Tallest hotel in Western Hemisphere - Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park

Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park

1717 Broadway (entrance at 321 W 54 St)

New York, NY 10019
212-324-3774

By Jane Feehan

The Marriott Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park towers over other hotels in New York City; it also stakes claim as the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. It took nearly a decade to build its 65 stories with spectacular views when it opened late December 2013. Adjoining Courtyard is part of the new hotel complex and guests share common areas with those of the Residence Inn.

Don’t expect the typical Residence Inn suite.  Many rooms are quite small (especially those in room

numbers ending in 3; rooms ending in the number 4 are more spacious) but all accommodate travelers with compact kitchens. A small fridge, microwave, dishwasher, dishes and cookware are available. I asked for a hot plate for a long stay and they delivered it within minutes of my request. If hotel room cooking is not your pleasure, food delivery is quite popular in New York City and there are, according to one restaurant owner, 24 restaurants on two blocks nearby.

Like most new hotels, this Marriott (a franchise) has a few facility problems to work out. Guests have told me their air conditioning unit or refrigerator had to be repaired or replaced. Air conditioning in my room went out until a part was quickly changed. Fire alarms went off a few times the first month it was open and a very small electrical fire during my stay was cause for an evacuation of several floors. Service problems in their two great rooms have yet to be settled but it is coming together; staff is extremely responsive and engineers are available around the clock.

The hotel provides a laundry room, a rarity in New York City hotels, and comes equipped with plenty of washers and driers. A breakfast buffet and full bar with a light menu is also available. Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park also has an outstanding fitness center with a stunning vista of the city skyline. Located on Broadway, this hotel lies at the epicenter of the theater district. Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Central Park are each a 10 minute walk away; so is boisterous Times Square. Business or leisure travelers will be pleased with this new addition to Marriott; the Residence Inn New York Manhattan/Central Park lies within a short distance of  the best the city has to offer.


Tags: New York City Hotels, Marriott hotels, Marriott hotel reviews, Residence Inn, Jane Feehan, tallest hotel in Western Hemisphere

Strand Bookstore, NYC - eight miles of books: banned and rare, new and used

Strand Bookstore

828 Broadway (at 12^th Street)

New York City (Greenwich Village)

212-473-1452

Hours:

Monday-Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Rare book room closes daily at 6:15

www.strandbooks.com

By Jane Feehan

Named after the famous publishing street in London, the Strand bookstore, opened in 1927, is the sole survivor of New York City’s Book Row that once stretched from Union Square to Astor Place. For bibliophiles, it’s a required stop when visiting the city.

The Strand, without comfy seating or café, is no Barnes and Noble but there is no time to sit with so much to see on its three floors. They boast eight miles of books, new, used and rare: vintage pulp and banned books, out- of-print tomes and New York Times notables.  Used and new sit side-by-side in stacks or on tables throughout. Plenty of staffers are available to guide visitors through rows of shelves or to check inventory on computers. Music on CDs can also be found here.

The Strand’s rare book room is museum worthy with its collection of gold-embossed, leather-bound books from around the globe- some locked behind glass with price tags in the thousands of dollars. Dealers can also find signed first editions in this room.

Dealers and avid readers sell their books at The Strand, patrons make it a one-stop-shop for gifts (lots of items other than books), and casual readers mix with devotees of the written word visiting for a few hours of pleasant distraction.  It’s fantastic. Hail, hail the independent bookstore.

The Strand also sells books online and at a kiosk in Central Park at 60^th  Street and Fifth Avenue.

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: NYC bookstores, best book stores in New York City, rare books, banned books, book dealers, book store in Greenwich Village, vintage pulp fiction, out of print books, where to sell books in NYC, film researcher.

Affinia Dumont - Small chain, spacious quarters in New York City

Affinia Dumont Hotel

150 East 34^th St.

New York, NY 10016

212-481-7600

Affinia.com

By Jane Feehan

It’s hard to find a mid-priced hotel in New York with spacious rooms, but Affinia Dumont holds that distinction.  Another plus:  all rooms have kitchens, perfect for a long-term stay. Affinia Dumont, a 37-floor boutique inn located in the Murray Hill area near some of the best parts of Lexington, Park and Madison avenues, is one of several Affinias in New York and other cities.  

There’s no restaurant on the premises but one adjacent to the building, the Barking Dog, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a full bar (fills the stomach but no it's no culinary experience). Room service is available from there and also from a restaurant half a block away, the Cinema Café.  Murray Hill Diner sits close by. This is a youngish neighborhood with plenty of bars and inexpensive eateries bursting with the 20 something crowd (Yeshiva University is nearby) but options for the older, more sedate group abound.

The original Macy’s stands a few blocks away and so does the Empire State Building - both on 34^th Penn Station (also on 34^th), its adjacent Madison Square Garden,  and Grand Central Station lie within one subway stop. Most hotels in NYC sit near some sight or another but one of the benefits of staying at the Affinia Dumont is that it’s conveniently distant from the madding tourist crowds of Times Square and Rockefeller Center.

View from the 24th Floor

Street.  

Affina Dumont’s 24 hour-gym (which supports the healthy living theme of this hotel) is large with plenty of equipment. There’s also a spa (the carpet is gloomy and old here, my only criticism of the place). The view from the upper floors is spectacular. Seven rooms on each floor makes for quiet, restful quarters. Parties in rooms are strictly prohibited - a good thing.The hotel is pet friendly, its staff outstanding with helpful concierge, bellmen and housekeepers.  Conference rooms and event catering available. I’ll be back and will look into the Affina brand in other cities I visit.

