jo burgess hannon

fit for today, fit for life

Tips for the Big Apple

by Leave a Comment

Double Tree Suites Times Square
Double Tree Suites Times Square–Sunset view from our room–rooms are cheaper in March

 

Having been to New York City 4 times in the last 3 years, I thought I would share some tips and favorites from past trips. I initially envisioned this post as a trip report with photos of what I did on my last visit. Then another blogger posted an amazing re-cap of her recent visit. Seriously, it looked nothing like the trip I had just taken. Her post was full of cab rides, fancy restaurants, party dresses, high heels and beautiful photography. It set me back realizing what a starter blog I have.

View from Skyline Park
View from High Line Park

 

Truth: I have never been in a cab in NYC. We either walk or take the subway. Once we rented a town car out of desperation and fear of melting like the Wicked Witch during a heat wave. But that was because we couldn’t find an empty cab and we were too far away from a subway station. We have also used Dial 7 to schedule trips to and from the airport.

subway

Truth: I don’t pack high heels for a vacation. That doesn’t sound like a vacation to me. I try to pack light since I don’t want to pay extra for a checked bag.  Ok, Honey might call me a cheapskate.  Where did that expression come from? I can’t wait to head to Italy where there is no addition charge on international flights for a checked bag. Oh, wait.  We are taking in-country train trips and still packing light. Darn.

Michael Symon on the set of The Chew

Google.

I met Michael Symon at a taping of The Chew.  I had wrinkled my noise as the hosts tasted a nutella and cheese roll. At the break he came racing over with the sample and insisted I try one because he saw the face I made at the thought of a dry, hard, cheese and chocolate snack.  (I lose at poker, too.) So, if you have lead-time, google ‘TV shows taping in New York’, or something similar. The Goog will start giving you answers. (Isn’t that beautiful? Was it really that long ago that I had to go the library or buy a book to do a little research?) In the summer the Today show hosts concerts in Central Park, etc. What do you watch on TV? If it’s filmed in NYC maybe you can be a part of the audience.

Warning: If you want tickets to Saturday Night Live, good luck. I think it is a lottery and you have to put in your request a year in advance and be willing to give up your first-born.

With a sunset view, pizza by the slice was the way to go!
With a sunset view from our hotel room, pizza by the slice was the way to go. Can you guess which slice was mine?

 

Yelp for restaurants

We don’t tend to make reservations for restaurants when traveling. Our standard travel policy is to stay away from national/international chains. I know my restaurant friends don’t like the Yelp app. However, in a big city it rarely fails us to find quality, local restaurants. On Yelp, you can search by cuisine, dollar amount and/or proximity. Of course we have had a few duds. Like the time we searched for local barbeque and ended up at a HUGE restaurant by Times Square that was putting out poor quality diner-style fast food. Oh, well.  Life’s not perfect.

Sidenote:  we asked our airport driver where he would buy pizza by the slice.  He said the 1-2 dollar slices with the line out the door. Fresh and hot is always the best!

Our bartender wrote out info on a live jazz bar. Yep, that;s Brussel sprouts on a pizza.
Our bartender wrote out info on a live jazz bar. Yep, that’s Brussel sprouts on a pizza.

Ask locals for recommendations

We ate lunch at a great restaurant right around the corner from a store we were shopping at based on the salesperson’s suggestions. Honey thinks I should I mention we were in a Lululemon store we came across after leaving the ABC Studios. Say what? What was I doing in there? Can’t help myself. #luluaddict

We asked the bartender what he would recommend for entertainment. We often sit at the bar so we can chat with others. Also, we can almost always get a seat even if the main dining area is full. He asked us if we were alone. It was a weird question. We hesitated to answer. Then he clarified that if we had kids with us that would make a difference in his ideas. Oh, OK. Now we can talk to this stranger. We ended up that night at neighborhood jazz club in the basement of an Italian restaurant. Jazz normally is not on my playlist, however, I love live music and it was fun to share the experience with locals in their neighborhood.

