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Great deal on stay at West57

Denise L

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Last weekend, it was warm on Friday (mid 60s-70), but with the wind chill on Saturday and Sunday, it felt colder than December weather! I think it was in the 30s. I had my winter hat and gloves, but didn't bring my super heavy winter coat (opted for a medium heavy coat). I used the subway a lot!

I also just discovered (not sure why I didn't find out about this sooner) that we can buy an AirTrain 10-trip Metrocard for $25. Supposedly it expires in 6 months, but people on the Internet have reported using it for a year or so. Anyhow, I thought I would experiment and try it out since I have a few more trips during the next 6 months. I am still a bit confused about whether it can be reloaded with more AirTrain trips or Metrocard money or Metrocard time (7 day or monthly passes). Does anyone know why the MTA has different cards, anyway? It's so confusing. My friends bought the AirTrain card and the front says Metrocard and the back says AirTrain. For whatever reason, when they tried, they couldn't add a weekly Metrocard pass to it. It could have been a glitchy machine, who knows. Anyhow, since each card costs $1, I am curious how to reuse them.

As far as shows, I saw a lot of off-Broadway this time around. Superhero (Kate Baldwin), Sea Wall/A Life (Jake Gyllenhaal), and Fiddler were off-Broadway. I saw Network with Bryan Cranston, and Hillary and Clinton with Laurie Metcalf and John Lithgow. Quite a weekend for seeing stars.
 

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We were there last year when it was still in progress (very easy to get to from the High Line) and we have been looking forward to the opening ever since. The best part is the Observation Deck, and that seems not open yet. But it was fun to wander around last October. We will visit in April.

Cheers.
 

LindaJ

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The 200 ER dollars count directly against the bill (should not include tax, but sometimes they do). So, this is $200 off the bill at whichever places you go. The 15% ER card is separate. Can't be combined with the dollars, but 15% off just by showing the card.
They are $25 demoninated "bills" and you just use them to pay the check. No cash back, so try to be as close to a multiple of $25 as possible at each place.

brp, Thanks very much for the explanation. Much appreciated. I guess it's best to splurge on a nice dinner if we don't have a lot of time to use it.

first show I "rushed" via the TodayTix app, and it was $37.50 and I was seated in center orchestra. Perfect seat.
We use the Tkts booth, and the one at South Street Seaport has no line. We are seeing Harry Potter in April, and that has no discounts.

Thanks for the info regarding TodayTix. I hope to use that to score some tickets, but wonder if going to the theater for the general rush is better. When we were in NYC the last time, we used the TKTS booth at Lincoln Center. The line there was not bad. I also like the South Street Seaport location since both Lincoln Center and South Street Seaport allow you to purchase the evening's performance and the next day matinee.
 

Denise L

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Has anyone flown into Newark and taken public transportation to midtown? I am so used to JFK, but now Alaska has changed the times for flights from the Bay Area this fall and they are getting in a lot later than I want to. So I may need to fly into EWR instead. Figures! I just bought that 10-trip AirTrain ticket! Anyhow, from my research, it looks like I would take the AirTrain to NJ Transit to Penn Station, and then hop on the subway from there. Looks like 80-90 minutes is the estimated travel time. Is EWR an easy airport?
 

CalGalTraveler

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Has anyone flown into Newark and taken public transportation to midtown? I am so used to JFK, but now Alaska has changed the times for flights from the Bay Area this fall and they are getting in a lot later than I want to. So I may need to fly into EWR instead. Figures! I just bought that 10-trip AirTrain ticket! Anyhow, from my research, it looks like I would take the AirTrain to NJ Transit to Penn Station, and then hop on the subway from there. Looks like 80-90 minutes is the estimated travel time. Is EWR an easy airport?

Easy: Take the airport train to the New Jersey Railroad stop. Similar to JFK, you can buy tickets on the platform. NJRR Train runs frequently into Penn Station (similar to Long Island RR). You can then take the subway, walk or UBER to W57 from Penn Station.
 
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Denise L

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Easy: Take the airport train to the New Jersey Railroad stop. Similar to JFK, you can buy tickets on the platform. NJRR Train runs frequently into Penn Station (similar to Long Island RR). You can then take the subway, walk or UBER to W57 from Penn Station.

