Cathay Pacific First to New York, & a sombre visit to the 9/11 Memorial Museum (CX F)
#46
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
Wow, must have been a moving experience, to be at the same spot where the two towers collapsed and so many innocent people lost their lives on that tragic day.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
Great photo's too, especially of the outside memorial.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
Great photo's too, especially of the outside memorial.
#47
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
I agree with pretty much all you said...but, that is what the OP gets for eating late in Midtown.
[QUOTE=Frequent_Flyer1;23160960
And your example of leaving $20 for a $13 cerainly does seem a little bit excessive, doesn't it? [/QUOTE]
This is where I slightly diverge from agreeing with PlatBrownGuy. I live above a bar and go to many regularly, for the $3 special glasses of wine last night at Julius or the $12 spiced margarita at BBar I will usually leave $2 for the first round I get and then after that it's usually a $1. What gives me the red a$$ is when I see people during happy hour/2for1 who on their second free drink don't go up and leave something.
It's a great tourist trap. Talk to families of the victims, first responders and those in/around lower Manhattan during 9/11 and many of them won't go and have serious issues with it.
[QUOTE=Frequent_Flyer1;23160960
And your example of leaving $20 for a $13 cerainly does seem a little bit excessive, doesn't it? [/QUOTE]
This is where I slightly diverge from agreeing with PlatBrownGuy. I live above a bar and go to many regularly, for the $3 special glasses of wine last night at Julius or the $12 spiced margarita at BBar I will usually leave $2 for the first round I get and then after that it's usually a $1. What gives me the red a$$ is when I see people during happy hour/2for1 who on their second free drink don't go up and leave something.
Wow, must have been a moving experience, to be at the same spot where the two towers collapsed and so many innocent people lost their lives on that tragic day.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
#49
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
Adults $24
Seniors/Vets/Students $18
Kids 7-17 $15
Under 6 Free
Fire, Police, Paramedics $12
9/11 Family Members, 9/11 Rescue Workers, Any Military Free
And then you have the gift shop with hats and tshirts and hoodies. I live off Bowery and I'm down in Battery Place several times a week and usually ride a CitiBike home up by where the exit is and dumps everyone out. It's an unsettling feeling seeing a tour group decked out in 9/11 merch.
Seniors/Vets/Students $18
Kids 7-17 $15
Under 6 Free
Fire, Police, Paramedics $12
9/11 Family Members, 9/11 Rescue Workers, Any Military Free
And then you have the gift shop with hats and tshirts and hoodies. I live off Bowery and I'm down in Battery Place several times a week and usually ride a CitiBike home up by where the exit is and dumps everyone out. It's an unsettling feeling seeing a tour group decked out in 9/11 merch.
#50
Adults $24
Seniors/Vets/Students $18
Kids 7-17 $15
Under 6 Free
Fire, Police, Paramedics $12
9/11 Family Members, 9/11 Rescue Workers, Any Military Free
And then you have the gift shop with hats and tshirts and hoodies. I live off Bowery and I'm down in Battery Place several times a week and usually ride a CitiBike home up by where the exit is and dumps everyone out. It's an unsettling feeling seeing a tour group decked out in 9/11 merch.
Seniors/Vets/Students $18
Kids 7-17 $15
Under 6 Free
Fire, Police, Paramedics $12
9/11 Family Members, 9/11 Rescue Workers, Any Military Free
And then you have the gift shop with hats and tshirts and hoodies. I live off Bowery and I'm down in Battery Place several times a week and usually ride a CitiBike home up by where the exit is and dumps everyone out. It's an unsettling feeling seeing a tour group decked out in 9/11 merch.
#51
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
#52
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Duchy of Milan
Programs: BA Gold, TK Elite, AZ CFP
Posts: 1,857
Very emotional description, I'm planning to come back to NYC for a weekend expressively to visit the museum. 9/11 touched me deeply, I was a kid at that time but I remember everything of that shameful day. Thanks for reporting your experience.
#53
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Dubai
Posts: 3,301
#54
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: MRY - CNX - TXL
Programs: UA 1K / *G / Marriott PE / Expedia Gold+ / Hertz PC
Posts: 7,058
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,607
Yeah, offerendum. It's among the new realities of museums. It's somewhat similar to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The events are totally different but the circumstances of what they are trying to recount are only a few decades back. It makes the experience seem very intense since there is a of multi media around that recounts it.
Wow, must have been a moving experience, to be at the same spot where the two towers collapsed and so many innocent people lost their lives on that tragic day.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
Great photo's too, especially of the outside memorial.
Looks like they have done a great job, both with the memorial and the museum. Very beautiful, touching as well as educational.
Great photo's too, especially of the outside memorial.