newartistnyc

TKTS discount ticket booth

If you are only going to see one Broadway show while in town this may not be the way to go. Instead, buy advance tickets to insure you get the production you want, on the day you want.  In our case, we planned to see several shows and arrived mid-week.  The booth gets busier and busier over the weekend. After you stand in line for your first ticket, your ticket stub is good for a Disney-style fast past for 3 days. The TKTS employees managing lines have great insight on current musicals and give good recommendations based on your preferences. When you get up to the window, make sure you have a couple of choices in case you don’t like the seat options.

New York Subway App

The city has an amazing subway system that is fast and easy to use. It makes all of Manhattan accessible. Our first trip to NYC we trained into Grand Central Station from the Newark airport. From there our plans were to take the subway up to Times Square. We had diligently researched what train we needed, the time it left the station and what platform we needed to stand on. Sounds a little like Harry Potter, doesn’t it? We checked and rechecked the information and as we stood waiting for our train, suitcases in tow, backpacks on our shoulders, a train arrived. It did not have the same number as our info. A local asked, “Where are you going?” Honey told him Times Square. He then said the arriving train would take us there. We hesitated. As he hopped on, he turned around and sternly stated,” I’m not f$*#ing around. GET ON.” Startled by his passion we clambered on during a busy rush hour. That’s when we found out about this app. Apparently the transit authority had issued an alert that our train number was out of service. We would have been waiting along time. Hello platform 9 ¾.

Top subway tip I can offer: get on any train headed in the direction you want to go and you can find your stop from there. This is the app we used: New York Subway app

And, the last suggestion

Don’t spend a lot of time standing on corners waiting for a walk signal. It will be a sure sign you are a tourist. If the road is clear head across with the rest of the New Yorkers who never stand in one place for too long.

 

 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Time

by 2 Comments

Now that it is May, it’s officially my birthday month. A couple years back it was one of the best months of my life. It was so much fun planning the combined 50th and my daughter’s 21st birthday trip to New York City. Every time I made mention that my 50th birthday was coming up, a participant in my fitness classes would show up next class with a card and/or a small gift. I got cheers and hoots when repeatedly stating that I felt awesome turning 50. I proclaimed that 50 was the new 50, and loved every minute of the attention I drew to myself. My daughter was actually the one who proclaimed I was really milking the whole birthday month thing. It was oddly as fun as anticipating my 21st birthday.

Several years ago, I met one of my bestie girlfriends for a trail walk. It was close to my birthday and before hugging goodbye she said, “oh, I have something for you.” It was a clay pot full of herbs. The pot had broken somewhere along the way so she had stopped and picked up a second pot to set the whole thing in. We had a laugh and a hug and a ‘happy birthday, Jo!’ moment.

I still have that starter pot of herbs. I have replaced a few plants over the years that didn’t weather the winter. I have moved on to a different pot.  Yet, I still think of the thoughtful gift from a good friend every time I pluck something out of the little garden.

The year after my most awesome birthday month ever, I cried on my birthday, a lot. My birthday never went by without a call and card from my Mom. She was gone. When my girlfriends called, I cried on their shoulder. I actually snot nose blubbered. I think I went through ½ a box of tissue that day. I really missed that phone call, yet I am sure I never really appreciated it like I should have.

As I look back on past celebrations, there really isn’t a pattern. Honey used to throw big family parties for me until I asked him to stop. Though it really disappointed my Mom, it just wasn’t how I wanted to spend my day. Some years we have made it a point to go to dinner. I spent my 40th in Las Vegas. And, I spent my 21st in Vegas. And, well, a few other years in Vegas, too. Sometimes it’s a barbecue on the patio with friends. Recently it was the Big Apple.

Life is a lot like my experience with birthdays. Sometimes there is awesome joy; sometimes there is an ugly cry. It doesn’t look the same year to year. The lesson I have learned is that I can give myself permission to break a pattern, try something new or repeat the same plan depending on the moment, so that in the end I have the time of MY life.

