a hotel nearby the majority of your activities. You can probably walk to more of those places. But if your agenda takes you all over town, location doesn’t matter — the subway can get you around town efficiently. Or cab it at night.

3) Don’t Try to Sneak In an Extra Person. If you book a room that normally accommodates 2 or 4, don’t try to sneak in a 3rd or 5th person. It can backfire. Hotel policies and fire codes may come into play. Some friends planned to put 3 in a room for 2 in midtown last spring. The hotel caught on quickly and requested they upgrade to a suite. You can always ask if a rollaway bed can be added. But because Manhattan hotel rooms are famously tiny, many double rooms just don’t have the floorspace for one.

4) Don’t Overlook Savings with Group Airfares. For New York City, 8 is considered a group on Midwest Airlines. Check out how this works. Going with a small group to NYC can be very fun and give each person more flexibility to see different things with one or two of the other gals. You can also use this deal to spend just one day in NYC if you’d prefer not to stay overnight. (You can get a lot done in NYC in just one day if you plan your itinerary well!)

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Pack Light for Canal Street Shopping in NYC.

Going on a shopping getaway? Save yourself a lot of anxiety: pack lean and light – and save lots of room for those knock-off (replica) purse bargains!

I’m often torn: 1) Do I want to have a wide range of clothing to choose from on my trip; or 2) Can I make do with a few basics and leave room for new purchases? The more I travel, the more I’ve learned that packing lean and light makes good sense — even if I’m not on a shopping trip.

Independence Day Special – 20% Off at eBags.com from July 4th through July 6th

Let me use a 2-day New York trip in the fall as an example of what I take along.

• 1 pair of black or neutral casual pants. Can be dressed up or down. Maybe even great looking jeans instead.
• 1 substantial jacket (leather, corduroy, wool).
• 3 shirts – long-sleeved, lightweight cotton knits. Maybe 1 turtleneck if the weather will be cold.
• 1 sweater that will go with everything.
• 1 lightweight outer jacket (preferably water resistant).
• Underwear.
• 2 pairs of comfortable shoes.
• Makeup/hair care products. The smaller (and lighter) the containers the better. Don’t take everything, just what you’ll absolutely need. Most hotels have hair dryers, so don’t pack that.
• Socks, hosiery.
• Large canvas duffle bag (folded up in suitcase) with travel tag on it.

Wear the pants both days. Just press out if needed. Switch off shirts – maybe dress up with a bit of jewelry or a scarf. Layering clothes gives you flexibility for appearance and weather.

Suitcase Size. Choose a rather large suitcase if you plan to bring back purses, clothing and other bargain finds. Taking only a minimum of clothing lets you save lots of room for those treasures. I prefer packing all my clothes in plastic travel air-tight bags – the kind you zip seal, then roll up tight to push out excess air. Keeps my clothes clean and organized, plus I have no worry that a security agent might be touching all my things during a routine bag search. I also pack a canvas or nylon duffle bag, complete with travel tag, just in case my purchases require a second piece of checked luggage.

A Carry-On Bag. I prefer a light carry-on, probably the tote I’ll take with me shopping. I only carry on my map and itinerary info, jewelry and my small purse (that fits inside the tote). Makeup and all gets packed in checked luggage. Saves me time and trouble at Security.

TIPS:
1) Check out my NYC Recap post. Tips on hotels, transportation, shopping and more.

2) Travel in a Small Group — and SAVE! Consider inviting a few more friends to join you on your getaway and get a group airfare. Wondering how it would work with a larger group of gals, read my 3 posts about how easy and fun it can be.

3) Be Prepared for Unexpected Deals. Make sure you have enough extra luggage space for those unexpected deals that can pop up almost anywhere in New York. I found a table of high quality sheet sets along a Madison Avenue curb in midtown. $10 and $20. 400-thread count, packaged. Who can resist? Another table vendor we discovered in SoHo was offering expensive designer jeans for $75. I passed, but women were crowding the table to take a peek and grab a pair.

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