I’m being sent to NYC for business, but the only free time I’m going to have is the evening before my meetings. My flight gets into La Guardia about 4:00pm.
So what should a middle-ageish woman do in the big city all on her own for one night? I need something to entice me away from the alluring idea of spending the evening in my nice hotel room, with room service standing by.
Important notes: I’ve got $100 of company money to spend on dinner. I’ve been to NYC several times in the past, so I’m comfortable with cabs or the subway, and I have done a lot of the tourist stuff already. (One exception is the Statue of Liberty…is it worth the time? Is it even possible to do on a Monday night?)
Restaurant recommendations? Maybe a good steak place? Any good shows I should see? Maybe some kind of boat ride that I could go on that would give a nice overall view of the city?
Organize a list of places to visit within 20 blocks. People here will suggest good restaurants, good shows… but there are lots, so be choosy. Cabs are fastest, but they are money; have your cab fare plus singles in a separate coat pocket before you step outside the hotel.
There are two things you have to tell the cabbie: the exact address and either left-side or right-side out.
If its a Really popular tourist spot, Always take a cab, have them drop you close to the door, pay while you are still in the back seat, and don’t talk to or make eye contact with Anyone until the building doors close behind you and you are inside.
No, you don’t want a map, no you don’t want a picture with the smelly guy in the costume, no you don’t want circulars and no you don’t want to buy the homeless guys extra show ticket, and FTLOG you want Nothing To Do with the topless painted girls walking around times square.
Do a Yelp search for restaurants in the area of interest (that are open Mondays) and when you’ve found one that looks promising make a reservation if applicable.
It isn’t possible on any night, the last ferry to the SOL is at 3:30PM.
Oh, whoops… Guess it would help to know that I’ll be staying in mid-town, near 57th and AoA.
Thanks for the ideas so far, everyone! I’m thinking about trying to see if I can get a ticket to the Sense & Sensibility play (it’s my favorite movie and book so I at least I know I’ll like the story, right?). Anybody heard anything about it? Will people look at me strangely if I attend a play on my own?
Thanks for the tip! My NY coworkers always refer to it as AoA in emails so I thought that was the proper lingo, but maybe it’s a written/verbal thing? Anyway, glad I won’t embarrass myself!
I have not heard anything about that play, but looking it up on Playbill I see that it is playing Off-Broadway at a small theatre on Thompson St in the Village. I’ve been to that theatre, it’s a converted gym, a very intimate space. The only Monday performance is tomorrow Feb 29 however, so if you’re only available on a Monday it doesn’t look like that’s available. No one will even notice if you see a show by yourself, so don’t let that be a worry if you decide to see something else.