I think the efforts put in by the museum designers, from a tourist's perspective, appear to be well balanced. It's always difficult to strike a neutral perspective when it comes to something like this. I don't doubt that there are those that feel that people are profiting off of this attraction. As JVPhoto accurately points out, visitors need to wade through throngs of conspracy theorists and people selling "the real stories of 9/11" outside of the memorial grounds. I address this by visiting the museum itself, and not paying money to the "independents" who appear to be gaining on an opportunity.
The memorial itself (grounds and pools) is now free. The Museum under the memorial is pay admission.
Thanks themalelligroup. I think we can all sadly relate to that morning on that day.
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,607
Gordon Ramsey at The London, New York
May 23, 2014
After seeing Gordon Ramsey on the television through a variety of reality television shows broadcast in North America, it came time to try one of his restaurants. MrsWT73 has been a regular visitor to Gordon Ramseys Maze in London on her work travels through there and I was playing catch up as I had yet to have the opportunity.
I was able to get a reservation at Gordon Ramsey at the London about 5 days out using Open Table. The booking process advertised a dress code and set out the expectations for dress. This struck me as a bit unusual as most other restaurants simply state: smart casual, semi casual or the like. The restaurant is conveniently located a few blocks from Times Square or Central Park at the South End.
On arrival, we were led in through the outer restaurant (a New York offering of Maze another Gordon Ramsey casual dining outlet) and into the Gordon Ramsey restaurant proper.
The dining room itself was a fine dining dcor with colored in greys and greys, silvers and golds colors. It was reminiscent of what my British grandfather would have found super classy for an elegant service. In other words, it wasnt all too contemporary.
Another first impression that we had were a table of middle eastern Arabs who were dining nearby up wearing Tommy Hillfiger Rugby shirts. Another bit of an oddity to make obvious efforts with the dress code, but then appear not to enforce it. It could be perhaps because I went through the trouble of wearing a suit jacket (laughing).
Dinner service here is on a fixed menu consisting of either 3 course or 5 course offering. We each went with three course meal. As with many other fine dining establishments, each course was supplemented in between each course with additional surprises.
The service throughout the meal was exceptionally attentive and of high caliber. The seating was similar to other high end establishments that next tables in were seated in the opposite corners of restaurant to minimize intrusions and disruptions in your area.
There was no music playing immediately in restaurant, which led to nice conversation volume. There was some carry over of volume from maze restaurant next door. Despite seemingly many tables sitting empty, and no available times on open table, some must not have turned up or cancelled as at least 10 tables (out of a total of 45 persons occupancy) not were not sat by our reservation time of 8 PM. Either that or the restaurant wasnt releasing all tables to the Open Table reservation system.
Our first amuse bouche was a caviar on pancake and a warm corn veloute soup.
This was followed by a wonderful morel mushroom sherry gellee.
I went with the foie gras appetizer chaud / froid. Foie gras hot and cold accompanied with peach, almond, crispy faro, celery, served with lightly toasted brioche. The hot foie gras was seared to absolute perfection. It wasnt a perfect pairing, but we opted for a bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Noir from the Williamette Valley in Oregon, USA.
For the main I went with the Colorado Lamb Cannon, accompanied with sun choke goat curd puree, spiced eggplant, black olive caramel, shallot powder. The lamb was again wonderfully cooked.
MrsWT73 went with the Organic Chicken, accompanied with tortellini, sweet corn, artichoke barigoule, parsley pure, natural jus
The waiter dropped off a watermelon sorbet prior to dessert to cleanse the palette.
For the desert, I went with the Chocolate Hazelnut accompanied with coffee, burnt cinnamon, caramel ice cream. Again, perfection on a plate.
The meal was closed up with more chocolates prior to the arrival of the bill.
Tab for two with a bottle of wine was a reasonable $440.
Overall the dessert was the highlight of the meal. The comparison of the restaurant offering with Gordon Ramsey the television personality is a natural one to make. The meal itself was similar to a German BMW exceptionally refined, conservative in flavors with nothing too over the top. Everything was perfectly prepared with obvious attention to detail. I would have expected sharper flavours given the amount of energy from his TV performances. Either way, it was a very pleasant fie dining meal.
MrsWT73 loved the service and the smaller portions. She felt that the environment was very comfortable.
We had a great meal here and found it to be reasonably priced for New York. I found myself thinking about the experience throughout the rest of the evening and the next morning so much I must have enjoyed myself. I find that you don't always remember the meal itself over and over again. You dont always get memories of dining experience dining out.
Two thumbs up. ^^
May 23, 2014
After seeing Gordon Ramsey on the television through a variety of reality television shows broadcast in North America, it came time to try one of his restaurants. MrsWT73 has been a regular visitor to Gordon Ramseys Maze in London on her work travels through there and I was playing catch up as I had yet to have the opportunity.
