In the past couple of days, I have caught myself daydreaming about  New York. The first and only time to visit New York was last year November and since then I have been hooked.

My photo up on Times Square

Thanks for the photo to wishafriend

Right now I would love to stroll up 5th Avenue with the icy wind blowing at me. I would buy another scarf from a sidewalk vendor and when things got too cold, I would sneak into one of the many cafés. Quietly I would enter every church I pass on my way and step out again to breathe in the lively sound of New York City. Christmas time in New York is something very special.

Having visited 39 States of the United States, I had always declared San Francisco to be my favorite city, until the day I got to New York.

And this is where I would love to be right now. If you had the choice, where would you rather be right now?

After a hearty breakfast of coffee, bagels and cream cheese, we set off for our final stroll through the streets of New York. We finally noticed the Empire State Building after having passed it numerous times already.

Empire State Building entrance

Empire State Building

Margo caught me being goofy...

We stopped at various gift shops again, had to count our money to buy some last-minute souvenirs, took some more photos including the one above.

Another observation we made was the absence of dogs in New York City. In those two and a half days we saw dogs on three occasions and they all happened to belong to bag ladies.

A rare breed to find in New York City

We returned to our hotel shortly before noon to gather our suitcases and settle the bill before leaving for our late afternoon flight from JFK Airport. By then we had gotten used to the American way of advertising the net price with the sales tax being added on later at the cash register. We had gotten used to one extra charge in sales tax…

But my bill read as follows:

* Room charge (TX)                  XX

* State Room Tax               $  33.08

* City Room Tax                 $  19.75

* Occupancy Room Tax      $    2.00

* State Occupancy Tax       $    1.50

Four different types of taxes were added on to each room charge. You well-traveled N.Y.C. hotel residents probably already know about that, but we didn’t.

And we definitely enjoyed our stay at the Stanford Hotel in Manhattan. The location (between Broadway and 5th Avenue) can’t be beat and service was excellent and often beyond. The rooms were spacious, the furniture was outdated and well worn (my goodness, the sofa had me almost sitting on the floor…), but the beds were comfortable.

In an earlier post I had mentioned the things I planned to do while in N.Y.C, which were:

* taking interesting photos

* buying lunch for some homeless

* talking to some interesting people, besides the homeless

* taking a peak into Tiffany’s

Conclusion: I took some photos, I bought breakfast for a homeless guy, I talked to many interesting people and I took a peak into Tiffany’s (through secured bars though).

We love New York and I have already gotten my first “inquiry to join the next N.Y.C. tour”. Would anybody else like to tag along? Then please sign up under comments.

After breakfast we left for our second round of Macy’s. This time we also made it to the top floor.

Wooden escalators at Macy's Department Store - please note the shopping bags (not ours...)

This time around we also noticed a camera crew interviewing a window display designer just outside Macy’s with N.Y.P.D. observing. The article Macy’s aims for biggest and best holiday windows came out the day after we had observed this while passing by.

N.Y.P.D. on guard in front of Macy's

After a quick lunch, we headed toward 5th Ave again. Margo wanted to go ice-skating at the Rockefeller Plaza and we got there just in time for the 4:30 session (they are always 90 minutes). She had not been on the ice for ages, but seemed to be progressing at a fairly good pace. In the meantime, my sister and I went for a cup of coffee at a nearby place which was packed. If it had not been, I would have gotten myself some New York cheese cake. As it was, there was no place to sit down though.

Tempting goodies in a New York bakery/deli

Rockefeller Plaza ice-skating rink

The construction behind the blue sign on the left is the famous Rockefeller Plaza Christmas Tree to be finished by Dec 3, 2008.

Margo had such a good time skating and it was fun to watch everyone else have a good time, too.

Margo on ice

After the ice-skating session, we dragged a very tired girl up to 55th street to do some shopping for a friend at Abercrombie & Fitch, but it had closed its doors at 6:00. We went across the street and could only take a peak at Tiffany’s through its security bars. We watched cleaning personal scrounging the floor… finders, keepers?

We walked down to Saks Fifth Avenue to buy  something for my husband, but had to “park” Margo on the first cosmetic counter stool available – she could not take another step.

