Our Big Day in the Big Apple

When I was a teenager, my dear Uncle Bill took me to New York City at Christmastime. Along with his partner Jane and friend Sandy, we took the train from New Haven, where he lived. We saw "Annie" on Broadway, Times Square, the tree at Rockefeller Center, and St. Patrick's Cathedral. We ate lunch at Sardi's, took a carriage ride through Central Park, and had drinks at the Plaza Hotel. It was magical.

Ever since we moved to Western Massachusetts 11 years ago, I've wanted to recreate the experience for Sarah. Every year after Thanksgiving, I've pondered the idea and quickly become overwhelmed.

This year, I finally followed through. I spent most of December studying train schedules, gathering tips from friends, checking hotel rates, and reading up on Broadway shows. I considered taking the train from the next town over, but options are limited to one trip daily, and you end up at Penn Station, which is a hike or a subway ride from Midtown. Finding an affordable hotel in Midtown was a challenge, and I wasn't sure the best location. I checked out rush tickets to Broadway shows, but you're limited to two seats. I was on my way to being overwhelmed.

I scaled back to a day trip, taking the train from New Haven. A week out, the forecast was for heavy rain on Wednesday, our chosen day, so we switched our plans to Thursday. Then the rain was going to linger into Thursday. Ugh.

In the end, as I approached overload and nearly nixed the idea once again, I decided to make this a "reconnaissance" trip, a pilot to get me over the planning hump and get us to New York, without all the bells and whistles. It would be one very long day: Drive to New Haven, take one of the many daily trips to Grand Central, cover as much ground as possible, and return to New Haven.

I plotted a course on Google Maps, from Grand Central, west on 42nd St. to Broadway, up to Times Square, east on 49th St. to Rockefeller Center, and north on 5th Ave. to Central Park. I figured we'd return to Grand Central via Park Avenue.

A few days after Christmas, we left the house at 6:15 a.m., and Don drove us to New Haven's Union Station in the dark and pouring rain. It was harrowing. We caught the 8:24 train, an express route, with only three stops before Grand Central. It was filled with families like ourselves, on an adventure to the Big City. 

We arrived in Grand Central just after 10:00. The station itself is worth the trip. We tested out the whispering walls, the arched tile alcove where you can speak in a normal voice into one corner and be heard by your companion in the opposite corner 30 feet away. Neat trick! 

After using the restroom (Sarah's first "smell of New York"), we exited onto 42nd St. and headed for the New York Public Library. As I took Sarah's photo by one of the lion statues on the front steps, a woman came up and offered to take a shot of the three of us — big city hospitality! We then toured the building, which is gorgeous.

We walked through tiny Bryant Park, just west of the library, with its pop-up shops and sycamore grove. Don spotted a flock of white-throated sparrows sheltering in a shrub. Then it was on to Broadway and Times Square, with its sensory overload.

We continued up 7th Avenue and turned east on 49th Street, catching a glimpse of Radio City Music Hall before passing NBC Studios and FAO Schwartz. Don spotted a catbird resting inside a large Christmas ornament on the sidewalk. What was it thinking?

Next was Rockefeller Center, with its Christmas tree and skating rink.

We passed Saks Fifth Avenue on the way to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is across from the Atlas statue.

A little farther up 5th Avenue, and we were on the edge of Central Park, surrounded by Bergdorf Goodman, Christian Dior, and the Plaza Hotel. The Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman Monument is in Grand Army Plaza, at the entrance to the park.

By this time, we were hungry. I found a small place on Maps called Sip & Co., on West 58th just down from the Plaza. It had a few small tables outside and a handful of seats at a bar inside. Don held a table while Sarah and I went inside to order. Fortunately, the weather was mild, and the rain was holding off.

Sarah got a bagel with cream cheese; I got a cheese scone; we each got a chai latte; and Don got a breakfast sausage burrito. Grand total: $41.75. By the time our food was ready, two seats had opened at the bar inside, so Sarah and I sat there while Don remained outside.

The next adventure was finding a bathroom. I naively thought we might get into the Plaza, but a disciplined doorman nixed the idea. I asked him where we might find facilities, and he said, "Bergdorf's basement." Off we went.

He was half right. Turns out the bathrooms are on the 7th floor, with the restaurant. We did not blend in with the clientele, but we got what we needed. Don was impressed by the $745 toddler-sized suit coat on display.

We headed into Central Park and stopped to watch the ice skaters for a bit. Don wanted to find the zoo, but it was farther north than he thought. By this time, we were all a bit tired of walking.

Sarah wanted to do some shopping, so we decided to head back to Grand Central, check out the stores there, and perhaps catch an earlier train than planned. We crossed over to Park Avenue and headed south, arriving at the train station around 2pm. 

We went in through the subway entrance and followed the signs to the main concourse. After consulting the train schedule, we opted to take the 3:30 back to New Haven, instead of the 4:49, even though it had 14 stops. 

We still had an hour or so to kill, but we struggled to locate any shops. We had all hit the wall by then and weren't in the best frame of mind to search them out. 

Our thoughts turned to food: Sarah and I had been craving a soft pretzel from a street vendor, so we exited onto 42nd Street and crossed over to Pershing Square. Don and Sarah found a bench that appealed to them, and I set off to find a pretzel. 

I remembered there was a vendor by the library, so I headed down to 41st and a couple of blocks over to 5th. I ordered a pretzel, and the guy took one down from a hook and appeared to warm it on a hot plate, flipping it a few times. He placed it in foil and handed it to me, requesting $9. 

I walked away with a bit of sticker shock but thinking an honest-to-goodness New York street pretzel was worth the expense. Once I took a bite, however, I learned I was sorely mistaken. It was cold, salt-free, and tough as nails. Sarah was no more impressed than I, and we couldn't even finish it.

Back into Grand Central we went, where we happened upon a convenience store and the Grand Central Market. Sarah was "craving fruit," so Don bought her a container of fresh berries and pineapple for $11 (about $20/pound). 

By then, we were relieved to board our train and head to New Haven, even though we had to sit backwards and stop in every city. Once we were underway, Sarah opened her fruit and discovered much of it was spoiled. 

At one point, thanks to social media, Sarah became convinced a friend was on the same train, a few cars ahead of us. She headed off to find him and returned without luck. A short time later, he messaged that he was in New Haven. Since we still had a ways to go, we deduced he was on a different train.

Due to the bad pretzel and bad fruit, Sarah was still hungry when we arrived in New Haven. She got a slice of pizza in the train station, and we set off for the truck. After another dark drive, we arrived home around 8pm, exhausted.

It was a lot for one day, and it wasn't as magical as my experience with Uncle Bill, but I'm so glad we did it. Now that we have the train figured out, my new goal is to plan an overnight trip, in spring or summer, when we can drive to and from New Haven in daylight.