Within one hour of landing in New York City and searching for lunch on the Upper West Side in December of 2015, we walked in to Jacob’s Pickles and were seated near a young couple at the same longish table in the front window.  (It’s not uncommon to share tables in the city’s space-challenged restaurants, so we thought nothing of it.)

But within seconds, we heard soft giggles coming from the female at the end of the table. She was teary-eyed.  We smiled.  Said hello.  And she said, “You’ll have to excuse us.  But we just got engaged.”  And then we caught on. This young man had just proposed. Right there in Jacob’s Pickles.  His newly designated fiancé added quickly, “I’m just so excited.” And she genuinely was.

She called her mom.  She called her sister.  We tried not to look, but there we were –seated next to the blushing, hugging, kissing, cooing, obviously-in-love couple.  And WE were getting teary-eyed.  True love and admiration and spontaneous joy were right beside us at our shared table.

We offered to take their picture with our phone and send it to them, when they, of course, said, “Oh, would you please take another with our phones?  Then we can send them to our relatives.”  More giggles.  More oohs and ahhhs.  And we were grateful for the chance to share in this private joy.

Then it was their turn to share.  They had met in Guatemala while working on a philanthropic endeavor, and they’d fed the fires of a long distance romance ever since.  She was a grad student at Fordham in NYC; he was a chef of a restaurant in Berlin, Germany. An international romance between two people who, to this day, remain nameless to us.

They had no idea right then when a wedding would take place or where they would live happily after or how they would make all this love work.  But, truly infatuated, they were finding joy in the moment.

We watched them toast each other with champagne, compliments of the restaurant.  We ate our lunches.  And we said good-bye.

But that one tiny, meaningful event became the romantic kick-off for our entire stay in New York. Nothing else came even close. It was a serendipitous one love scene at a busy lunchtime restaurant in the Big Apple.

For more examples of this theme — Weekly Photo Challenge: One Love — click here.  It just may make your day!

Sleek buildings greet visitors as they approach the 9/11 Memorial Museum in NYC.

We don’t know many New York City visitors who don’t have the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center on their must-do list.  In fact, it’s at the top of many lists of places most people want to see — not because it’s a tourist attraction but because it fulfills this one desire we all have: to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993.  And honor them it does.

Tall monoliths reflected in a steel and glass wall outside the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

The visitor brochure calls the 9/11 Memorial Museum a “a triumph of human dignity.”  And even when you leave the subway to approach the plaza surrounding the museum, you get the sense that this is big.  Really big.  At first, you see construction at ground level — a new transit station, buildings being completed, cranes and yellow tape marking off places you can’t and should walk.  But when you look up — and you will — you are rewarded with a spectacular view of steel and glass marvels of modern architecture.

Squarely inside the plaza, we moved toward where people were gathered around massive pools of water to read names of victims etched in the peripheral walls.  And we weren’t the only ones talking in whispers.

Awesome view from plaza beside 9/11 Memorial Museum

Names of victims frame pools outside the 9/11 Memorial Museum

A cityscape forms the backdrop for the dramatic pools of water at 9/11 Memorial Museum.

We wondered how so many people in line could fit inside the museum.  But we soon found out.  Four floors provide vast, open exhibit space for artifacts, salvaged materials, and memorial photos.  And we were amazed at how that space impacts visitors as they look upward and all around.  You move at your own pace while taking long looks at the remains of a disaster that touched us all.

View from above of salvaged artifacts and tributes to victims.

Survivors’ Stairs near the Tribute Walk

Mosaic wall with quote from Virgil: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”

Salvaged wall from World Trade Center

We stopped and stayed for a while in the space known as In Memoriam where visitors can stand or sit to view videos and listen to recordings by family members as they remember their loved ones.

Wall of photos — part of In Memoriam

Artists — from schoolchildren to the world-renowned Red Grooms — provided interpretations of the tragedies with tapestries, collages, canvases, quilts and more.

At the end of our tour, we stood silently as we viewed wreckage — raw, open, mangled metal forms — that once were serviceable vehicles and supportive beams turned by fire and the weight of collapsed buildings into twisted, almost unrecognizable forms.

You might think that we would leave depressed.  And we were saddened by what we had seen. But this whole endeavor – the collecting, designing, displaying, and memorializing — contributed wholly to the mission stated in the visitor information: to “bear solemn witness” and to “honor the victims.”  It does all that and so much more.

A tribute to the strength and resiliency of America: 9/11 Memorial Museum

For more information:

The National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center, 180 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007; 911memorial.org

Recommended:  Download the apps and guides: http://www.911memorial.org/apps prior to your visit.

Boomer Travel:  Most of the Memorial Museum is easily accessible for all, but lines can be long.  Also, be prepared to stand inside for entry into some of the popular areas. The Museum is wheelchair accessible with manual wheelchairs available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  The Audio Guide is VoiceOver compatible.  Large print materials are available at the desk.  Service dogs are welcome.

