NYC - updated hotel info

The Belvedere Hotel
319 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10036
212.245.7000

Marianne has booked at the beautiful Belvedere Hotel. It is an art deco landmark that was restored in 2000. This hotel has a self service laundry facility, a kitchenette with refridge, microwave and coffee maker, a complimentary fitness center AND reasonably priced parking (for NYC),:

Valet and Self Parking*

• $27 self parking * per 24 hours
• $39 valet parking * per 24 hours

* Parking: no in and out privileges. Self parking is available at a discounted rate for hotel guests at Central Parking System located at 393 West 49th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. Parking ticket must be validated at the hotel reception desk.

Here is our updated google map:
Wow!!
Great amenities and Broadway and Caroline's Comedy Club are only one block away from the hotel and Restaurant Row is just two blocks away.

All Confirmed at Belvedere

OK - its all settled. I made my reservations at the Belvedere, I just couldn't pass up the savings, which will now pay for my room at the Sea Horse Motel in Brant Beach, just a hop, skip and a jump (I hope) from the Beach House. I booked a double/double at the Belvedere for 3 nights. My new location is now - Belvedere Hotel New York - 319 West 48th Street New York, NY 10036

WAIT - Affinia is not a sure thing

I am now looking at the Belvedere - I can get a really good deal there, its not near as pretty - but its way cheaper... oh, what should I do, its like $100 a night less - I guess I just better book it, hotelbelvederenewyork.com - What do you think? They have this deal on http://travelink.com
for rooms at $129 a night, dirt cheap for NYC and the Belvedere is right by Broadway and right around the corner from the Ed Sullivan Theater where the David Letterman show is taped.... That sort of seals the deal, don't you think? Here is what the net has to say:

The seventeen-story Belvedere Hotel is a pleasant blend of luxury and history in a premiere Midtown Manhattan location. The hotel is merely one block from the lights of Broadway and two blocks from the delectable dining venues along Restaurant Row. Other prestigious New York City attractions within walking distance include Central Park, Rockefeller Center and Times Square.

Opened in 1930, the hotel reflects the Art Deco architecture of its era in everything from its historic facade, to the meticulously well-kept lobby. An ornate stonework compass rose adorns the lobby floor, and gleaming marble walls encase the gilded banks of elevator doors. The lobby lounge features bright curvilinear sofas and a convivial atmosphere. Doormen post at the hotel's entrance 24 hours each day, and valet service is available. A self-service business center offers faxing and Internet access. The Belvedere Café serves gourmet breakfast each morning. The hotel's evening restaurant, Churrascaria Plataforma, has made a name for itself with an intriguing Brazilian menu of steaks and skewered meats. The restaurant features live Brazilian music weekly. The Belvedere's 400 guestrooms are surprisingly spacious given the historic building and midtown locale. The guestrooms boast refrigerators and microwave ovens, a rare amenity in Manhattan hotels. Guestrooms also feature high-speed Internet access and televisions with premium channels. Bathrooms decked in marble boast powerful massage showerheads. In a pre-war building with enviable location, the Belvedere Hotel has become a favorite among touring guests seeking an illustrious New York experience amidst the storied brilliance of the theater district.

Deep Impact for Sisters

Deep Impact for Sisters

You sure have done your homework sister - I love all the information.

New York City!

Ah! so much to do! Where do we begin? Let's begin by relaxing...

Mare Bare is staying at the beautiful Affinia Gardens. This is a beautiful and serene hotel. Just listen to this description and then visit the website:
Located in the heart of Manhattan’s prestigious Upper East Side, Affinia Gardens is a haven of serenity and style, from the inviting relaxation space in the lobby to the comfort of newly designed suites. An array of soothing services and amenities such as a lobby tea bar, books on relaxation and wellness, and a selection of calming in-room comforts bring a superbly peaceful hotel experience.
This hotel also offers spa packages at the OASIS DAY SPA that sound more than heavenly. O! and the room has a full kitchen and sitting area. I want to LIVE there! But now onto the business of what to do and where to go while in NYC... I subscribe to the About.com newsletter and Heather Cross writes a column called New York City for Visitors and I have gleaned some very good information for you, so read on...