What’s near:

Hair salon – Dramatics NYC (west of Affinia, same street) – excellent for men and women and very affordable (color, cut and style less than $100 - the best styling I’ve ever had). Ask for Bebe.

Murray Hill Market – sandwiches, groceries (sorry – no wine, NY has weird liquor laws)
Food Emporium - Grocery store with some organics - a block away on 3rd Ave near 33rd St.
D'Agostino - Grocery store - 3rd Ave. at 35th Street

Park Avenue Liquors – short walk on 34^th St toward Park Avenue
Windsor Wine - 3rd Ave. between 33rd and 34th streets

Duane Read – drug store – one on every corner

East Pacific Pan Asian Bistro – inexpensive, noisy, full bar, sushi and Chinese - fair
Grand Sichuan - Chinese food on Lexington - Very good, short walk and fast delivery

Whole Foods - Less than a five minute subway ride on the 6 line to the Union Square location. 

For transit directions, visit: http://hopstop.com

Tags: New York City hotels, hotels with kitchens in New York City, boutique hotels in New York City, hotels with large rooms in New York City, hotels near Madison Square Garden, hotel near Empire State Building, film researcher.

Amish Market - a Whole Foods alternative in NYC

Amish Market

240 East 45th St. New York, NY 10017 (btwn 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave) Subway stop for the 6 line nearby
Open: Mon - Sat 7am - 9:30pm, Sun 8am - 9:30pm
(212) 370-1761

http://orderamishmarketnyc.com/FoodDelivery/RestaurantLocations.m

By Jane Feehan

It’s tough locating quality food markets with a healthy variety of fresh vegetables and organics in New York City. Amish Market, a “gourmet market group” with several locations in the city fills the grocery store void in several locations and provides an alternative to the overcrowded, frenetic Whole Foods Markets throughout Manhattan.

I stopped at the Amish Market on East 45^th Street recently to stock up the kitchen in my studio hotel room. Beautiful baked goods and desserts were on display at the entrance along with an array of breads. Fresh brewed coffee and a sweet make Amish Market an ideal spot for a continental breakfast. They don’t bake items there but the onion bread I picked up was fresh and delicious. Plenty of produce is available along with some organics at reasonable prices. I was impressed with their collection of vinegars and olive oils, truffle oil – even avocado oil.  A grocery shopper with a flair for gourmet cooking will everything here, including fresh seafood and meats.

A small collection of fine cookware, chocolates, and food baskets make the Amish Market a great place to pick up a gift.   Hot and cold food bars (about $8 a pound) in their cafe and a sandwich counter near the entrance are popular spots for lunch or a light dinner.

Amish Market caters parties and also delivers light breakfasts, lunches and dinners from its other locations. Order online and find other Amish Markets at: http://orderamishmarketnyc.com/FoodDelivery/RestaurantLocations.m

Tags: Grocery stores in New York City, gourmet markets Manhattan, organic produce in Manhattan, alternatives to Whole Foods Markets in New York City, Manhattan grocery stores, Manhattan groceries, film researcher

FEMA, New York's biggest booster. Really.

Photo by Paul Lomatire*. FEMA message also appeared on the
Jumbotron, Times Square and soon at Lincoln Center

By Jane Feehan

Checking in from New York City.

FEMA is operating full throttle to help those  displaced from their homes by Hurricane Sandy.

Thousands of us are here working 12-14 hours a day, six days a week through the holidays, away from home and loved ones with one thought, one mission: to assist people whose lives have been turned upside down by the super storm.

Despite negative stories the news media seems to thrive upon, FEMA is making a difference. Federal money is pouring in, approaching the billion dollar mark. FEMA doesn't make storm survivors whole again, but is instrumental in laying a foundation for a new start.  Hang in there New Yorkers; it's a long road to recovery. Just ask the Gulf Coast. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina have built back stronger and smarter. So will New York. A new life takes time to launch.
And you in the news media, cut us a break. Please.

* Paul Lomatire, a former reporter for the Palm Beach Post, also writes with Jane Feehan for FEMA.

  Tags: Super Storm Sandy, impacts of Hurricane Sandy in New York, FEMA assistance in New York, New York City  

Gone and somewhat forgotten: America's first Shaker community near Albany

Shaker Cemetery, final resting place of founder Ann Lee

By Jane Feehan

America’s first Shaker Settlement, a few miles north of Albany, N.Y., close to the airport, looks like a place both time and people have forgotten. Remnants of the religious community include some interesting but dilapidated buildings, most of which are closed to visitors. The exception is the Meeting House, built in 1848, which serves as a museum. On some days, this settlement appears to be a ghost town; it could be if not for the efforts of The Shaker Heritage Society that works to preserve the history and cultural contributions of this religious group.

The community, formally known as the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearance was established in 1776 by Ann Lee, an illiterate textile worker from Manchester, England. Life in the Colonies began with about nine people and 200 acres. They became known simply as Shakers because of the way they worshipped, with meetings marked by shaking, dancing, and speaking in tongues.  Shakers lived by their values of simplicity, pacifism, celibacy, communal ownership of land, racial and sexual equality.

At the zenith of the community’s popularity in 1850, the Church Family near Albany included 350 residents and 2,000 acres. They were known for their innovations in canning, and laundering with an industrial size washing machine. The Shaker work ethic also produced the flat broom, the ladder-backed chair, and other furniture, and practical, simple architecture – all adopted by American culture.

Meeting House

The Shakers numbered about 6,000 throughout the U.S. (mostly in New England) in 1850 but Mother Lee’s community near Albany closed its doors in 1925.  Ann Lee, who died in 1784, is buried along with 450 other Shakers at a cemetery nearby. A small group, the Sabbathday Lake Settlement in Maine, still thrives.