Wanting to get an early start to our first NYC trip of the year, the time frame of which was chosen to coincide with my fellow FT'er, Catman's DO-2 and the great NY St. Patrick's Day Parade, Brigitte, myself and two last minute tag-a longs left Montréal by car at a v-e-r-r-r-y early 4:00 AM. Up until our departure, the weather in Montréal had been dry, sunny and mild with highs in the low 50's and lows in the mid 20's, so it came as somewhat of a shock to be caught in the middle of a late-season snow storm shortly after crossing into the US. We are much more used to the opposite, as you can well imagine. Trying to make good time became a mute point as I put my SUV's 4WD through its paces. Driving through a blizzard during the early, dark hours of morning with a carload of anxious relatives is not something I do for enjoyment, believe me.
Thankfully, once we reached Albany, the snow let up somewhat, and we were able to get back up to speed. A couple of hours later, at 10:30 AM we finally pulled into the Parsipanny Sheraton...an hour behind schedule. This was the first of three New Jersey Sheratons we chose to use on this particular NYC trip. Our reasons were varied, but the two greatest contributing factors were cost and Starwood points.
Taking advantage of Starwood's 1,000 point booking bonus for each property (booked separately), and some great weekend rates at New Jersey Sheratons within reasonable proximity of NYC, we were able to partly erase the handicap of the USD/CAD exchange. $200 a night in NYC may very well be acceptable for many, but when that translates into $300 CAD for the Canadian visitor, it becomes a luxury.
Parsipanny's $79 Endless Weekend rate was the great bargain of the three properties selected. We all were upgraded to Club Level (without even asking), Brigitte and I received our Platinum amenity package (we had to ask)...a gift basket replete with premium jumbo cashews, dried fruits, trail mix and gourmet jelly beans...and we all had a full American breakfast buffet included in the rate. Free parking, large rooms with modern colonial furnishings complete with a sleigh bed, and a beautiful park-like setting made this newly renovated "Tara" chateau the surprise hit of the three Sheratons. A very friendly and helpful staff just served to reinforce our decision to return here on a subsequent NYC visit.
There were, however, two downsides to this hotel: Its 30 miles (45 minutes) from Manhattan and the fact that its beautiful Club Level lounge is closed on weekends. Nothing can be done about its distance to NYC, but perhaps management can revisit their decision to limit club lounge hours to weekdays.
For our first day in NYC, we drove to Jersey City, parked, and took the PATH train from Journal Square to 33rd St. in Manhattan. The weather precluded us from taking our "newbies" on any substantial sightseeing expeditions, so we shopped, pointing out significant landmarks along the way, and watched part of the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Our hearts went out to all those shivering marching band players whose costumes were clearly not designed to withstand the rigors of this unseasonable cold. Coffee shops and liquor stores were both doing brisk business.
Our charges were suitably impressed, discovering some bargains along the way, and marvelling at all there was to see and do in this wonder of a city and by 5:00 PM we were all beginning to feel the effects of the cold weather and our early morning start, so we slowly made our way to Jersey City via the PATH and headed back to our hotel in Parsipanny. After a quick meal, Brigitte and I hit the sack and were soundly asleep by 9:00 PM. Even the lure of HBO couldn't coax us into staying awake any longer.
Saturday, we rose to a glorious, if somewhat frigid, morning. To compensate for the poor weather the day before, Brigitte had a very full day planned. We all hurried through the usual procedures of breakfast, packing and checking out in record time and made our way to the second of our three hotels, the Sheraton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ...a mere seven miles from Manhattan. Being so early, our Club Level (again proffered without asking) accommodations weren't quite ready, so we stored our luggage and made our way to Liberty State Park in Jersey City. When visiting the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island (both are actually on the NJ side of the Hudson River/Upper Bay), most people depart on the Circle Line from Lower Manhattan's Battery Park. Not many seem to know that there is an alternative point of departure from the New Jersey side. Circle Line also operates ferry service from the old New Jersey Central Railroad Station and pier in Liberty State Park. The service is less frequent, but also less frequented and offers $5 parking (or first 2 hours free if you just want to visit the station). The view of the Manhattan skyline from this vantage point is spectacular, and if you're lucky enough to have an azure blue sky as a backdrop, this is a sight that will forever live in your memory. As Circle Line operates both the NY and NJ ferry services, you can leave from one and return to the other, if you so desire. NY Waterways operates a ferry service between the NY/NJ sides for added cost, to get you back to your original point of departure.