We’ve compiled our remembrances from a December 2015 trip to New York City under the Travel Series heading:  Christmas Holiday 2015.  Hope you’ll join us in reliving good times in the Big Apple!  — Bert and Rusha

Spend what you can or pay the recommended price of admission — it’s just one way to save a bit when seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

You know it.  You just do.  Going to NYC will cost ya! (Well, to tell the truth, traveling anywhere has its unavoidable expenses and serendipitous must-have purchases.)  But there are things you can do to ease the financial pain.

Enjoying the sights of Chinatown costs little — unless you’re shopping for folks back home!

When we decided (on a lark, I might add) to trip off to the Big Apple in December to get into the Christmas spirit, we knew we had to be budget travelers.  Oh, sure, you say.  Stay on a budget during one of the busiest seasons in one of the most traveled places in the U. S.?  But cut corners we did.  And here are some tips that worked for us.

1. Do your homework on transportation.

First, take a look at airline flights if that’s how you’ll get to NYC.  Once you click onto an airline, enter the Flexible Days arena.  There you’ll find flights that can be half the cost of flying on a busy weekend in and out of the city.  If you have the luxury of flexible flying, you can save a bundle, and that’s good news for retirees, casual travelers, and last-minute tourists like us.  (Our weekday Delta departure and return from Knoxville to New York’s LaGuardia was $173.00 compared to the over $300 and $400 flights on the weekends.)

And do a bit of research, too, on ground transportation from the airport to your destination.  We were directed to Carmel Limousine Service by the owners of the apartment we rented, and, despite some not-so-favorable reviews on the web, the limo and driver couldn’t have been more accommodating or affordable.  Other sites to check are Uber, Lyft, and the Super Shuttle (which could add numerous stops depending on who’s in the van at the time).  Just enter your destination, time of day, etc., and do a bit of comparing.

2.  Think about lodging and location.

Of course, if you’re only visiting NYC for New Year’s Eve, you may want to stay near Times Square.  But if you want to blend in with the locals, experience some of the neighborhoods, and stay in quieter locales, look for alternative lodging.  We found an apartment on the Upper West Side near Central Park with positive ratings on TripAdvisor, but other sites may also have just what you’re looking for:  AirBnB, HomeAway, or any of the B&B sites like bnbfinder.com, bedandbreakfast.com or bbonline.com.

The advantage?  You can save money and see another side of the city by staying in the ‘burbs, so to speak, where you can avail yourself of what the area affords permanent residents.  Our apartment with one bedroom with queen bed, kitchen and newly remodeled bath cost $170.00 per night, a far cry from what we’ve paid before to be near the theater district and Times Square.  Plus, our owner/manager knew the city well and shared invaluable tips on transportation, eating, sightseeing, etc.

3.  Get a MetroCard.

Because we needed transportation to all the museums, parks, and department stores (We wanted to see the windows, after all!), our apartment owner gave us the best piece of advice for saving money:  Buy a one-week MetroCard for $31.00.  With the price of one subway or local bus ride costing $2.75, we knew we had a bargain with unlimited rides for seven days for only $31.00.  (Be sure to check the MTA site for more info on how and where to buy, use, and reload.) The side benefits can’t be stressed enough:  on-time subways offer expediency, and buses let you see the city from the comfort of your seat — without the hassle of driving yourself!!!

Subways were our friend! Punctual, safe, nearby. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

4.  Watch what you eat!

Now if you’re a foodie hoping to traipse through the city in search of highest rated restaurants and chefs, skip this section.  You’ll have to map out your locales, hire drivers or use your MetroCard, and pony up for foie gras! But if you’re more interested in sightseeing than eating, pace yourself.  First, eat only two meals a day.  If you’re staying where breakfast is free (like the national chain hotels usually), then dig in and enjoy the savings.  Eat a big dinner in early evening.  But even if breakfast isn’t free, consider cooking if you have a kitchen or eating a continental breakfast in your room.

A meal at Jason’s Pickles on the Upper West Side will fill you up for the day!

Second, head to the local convenient store/neighborhood market for fresh produce, baked goods, quick snacks, or precooked items.  It’s fun to see what’s served locally (and how much food costs in a different part of the country), and you’ll save money over those restaurant prices, too.  If you’re lucky, you may stumble onto a sidewalk market — usually on the weekends — where you can do the farm-to-table thing right in the big city!

