TURNIPSEED TRAVEL
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors

New York City - Day 1 of Our Round The World Trip.

14/12/2013

 

Will New York City be the perfect layover?

For nearly a decade, I've lived just a 7 hour drive from New York City, one of the most popular destinations in the world. It's a destination I've never seen, a destination I've always managed to put off, promising myself I’ll go next spring, next year.  I’m sure the city that never sleeps will have plenty to appeal to me, I've just never managed to make it.  Until now. 

Finally, I’m going to take a bite out of the Big Apple!

The Plan:

Nearby Newark, New Jersey is the first stop on our round-the-world trip. Our 11 hour layover offers plenty of time to have a great jaunt in neighbouring New York City!

We’re thrilled to be partnering with On Location Tours to see the city. On Location offers movie and television themed tours by bus and by foot and we've been invited to be their guest on their signature New York Movie and Television tour. This will be a great way to see the highlights of the city with a neat twist. 
New York City TurnipseedTravel.com
Finally - New York City is mine! Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
Advanced Research:

To make the most of our time in the city, we've researched in advance the different transportation options to and from the airport, as well as our walking route from the train station to our meeting point. Montreal bagels were also sampled, all in the name of research, so we could issue a true comprehensive report on which city rules the bagel roost!

Leaving to Chance:

Due to the unpredictable nature of air travel, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when we’ll arrive in New York City. From our starting point of Penn Station, it’s a 30 minute to walk to our tour meetup.  If all the stars align, we’ll have about 90 minutes to explore once we complete our walk, but it's more likely we’ll have 45-75 minutes of free time. We hope to grab breakfast at Ellen’s Stardust Dinner (home of the singing wait staff and self-proclaimed “best free show on Broadway.) Hopefully I’ll get to try my first Egg Cream!  Otherwise, we’ll be grabbing some classic NYC bagels on the run! 

PictureThe battle begins! Photo courtesy KettlemanBagels.ca
Problem Solving:

Being on a bus tour for the day also solves our biggest dilemma – what to do with our bags! While we travel with just one small backpack each, 11 hours is a long time to wear something on your back and there’s no luggage storage at the airport. Being on the bus will give us a place to park our bags (and our bottoms!) during the layover.

Winning Value:

We’ll be taking the AirTrain and NJ Transit train into the city. After researching all the ground transportation options, this is both the most economical and the most time efficient. Sometimes the train is a better choice than the bus!

Splurges and Souvenirs:

No to both! We’re not planning on any treats, aside from grabbing some traditional New York pretzels or pizza if we have the chance. 

Soooo..... How Was Our Day?

The first day of our round the world trip was a resounding success! We arrived on time and sailed through Newark airport without a hitch. We were on the train to New York before 8:00 am, well ahead of my estimate.  

