Heading to New York

This is my first attempt at blogging a trip in (nearly) real-time, so we'll see how it goes!

November 4, 2025

The vagaries of advanced purchase tickets once again resulted in a change in our flight time the day before departure. The change probably happened long before, but American didn't alert us until about 36 hours before departure. Yet another reason to allow yourself a bit of extra time, our schedule for the day should remain intact. I notified the transfer service of the ~30 minute delay when they sent their confirmation text in case they hadn't yet reviewed the airline schedule. Our eldest picked us up at the appointed time and, other than navigating the extensive construction project at our local airport (new parking deck, terminal curb expansion, hotel, and rental car facility, among who knows what else) everything ran smoothly. Check-in was seamless, as was our TSA experience (we're thankful that they're still working during the shutdown.)

Once again we boarded a flight with seats up-front and no room in the overhead bins. Our carry-ons all fit comfortably in a any overhead, but it seems that many have transitioned to bags that only fit sideways on regional jets, leaving about 1/3 of the space un-usable. Between crew using this space and the ill-fitting bags of others it's a bit annoying. The weather was windy in New York, forcing LaGuardia down to a single runway, forcing us to be held on the ground for departure.

Our flight took off exactly on-time and, after an uneventful trip with excellent cabin service, arrived on-time. Our driver was waiting, and I kept him informed of our progress as the trek from the gate to baggage claim in Terminal B was a bit longer than anticipated. Years ago the chaos of construction at LGA was a constant inconvenience as I flew in and out on a regular basis. I’ll be the first to say that the benefits were definitely worth the hassle. If you ever experienced the low ceilings, poor lighting, and cold-war era décor of the previous incarnation, the new version will leave you in awe. The natural light (even on an overcast day) with ceilings so high they don’t seem to exist, complemented by organic curves, provide a (dare I say) soothing experience that reduces the general stress of travel. Flow through the terminal is smooth and logical, and the transition from baggage claim to the arrivals curb and parking deck continues the theme. I can’t remember a more pleasant arrival in any airport, and I’ve been traveling by air for over 45 years. If Viktor Navorski had arrived at Terminal B, instead of JFK, on his quest to procure the autograph of Benny Golson he may have lost all desire to leave. When we made it to our luggage carousel the crowds had dispersed and our bags were the only ones remaining, making retrieval simple! We wheeled them out the door, where our driver was waiting less than 50 feet away. 

 Our driver from NYC Airports Limo was polite, helpful, and efficient – meeting expectations based on previous experience. The midafternoon trip to our Times Square hotel was uneventful, save one aggressive bicycle messenger who took exception to the bike lane transition from one side of the street to the other at an intersection. Arrival and unloading at the Home2Suites Times Square was smooth, quick, and effortless. Vehicle movement in Manhattan seems to have become smoother and less congested over the years. Perhaps the advent of ride share and pedi-cabs have reduced the number of vehicles on the streets, but that’s just a guess. 

Check in at the hotel (a property split between two Hilton brands, Home2Suites and Hampton Inn) was quick and painless, despite our anticipation based on the crowded lobby. Front desk staff were friendly while doing their utmost to keep things moving, given the afternoon rush of arrivals. We tapped our key, selected our floor, and waited at the appropriate elevator as directed by the digital keypad. While the efficiency of these systems for getting the lobby cleared is hard to refute, the return can be frustrating. Our room was clean and in immaculate repair, with a view of the Hard Rock just across 48th Street. I applied a well-known hack to the guest-hostile motion sensing thermostat to bring the room to a comfortable temperature as we performed our minimal unpacking before heading out for the evening. 

Leaving the hotel was a challenge. As efficient as the digital elevators are for clearing the lobby, they are exponentially worse at moving people from the floors to the lobby. We waited for over 15 minutes (and countless requests) as elevator after elevator arrived at our floor filled with housekeeping staff headed to the basement at the end of their shift. In the absence of dedicated staff/freight elevators for the property perhaps they should dedicate a single elevator (of the five or so) to staff use during shift change. This issue alone is enough to keep me from recommending the property, or from ever staying at this property in the future. The hotel is nice, the staff is convivial, but the inconvenience of the elevators at peak times is so outrageous as to erase everything positive that the hotel offers. 

Since we had tickets for the theater we searched for a dinner option that was convenient and likely to be predictable in length. (As much as we would have loved to indulge in an absolutely extravagant restaurant experience, it just wasn’t in the cards this trip.) If you’re a regular reader you know we’re fans of Burger & Lobster, having eaten at multiple locations in London over the years. We were excited to discover a location in Manhattan, and it was only a block from our theater! We had a reservation (which didn’t appear to be necessary at 5:00pm on a Tuesday) and were seated immediately. (At the risk of being redundant, allow me to reiterate how people react to simple politeness – the host was a bit stressed by the overly-demanding people in front of us, so we introduced ourselves with a smile, which immediately impacted his demeanor and put a smile on his face.) Our waiter introduced himself in fairly short order. Graham was friendly, engaging, and knowledgeable – yes, that’s his job, but he absolutely owned the job, he wasn’t just phoning it in by going through the motions. He didn’t talk to us, he conversed with us and made it a dining experience and not just eating a meal in a restaurant. If you visit and have the good fortune of being served by Graham you should have a great experience. On his suggestion we opted for the Connecticut Lobster Roll (warm) instead of the Traditional Lobster Roll (chilled) - and we were not disappointed! I’m an absolute sucker for the B&L fries, and thankfully Graham offered both salad and fries – saving me from an over-indulgence in fried carbs (yes, I ate the entire salad before starting on the fries or lobster roll.) The roll was delightful – with just a little extra garlic butter, of course. In an act of unprecedented willpower, I managed to leave about half of my fries – preventing future digestive discomfort. We departed in ample time to take a leisurely walk to the theater. 

With one evening to go to the theater we chose to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. My comments will be abbreviated and focused in order to avoid spoilers. A co-worker saw the production last year on his annual Broadway pilgrimage and gave it high marks without spoiling it for me, and I appreciate his efforts to be enthusiastic while preserving the mystery of the story for me. This is the first non-musical I’ve seen in many years, forcing me to re-focus my point of view. The acting was solid across the board. Some performers were excellent, the effects were amazing (rising to the level of shocking at some points) costuming was spot-on and the stagecraft and transitions were a combination of innovative and elegant. The storyline is intricately woven with the original series of books/movies, and I suggest that you have more than a passing familiarity with them before seeing the play. Simply knowing who Harry Potter is won’t provide the degree of understanding required for maximum enjoyment. The theater itself is an immersive experience, from the lobby to the stage. Theater staff are friendly and engaging, just put your cell phones away when asked. I purchased tickets using the TodayTix app and found the process to be seamless. Our orchestra seats were just at $100 each, which I considered fair based on an advanced purchase. (You can find seats for a fraction of that if you are flexible in your timing and seat preference.) The last Broadway show we attended was about 12 years ago, and tickets in the balcony for that production were not significantly less expensive. 

As we exited the theater we checked our phones and discovered that Zohran Mamdani had been elected Mayor of NYC. As we strolled through Times Square we didn’t see a single inflatable frog, dinosaur, nor unicorn. So much for the downfall of civilization previously predicted by his opponents.

We enjoyed our brief stay in the city, and it has fueled our desire to return for a longer visit sooner rather than later.