A New York Winter State of Mind
Arriving in NYC
It was a sunny morning, so I opened the shade as we made our final approach into New York. The pilot slowed down the plane, almost gliding past skyscrapers and their towering shadows, hugging Manhattan’s west side along the Hudson River. At what felt like only a few hundred feet above the trees in Central Park, he tilted the plane just so, offering a hello wave to the Big Apple and a little thrill for all the first-timers gazing with anticipation at the excitement below. As I made my exit, I thanked the pilot for the great views. “Wasn’t that something?” he said with a smile. If this was everyday routine, he didn’t let on.
There is nothing routine about New York. For some, the commotion is irresistible: taxi drivers honking their way through the quagmire in midtown Manhattan, the Saturday-night theater crowd scurrying from dinner to the show through Times Square’s sea of humanity, the rumble of the subway beneath and the clamor of emergency vehicles in the distance. Year in, year out, the city’s 24/7 pulse beckons visitors from every corner of the globe.
New York City Holiday Shine
The Most Popular Things to See and Do at the Holidays
At holiday time, hoteliers hike their prices, and Broadway shows, restaurants and shops are jammed. A quick ride to the top of the Empire State Building or a solo selfie in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is impossible because everyone else has the same idea. But the lights are twinkly, window displays are elaborate and street musicians make the atmosphere merry.
Thanksgiving with its legendary parade brimming with giant character balloons and holiday markets scattered about the city overflow with cheery camaraderie. And if being in the center of it all at just the right moment is a visitor’s desire, he or she can watch the confetti fly and the ball drop with 1 million-plus counting down to the new year in Times Square.
Top Tips from AAA Travel Advisors
Time Your NYC Trip a Little Later for Better Hotel Prices
Between January and March, tourists enjoy much of what the city offers any other time of year but with fewer crowds and a cheaper sleep. For example: A recent survey on hotel prices showed a AAA Three Diamond-rated hotel in Times Square at $479 per night for a three-day weekend in mid-December; $161 per night in mid-February; and $249 per night in June. That’s real savings worth indulging in. And who knows? Keepsake-worthy photos of a snowy Central Park, the city’s vast oasis of rolling hills, lakes, gardens and gathering spaces, may await the lucky traveler.
Find the Hidden Gems of Tours, Shows and Restaurants
For activity planning, a AAA Travel advisor can work through travel partners to provide hundreds of uncommon experiences. For example, the chilly double-decker bus tour can be swapped for a luxury motorcoach with side-facing stadium seats on The Ride, which takes visitors on a 90-minute, narrated tour through midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side for less than $40.
Or the latest dining trends can be sampled on the Best of Brooklyn Half-day Food and Culture Tour, nicely priced at $125. Participants travel with a small group and a passionate food and history guide while sampling Polish pierogis, Neapolitan pizza, falafel and French chocolate in the ethnic neighborhoods of New York’s most populous borough. If the weather cooperates, returning by foot over the Brooklyn Bridge offers free spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline. (The No. 6 subway line is at the end, to exit the cold.)
Most visitors want to pay their respects at Ground Zero, so AAA recommends visitors buy advance tickets to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the One World Observatory to avoid long waits in the cold or sold-out time slots. These can be purchased online at 911memorial.org or with the help of a AAA Travel advisor, who can sort through various options, from private walking tours with first responders to architecture and history tours or combinations with other lower Manhattan sightseeing attractions.
Theater lovers will find winter is a fine time for last minute deals on Broadway shows, especially if there is flexibility about what to see and when (weekday evenings and matinees offer the best value). A terrific selection of musicals, plays and dance productions can be found for 20 percent to 50 percent off box-office prices any day of the week at the recently re-opened TKTS discount booth in Times Square, or by browsing real-time listings from a link on their website, tdf.org. For those with their hearts set on one show, it’s recommended to plan ahead for good seats online through a ticket broker. AAA members can find exclusive savings on concerts, major events, theater and more on their club’s website.
There really is no place quite like New York. The comment I hear most oft en from friends and clients is, “I love to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” Fair enough. But I predict that, like most of us, when new visitors glance back at that magnificent skyline one last time as they’re headed over the East River to the airport, they’ll start missing it already.