Mojito time!
Mojito time!

 

How do you celebrate your birthday? Leave me note. I would love to hear more about you.

 

A lesson from the Good Witch

by Leave a Comment

 

seahawks 5k

I recently ran, well jogged, the Seahawks 5K. I rarely go for a jog. Usually my fitness classes and lifestyle are enough to keep me feeling great and in shape.  The last time I jogged prior to this Hawks run was 8 months before when I ran, no jogged, well walked, a 5K in Seattle. It sucked. I sucked. I just couldn’t get my head in the game. I knew I could do the run, no problem, yet I walked at least a third of the way to the finish line. My excuse was that my neck was bothering me. It was, but I know I could have done better.

Anyway, back to last Sunday and jogging through The Landing at Renton. I ended up finishing 11 out of 190 in my age group. Say what? It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The temperature was perfect and I was there to support Honey who had set the run as a spring goal. It was easy. I think I even said, “Like a walk in the park” when Honey asked how I was feeling at the one-mile marker.

It got me thinking: what could I do if I put in a little extra effort and actually trained for a 5k? I envisioned myself finishing top 10 in my bracket. Surely, I could improve my time by ½ a minute.

And so now I ask you, what could you do if you put in a little extra effort? Because, you probably already have what it takes inside of you.

glinda the good witch

                                            “You had the power all along my Dear”

 

 

Freedom and other lessons from a sand pit

by 8 Comments

sandtruck

I recently listened to this podcast that encourage thinking about where you grew up or have lived for years and how it has shaped who you are.

Until college, I lived on the entrance to The Loop. As I mentioned in my last post, there was a working sandpit around the corner. The road was a big circle; everybody who lived on The Loop had to pass our house coming and going.

Lesson #1: Change can be fun and exciting.

Every once in a while, a big ‘ol dump truck would rumble by. It would shake the windows. I would grab my shoes and run as fast as I could through the shortcut between houses knowing that they were going to be hauling sand away. That meant the hills would change, some cliffs would get taller, others would disappear. I was always eager to watch because it meant that our natural playground was going to get a re-arranging.

Lesson #2: Sometimes you should listen to your Mamma.

That same sand pit had a couple of abandoned houses on the lot. They were creepy. I explored the outsides with my neighborhood girlfriends. But it was a brother who pulled away a few boards and talked me into going down the basement stairs. It probably was a dare. It was damp, dark and flooded with water. As I bolted back up the stairs, fearful of being trapped, my mom’s warning to stay away pounded in my head.

Lesson #3: Accept what you cannot change.

Kids come home dirty when they play outside. In the summer we would take cardboard boxes and slide down the sand hills. In the winter if we were lucky enough to get snow (we didn’t have much in Seattle) our dad would blow up inner tubes at the local gas station and we would sled down the side of the pit. Can you imagine having sand in your socks, underwear, shoes, hair? My mom should maybe get the saint award for letting us play there day after day. St. Ginny.

Lesson #4: Life is not perfect.

One old house by The Pit eventually got cleaned up and became a rental property. A group of bikers had moved in and often partied late into the night. One summer in high school the young paperboy was cutting through the same path I had run as a kid. He found a lady face down dead in the tall weeds. Turns out the wild party included an accidental shooting that wasn’t discovered until daylight. It wasn’t the sensation that it would be today. Since school was out, most that I grew up with probably never even heard about it.

And…

Mainly what I remember about the pit was the freedom. I could always say I was going to The Pit and no one questioned where or what I was doing. As a kid I was filling old beer bottles with sand. As a tween I was poking around the abandoned houses and picking blackberries. As a teenager it became a place to smoke a cigarette and hang out with other neighborhood kids around a bonfire.   It is where I  learned to ride a horse.

I might have even had my first kiss at The Pit.