Trip Report: UWS, On the Ave, In the Heights, and more

First, a big THANK YOU to everyone on the TripAdvisor and Fodors forums (I%26#39;m posting this in both places). We spent six nights in NYC and loved it. Here are the highlights:

FLIGHT: Flew Delta first class from Austin, TX, to JFK. The rock band, Maroon 5, was sitting all around us. They were a lively bunch and we had fun with them. Delta is not my usual choice for flying but we were using miles and they had the best direct flights. Sat on the tarmac for an hour until Delta decided the plane was too heavy and they would need five volunteers to get off the plane. Amazingly, they had no volunteers! Five unlucky passengers were then ';elected'; to get off using a system called ';sorry but you were at the end of the list';, whatever that means.

JFK: No problems here. Got our bags, headed outside to the taxi line and got our cab into the City.

HOTEL: Stayed at ON THE AVE on the Upper West Side. I had reserved a Deluxe King, paying for five nights and getting the sixth free. I called ahead and spoke to the reservations manager, Scott, and he made a note to give us one of the bigger Deluxe rooms. The room did not disappoint but I did sneak a peak into some of the others and they are pretty small. We were in Room 530 and had a corner room with four windows. The room was fresh, clean and modern. I really enjoyed it. The only cons were a very slow internet service, especially wireless, and that you have to pay for the service. Also, the balcony area on the 16th floor is really not as nice as depicted on the website. It%26#39;s nice but kind of small. The hotel allowed us to check out late (1:00) and then kept our luggage for us as we had a late flight out of JFK (which turned out to be three hours later than expected).

NEIGHBORHOOD: Absolutely loved staying on the UWS. Everything is right at your fingertips from the grocery store across the street, the bakery and liquor store, Zabar%26#39;s, and a ton of restaurant options. Also, Central Park is very close, as is the River.

RESTAURANTS: We only ate breakfast out once and that was at the Manhattan Diner across from the hotel. It was much better than I expected (having read some reviews). The rest of the time we ate either bread and cheese from the store or pastries from the bakery (Europan). Most memorable dinners were:

Bettola - 412 Amsterdam between 79th %26amp; 80th. Thanks to TripAdvisor member nyc10025. We ate here three times! We loved the atmosphere, the food, and the staff. In the evenings the tables spill out onto the sidewalk.

Ocean Grill - 384 Amsterdam between 78th %26amp; 79th. This place was really good as well. Great atmosphere, food and service. Looked like a little older crowd here. Had a great sushi appetizer and the halibut special.

AOC - 314 Bleecker @ Grove (in the Village). Sat out front and had a fantastic cheese and pate plate (and wine of course!). They have a few tables on the sidewalk and a larger outdoor dining area in the back.

Old Town Bar - 45 East 18th between Broadway %26amp; Park. Had burgers and drinks here. Nothing fabulous but really liked this place. Had a great server too, Megan.

La Vela - 373 Amsterdam between 77th %26amp; 78th. We only had appetizers here and they were really good. The rest of the menu didn%26#39;t look great so we went back to Bettola.

Loews Boathouse - in Central Park. We didn%26#39;t eat here but really enjoyed drinks on the patio at the outdoor bar and grill.

Roberto Passon - 741 Ninth Ave @ 50th. Thanks NeoPatrick from Fodors. We saw this place when we were at the street fair on Saturday and decided to come back on Sunday for the brunch. The brunch menu isn%26#39;t extensive (egg dishes, sandwiches, pastas, etc.) but the food was really good and for $8 you get unlimited mimosas, bellinis, bloody mary%26#39;s, etc. What a deal! We spent a little over $40 for a long brunch.

SIGHTSEEING: Highlights were definitely St. Patrick%26#39;s Cathedral, Top of the Rock, NYC Library and Bryant Park at lunchtime (wow, lots of people!), Staten Island Ferry and seeing the Statue of Liberty. But my absolute favorite place was Central Park. What a jewel.

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Seeing my first Broadway show!! We decided on In the Heights and I am so glad we did. It was so very, very good. Second favorite activity was just walking around. I could walk forever in the City, and it%26#39;s nice knowing you can just take the subway back if you%26#39;ve gone too far.

FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOODS: We didn%26#39;t try to see everything but these would be my favorites: UWS, of course, Hell%26#39;s Kitchen area, and the Village. There were street fairs in all the neighborhoods on the weekend but an especially large one in Hell%26#39;s Kitchen. The Village is really great and we felt very much at home there like we did on the UWS.

BEST VIEW: You definitely get great views from Top of the Rock, but my favorite by far was the view from the rooftop balcony at the MET.

TAKING A TOUR: Normally, I am not a tour person so I was pretty hesitant to take a tour. We went with the NY Party Shuttle (now Onboard Tours) and took the five hour all-over tour. It was fine mainly because it gives you a good feel for where things are located in the City, but I don%26#39;t think I would do it again. I had researched so much before the trip that I felt like I had a good handle on the City already. For me, the highlight of the tour was the Financial District, which is one place I had not planned on going, and Ground Zero.

WHERE NOT TO GO: I already knew this from all my research but I definitely agree with people who say stay away from Times Square. Of course you have to see it one time, especially at night, but what a zoo! Also, our tour stopped for a lunch break at South Street Seaport which is definitely worth missing.

Again, thanks to everyone on the forums. We will definitely be back. Next time I hope to stay at least a month.

Trip Report: UWS, On the Ave, In the Heights, and more

What a great report. Will now how to hoof it over to Bettola.

Trip Report: UWS, On the Ave, In the Heights, and more

I enjoyed your interesting and detailed report as will future visitors. I%26#39;m glad that you seemed to really enjoy NYC and its neighborhoods, including mine! I don%26#39;t remember--was this your first time in NYC and do you think you may be back?

This was actually my third time to NYC but I consider it to be the first because I was 8 and 19 the last times I was there (and that was a long time ago!). This was my husband%26#39;s first time and he really enjoyed it too. I was responsible for all the planning and it all worked out so well.

The whole time we were there we were talking about how great it would be to spend at least a month there, either on the UWS or in the Village. I just feel like I ';fit in'; and, in fact, I often got asked questions/directions by tourists. I took being mistaken for a local as a great compliment!

You really did your homework and it paid off, glad you had so much fun and it seems you fit right in!

Reading your review was a joy:-) I love my UWS neighborhood..this makes me appreciate it even more! Thanks....glad you enjoyed!

Great trip report! I love the UWS :)

Great trip report - thanks for taking the time to post it.

Great report--I stay on the UWS and haven%26#39;t yet made it to Bettola, but it%26#39;s now on my list.

';Next time I hope to stay at least a month';...great comment!

I enjoyed your report too. We stayed in the UWS on our last trip and also loved the neighborhood. We are returning in December and your report has given me lots of good suggestions on some restaurants that we didn%26#39;t make it to last time. Thanks, I%26#39;ve got it saved.

Glad to hear you enjoyed In The Heights. I%26#39;m hoping to catch it when I%26#39;m in town.