When we left, I had a choice of either trying to carry her or to haul a cab. But then — there was a bike rickshaw at the corner and the three of us got a ride for $ 20 (almost 20 blocks to go back to 32nd Street). This was the ride of my life!!! This guy was whizzing in and out of traffic, changing lanes, pretending to tip us over, and he had us all screaming. I screamed for joy, but my sister later admitted she had been screaming for fear. It was so wonderful! Had I seen it beforehand though, I would not have gone on it. This guy did some dangerous tricks, but it was worth it.

Our rickshaw driver in New York City

We got off still laughing ourselves silly. That was the ride of my life!!!

After the ride...

We had laughed so much, we gave him a fairly good tip for this little thrill.

By then we were close to being broke and had to settle for a bottle of red wine as the main dish in place of an evening meal. Margo passed out as soon as we got to the hotel room. No, she did not have any wine. She passed out from New York City exhaustion.

]]> http://www.maria-shipley.de/travel-log/new-york/rebate-spending-in-new-york-day-2/feed/ 1 http://www.maria-shipley.de/travel-log/new-york/rebate-spending-in-new-york-day-1/ http://www.maria-shipley.de/travel-log/new-york/rebate-spending-in-new-york-day-1/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:21:17 +0000 Maria http://www.maria-shipley.de/?p=417 We arrived at John F. Kennedy airport Friday night. Our first encounter with a New Yorker – our taxi driver – was an unpleasant one as he cheated me out of my change. He insisted I had given him a $5 bill instead of a $50, which could not have been the case as I only carried $20s and $50s on me…. When I told him he must be wrong, he answered: “Ma’am, you must be very tired.” In hindsight, I think I should have gotten out of the cab and yelled for the police across the street to set the matter straight. In this respect he was right: I was too tired to pursue it. Lesson learned: Count out your money with your companions witnessing the transaction. At the hotel I called 311 to report this fraud to the New York City “complaint” department. The fraud charge could not be pursued as I did not have enough information on the guy. But at least I got it off my chest. Oh well, we had a rough beginning, but the rest of our time was excellent!

The New Yorkers are such a chatty bunch of people. No matter where we went, people would always strike up a conversation and have some pleasant things to say. Wherever we walked – not including very crowded Times Square – there was a sense of village atmosphere, where people knew each other and treated strangers kindly. This was the biggest surprise.

Friday night we had dinner next door at a Korean restaurant and got to bed by midnight.

Early Saturday morning I stepped outside in front of the hotel to listen for the sounds of the city that never sleeps. It was still dark at 5:30. The trash pick-up stopped near the door, and dressed-up people walked by, which made me wonder if they were coming home from a late night out or going to work….

Then a homeless person, whose friends call him Charlie, came by and approached me for money for a cup of coffee. Instead of fishing out some change, I invited Charlie out for breakfast. I followed this stranger around the block to Dunkin’ Donuts where we chatted a bit. I saw his hands were gloved in hygienic wrap, he added a gum to his apple juice for his dental hygiene. I knew his brain was a bit fried as he posed some questions repeatedly and he could not have been any older than me.  Then he showed me his cell phone (I assume this classifies him as middle-class bum) and asked me for my cell phone number, which I could not give, because I have no cell phone. Then I asked whether I could take his picture and he declined. Nevertheless, it was an interesting meeting.

Later on, still in the early morning we hit the department store Macy’s first.

My sister in front of Macy’s -  and this guy appeared out of nowhere!

All foreign tourists were offered a special coupon of 11% off on any purchases. Combine this with most everything being on sale 50% off, and we were in a real shoppers’ paradise.

Sale signs galore!!

We bought lots of clothing for my daughter at the world’s biggest department store. That morning we only worked our way up to the 7th floor and then had to take a break…

Daughter Margo in shoppers’ delight at Macy’s first floor

In the afternoon we shopped on Broadway and took in almost every accessory/gift shop along the way. My goodness, there was no end to it!!! But it was nice to get in from out of the cold as Saturday was very cold and windy with iced-over sidewalks in the early morning.

Walking to Times Square

Times Square

We reached Times Square, which is a very buzzing place. By then we were loaded down with shopping bags, and an empty stomach is no good companion,either.

We walked through the Diamond District, looking for a restaurant in one of its side streets. We found an excellent Turkish restaurant: Akdeniz on 46th Street, between 5th and 6th Ave.  This restaurant serves marvelous food and the best wine. I had “Sultan’s Delight”, an Ottoman dish of chicken and carrots served on a bed of eggplant puree. This was an unforgettable meal.

