Here's a preview of my favorite site on this short trip!
Recently, Kathryn needed to attend a buyers market in Manhattan, and she kindly asked me to join her. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't need to be asked twice when NYC is mentioned! This was to be a different kind of trip though; we would be in the city for only about 24 hours. It would be my shortest visit ever. Okay, a new first!
I actually experienced several new firsts on this trip: my first time to fly into Newark, my first time to ride New Jersey Transit, my first time to stay in Yotel, my first time to not step foot in a subway tunnel, and my first time in the Javits Center.
Flying into Newark is definitely not my favorite. Getting into Manhattan from this airport is doable but not simple. Here are some directions in case you ever end up in this same predicament of not being able to fly into JFK. The cheapest way to get to Manhattan is via New Jersey Transit train. Upon exiting your plane, look for signs to the AirTrain. Near the entrance to the AirTrain are machines where you can purchase NJ Transit tickets. It costs $13 one way to get to Penn Station New York, which includes the $5.50 AirTrain access fee. We bought round trip tickets for $26. This consists of two ticket stubs. The one shown below is for going into New York. Just keep the second stub safe for your return trip.
You need the ticket to get on the AirTrain, and then keep it handy because the conductor on the NJ train will collect it. After purchasing your ticket, board the AirTrain and get off at the last stop which says, "Rail Link." From here you will walk down to a platform to wait for the train. We arrived on a Sunday morning which meant a slightly longer wait. The trip into the city was about 30 minutes, ending at Penn Station New York. Pay attention to the stops because there's also a Penn Station Newark where you DON'T want to get off.
So, we arrived at Penn Station at about 11 am, and walked several blocks to our hotel, Yotel. This boutique hotel is on W. 42nd Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues. This new type of hotel is all about conserving space, automaticity, and saving time. We checked in at a kiosk later in the day. It even gave us our key card through a slot in the machine. Upon our first arrival, we had to store our luggage. Check out the picture and video below.
It was really cool to watch this YOBOT store luggage in large and small bins. If there was no attendant present, this was free. If an attendant was there to "help" you use the YOBOT, they asked for $5.00.
Our room was cute and compact. We had a street view, a shower, a full-size bed, and a large flat-screen television. The hotel had a restaurant and rooftop terrace, cafe, restaurant, and bar. We rode one elevator to the concierge floor and then used our key card to ride another elevator to our floor. Here are some shots of the room.
The bed rises up like a hospital bed for times when you're not sleeping, saving room at the end for walking. In the shower soap, conditioner, and shampoo were dispensed through large containers, another money saving idea. There was storage under the bed and in convenient places around the room, saving much space. Overall I was pleased with the room. I think Kathryn paid about $100, which is a deal in NYC.
After walking Kathryn to the Javits Center for her market, I went on my way to my number one place to see on this trip -- the Vessel. It was a very short walk to Hudson Yards from Javits Center, and I was there in no time. It does not cost anything to climb the Vessel, but because of enormous crowds of people wanting to make the 150 foot climb, there is a ticketing process. There are a couple of electronic kiosks near the Vessel entrance; I found one and chose an available time. My time was about 45 minutes away, so I went into the Hudson Yards mall space. It is 5 levels of upscale shopping and dining. I ate at Shake Shack and walked around looking at all the different stores.
I was so excited to get out to the Vessel. You climb to the top by walking up alternate facing staircases. All along the way up, there are excellent views of the Hudson River, New Jersey, and various views to the east, north, and south. The prime time to be there is at sunset, but sunset ticketed times were gone by 1:00. I definitely recommend making this a priority for you on your next NYC trip.
After this amazing time, I took a walk on the High Line. They have just recently completed Phase 3 of this elevated walkway all the way out to West Side Highway. It was lovely. This phase actually curves right around beside Hudson Yards and connects to the previously built sections. The newer phase was not terribly crowded, but as I made my way south it became more and more difficult to walk comfortably through the Sunday afternoon walkers. I exited pretty soon and just walked around Chelsea, one of my favorite neighborhoods.
I spent the rest of my afternoon walking and soaking up the vibes of my favorite city. I watched an ethnic parade, rode on a downtown tour bus, and visited Bryant Park. I had a pleasant time, and then returned to the hotel to wait for Kathryn.
After a restful sleep, we both made our way to Javits Center. I agreed to spend the time accompanying Kathryn the second day. It was fun to watch her work, making selections of just what her Just Be customers would want. We left not long after lunch, returning to the hotel for our bookbags, then making the walk to Penn Station and the return trip by train to Newark Airport. This speedy trip was totally complete at 1:25 am, when I pulled into my driveway after the drive back from Charlotte, exhausted but happy to have spent even 24 hours in my Manhattan!
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