Posts Tagged ‘Grand Central Terminal’

Day Trips by Train from New York City — Festivals Await!

Seven exciting events taking place this summer in the Hudson Valley have the added benefit of being easily reachable by train from New York City. With a ride on Metro North or Amtrak, you can stop at these stations and walk—or take a short taxi ride or ride share service—to reach the event. www.hudsonrivervalley.com

While summer in New York City can be a lot of fun with parades, festivals, outdoor movies and concerts, sometimes it helps to have a getaway planned, no cars needed.  From Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal, you can start your day with a bite at the Pennsy or at the food court downstairs or grab a pastry and coffee from Zaro’s, meet your friends under the clock or departure board, then grab a train, sit back, and enjoy a day out of the city at one of these great events.

It’s easy:  you can use the new, interactive Hudson River Train Tour mobile app, recently developed by the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area in partnership with the National Park Service, to check out programs, find guides, and information about these wonderful day trip opportunities.

Station: Yonkers

Event: Yonkers Riverfest

Less than 15 minutes from Manhattan via Metro North from Grand Central, the 26th Annual Yonkers Riverfest takes place September 15, rain or shine, and it’s free. The festival will include music entertainment, arts, crafts, food, exhibits, children’s activities, and much more. Events take place along Main Street and Buena Vista Avenue, where the Yonkers Train Station is located. https://www.yonkersriverfest.org

Station: Peekskill

Event: Hudson Valley Exposition

Travel just 25 minutes from Manhattan via Metro North from Grand Central to The Hudson Valley Exposition, taking place on August 4, with many events right near the train station. The festival includes a Kidz Zone where children can create art, learn about science, interact with live animals and more. There will also be music, food, drinks and craft beer, and a wellness and technology area. http://www.hvexposition.com

Station: Beacon

Event: Hudson River Craft Beer Festival

Travel a little further – 1 ¼ hours — from Grand Central on Metro North and you can spend the day on the Beacon riverfront for the Hudson River Craft Beer Festival, September 15. For the 6th year, the festival will bring together beer lovers from all around the area to Riverfront Park, next to the Beacon train station. There will be over 150 releases from some of America’s best breweries to be sampled. And just think, you don’t have to drive!  General admission and VIP tickets are now available. https://americaontap.com/event/hudson-river-craft-beer-festival/

Station: Cold Spring

Event: The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

In slightly under two hours, you can train via Metro North from Grand Central to The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival for shows at the Boscobel House and Gardens in Garrison. This year, the productions include Richard II, The Taming of the Shrew, The Heart of Robin Hood, The Sea-Maids Music and Rip Van Winkle. Shows take place from July to the beginning of September. What’s even better? HVSF will offer a free round-trip shuttle from the Cold Spring Train Station to the Theater Tent every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. https://hvshakespeare.org/

Station: Poughkeepsie

Event: 4th of July Fireworks

Buy a ticket for a ride that’s just an hour and a half from Manhattan by Metro North from Grand Central to see fireworks that are even more spectacular over the water. Join the City of Poughkeepsie and the Walkway Over the Hudson for their 4th of July celebration. The park, a 15-minute walk from the train, is the place to watch the city’s fireworks display overlooking the Hudson River, scheduled for 9pm. Tickets can be purchased online at $12.50 for adults, $10.00 for Walkway Members, Veterans and Seniors and free for children under 10. https://walkway.org/4th-of-july-fireworks-spectacular/

Station: Rhinecliff

Event: The Dutchess County Fair

Amtrak service from Penn Station in Manhattan will take you to the popular Dutchess County Fair in about an hour and a half to the second largest county fair in New York, scheduled this year from August 21-26. With more than 147 acres of land for farm animals and exhibitions, the grounds become an entertainment destination for all. There are free shows and attractions, and tickets can also be purchased for the Grandstand Concert Series including The Wallflowers, Chris Lane and Kip Moore.  Start your day early – this is a terrific event. http://dutchessfair.com/

