New Year's 2007 on Times Square

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The Setup

Jennifer had never been to NYC and since Axel and Laurie were getting married the first weekend of January, we decided this was a great opportunity to experience the city on all cylinders. For this one, we didn't go for what was truly the best, but for the classic spots. Unfortunately a few places, like the 21 Club, were closed during our visit, but most of the worthwhile places were not.

Making Miles on New Year's Eve

We arrived early at LaGuardia on the 31st and didnt waste any time, checked into the Hampton Inn in Chelsea and started our walk up towards Central Park. In the first part of the day, by design, we got to check out all the Midtown spots, the Flatiron, the Empire State, the NY Public Library, Macy's Christmas display, and Rockefeller Center. Thankfully in this last, I avoided getting in the double-wrapped line around the Empire State, having to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, or spending any money at Macy's - job well done sport! Some of that stuff is so overrated. Yeah, they're great, but I'd rather rub up against people walking on the street than waiting in a line!

We did manage to hit up a few chocolate places on the last day in town, but frankly the French chocolatiers that are in the city are not impressive at all. Fauchon, La Maison du Chocolat, etc. Frankly, the neuhaus Belgian on Lexington Avenue at the Doubletree has the best thing going, fresh and tasty!

Tavern on the Green

We ended up in Central Park just in time for brunch at Tavern on the Green, where we were seated in the Crystal Room with its unforgettably ugly green crystal chandeliers. Despite being one of the highest grossing independent restaurants in the world and being setup more like a banquet hall than a restaurant, the service and quality of the experience was surprisingly pleasant and worth the money (~$150). Of course mimosas chased by a bottle of champagne at noon always makes everything better!

Times Square and Blue Fin

Like I said earlier, this trip was about doing it all right and there was no way we were going to wait 8 hours on Times Square with no food or drink, no bathrooms, and in the freezing cold to have a good spot for the ball drop . . . alternative? Spend $800 at the W Times Square's Blue Fin for a New Year's Eve dinner! The food was great, not "$800 great," but the whole experience, especially being able to flood out onto Times Square right before the ball drop, was totally worth it.

Times Square was cool, we've checked it off the list now, but it's got nothing on Mardi Gras and the people staying out there with no booze need to have their heads examined - THAT is not worth it. I don't think either of us has ever been in a more crowded environment. God forbid something would ever happen there, it would really be a huge disaster. But New York's finest had half of Midtown locked down for most of the day, no worries there.

The Waldorf-Astoria

I debated this one endlessly. Staying there New Year's Eve was out of the question, but for the remainder of the trip the debate was between this grand old dame and the panoply of other great hotels in city. The biggest contender was the Palace Hotel (which regrettably would have been the really cool place to stay) but ultimately nothing could beat Conrad Hilton's little gem and arguably the world's most famous hotel. We had a south-facing room with a view of Park Avenue, it was nice, but as expected the hotel was nothing extraordinary from a service perspective. The lobby was of course incredible, especially the floral arrangement and clock. Again, not where we would stay next time, but this had to be on the list as part of the classic experience.

Late Show with David Letterman

Man this was a waste of time! A very anti-climactic experience . . .
Manny called in advance and studied up on the show and "won" tickets by answering incorrectly that "Happy Deli" is the name of Rupert's shop. Then, while waiting in line, the handlers hand-picked us to be in the good-looking people's section in the front row. Then they let us in first and we got to wait in our own special area that sucked as bad as where everyone else had to wait. Then we went in and Letterman was a tool who didn't have a funny joke, barely talked to the audience, and cryptically kept quiet who the guest was that evening, again leading to the anticlimactic revelation of toolbox-cubed Matt Lauer. The highlight was that for a half second we could be seen on camera during the credits. David Letterman SUCKS, thank God we did not sign any agreements.

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Photos

Yum! Yum! Brunch at Tavern on the Green
Our first morning there, one of the "Must Eats" for Jennifer. Mimosas plus a bottle of champagne equals a rough day.

NYPD We Love You!
Setting up for shutting down half of Midtown around Times Square.

Pre-Midnight Kiss
Hey! Manny's supposed to be getting the kisses! Not his fault the psychotic Maitre D' wants to kill all of the balloons.

Times Square at Midnight
Shot right when we came out of Blue Fin and right before the ball dropped.

NYFD + NYPD + JS
Equals a lot of goofy smiles.

FAO Schwarz
The toys weren't nearly as cool as this guy.

The winning answer is . . .
Hello Deli! Rupert's lovely place that got us the great tickets to Dave Letterman's lousy show.

Late Show
We got hand-picked for a front row seat to the show . . . the guest? Matt Lauer. We thought it was a joke at first, but then the joke was on us. Letterman is a jerk. Haven't watched the show since.

At the Flatiron Building
Right near our first hotel in Chelsea - the Hampton Inn.

Big Cat, Little Cat
In front of the to seated lions at the Metropolitan Library.