We worked our way home with heavy feet, heavy bags and a light head from this Turkish wine. I think my head hit the pillow at 8:30 that night.

At the end of our shopping day # 1

We will land at about 9 p.m. and hope to arrive at the hotel by 11 p.m. My daughter says she would be up to taking a stroll down Broadway after we have registered and unpacked. The only kind of stroll I could imagine doing would be towards the bed. We will see how we feel.

Throughout my life and travels I often had made some priority plans  when visiting a certain city or country. It hardly ever worked out that way, but instead I did things – some unusual and much better -  I would not have dreamed of. Now I will share with you what I think I will be doing in New York.

I plan on:

* taking interesting photos

* buying lunch for some homeless

* talking to some interesting people, besides the homeless

* taking a peak into Tiffany’s

This is supposed to be a shopping trip for ladies only and we also have just received our Economic Stimulus Payment rebate from the U.S. government, which was supposed to encourage spending and strengthen the economy (before the crisis). Of course, being loyal to this currency, we plan on taking it right back to where it came from, because we want to stimulate the economy. My daughter will be the biggest helper in doing so.

Having just read Michael Kinsley’s article on Consumer Confidence, it is clear that Americans are in two minds. On one hand, they are encouraged to spend to stop this downfall, but at the same time, October retail sales were down double digits from a year ago.

And then there are new groups which preach against this Shopocalypse. For example, The Church of Stop Shopping is a project that has expanded from a one-man performance artist preaching against consumerism on the sidewalks of Times Square to a 35-person choir and 7-person band with dozens of original songs, a critically acclaimed stage show, a major motion picture and multiple media platforms. The Church is committed to educating the public about the consequences of unsustainable consumption.

And then there is this fake New York Times issue,  a very interesting prankster act. These papers were passed out and nobody noticed the publication date of July 4, 2009. Well, with such good news (the war in Iraq has ended) to be read, I might not have caught it right away either. This quiet and bold act is a good demonstration of what has been brewing this whole time in parts of America. Very clever idea to get to the public. 1.7 million papers supposedly have been distributed. They have planted the seed of dreaming of better days soon to come. Let’s hope for a speedy harvest.

In the meantime, I will go shopping in New York this weekend.

I had been waiting for my e-ticket to arrive to apply for this travel authorisation beforehand. As of now this method of application is still on a voluntary basis until January 2009.

My travel agent just sent me the USA-Einreiseformular (US entry permit application), which instructs me  to fill it out and submit to the ground personnel before the departure. This made me shiver. Why? Well, I want to know beforehand – while still in Germany – that my paperwork is good enough for entry. I travel with my daughter ( a minor) and a non-English speaking sibling. If my entry got refused and I’d be put on the next plane back, this would leave two stranded folks in New York City.

Why do I want to take extra precaution? For one – I am married to a U.S. citizen and residing in Germany. So entering the United States will put me in the highest risk category for illegal immigration as I have no green card and immigration believes that non-green card spouses would like to stay longer than permitted. Number two – my daughter is a U.S. citizen, which puts my tourist intent in double jeopardy. Immigration officials only do their job and try to fish out anyone looking to stay beyond their limited time. I have no intention to stay more than four days in the United States.

We are what we experience, so here goes my real-life fairy tale:

Once upon a time, in the last millennium, there lived a fairly young German wife with her U.S. American husband in a far away land called Japan. They were so happy when their son was born and they were so proud of him and wanted to take him to the kingdom where his father had been born and raised. His paternal grandparents wanted to hold their first-born son who would carry on the family name. (Back in those days, those things were still important.)

So they planned on taking their son across the Pacific Ocean to be held once by his grandparents for a couple of weeks before the family would continue across the Atlantic Ocean to take on a new post in another old country.

Luckily the couple inquired at a Japanese outpost of the kingdom to learn whether traveling with a one-way pass for the wife would be enough to enter the kingdom. The Consul yet told them there might be trouble as the guards watching the kingdom gate would get suspicious with anyone showing up with a one-way pass. The kingdom thinks of itself so highly and believes it to be so beautiful that once you have entered it, you will never want to leave again.