I was able to get a reservation at Gordon Ramsey at the London about 5 days out using Open Table. The booking process advertised a dress code and set out the expectations for dress. This struck me as a bit unusual as most other restaurants simply state: smart casual, semi casual or the like. The restaurant is conveniently located a few blocks from Times Square or Central Park at the South End.
On arrival, we were led in through the outer restaurant (a New York offering of Maze another Gordon Ramsey casual dining outlet) and into the Gordon Ramsey restaurant proper.
The dining room itself was a fine dining dcor with colored in greys and greys, silvers and golds colors. It was reminiscent of what my British grandfather would have found super classy for an elegant service. In other words, it wasnt all too contemporary.
Another first impression that we had were a table of middle eastern Arabs who were dining nearby up wearing Tommy Hillfiger Rugby shirts. Another bit of an oddity to make obvious efforts with the dress code, but then appear not to enforce it. It could be perhaps because I went through the trouble of wearing a suit jacket (laughing).
Dinner service here is on a fixed menu consisting of either 3 course or 5 course offering. We each went with three course meal. As with many other fine dining establishments, each course was supplemented in between each course with additional surprises.
The service throughout the meal was exceptionally attentive and of high caliber. The seating was similar to other high end establishments that next tables in were seated in the opposite corners of restaurant to minimize intrusions and disruptions in your area.
There was no music playing immediately in restaurant, which led to nice conversation volume. There was some carry over of volume from maze restaurant next door. Despite seemingly many tables sitting empty, and no available times on open table, some must not have turned up or cancelled as at least 10 tables (out of a total of 45 persons occupancy) not were not sat by our reservation time of 8 PM. Either that or the restaurant wasnt releasing all tables to the Open Table reservation system.
Our first amuse bouche was a caviar on pancake and a warm corn veloute soup.
This was followed by a wonderful morel mushroom sherry gellee.
I went with the foie gras appetizer chaud / froid. Foie gras hot and cold accompanied with peach, almond, crispy faro, celery, served with lightly toasted brioche. The hot foie gras was seared to absolute perfection. It wasnt a perfect pairing, but we opted for a bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Noir from the Williamette Valley in Oregon, USA.
For the main I went with the Colorado Lamb Cannon, accompanied with sun choke goat curd puree, spiced eggplant, black olive caramel, shallot powder. The lamb was again wonderfully cooked.
MrsWT73 went with the Organic Chicken, accompanied with tortellini, sweet corn, artichoke barigoule, parsley pure, natural jus
The waiter dropped off a watermelon sorbet prior to dessert to cleanse the palette.
For the desert, I went with the Chocolate Hazelnut accompanied with coffee, burnt cinnamon, caramel ice cream. Again, perfection on a plate.
The meal was closed up with more chocolates prior to the arrival of the bill.
Tab for two with a bottle of wine was a reasonable $440.
Overall the dessert was the highlight of the meal. The comparison of the restaurant offering with Gordon Ramsey the television personality is a natural one to make. The meal itself was similar to a German BMW exceptionally refined, conservative in flavors with nothing too over the top. Everything was perfectly prepared with obvious attention to detail. I would have expected sharper flavours given the amount of energy from his TV performances. Either way, it was a very pleasant fie dining meal.
MrsWT73 loved the service and the smaller portions. She felt that the environment was very comfortable.
We had a great meal here and found it to be reasonably priced for New York. I found myself thinking about the experience throughout the rest of the evening and the next morning so much I must have enjoyed myself. I find that you don't always remember the meal itself over and over again. You dont always get memories of dining experience dining out.
Two thumbs up. ^^
#57
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Iver
Programs: BA GOLD/OWE BA Amex Prem Plus Tesco Airmiles Qantas Bronze IHG SPG Eithad
Posts: 2,902
Wow what beautiful and moving pictures, what a moving experience it must have been to go around the museum, can well imagine it would take a long time to see everything and take it all in, all of us can remember where we were at the time when this awful tragedy happened whether it be in NY or anywhere else in the world, those awful photos of TV will always be rooted in everyones mined for ever. Went in 2003, still very vivid, will definitely have to make a visit back to see the memorial, thank you for sharing this experience with us. Enjoying your TR so far
#60
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,607
Wow what beautiful and moving pictures, what a moving experience it must have been to go around the museum, can well imagine it would take a long time to see everything and take it all in, all of us can remember where we were at the time when this awful tragedy happened whether it be in NY or anywhere else in the world, those awful photos of TV will always be rooted in everyones mined for ever. Went in 2003, still very vivid, will definitely have to make a visit back to see the memorial, thank you for sharing this experience with us. Enjoying your TR so far
Thanks xenole - No inexpensive SE Asian food prices in this postal code!!