Our first stop was Ellis Island, and it proved to be far more interesting than we had previously imagined. We took the free 45 minute tour, and our guide, Ranger Clark was most animated and informative. He would do little illustrative comedy routines complete with voices and gestures, punctuated with a number of amusing caustic anecdotes and by the end of the tour we had been both painlessly educated and wonderfully entertained.
Next came the Statue of Liberty. I have visited NYC many times over the past 25 years, and believe it or not, this was my first visit to Liberty Island. The flawless blue sky provided wonderful photo-ops, and the line ups were long, but manageable. An hour later, we were viewing New York Harbor from Lady Liberty's pedestal and marvelling at this century old feat of engineering . The 22 story climb to the crown was a bit too demanding for us all in terms of time and effort. I can't imagine what the crowds must be like through the height of tourist season during the steamy summer heat.
Returning to Liberty State Park, we took some more photos of that fabulous Manhattan skyline and made our way back to our hotel. The day had passed quickly and by the time we checked in it was already 4:00 PM. Our rooms on the Club Level were ready, the lounge set to reopen at 5:00 PM for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Brigitte and I have stayed at the Sheraton Meadowlands often over the past few years, and have always enjoyed the staff's professionalism and courtesy. Staying here primarily on weekends, we have always found the Club lounge underused. In fact, we've never seen more than a person or two present. This time, however, things were a bit different. Since my last stay in October, the hotel had installed limited key access to the Club levels and lounge. As only Club level guests now had access, the hotel seems to have refocused its efforts on improving the quality of its edible offerings. They were now serving what was essentially a complete meal. A colorful salad of mixed greens and vegetables, grilled chicken breast with accompanying potatoes, a fruit plate, cheese and crackers were all offered in addition to hors d'oeuvres. It was a pity we couldn't partake as we had Catman's DO-2 to ready for.
We had wisely decided not to drive into Manhattan for our FT get-together, knowing full well the traffic and parking snarls that a popular Saturday night entails. We, instead, drove to NJ Transit's North Bergen Park 'n Ride, and for $9.50 got parking and two return bus tickets to NY's Port Authority Bus Terminal at 42nd. Buses are quite frequent and the last bus leaves NY for NJ at 1:00 AM. The ride through the Lincoln Tunnel takes all of ten minutes, traffic notwithstanding. By 7:00 PM, we were making our way through the crowds of tourists, theater patrons and partygoers enroute to the general vicinity of 51st and 7th to join Catman and co. at Ruth's Chris.
Upon entering the restaurant, I soon spotted PremEx, Burkey, Rudi and Jim_B, all of whom I had met at previous functions. Brigitte was introduced to some of the FT'ers she hadn't yet met, and we were soon upstairs in our private salon being welcomed by that most congenial of hosts, the Catman himself. Hugs and kisses later, we began to renew acquaintances and friendships begun at past gatherings.
As is to be expected when Catman gets involved in any FT event, there are no half way measures. Open bottles of wine breathing at every table, helpful staff manning the bar and seeing to our every need and FlyerTalkers everywhere. You have to give the Cat credit, he does know how to throw a party...and then some.
We were happy to have arranged seating with dgolds and Jim_B, both of whom we knew from recent visits to San Francisco and Santiago. It gave us the opportunity to catch up on some news and gossip and plan some future rendezvous together. These two are great guys and conversing with them is always a treat. It may not always be educational, but it is entertaining.
The dinner was soon underway, and Catman, true to his word, peppered the evening with many surprises and awards and had on hand the original crystal FlyerTalk Freddie award that Randy had so graciously forwarded. I don't know when or if Catman had the opportunity to eat, he was always at a different table, entertaining his many guests and friends, making them feel welcome and special. He went so far as to present each attendee with a personalized letter of greeting and Official Adoption Certificate into the Catman Family. Flyme2 Catman...Richard Catman...hmm. I wonder if I can get a green card out of the deal? Kudos to the Cat . A shame that Yaz and Eddie missed their master's shining moment.
One of the great things about this event is how it drew out some rather reticent FT'ers who were either new to the board or had previously preferred to remain somewhat anonymous. Now they can put faces to those sometimes whacky and sometimes true to the mark handles we use on FlyerTalk and know that we are people from all walks of life...not just fabulously wealthy and handsome millionaires. No obvious ax murderers or psychopaths...ok, maybe just a couple.