And because the wife was married to a citizen of that kingdom, then it was assumed she would definitely stay without proper permission from the king. She was advised she was in the same risk category as some dark haired people who liked to swim across the river or sneak through the border at night.

The couple felt very discouraged and tried to think of a way to show the baby to the aging grandparents.

One night they had an idea. If the problem lay with a one-way pass, surely a two-way pass would be sufficient to enter the country for a short visit. The two-way pass would definitely prove the intent of leaving again. Again the couple inquired at the outpost station and were told that a two-way pass held better chances to get in. But still, the couple had no proof of the new post in Germany as in those days, contracts and such were delivered by postal courier only and those sometimes took a while.

So the couple packed up their belongings and traveled via Taipei/Taiwan and Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia to Frankfurt/Germany. Then they went to a travel merchant and bought a two-way pass for entering the kingdom.

Two days later they crossed the Atlantic Ocean to meet the child’s grandparents and everyone was overjoyed.

All together, they had to travel 27,000 km because the kingdom’s guards thought the wife to be a prime risk for illegal immigration.

The wife’s kingdom never questioned her husband’s entry on a one-way ticket.

-The End-

The moral of the story: Always travel with your complete paperwork, but be prepared for the unexpected.

Visiting the U.S. embassy site, you will be advised that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) computer system and any related equipment is subject to monitoring for administrative oversight, law enforcement, criminal investigative purposes, inquiries into alleged wrongdoing… Don’t let it scare you off. Once you are on the page, you have to click “OK” anyway.

All eligible travelers who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization (U.S. embassy) using the following process:

Complete your application – Submit your application -Receive and record your application number – Receive response to your application

From the time of this new form’s implementation of travel authorization on August 25, 08 until Jan 12, 2009 when it becomes obligatory, all registrations are voluntary and free of charge (which might be likely to change in the new year).

For more information in German visit:

Diplomatische Vertretungen der USA Deutschland

The board of Airline Representatives in Germany e.V. (BARIG) recommends the usage of the new system. As stated in a press release, this new visa-waiver program was initiated early August and is supposed to improve travel conditions. The application can be filed as late as 72 hours before the departing flight to the U.S. This new application will replace the green I-94 W which passengers had to fill out on board a flight to the U.S.

This application can also be submitted by parents for their child/children and travel agencies. Passengers with a valid visa do not need an ESTA permit. Once the Department of Homeland Security has issued an ESTA permit, then it is valid for two years or until the passport expires.

Important: This new travel authorization process also applies to all transits – wether you change planes in Florida to travel to South America, are British and accompany your spouse on a business trip to the U.S.A., or you just visit a tiny spot in the States while touring Canada – you must apply for this authorization in a timely manner for any touch-down on American soil happening after January 11, 2009.

The Stanford Hotel is situated right in the center of Manhattan. It is located on 43 West 32nd street between Fifth and Broadway and just steps away from all the attractions & things to do in Midtown Manhattan. We will have immediate access to all the major midtown business and major tourist attractions. We are only a few minutes of a walk to Penn Station, Madison Square Garden, Jacob Javits Convention Center, the Empire State Building, the Broadway theater district, Fashion district, and the Manhattan Mall.

I had contemplated booking a lower-priced one out in New Jersey – which claims to have excellent bus service to and from Manhattan – but we want to see and stay in New York for the nights as well. We won’t be going out much at night as I will be traveling  with my by then eleven-year-old daughter. It will be nice just to stroll up and down the street, while staying near the hotel, to see the famous lights, hear the big-city sounds and do some serious people-watching. And November in New York City will be cold – another reason for getting a hotel nearby, therefore limiting the wait at a dark and drafty bus-station to get back into the cozy warmth of our hotel room. I wonder how cold it will get…

Another factor for staying in Manhattan is that I tire easily even after only three hours of shopping. It will be so nice to have the hotel in walking-distance to go back and take a rest – and unload some shopping bags, too.

Last, but not least. Our hotel is in Korea town as well, where I will have my favorite food – Korean cuisine – at hand. I was told I should try Sul Long Tang (beef soup) at the restaurant Gam Mee Ok, which serves supposedly the best Sul Long Tang in the whole world.

And I might want to add for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) – the instructions are so precise that they could be used in English lessons as well.

Watching U.S. movies, with actors hailing a cab, is just not enough in regards to taxi life in NYC.