Trip report, 30th Dec-6th Jan. Day 1

Day 1

I arrived at Newark airport on schedule on a Continental flight from Edinburgh. The flight was uneventful and landed at 11.45am. The first site to greet me from my airplane window as it taxied was a giant Ikea store, not what I expected but it made me smile. Pesky Swedes, they鈥檙e everywhere eh? (Only joking Matte!) The time between landing and getting into my pre-arranged Dial7 car was only 1 hour. I called the company from the airport and the car was outside within 10 minutes. I鈥檇 recommend this company. It was such a buzz seeing the famous Manhattan skyline for the first time and realising I was finally here.

I checked into The Holiday Inn Midtown on West 57th Street, dumped my bags, had a quick shower and ventured out and into the city. I鈥檒l add a review later of the hotel which I was very happy with. Ok so I鈥檝e seen plenty movies set in NY and I know you are not allowed to jaywalk鈥RONG sucker鈥ow naiive can a 31 year old guy be? On my first day I thought it was sheer madness, the 鈥榦k to cross鈥?(lil white guy) is lit up yet the cars keep coming, you just have to be brave and bold and keep your wits about you. I found a Radioshack and bought two $15 cell phones with $25 of talktime each. These proved to be a fantastic purchase as they allowed myself and others in my group to keep in touch for the duration of our trip. I walked to Columbus Circle, purchased my $25 Metrocard, left the station and started pounding the streets. I walked down Broadway to Times Square. Wow, for a first time visitor this place really takes your breath away. It was everything I imagined and more. So big and so busy. So many tourists. My TA training came into effect here, don鈥檛 stand in the middle of the pavement while your chin flaps against your feet in amazement, stand with your back to a building (while your chin flaps against your feet in amazement). I seen all the places I had been warned to avoid, 鈥榗heap鈥?electrical stores, chain restaurants, tacky souvenier stores. I quickly realised that I wasn鈥檛 the only tourist in NY that day. Now I know that sounds really dumb but while preparing to visit NY I didn鈥檛 take into consideration the many, many other tourists that would be there. As this dawned on me I instantly felt myself relax a little more.

After strolling around for an hour I found a bar and ordered a pint of Guinness. $7!!! Plus tip this worked out at roughly 拢6. This was my first and last pint of the black stuff. My new best friend was Sam Adams, a fine lager at a more agreeable price. I must add that I enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery鈥檚 beers also. And the odd Jack Daniels. Oh yeah, and some Tequila. The bride and groom to be were staying at The Edison so I walked to their hotel and met them outside as they pulled up in their limo. They checked in and I gave them one of the phones I鈥檇 earlier bought. We arranged to meet later for a beer.

An hour later I was in Jack Dempsey鈥檚 at the foot of the ESB on West 33rd st. I ordered my first NY burger and a pint of Sam Adams and settled into my bar stool and listened to the general chatter around me. In the space of 5 minutes the bartender鈥檚 accent changed from American to English to Scots. I know guys who work in Italian restaurants in Glasgow who do this because they make extra tips. Fair play to them, if that鈥檚 what the customer wants then it鈥檚 fine by me. He did sound a bit stupid though. So there I am, settling in nicely, wondering if life can get any better when up walks the cutest girl ever, she鈥檚 petite, dark skin, dark hair, the whitest teeth. She is Daniella and she is from Brooklyn. And she talks to me. She asks if I know what street we鈥檙e in because her friend鈥檚 coming to hook up with her and she鈥檚 unsure of the address. I tell her we鈥檙e on West 33rd etc and explain how I鈥檝e only been in the city a couple of hours and I鈥檓 visiting from Scotland. Well isn鈥檛 Scotland just somewhere she鈥檇 love to go and doesn鈥檛 she just love the Scots accent. By this time I don鈥檛 know whether I鈥檓 in heaven or if I鈥檓 being hustled. So I buy her a drink and we talk for a bit. Then the bubble bursts, up walks the 鈥榖oyfriend鈥? He鈥檚 obviously feeling a bit threatened (I reckon anyway) because he鈥檚 all over her at the bar as if he鈥檚 marking his territory. She introduces us and I buy him a drink. As it turns out he鈥檚 a nice enough guy and they both (plus her friend) spend the next few hours drinking with me and my friends as they turn up. We stayed here til around 2am then walked uptown. We stopped in at The Playwright Tavern on West 49th st, only because it had a giant neon shamrock outside, for a nightcap. Half a dozen night caps later I fall out the door around 4am and picked up my first and second slices of NY pizza from Carve on West 47th st. Superb! Staggered home extremely content and feeling right at home. My king size bed was waiting and I was snoozing in no time. Dreamt of Daniella.

Trip report, 30th Dec-6th Jan. Day 1

';So there I am, settling in nicely, wondering if life can get any better when up walks the cutest girl ever, she鈥檚 petite, dark skin, dark hair, the whitest teeth. She is Daniella and she is from Brooklyn.';

Hmmmm ..... Gerry you just described my wife (well everything that is except for the alias name she must have been using). But can anyone really blame her, you know women do seem to be awfully attracted to those men in kilts.

Just sayin%26#39; that%26#39;s all.

Trip report, 30th Dec-6th Jan. Day 1

FWIW, your Guiness wasn%26#39;t seven bucks becasue it%26#39;s imported, but because it was imported to MIDTOWN...you can find it for $6 or even $5.50 in more southerly precincts.

LP -

I saved the kilt for the wedding day, must%26#39;ve been something else...

...and if I%26#39;d known that was Mrs.LP I%26#39;d have knocked the bold Vince clean out and put your good lady in a cab back to the LP Mansion.

J-A-W-P -

All I drink at home is Guinness, never lager. So when I%26#39;m away it%26#39;s just habit to order the same. I was happy though to try out some US lagers/beers and enjoyed them. Later in the week in Bleecker St Guinness was available at $5.50 but I stuck with the Sam Adams etc.

Wow ..... ladies chivalry is not dead ..... it%26#39;s just moved to Scotland.

JAWP makes a very good point. Everything does get less expensive as you gravitate away from the Times Square area. We%26#39;ve pointed it out about the food but come to think about it, the beer do get cheaper too.

So do you hear that everyone who might be reading this thread and planning a trip to NYC ...... GET OUT OF TIME SQUARE FOR PETE%26#39;S SAKE WILL YOU. (Sorry I had to yell there but some folks are hard of hearing.)

So, in other words, you started out slowly and got acclimated your first night. ;o)

Harumph, those Brooklyn girls are only friendly when they%26#39;re attached. (Queens girls, on the other hand, are never friendly. ;o) )

Fun report! Looking foreard to more!

Hi GB08,Great start to your report,likewise when we were there,also for the first time, you are looking about in amazment at the sights and crowds of people,I also said ';yeah we really are here'; a few times.Must admit I also saw lots of stunning women.....nothing wrong with lookin?right.';new york new york!

looking forward to the next part.

Dave.

Great trip report! Looking forward to day 2.

And I love IKEA! It%26#39;s like a Toys r Us for adults

Lotuspath,

If your wife is so enamored of men in kilts, you%26#39;d better not tell her about St. Andrew%26#39;s Pub on W. 44th across frmo the Wall Street Journal building.

The bartenders all wear kilts.

TourguideStan

fellow Celt to Gerry B%26#39;hoy