Arriving in New York City so bright and early certainly had its advantages. Times Square was quiet and easy to navigate. Bryant Park, decorated so festively, was relaxing and mesmerizing  as we watched ice skaters show off their finest skills. It was such a pretty scene and it felt like a real New York moment. Unfortunately, the nearby New York Public Library was still closed but it was still nice to see the exquisite exterior. 
New York Public Library Doors TurnipseedTravel.com
Let us in! The New York Public Library hadn't opened yet.
Bryant Park New York City Skating Winter TurnipseedTravel.com
We loved watching the early morning skaters at Bryant Park.
By 9:30 we were famished. We stuck with our plan to have breakfast at Ellen's Stardust Diner at 51st and Broadway. While we initially selected it for the convenient location next to our tour departure point, it ended up being a highlight of our trip. We were treated to the incredible musical talents of the waitstaff, who certainly live up to their reputation as the best free show on Broadway. While it sounds like the kind of thing I would normally find a bit cheesy I can honestly say we were blown away by their outstanding raw talent and it was such a fun, cheerful way to start the day. 
Ellen's Stardust Diner New York City Broadway TurnipseedTravel.com
Arriving at Ellen's was a good idea - things soon got busy!
We would rate the food at Ellen's as a solid "average-good". It didn't blow us away but delivered just want we wanted and expected - large, hot portions of tasty, standard breakfast food - corn beef hash with eggs, toast, and potato for Ryan and a New York bagel with scrambled eggs, cheese, and potato for me. I have to admit that I do prefer Montreal style bagels over the locals' favourite, I was very happy with another New York first - my first egg cream! I'm not sure if it's a drink I would have a craving for, but it was a lot of fun to try. 
breakfast Ellen's Stardust Diner New York City TurnipseedTravel.com
Despite starting the day with muffins and coffee at 6:00am, we were ready to dig into breakfast #2 by 10:00am!
We had a good time of our movie and TV themed tour of the city with On Location (more about that here). It was wonderful to see New York City for the first time and I was so thrilled that we had a beautiful sunny day to enjoy it. Particular favourites of mine included seeing Washington Square Park -the fall leaves were lovely. 
On Location Tours Bus Movies Television TV New York City TurnipseedTravel.com
The tour bus was comfortable - and a great place to stash our bags!
Squirrel Washington Square Park New York City Autumn TurnipseedTravel.com
Hello cutie! Why is an NYC squirrel so much sweeter than the rodents we have at home?
The day only had one disappointment.  I was so looking forward to having a traditional New York pretzel and I finally got one from one of the ubiquitous Sabrett hot dog carts. Unfortunately it was a dry, tough, salty piece of bread. Ugh! I only made it a few bites before ditching it for a more palatable (if rather boring) chicken taco courtesy of the TriBeCa Taco Truck in Soho.

New York City was a perfect start to our round the world trip and I was so thrilled at the day went so smoothly. I can't wait to plan a longer visit soon!  

Previous: How It All Began - Imagining Our Epic Round-the-World Trip

Related: Our review of On Location Tours.

Next Stop: PARIS! Day 2 & 3 of Our Round The World Trip

I'd love to hear from you! What would you recommend to all first time visitors to New York City?

Rika | Cubicle Throwdown link
15/12/2013 05:39:41 am

This looks like such a great kickoff! I have never been to NYC but would absolutely LOVE to go.

Vanessa
15/12/2013 09:29:15 am

I'm so glad I finally made it - we're already planning our next stop!

A Cook Not Mad (Nat) link
16/11/2014 03:16:03 am

This made me miss NYC :( I definitely prefer Montreal bagels. When we lived there people used to get their bagels "scooped out" because they're so bready.

Vanessa
16/11/2014 10:46:11 am

While I have never met a bagel I didn't love, I have to admit I too found the New York style bagels really puffy and bread-y. Montreal style all the way!


Comments are closed.
    Recent Posts
    Posts by Location
    Turnipseed Travel Category Canada
    Turnipseed Travel Category USA
    Turnipseed Travel Category Europe
    Turnipseed Travel Category Africa
    Turnipseed Travel Category Australia
    Turnipseed Travel Category Asia

    Post Categories

    All
    $200 Challenge
    200m Challenge
    Accommodation
    Africa
    Amsterdam
    Anti Adventurist
    Asia
    Australia
    Belgium
    Business Travel
    Camping
    Canada
    Central Counties
    Cozy Travel
    Destinations
    Europe
    Experiences & Activities
    Female Travel
    Food And Drink
    Gear And Packing
    Golf
    Greece
    Guest Posts & Interviews
    Health
    Inspiration
    Making Travel Memories
    Montreal
    Most Popular Posts
    National Parks
    Norfolk County
    Ontario
    Ottawa
    Paris
    Partners
    Pet Travel
    Photo Essay
    Preparation
    Press Trip Portfolio
    Reviews Accommodation
    Reviews Gear Packing
    Round The World
    Saving
    Toronto
    Transportation
    Travel Cooking
    Travel Memories Series
    UK & Ireland
    United States

    Posts by Date

    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

Disclaimers, Privacy, and Cookie Policy

Top 100 Travel Influencer
As named by the Obama White House in 2014.​
White House Study Abroad Logo 2014
Turnipseed Travel Logo 2019
DMCA.com Protection Status
© COPYRIGHT 2024.  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • New Visitors