Everyone Knows How Marianne LOVES Judge Judy...

Want Judge Judy tickets (did you listen to the Judge Judy phony phone call below)? Well, I don't have a link for Judy Judy tickets but you can mail in a request for tickets to the Judge Hatchett show:

New York TV Show Tickets Inc.
Judge Hatchett Show
National Studios
440 West 42nd Street
New NY 10036

Give at least three weeks notice on ticket requirements.

Other TV Show Ticket Links:
How to Get Late Night with Conan O'Brien Tickets Late Night with Conan O'Brien Tickets are available in advance by phone. You can also get standby Late Night with Conan O'Brien tickets daily at the NBC Experience store.

How to Get Late Show with David Letterman Tickets Late Show with David Letterman Tickets are available by request on their website and in person at the Ed Sullivan Theatre. The Late Show with David Letterman also offers same-day standby tickets to callers who correctly answer a trivia question.

Broadway Tickets on the Cheap
The day of the performance you can buy tickets from TKTS. The official website is http://www.tdf.org/tkts/ and this is the information from their website:
TKTS ® opened for business on June 25, 1973. The booths sell Broadway, Off-Broadway, Dance and Music events. Tickets are available at 25%, 35%, and 50% off full-price (plus a $3.00 per ticket service charge) and are available on the day of performance.

Payment is by cash or traveler's check. All available tickets are posted on boards outside the ticket windows.

At the TKTS booth in Times Square, Window 6 is a separate PLAY ONLY line. Same-day discount ticket buyers may queue to purchase tickets for Broadway and Off Broadway dramatic plays. These productions will be indicated on the electronic boards with a letter P.

Another site: OnStageSavings.com offers discounted tickets to readers of About.com. The discount code to use is aboutnyc.

To search theater listings for Broadway, Off Broadway, Dance, etc. Click here.

Free Walking Tour
Welcome Greeter To New York
Visiting one of the biggest and busiest cities on earth can be a bit overwhelming for anyone.If you don’t know already know a friendly New Yorker to show you the introductory ropes, consider contacting this worthy non-profit organization for some help: Greeters are enthusiastic New Yorkers who like to share their city with visitors and provide a helping hand. Your personal Greeter will spend about 2-4 hours with you, show you some local haunts and how to use the subway. Your questions will be answered and you'll learn about the city’s mainstream and some off the beaten path attractions, it's gardens and diverse neighborhoods. Participation in the program is free, but 3 weeks notice is advisable, call for reservations.
Big Apple Greeter
Tel: 212 669 8159

Fun Sighting Tours
Kenny Kramer Inc:
The Seinfeld Tour The Seinfeld tour that comes complete with the real Kenny Kramer! This tour lives on even though the TV series has ended.

Sopranos Tour Over 40 Sopranos sites, including the Bada Bing and Pizzaland.

FOA Schwarz
767 Fifth Avenue (58th St.)

This toy store needs no introduction. It's the biggest and best toy store in the world. Started in 1862 and seen in the movie, Home Alone.

Closest Subways to FAO Schwarz in New York City: N/R/W at 59th Street/Fifth Avenue stop and 4/5/6 to 59th Street/Lexington Avenue stop

Hours
Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Parks
Central Park 59th-110th Sts. & 5th Ave.-Central Park West, 212/360-3444 Landscaped and recreational areas totaling 843 acres. Zoo, carousel, skating rink, theater, lake, pond, reservoir, castle, gardens, fountains, food, visitor centers, walking and biking tours, entertainment and special events. Central Park Carriages line up along Central Park South (59th Street) between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, at the southern end of Central Park across from the Plaza Hotel. Rides cost $34 for the first 20 minutes and $54 for a 45 to 50 minute tour.