Station: Hudson

Event: Basilica Soundscape

If you don’t mind a slightly longer trip, the 2 ½ hour ride on Amtrak from Penn Station in Manhattan will lead to the beautiful countryside where Basilica Soundscape is being held from September 14-16. Basilica Soundscape is a weekend of art, culture and music held in historic factory building down the street from the Amtrak station. Live performances by Efrim Menuck, Grouper, Haxan Cloak x Nick Zinner, Insect Ark, and Jungil Hong are scheduled over the three days. There will also be conceptual performances, author readings, local vendors and artisans, collaborations and activities throughout the weekend. http://basilicahudson.org/soundscape/about-basilica-soundscape/

www.hudsonrivervalley.com

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Celebrate Christmas in NYC with the Holiday Train Show, Department Store Windows and Santa Claus

It’s almost Christmas in New York City — well, not really. But Christmas festivities and sales start earlier and earlier each year and decorations are popping up all over the city.

Here are three don’t-miss activities to consider:

Credit: AP Photo/Julio Cortez

This year, you’ll have to do a bit more planning if your children hope to sit on Santa Claus’s lap.  Macy’s wants to make the process more efficient and handle the huge number of people lining up to visit Saint Nick. Santa makes his appearance at “the world’s largest department store” from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, but you’ll need to reserve online to get a spot. Starting just before Thanksgiving, you can book a spot at Macy’s Santa Land at Macy’s Herald Square, 8th floor, at https://www.macys.com/social/santa-land/. No walk-ins are allowed, so don’t delay. Spots will go quickly, particularly after the ads sure to come during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday. 151 West 34th Street, Manhattan.

Holiday windows are starting to appear all over the city. Now is the perfect time to visit before the mad Christmas rush.  Particularly appealing, Bergdorf Goodman’s “To New York with Love” windows showcase some of New York City’s most iconic places this year, including the New York Botanical Gardens, the Museum of the Moving Image, the New York Historical Society Museum & Library, the American Museum of Natural History, and the New York Philharmonic. www.bergdorfgoodman.com, 754 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Look for others at Saks Fifth Avenue (“Once upon a Holiday”), Barney’s New York (“Hass for the Holidays”), Bloomingdale’s (“The Greatest Showman”), Lord  & Taylor (“The Best and the Brightest”), and Macy’s Herald Square (“The Perfect Gift Brings People Together”).

The 16th annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal is brought to you by the New York Transit Museum.  A favorite among children of all ages (and their parents), the show includes movement, lights, sound and color and gets increasingly crowded as shoppers throng the major transit hub closer to Christmas. In the exhibit, model trains travel through tunnels, from subway stop to subway stop, and around skyscrapers as they meander through New York City locations. The show is free and runs from 6am-8pm, through February 4, 2018. 89 East 42nd Street, Manhattan. http://www.grandcentralterminal.com/event/holiday-train-show/

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Grand Central Terminal is 100 Years Old — Join the Celebration

Restored to its original glory by the New York  City Landmarks Preservation Commission through the efforts of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her daughter Caroline, Grand Central Terminal is one of New York City’s architectural treasures. A mini-city unto itself, Grand Central Terminal bustles all day with commuters, shoppers, diners, and tourists, creating a frenzy endemic to Manhattan.  On February 1, Grand Central Terminal celebrates 100 years. A new book, several exhibitions, and a day of festivities all mark this event. 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, Manhattan.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Where to Drink Like a “Mad Man”

Mad Men doesn’t resume for a few months, and I’m in total withdrawal.  I couldn’t tell you if it’s the smoke-filled offices of Sterling Cooper, the vintage ads and campaigns, the mischievous plots of Pete Campbell, or simply gorgeous Don Draper that I miss most, but I think I’ve finally found a cure. You, unfortunately, can’t actually join Don and Roger over oysters at The Oyster Bar or drinks at The Roosevelt Hotel, but you can find some cocktail fixes throughout Manhattan that will make you feel as if you are.