I had earlier decided not to hard sell the FAQ, as I didn't want to deter from Catman's DO-2, but I think I was discreetly able to soft peddle a couple of them into joining the Montréal party. Catman made it easy by showing them how fun a FT get-together can be.
All good thing must come to an end, and by 12:30 AM we said our goodbyes and made our way out into the cold night air along with Jim_B who escorted us to his room at the Sheraton Manhattan to pick up a very generous gift he had brought for us all the way from Chile. If you are ever able to attend an event that includes Jim_B, do so. He is a very friendly and capable conversationalist and most accomodating. Ask him about Las Vegas.
We arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal with about 10 minutes to spare before the last bus to the Park 'n Ride at 1:00 AM. Twenty minutes later we were back in our room at the Meadowlands.
Sunday was another picture perfect day, and we got an early start by driving into Manhattan, parking on Central Park West, and taking our charges on a 4 hour tour of the city that included Central Park and the Children's Zoo, Tavern on the Green, The Plaza, Trump Tower, Park Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Saks, 5th Avenue, the Waldorf-Astoria and anything and everything in between. By 2:30 PM we were ready for a break, so we headed back through the Lincoln Tunnel to the Meadowlands to check out and move on to our last hotel of the trip, Sheraton Suites at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, NJ.
Upon checking out, I once again asked about the Platinum amenity gift which we hadn't received. The two lovely ladies at the front desk told me that the amenity was handled by room service and if I was going to stay at the hotel again in the near future, they would make sure that I would receive two. Nice, but if it's this difficult getting one, imagine a couple. I thanked them and we moved on to Weehawken.
For those of you who aren't familiar with New York, or more precisely, the New Jersey side of New York, Weehawken is a small town neighbouring Hoboken on the Hudson River. The hotel is situated adjacent to the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel and is set right on the River. The unobstructed views of Manhattan are spectacular, and if you were able to walk on water you'd take 15 minutes to end up on West 38th St.
The last time I was in NYC, in October, I stayed at this hotel for a night and was given a very large two room corner suite overlooking the NYC skyline. This time, as a Platinum, I had to do some negotiating for a room with a view to Manhattan on the Club level, which is located in the new and much more tranquil west wing. The "suite" was really nothing more than a large room with a king bed and a pull out sofa. Dividing the two "rooms" is a short wall containing a closet. There are two large TV's within 10 feet of each other with absolutely nothing to isolate the sound of one from the other. As a matter of fact, the soundproofing was so poor, that we could hear the man in the next room as if he were seated next to us. The abrupt racket made by the heater as it shuttled on an off made me glad to have brought the ear plugs I always travel with for just these occasions.
This property used to be a Ramada, and no amount of new wallpaper or Sheraton badging has been able to disguise that fact. They are in the process of renovating rooms in the original building, but if the west wing (just completed last September) is any indication of the improvements you can expect...don't expect much more than a cosmetic makeover.
After a bit of a respite, we all decided to head back into lower Manhattan and watch dusk slowly settle over the city from the observation deck at the World Trade Center. What a view! The city beneath your feet, encircled by the Hudson, East River and New York Harbor with all those dazzling lights from the thousands upon thousands of cars, office towers and neon signs. The Kodak-supplied info screens scattered throughout the deck provided interesting information and statistics on all of the most significant landmarks and neighbourhoods. Two hours went by in a flash and we made our way back through the busy Lincoln Tunnel to Weehawken and our awaiting Club lounge.
The evening hors d'oeuvres in the unattended Club lounge were stone cold as were many breakfast items in the complimentary buffet, provided by the hotel to all guests, the next morning.
No gourmet fare available here. The Platinum amenity also never appeared, in spite of requesting it.
If it weren't for the million dollar view, this hotel wouldn't be worth patronizing. It certainly has attributes, pertaining mostly to its location, that are a shame to waste on a property that would be better badged a Four Points. Ahh, but the view still had us fixated.
Monday morning we decided to check out early and do some serious shopping in Secaucus. Century 21 on 6th Ave.in lower Manhattan is great, but we always seem to have better luck at Syms in New Jersey. We all managed to snag some serious bargains (I bagged a 100% silk Guy Laroche sports jacket for a paltry $15...and there's also no sales tax on clothes or shoes in NJ) and by 2:00 PM were ready for the long drive home. Great driving conditions and even better weather got us back to Montréal by 8:00 PM, exhausted, but happy having had a wonderful time in New York and Catman's event. We'll have to do this more often, Cat!

[This message has been edited by flyme2 (edited 03-25-2000).]