by Jane on August 16, 2010
A tennis court at Millennium UN Plaza
It’s that time of year: Tennis fans are descending on the Big Apple to catch the 2010 US Open Grand Slam tournament, taking place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Aug. 30 to Sept. 12. If you never miss a televised game and have posters of Roger Federer and Dinara Safina taped above your bed, this might include you. If you don’t know much about tennis but think Andy Roddick and/or Maria Sharapova are oh so dreamy, and want to mix tennis viewing with Broadway shows and great restaurants, this might include you, too. While the tennis stars have been prepping on the courts, we’ve prepped by compiling a list of hotels for every type of fan, and they’re all convenient to the 7 subway line that heads to the tennis center (get off at Mets-Willets Point Station in Queens). So if you find one that suits your fancy, book today on Oyster.com and you can sleep soundly knowing that soon enough you’ll be in the same arena as the likes of Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, and (maybe) Brookyln Decker. Read More »
by Jane on August 10, 2010
The rotunda at The Pierre makes you feel like you're at Versailles.
A jet-set trip to Europe may not be within your budget — but that doesn’t mean you can’t fulfill your dreams of Europe right here at home. Some of our favorite New York City hotels will make you feel like you’re across the pond with their flair for decor, dining, and service. So whether walking through the front door transplants you in a Tuscan villa or gliding down the gilded staircase makes you think “let them eat cake!,” below we’ll show you the New York City hotels that have that certain je ne sais quoi that will transplant you to Europe.
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Find your favorite books in the vast collection at the New York Public Library
Most of our country’s greatest literary minds have lived or stayed in New York City at one point or another. And as wordsmiths dedicated to lives of pen and paper, they inevitably wrote during their time in the Big Apple. We checked out the hotels where they met, stayed, and wrote, from seedy rest stops with cheap rent, to meeting places for witty exchange amongst fellow authors, to sites of lavish celebrations of one’s literary success . So gather up your book club (or just your nose-in-novel honey) and head to NYC to visit the hotel haunts where your favorite authors were inspired–you just may be inspired too.
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Entrance to The Plaza, where numerous films have been shot.
Here in New York City, occasionally we’re lucky enough to spot some of our favorite movie stars hiding behind their over-sized shades (or maybe we just thought that was Sarah Jessica Parker). But there are some big-screen stars that you just can’t miss on the streets of NYC — the hotels where the movies are filmed. Since it’s the season for summer lovin’, we decided to share a few top hotels featured in some of our favorite romantic comedies. So grab your hometown honey and head to one of these romantic, iconic properties, pop in a movie shot right where you’re staying, and get ready for a date-night you’ll never forget.
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Watch out for the "free tickets" in Times Square
1. “Free” Comedy
It’s virtually impossible to walk through Times Square without being offered free tickets to a comedy show. First: It’s not really free. A mandatory two-drink minimum is the norm, and each of those sugary cocktails might run you $15 a pop. Second: It’s rarely funny. Most clubs advertise a celebrated legacy, but where so-and-so “got his start” doesn’t mean much in a city where every well-known comedian plays just about every low-level stage at some point in his career. For a real dose of the city’s humor, seek out some off-off Broadway that tickles your fancy (there’s always ample downtown), catch some improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, or browse the funny happenings during your stay in any of New York’s free weekly papers, such as the Village Voice.
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