Battery Park from West and Chambers streets south and west to the Hudson River 212/267-9700 Thirty acres of gardens, playgrounds, one-mile esplanade, public art, and views of the Hudson River.

Bryant Park 40th-42nd Sts. & 5th-6th Ave., 212/768-4242 Eight restored acres in midtown behind the NY Public Library. Chairs, benches, gardens, fountain, restaurants. Full schedule of free entertainment including, music, movies, and special events.

Best Deli’s in NYC
Best Delis in New York City
This link is for Mare Bare.

Best Pizza in NYC
Best Pizza in New York City
This link is for all of us.

Best Bathrooms in NYC
Best Bathrooms in New York City
This link is for all of us, too. Maybe we should print this one out!

Ellis Island

• Ellis Island Phone: 212-363-3206
• Subway to Ellis Island: N/R to Whitehall; 4/5 to Bowling Green; 1 to South Ferry.
• Ellis Island Hours: Ellis Island Official Website: Open every day (except Christmas Day, December 25) from 9:30am - 5pm (extended hours in the summer). Ferries run every 40 minutes, but more ferries run from late spring into early fall. See ferry schedule for complete details.
• Ellis Island Website: http://www.nps.gov/elis/index.htm
• Ellis Island Pictures

If you want to visit the Statue of Liberty as well as Ellis Island, allow 5-6 hours. If you just want to visit Ellis Island, allow 3-4 hours.

Statue of Liberty

• Statue of Liberty Phone: 212-363-3200
• Circle Line Ferry Phone: (212) 269-5755
• Nearest Subways to Statue of Liberty: 4/5 to Bowling Green; N/R to Whitehall Street; 1 to South Ferry (you must be in the first 5 cars of the train to exit at South Ferry). Follow the signs to Castle Clinton to buy tickets for the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

Statue of Liberty With Kids:

• Statue of Liberty Visitor's Guide
  

• Statue of Liberty Exterior Photos

• Statue of Liberty Pictures

Best of New York

The Best of NYC

New York City's Best Free Attractions and Landmarks Some of New York City's best attractions and landmarks are free to visit.

Can't decide how to spend your time in New York City? Top 10 New York City Tourist Attractions and Landmarks.

New York Philharmonic in the Parks Free!
From July 10-18, 2006 two programs will be performed, at different parks in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island, the Bronx and Staten Island.

Getting Around

Subway map showing our hotels. We take the F (orange) subway line.

• Travelers Introduction to New York
  

• Getting To and From EWR Airport

• New York Subway Buses Maps Fares

• New York City Neighborhood Map

• Subway and Bus Maps

Google Map of Hotel distances.



Hope you found all this useful and thanks to About.com and Heather Cross.

am i blogging?

each time i blog it's as if i've never blogged before... it's so pristine, so white, so vastly new. even now, i am not certain .... and so, i ask again.... AM I BLOGGING?

The Long Beach Island Song

To get in the Long Beach Island Party Spirit you've got to listen to the Long Beach Island song! You will be expected to learn all the words as we will be singing this song from the top floor balcony on Saturday night~ to the delight of all our neighbors and friends. Talk about a Deep Impact! Our singing will leave a Deep Impact! If anyone owns a banjo, please bring it along. Does anyone know the two-step?

song by Gene Castelli

b for blogetta

the blog is ever drifting, like the sands of time, floating like a giant meteor about to deeply impact the earth.

Brant Beach House

This is where we will be staying while on Long Beach Island this summer. I can almost smell the ocean air and feel the sand between my toes (and in my bed and in my hair and in my eyes).

Click the colored square link to Picasa. It is software that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and has a quick link to upload to your blog. ~Totally cool.

If you want to be able to chat and share photos instantly, try hello. This, too, is really cool and totally free. Don't forget to invite me to be a 'friend' if you sign up!

O! Old Barney Can't Wait To See Ya

I can't wait to take a trip to see Old Barney, too. From one end of the Island to the other. From Brant Beach to Barnegat Light.

