New York has to be the perfect city for a girlie weekend. So,
when my daughter Nicole, recently turned double digits, we set off for three
nights to celebrate. We took a United Airlines direct-flight from Dublin to
Newark and treated ourselves to some extra leg space for $60. With personalised
entertainment systems, I was able to catch up on all the latest movies – from
Wolf of Wall Street to American Hustle, while Nicole enjoyed Disney’s Frozen
and other kids’ classics. The airplane journey was an adventure in itself, and
I wasn’t asked once, “Are we there yet?” As we descended over Mahattan and the
Statue of Liberty came into view Nicole gasped, “It’s tiny Mum!”
Nicole couldn’t wait to visit the American Girl store on
Fifth Avenue. So, after dropping our bags in the Radisson Martinique Hotel, we
set off to see what damage we could do with my credit card. The American Girl
brand is a subsidiary of the Mattel group and its products reflect a variety of
historical American Girls. With 60 personalised faces to choose from, your
daughter can have her very own 18” doll that looks just like her. Dolls retail
at $110 but you need to spend a lot more on accessories to have your daughter
and doll co-ordinating. We were shown around by our personal shopper, Anne from
Kentucky, who discreetly asked what our budget was. This was a good thing, as
it would be very easy for a mother to lose the run of herself in a store that
has everything her little girl desires. We decided to treat Nicole’s doll to a
hairdo and ear piercing. Then the doll got a new outfit and a pet dog. We were
meeting our friends for dinner, and booked into the American Girl Cafe on the
third floor, for the ultimate finale to our shopping experience. Nicole’s doll
got her own high-chair, and the food was delicious and reasonably priced – at
$26 pp for three-courses.
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| Dinner at the American Girl Cafe |
After dinner we took a stroll around the Rockefeller
ice-rink, where there was an exhibition of decorated-giant eggs on display. We
walked back to our hotel via the bright lights of Times Square, and took a
photo of The Real Naked Cowboy. With our biological clocks on Irish Time, we
were relieved that our hotel was located conveniently on 32nd street
and Broadway. Our room was on the top floor and large by New York standards.
The Radisson Martinique is an historic hotel and the decor preserves the spirit
of Beaux Arts perfectly.
Next morning the Buffet Breakfast was served in the Cafe
Martinique, which whisked us to turn-of-the-twentieth-century Paris. Nicole
devoured pancakes and syrup with hot chocolate, while I enjoyed a huge
selection of fresh fruits, eggs and bacon. Our hotel was only two-blocks away
from the Empire State Building. So, with city passes in hand, and an 8.15
start, we skipped the first line and didn’t have to wait long before we were
ascending in the elevator to the 80th floor. We had a great view of
the city and the Freedom Tower, which is now the tallest building in Manhattan.
A City Pass is a must buy if you want to visit the major
sights and museums. Macy’s is only around the corner from the Empire State and
a must see. Here, Nicole had her eyes made-up with sparkly lilac shadow,
because we had a very important treat that afternoon. Mamma Mia is in its
twelfth year in the Broadhurst Theatre, on Broadway, and we had tickets for the
matinee presentation. It is one of Nicole’s favourite movies, so I wasn’t sure
how she was going to feel about seeing it on stage. I needn’t have worried, as
she was enthralled from start to finish – apart from the embarrassing moment
when I got up to dance. But as the rest of the audience were bopping in the
aisles, Nicole decided she should get involved too.
Next day, our friends took us on a magical drive over the
Queensboro Bridge to Astoria, to check out the Museum of the Moving Image. This
suburb, in Queens, is where big screen history really began. The museum holds
some of the most notable memorabilia from the movies and has plenty of
interactive exhibits for kids. Nicole had fun doing a voiceover on the Wizard
of Oz and making her own flick book movie. She got to see models of Yoda, Chewbacca
and The Elephant Man. Afterwards we strolled down Steinway Street and enjoyed
the cafe life of this booming suburb. As the Herald Square subway ran directly
under our hotel, we had a quick train ride home that night. The boroughs have a
lot to offer with trendy bars and boutique shops so it is worth stepping off
Manhattan to explore them.
It was our last day and we had some important shops to
visit. The FAO Schwarz toy store has to be every child’s dream. Nicole’s eyes
were certainly bigger than her belly, as she sped around the Big Candy Store on
the ground floor, collecting Wonka sweets and Gummy Bears.
The stretch down Fifth Avenue took us to more shopping
heaven, but we needed our wits about us before tackling Hollister, and
Abercrombie and Fitch. We queued for ten minutes, night-club-style, before
gaining entry to the stores. Then I couldn’t make out the price tags, or hear
myself think over the blaring music and scantily clad assistants – perhaps this
was a clever ploy to distract and part of the brands success.
We had more fun
in The Juicy Couture store, where everything was on 40% sale, before lunching
in the Museum of Modern Art. Although Nicole loves art, I wasn’t sure how a
culture blast would fit in with our agenda on this trip. Once in the museum she
grabbed my camera and happily snapped her way around the Picasso’s, Van Gogh’s,
Monet’s et al. She even had the energy afterwards to take a trip on the circle
line cruise, and delighted in the fact that the Statue of Liberty was a good deal
taller than her brother.
With a second daily-flight now available from Newark to
Dublin on United Airlines, it is possible to fly home at 10pm and really make
the most of your last day. We left New York with a suitcase full of shopping
and a bagful of precious memories. It may be extravagant to take a ten-year-old
here, but it has to be the stuff that dreams are made of.
Facebook page is facebook.com/themartinique.com.
Rates vary seasonally, from $285.00.
Rates vary seasonally, from $285.00.
United Airlines offers a nonstop service from Dublin, Shannon and Belfast to New York-Newark Liberty International Airport. A second daily nonstop service from Dublin to New York/Newark will operate from June 6 to Aug 19th, 2014. Flights are operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft featuring 169 seats – 16 flat-bed seats in United BusinessFirst® and 153 in United Economy®, including 45 Economy Plus® seats with added legroom and increased personal space. Visit www.united.com or call 1890 925 252
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and
partnership organisation for the
City of New York. For all there
is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com or call the Irish office in Dublin on +353 1 6319604.
City Pass
available from http://www.citypass.com/new-york Prices from $109 per adult & $82 per child
Mamma
Mia tickets can be purchased via the nycgo.com website @ http://www.nycgo.com/events/mamma-mia Tickets from $124 per
person
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