Thanks! How long would you say it takes you to get to Penn Station?
 

CalGalTraveler

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@Denise L I would allow an hour or more because the trains run every 1/2 hour but 1 hour on holidays. If you miss one this will add to your time. Plus transit time from Penn Station to W57.

Have fun. Let us know if you get a bounceback offer. We will be there later this month. Looking forward to visiting the Big Apple again! Also hope to hear more about the Quin.
 

Denise L

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@Denise L I would allow an hour or more because the trains run every 1/2 hour but 1 hour on holidays. If you miss one this will add to your time. Plus transit time from Penn Station to W57.

Have fun. Let us know if you get a bounceback offer. We will be there later this month. Looking forward to visiting the Big Apple again! Also hope to hear more about the Quin.

Thanks for your help. They usually offer us the $150 per night, no fees to come back, but since my husband doesn't usually travel with me, we haven't been able to take advantage of it.
 

ljmiii

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Here's a new option for the next visit to NYC....A cult Japanese Ramen Shop in Times Square. We ate at one of these in the Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Cool...and thanks!

I am quite fond of Ippudo Westside and Totto Ramen...I will have to give Ichiran a try.
 

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CalGalTraveler

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BTW...if you have young kids or grandkids traveling with you. I just noticed that there is an American Girl Doll Store a few blocks away from W57. I have fond memories of taking my daughter to American Girl in LA for tea when she was 9. I am certain the NYC store will be fabulous.

I love that there is so much to do in NYC. Every block has treasures.
 

Denise L

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Just spent a nice long weekend at W57 and had some time to explore when I wasn't seeing shows. I went to The Met Cloisters on Friday when the remnants of Dorian made the weather a little windy and wet. The heather garden on the walk to the museum was lovely, and the views of the Hudson are great. Hardly anyone around, either. Very peaceful. Sunday, I walked through Central Park to the boathouse and to the reservoir, which I never knew was there. Perfect weather, too.

Now that we own at W57, I didn't get a sales call message on my phone, and I wasn't asked to attend an update presentation, either. No offer for $150/night to come back (which I can't do without my husband, anyway). Lounge access was great for my evenings. Breakfast offerings are simple, but good enough for me.

This was a different trip for me. I planned it around The Public Works week-long production of Hercules, a completely free show by the community, for the community. I had never seen anything at the Delacorte in Central Park (actually didn't know there was a theater in the park until I read about this show), so I entered the advanced digital lottery online before I left home, but did not win. The only way to get tickets then was to enter the in-person standby lottery starting at 5:00 PM the day of the show. Hundreds of people got raffle tickets, and seats that were not claimed by lottery winners were given out starting at 7:10, up until showtime. I teamed up with a theater person from the Internet and a local friend of mine, and we ended up winning seats! So exciting! The weather was perfect for outdoor theater under the moon and stars. Great show, too. 200 people from the community were in it, from age 5 to 70+. It was so much fun.

My other shows were seats that I could get for relatively cheap since I wasn't sure if I was going to try for Hercules every night. I saw Rock of Ages (off-Broadway $42), Betrayal with Tom Hiddleston ($36.50), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part One (I wanted to see the new cast and the seat was free because the production was giving away 934 free seats for shows between then and April 2020), Make Believe (off-Broadway, $56.25), and Waitress (revisiting before it closes in January, $36). I would have seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part Two, but I was in line for Hercules! My backup plan was to subway back to the theater if I lost the lottery, and see Act Two, also for free!

If anyone is going before September 22, 20at20 is having an off-Broadway deal where if you show up at the box office 20 minutes before curtain, seats are $20! I could have done this for Rock of Ages, but didn't think about it since I had already bought my ticket through Audience Rewards (and I could have returned the ticket, too, for a full refund). Other shows that I was interested in for $20 include The Play That Goes Wrong and Jersey Boys.

Anyhow, loved my stay at W57. Comfortable, quiet, great location, nice lounge, nice owners in the lounge. This was indeed a budget trip, as I spent $0 on meals on both Saturday and Sunday. Also, it seems to be a good diet trip, since I walked a lot and lost some weight. Can't wait to go back.
 