Old Barney really made a Deep Impact on me.

Long Beach Island is Waiting

I can't wait to hit the surf! I love the sound of the surf, the gulls calling. I'm looking forward to curling up with a good book on my beach chair.
Down-the-Shore Publishing should have some good books to read!

Trip Planning - New York City Style

Day One will be spent in New York City. Sister Marianne and nephew Michael will arrive on Wednesday July 12th and spend the day cruising the city. I will have to check with them to see what kinds of things they want to do - and then I can begin a list and do some research.

I've already began a list for my second day. Sister Kathy and her grandbaby, Emma, brother Robert and his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Jane and sister Eileen will all be in town. Kathy, Eileen and I will do city stuff while the others go to the broadway play, The Beauty and the Beast. After they get out of the show, perhaps we will bring the kids to Central Park and visit the newly renovated kids park Heckscher Park (link to virtual tour of the park). And then maybe visit Times Square and the Disney Store that replaced all the sex shops and strips clubs that were there when I was growing up. Then go over a couple of blocks to the Hell's Kitchen area and eat and check out a few shops.

Then we can head back to the hotel. Kathy, Eileen, Emma and I will be staying at the Marriott Robert, Laura and Jane will be staying down the street at the Waldorf. What gorgeous hotels! I won't want to leave.

To New Jersey and Beyond!

With the lowest bank balance in years,
I've decided -
OK, I'm all in.
The NYC - NJ trip this summer. All week.
Almost ready to make my plane reservations.
Now I just need money.
What can I sell?
Who can I sell?
Hmmm....

Judge Judy call

I made this audio post for DeepDeb in commemoration of one of our most favorite childhood past times - making prank phone calls. Remember 'Joke for The Day?' - can you believe they now have a cell phone service that you can call and GET a joke for the day? And you have to PAY for it??!! We used to provide this service for free!!! O, we were way ahead of our time! But back to the audio post for DeepDeb's birthday.... This audio post is a prank phone call made from clips from the Judge Judy show (our sister, Mare Bare's favorite show - she just LOVES Judge Judy! - and I just love this prank phone call! I sure hope you love it too, DeepDeb! I wanted to give you a good belly laugh for your birthday, so turn up the volume and have some fun, fer chrissake!
Credit for the prank phone call goes to the Howard Stern Show

Happy Birthday, Deep Deb!

Happy Birthday!!!! I just want you to know how deeply you have impacted my life. I just can't imagine life without someone JUST like you to share my beloved past time of 'Deep Impact'. You are up there, Deep Deb. You are such an inspiration. I am changing my blogging name to Betty Beiderman (wishful thinking.... ah, the day dreaming days of being Mrs. Beiderman). Heaven and Earth are about to collide...

The
Deep Impact
Blog
Has
ARRIVED!

But back to birthdays. Remember when we liked them? Now the only birthday wishes I have are face lifts, nose jobs, wrinkle creams and hair dye. If I can get a bit greedy I'll also take a full body wax - including the face. You know you're getting old when you have to pluck your entire face!!! Just wait, Deep Deb, you just don't know what lies around the corner. But one great big perk for having Betty Beiderman for a big sis IS I know what doesn't work (every product I own) - so I can save you lots of time and money, honey. I wonder what Robin Lerner (aka Vanessa Redgrave) uses on her face? Remind me NOT to buy that one, either!!!!
Now, let's blog like there's no tomorrow. Like a comet is heading straight for the earth! Here's to the Deeply Impacted Bloggers of this world!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AND MANY MORE!!!!

what an impact!

IT IS A B-L-O-G!!! From this glorious day forward, my birthday shall signify my rebirth as a blogger. i am certain the depth of this impact has not yet been revealed! VIDI VICI BLOGI

Deeply Grateful

This is the first blog for our Deep Impact site. It is a 'setting it all up' blog. Uploading the pictures, getting the usernames and password all set to START IMPACTING - sister style~
O Beiderman would be so proud!!!