5.  Strike a bargain at the museums.

Our apartment manager gave us another tip that even some of our friends who live in NYC didn’t know:  you don’t have to pay the recommended prices for tickets at museums subsidized by the city of New York.  If you see Recommended Price at the admission booth, you can offer less to tour the museum.  Museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, The Cloisters and many others will take what you feel you can afford to pay.  Other museums (like Guggenheim Museum Soho, Museum of American Folk Art, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center) are free every day.  (Click here for the complete list.) You can also weigh the option of passes such as CityPass, the New York Pass, or New York City Explorer Pass that bundle multiple sites for one lower price.

Inside the stately Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Don’t forget:  Some of the best things in NYC really are free — visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral, talking to vendors in Bryant Park, watching food handlers in Chinatown, creating an avatar at Macy’s, and strolling through neighborhoods.

What you spend on a trip to NYC is up to you!  Hope you can use one or more of our ideas, but please feel free to add your tips below for how to see NYC on a budget.

And check out other posts in the Christmas Holiday NYC series.  Thanks for traveling with us!!!

— Bert and Rusha

Credit:  Image of subway from Wikimedia Commons

This post has been linked to Monday Escapes #27.  Check out the other great posts on My Travel Monkey and Packing My Suitcase.

Beautiful ironwork on the front door of The West Townhouse, NYC.

The first question we asked ourselves while considering a Christmas Holiday in NYC was this:  Can we afford to stay in the city at the busiest time of the year?  And the question remains a valid one.  In a city where real estate prices are outrageous, hotel stays can quickly wreck a travel budget.

Although we’d never experienced Airbnb, HomeAway, or any residences advertised by owners, we were game to try.  Fortunately, TripAdvisor came to the rescue.  With 192 listings for Specialty Lodging all rated by guests, TripAdvisor offered an unbelievably extensive selection.  And thus it was that we stumbled (fortunately for us!) upon The West Townhouse on the Upper West Side.

On previous trips, we’ve stayed near Times Square in a chain hotel, but never in a residential area.  But we’ve found we like the Upper West Side so much, we’ll probably return.  Not only was the apartment spacious and affordable, it was conveniently located in a quiet area, only two blocks from Central Park and NYC subways and buses.

An apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan became our home for a week in December.

An unexpected bonus of renting at The West Townhouse? Interaction with Monica, one of the owners, who “from the git-go” emailed info concerning transportation from the airport to the apartment and arrival instructions.  Biggest bonus of all? Well-marked maps for navigating the city and how to obtain a MetroCard for a week.  (Best $31.00 we spent!) She handed us a listing of area markets, restaurants, and nearby sites on the West Side most tourists relish (Think Central Park, The Dakota, and Museum of Natural History.) and then sent us to explore on our own.  Our kind of vacation.

So, for a week, we felt as if we were blending in with the locals.  (With Southern accents, we knew better, but it was fun trying.)  We walked the streets and admired the architecture and appointments of the homes in the area.  We bought fruit from stands, sipped coffee in little shops, and stopped in for a drink at a local pub.

Pros for the stay:  quiet neighborhood, helpful landlords, proximity to public transportation, kitchen for eating in, and tips on seeing the city in affordable style.

Cons — Well, there aren’t many.  Since this wasn’t our first trip to NYC, we were fine not staying near the heart of downtown action.  In fact, we liked the quiet and public transportation to the “other places” was expedient (the subway more so than the bus) and safe.  But you may have other preferences, especially if you’re headed to the city for the first time. And you may like the idea of a big hotel with breakfast on site and a ready concierge.

One bonus for an apartment stay: walking through neighborhoods, getting to know the lifestyle.

So, think about alternative housing.  And think about searching the Internet. Who says you can’t stay in NYC?!

For more information:

The West Townhouse, West 85th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, Upper West Side, Manhattan, New York, NY; http://www.westtownhouse.com/

Hope you’ll follow us along in our Travel Series:  Christmas Holiday in NYC!

We’re Southern folk in awe of the Big Apple!

Rusha and Bert

It’s the Peanuts kids in Macy’s NYC windows, charming everyone who stopped by to enjoy the season with them.

If you’ve always worked in December, as we have, and wished for a respite from your end-of-year demands, consider this:  Someday you may be retired with a chance to enjoy holiday travel.  And that would be us.  After almost 50 years of never taking a vacation during one of the most hectic months of the year, we dropped everything to take a spur-of-the-moment mini-trip to a city that oozes holiday spirit like no other: New York City!

One of the most elegant trees in NYC — at the Public Library!

So, for the next few days, we’re adding a few pics to our blog.  And we’re trying something new.  Not much copy.  Short and sweet.  Pics taken on the fly with a handy iPhone.  Here’s hoping you’ll enjoy seeing The Big Apple through our eyes under the heading Travel Series: Christmas Holiday NYC. 

Gingerbread trees dripping with jewels — the windows at Lord & Taylor, NYC.

Please feel free to chime in.  If you’ve been to NYC or find something that reminds you of what you’ve seen, we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s to the holidays,

Bert and Rusha