Tamaradarann

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Just spent a nice long weekend at W57 and had some time to explore when I wasn't seeing shows. I went to The Met Cloisters on Friday when the remnants of Dorian made the weather a little windy and wet. The heather garden on the walk to the museum was lovely, and the views of the Hudson are great. Hardly anyone around, either. Very peaceful. Sunday, I walked through Central Park to the boathouse and to the reservoir, which I never knew was there. Perfect weather, too.

Now that we own at W57, I didn't get a sales call message on my phone, and I wasn't asked to attend an update presentation, either. No offer for $150/night to come back (which I can't do without my husband, anyway). Lounge access was great for my evenings. Breakfast offerings are simple, but good enough for me.

This was a different trip for me. I planned it around The Public Works week-long production of Hercules, a completely free show by the community, for the community. I had never seen anything at the Delacorte in Central Park (actually didn't know there was a theater in the park until I read about this show), so I entered the advanced digital lottery online before I left home, but did not win. The only way to get tickets then was to enter the in-person standby lottery starting at 5:00 PM the day of the show. Hundreds of people got raffle tickets, and seats that were not claimed by lottery winners were given out starting at 7:10, up until showtime. I teamed up with a theater person from the Internet and a local friend of mine, and we ended up winning seats! So exciting! The weather was perfect for outdoor theater under the moon and stars. Great show, too. 200 people from the community were in it, from age 5 to 70+. It was so much fun.

My other shows were seats that I could get for relatively cheap since I wasn't sure if I was going to try for Hercules every night. I saw Rock of Ages (off-Broadway $42), Betrayal with Tom Hiddleston ($36.50), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part One (I wanted to see the new cast and the seat was free because the production was giving away 934 free seats for shows between then and April 2020), Make Believe (off-Broadway, $56.25), and Waitress (revisiting before it closes in January, $36). I would have seen Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Part Two, but I was in line for Hercules! My backup plan was to subway back to the theater if I lost the lottery, and see Act Two, also for free!

If anyone is going before September 22, 20at20 is having an off-Broadway deal where if you show up at the box office 20 minutes before curtain, seats are $20! I could have done this for Rock of Ages, but didn't think about it since I had already bought my ticket through Audience Rewards (and I could have returned the ticket, too, for a full refund). Other shows that I was interested in for $20 include The Play That Goes Wrong and Jersey Boys.

Anyhow, loved my stay at W57. Comfortable, quiet, great location, nice lounge, nice owners in the lounge. This was indeed a budget trip, as I spent $0 on meals on both Saturday and Sunday. Also, it seems to be a good diet trip, since I walked a lot and lost some weight. Can't wait to go back.

We spent 8 nights at the Hilton Club from 8/29-9/6. We were both born in NYC and have been together since we met in NYC on 12/6/75 but this was the first time we spent a night in NYC even though we only live 60 miles away. When we went to NYC we would either drive in and out if it was late at night, or take the railroad and go home the same day.

We did the tourist thing and visited things that we remember in the past as well as seeing 4 shows. We went to South Street Seaport, the World Trade Center Memorial, Hudson Yards Vessel and Coney Island. We went to and ate at the Smorgasburg Street Fair, the Times Square Street Fair, the Brazilian Day Street Fair. For between $60-$90 we saw Rock of Ages, Tootsie, and To Kill a Mockingbird. We saw Hamilton for $110 which was great since prices are still off the hook for that show. We did a presentation for $200 restaurants credit and had a Steak and Cuban Dinner for that amount.

While we enjoyed our stay and the things we did, we found NYC to not be our special place. NYC definitely has more shows and things to do than Honolulu, but Honolulu is our special place. People complain about the traffic in Honolulu, well while we didn't drive the car traffic during the day and early evening was ridiculous. The foot traffic and lights for walking were timed so you had to stop at each little street when walking down the avenue so that walks from 53rd to say 30th street which is only a mile or so took twice as long as it should take. We can walk to the Ala Moana Mall which is about a mile and it takes about 1/2 the time since there are only 3 foot traffic lights instead of 23. People complain about the prices in Hawaii, well besides the street food the food prices in NYC were higher. The prices in CVS and Walgreens were ridiculous. We love strong microbrewed IPA's, Stouts, and Porters and after visiting about 20 places we couldn't find any. In Honolulu there are about 8 places that we can walk to that have them. There are so many people in NYC that the service people appear to be very rushed and rude; there is no Aloha.

