From 27th December till New Year's Day we stayed at the Grand Union Hotel at 34 East 32nd Street, Manhattan, just a stone's throw from Macey's department store and the Empire State Building. It cost us US$1499.81, but for this part of town, and the accessibility, it was worth it. Actually, it wasn't as accessible as they said it would be because the ramp going into the hotel led to a locked door, behind which was a Xmas tree! On the one occasion I brought Richie back by myself I had to get the desk person to unlock the door and move the tree. The rest of the time Neil got the chair up the 2 or 3 steps at the front. Getting up to the room was no problem however as there was a lift, and the room itself was quite big, with a double bed and two singles (quite often in the US you get just 2 double beds). There was plenty of room to move and the bathroom was a good size, although there was a bath as opposed to a shower which would be difficult for someone without a carer.
Over the next five or so days we shopped and did the usual touristy things, except going up the Empire State Building as the queues since the Twin Towers disappeared are horrendous. Apparently it is a breeze after midnight, but we were long asleep by then.
The New York Waterways cruise around the Statue of Libery is worth taking, and much easier to get on than the much cheaper Staten Island Ferry, plus you get a commentary. It is also wheelchair friendly. All public transport catered for wheelchairs, but we used the buses rather than the subway as we wanted to see the sights.
One thing I would really recommend is the use of a "Greeter", courtesy of New York City. Our Greeter's name was Leigh Montville, a book publisher originally from Boston, who has adopted NYC and, like most people who live there, is intensely proud of it. He and other Greeters provide their services free of charge, and are eager to meet new people and make your visit to the city more enjoyable. It is a not-for-profit program supported by grants and donations. The good thing is that you pay your own way and are not expected to tip!
Leigh took us on a walking tour of mid-town Manhattan (including Washington Square, Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Soho)and explained things to us from a local's point of view. It was a most enjoyable four hours, followed by our excursion to the statue of Liberty, so we were fairly tired by the time we got back to our room.
Another place we visited was Madame Tussaud's, having run out of time to see it in London. Richie could see most of the exhibits on the various levels, although the elevator was pretty slow getting to us as it had to be operated by a satff member. Interestingly, this was the only place which asked me for ID when I paid with American Express. Everywhere else we had been didn't even bother looking at my signature as they do here, as no-one has cards with metallic strips any more in the US and UK. They have "smart cards". I didn't have any photo ID on me so I had to show them my Youth Hostel card, which the girl didn't seem impressed with. I carried my driver's licence after that.
The kids went to the movies and saw "The Holiday" by themselves. We kept our eyes on the theatre from a TGI (Thank God It's) Fridays bar across the road. We met a couple from DC who were there to go to the opera (looks can be deceiving), and Neil swapped the guy a tatty old AUD$5 note for a nice crisp US one and made 20c in the bargain!
On the night of the 30th Neil and I mangaged to get away on our own again to Harlem on a Soul Food and Jazz tour. It cost US$238 and included a tour of Harlem, driving past the Apollo Theatre where James Brown's memorial celebration was the day before, and then on to dinner at Sylvia's, a legendary soul food restaurant. The food was ok, but I wouldn't like to live on it (black-eyed peas, fried chicken and other down-home southern kinda fare). Richie would have liked it. After that we went to the Uptown Lounge bar at Minton's Playhouse where we heard a Latin Jazz group called Hymie's, named after the frontman. They were good, and the atmosphere was as you would expect in a NY Jazz Club. We were dropped back close to our hotel at around 1am after weaving our way through the crowds in Times Square getting in the mood for New Year's Eve the next night.
The next day we travelled by bus up to Central Park where we met some friends from Brisbane, Danielle and Alex. Danielle has always wanted to have a meal at the famed Tavern on the Green, and so we were fortunate enough to be included in her culinary plans. It was incredibly ornate, and the food was wonderful.
Whilst at Central Park we visited John's Lennon's memorial, Strawberry Fields, which was quite moving. I think the kids appreciated it as well, having been through the Beatles Museum in Liverpool.
That night, New Year's Eve, we had planned to go to Times Square with everybody else, but having seen the crowds milling around for days, we decided to stay in our hotel and have drinks at the bar. That turned out well, as Tony the Polish barman was happy to stay open (for guests, not the public) and we spent the night with his niece and her boyfriend, a businessman from the south, and a couple from Ireland who just got engaged and whose accents were so strong we could hardly understand them. It didn't matter though as Tony kept the drinks flowing - I'm sure we didn't pay for half of what we had. Richie took great delight in drinking a New Year's beer from a plastic cup, while Chelsea and I walked outside and listened for the fireworks from Times Square. We didn't miss the ball dropping either as the telly was on in the bar.
The next morning, late, we packed up and began the three or four block walk to Pennsylvania Station to catch our train to Chicago. It was raining for the first time since Liverpool, and the streets were very quiet.
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