Temple Bar: The glamorous oak bar in NoHo is known for its extensive drink list peppered with all the classics. Imagine yourself sitting with Don among the beautiful velvet curtains sipping an Old Fashioned or with Peggy Olsen as she tries a Brandy Alexander for the first time. (322 Lafayette St, 212-925-4242, http://www.templebarnyc.com )

Monkey Bar:  Enter the landmark Hotel Elysée (once known as the “easy lay”) where guests like Joe DiMaggio and Marlon Brandon used to stay and step inside this great piano bar just off the lobby with its iconic monkey mural.  You can just picture Roger downing a Manhattan or two before heading for a room upstairs. (Hotel Elysée, 60 E 54th St, 212-753-1066, http://www.elyseehotel.com )

King Cole Bar: Once a bastion of cigar-smoking power brokers or wannabes like Ken Cosgrove, the King Cole Bar in the elegant St. Regis Hotel is the birthplace of the Bloody Mary (known here as the Red Snapper). This classic bar also is known for its famous mural, “Old King Cole” by Maxfield Parrish. (St. Regis Hotel, 2 E 55th St, 212-753-4500, http://www.kingcolebar.com)

21 Club: Famous for its prohibition-era speakeasy status, this restaurant has attracted every president since FDR (except George W. Bush) to dine or imbibe. Come for a martini just like James Bond in 007 or try New York Magazine’s recommendation, a Southside, the rum and mint cocktail invented here. (21 W 52nd St, 212-582-7200, http://www.21club.com)

Campbell Apartment: This luxurious lounge in Grand Central Terminal will surely bring you back to another era. The space, once used as an office for New York financier John Campbell, still exudes the same sleek, refinement with its low lighting, rich woodwork and beamed ceiling. We’d recommend the Prohibition Punch for aptly named Pete Campbell. (15 Vanderbilt Ave, 212-953-0409, http://www.hospitalityholdings.com )

Bemelmans Bar: Some things never go out of style. Tommy Rowles has been the bartender here for 51 years and has even poured bourbon on the rocks for President Truman. Live piano music, enchanting murals of animals by Ludwig Bemelmans of Eloise fame, plus formally dressed waiters make this an Upper East Side landmark. The perfectly chilled and poured martini comes in a shaker with enough liquor for a potent drink and a half, and the banquettes are perfect for cuddling. (The Carlyle Hotel, 35 E 76th St, 212-744-1600, http://www.thecarlyle.com/dine4.cfm )

The Blue Bar at the Algonquin: Once the hot spot for literary geniuses like Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley, The Blue Bar is filled with Al Hirschfield’s artwork depicting a variety of Broadway shows. The cozy bar with its blue upholstery is known for its Algonquin Cocktail, a mix of whiskey, dry vermouth, and pineapple juice.  It’s reputed that the literary ghosts of times past will even sit with you to provide inspiration and absorb the black-tie service. (The Algonquin Hotel, 59 W 44th St, 212-840-6800, http://algonquinhotel.com/blue-bar )

Sardi’s: Since 1921, this legendary restaurant known for the celebrity caricatures adorning its walls has served as the spot to head to before or after theater. It’s also a favorite rendezvous spot for Don Draper and his lady friends like the sultry Mrs. Barrett.  To behave like a true “mad man,” book a table on Thursdays and Fridays for jazz and cabaret and skip the cocktail; a bottle of Dom Perignon is more in keeping with the mood. (234 W 44th St, 212-221-8440, http://www.sardis.com )

The Oak Bar at the Plaza:  Originally filling the entire Oak Room restaurant space in the Plaza Hotel, the Oak Bar was conceived as a men’s-only enclave when it opened in 1907.  Now restored to its original glory surrounded by impressive “frozen in time” murals, the bar serves up a Classic Sidecar to enjoy with a menu of bar items until the wee hours.  (Plaza Hotel, 10 Central Park South, 212-758-7777, http://www.oakroomny.com )

Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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