Perhaps we would go back, but it wouldn't be our special place.
 

CalGalTraveler

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We like both NYC and Honolulu for different reasons. Very different places and each has it's magical qualities. Can't get top Broadway shows in Honolulu. You can't get a tropical beach in NYC. Forget trying to compare.
 
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CalGalTraveler

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I should have said, "Fogedd abowd it!" LOL
 

Tamaradarann

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We like both NYC and Honolulu for different reasons. Very different places and each has it's magical qualities. Can't get top Broadway shows in Honolulu. You can't get a tropical beach in NYC. Forget trying to compare.

Since we love the weather over 70 degrees everyday there is no comparison. However, even without the weather disparity our personal preference is Honolulu rather than NYC. We enjoyed 8 nights in NYC except for the high prices. We can enjoy Honolulu for a life time.
 

Denise L

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Just back on Monday from a long weekend at W57. I was offered the $149 per night to come back via a voicemail message in the room. It would be a great deal if I could get my husband to come with me. Anyhow, the weather was perfect! The W57 lounge patio is being renovated, so it is closed until sometime in November. They are saying that it will be really nice when it is done, with a retractable roof?

For those of you who enjoy shows, I was able to see seven shows in four nights. I got a TodayTix rush ticket ($42.50) for Height of the Storm while I was at SFO waiting to fly out on Thursday 9/19. I had a $10 preview ticket to Marisa Tomei in The Rose Tattoo, but sold it online for $10 after I boarded the plane. For Friday, I went to TKTS at Lincoln Center and bought a side aisle seat ($80) for Beautiful (closing next month so I decided to revisit it since it had been five years since I first saw it). Saturday, I saw two off-Broadway shows, Our Dear Dead Druglord ($49) and The Wrong Man ($35). Sunday was The Sound Inside with Mary Louise Parker ($67.25), Moulin Rouge ($174.70), and Freestyle Love Supreme (played the online lottery for a Sunday night show at 10:00 PM and won, $35).

I use the AirTrain and subway to get to and from the airport (thanks, GrayFal, for the advice in 2015!). With the AirTrain 10-trip card, it costs just $2.50 per one way trip, plus $2.75 for the subway, for a total of $5.25 one way. Note that I just read that the AirTrain will go up to $7.75 one way starting November 1, but I think that my 10-trip card will still be good until I use it all up. Even at full price, the AirTrain/subway is still a bargain if you only have a small amount of luggage and don't mind stairs. Quite a workout!

Since my flight from the Bay Area has changed to a later time, it is a challenge to get from JFK to the hotel and to an 8:00 PM show on the same night, but it can be done. Landing at 5:40 PM, on the subway by 6:20, at the hotel at 7:00. Got to the lounge before they took all the food away at 7:05, ate for 5 minutes, up to my room to dump the luggage and brush my teeth, and then off at 7:20 to walk to a theatre 25 minutes away.
 

brp

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I use the AirTrain and subway to get to and from the airport (thanks, GrayFal, for the advice in 2015!). With the AirTrain 10-trip card, it costs just $2.50 per one way trip, plus $2.75 for the subway, for a total of $5.25 one way. Note that I just read that the AirTrain will go up to $7.75 one way starting November 1, but I think that my 10-trip card will still be good until I use it all up. Even at full price, the AirTrain/subway is still a bargain if you only have a small amount of luggage and don't mind stairs. Quite a workout!

Don't know why we never thought of the 10-ride card. I just got the newish EasyPay (I think it's call) Metrocard that can be autorefilled. Much better than the old one. But this is still $5.00/person/ride.

For the 10-trip card, does it expire? And can one card be used for rides for multiple people? Although if it doesn't expire, we may get several before the price increase.

Edit: OK, seems that they're good for 6 months from date of first use. We're going late October and mid April, so that's 2 trips x 2 people x 2 ways = 8 uses. So that is still $25 versus $40 even though we won't use 2.

And, since they don't begin to expire until first use, seems a good idea to buy several now at current price and use as needed.


Cheers.
 
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