Forgot your passport? Here’s a way out!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

En route to the Dominican Republic last week, I did something I’ve never done before: I forgot my passport. I was already out of Manhattan, deep into Queens, and turning back simply wasn’t an option. I panicked.

There was no reason for me to forget my passport, something I haven’t done in a dozen years of travel as a professional. As I do for every trip, I put my wallet, keys and passport on top of my laptop the night before … so I wouldn’t forget them. I noticed the pile of stuff not to forget the next morning and immediately recognized it as such.

Nonetheless, seated in the backseat of the town car, I realize I’d done what should have been impossible given my insane system. The driver turned his head shortly after I yelled, “Crap!” as one would expect him to do. I repeated the expletive a few times before telling him why. I must not be the first person to have made this mistake in his car, because the driver, from Tel Aviv Limo quickly came up with the perfect solution.He instructed me to call for a new car and explain the situation. They would send a vehicle to my apartment, where my friend would meet them with my passport. Then, the driver would head out to JFK airport, where I’d be waiting in the departure area with the fare for the trip and an incredibly generous tip (I wound up paying close to 100 percent for this service).

Even before I could raise the suggestion, the driver shot down the notion of turning around and going back to my apartment. It would take too much time, he noted, as we’d have to go out and back. With his proposal, a car already in Manhattan could just shoot straight out to JFK. As if I needed another reason, I saw the Queens traffic heading into the city and knew that turning around would mean fighting rush hour. If I made my flight, I’d do it as a bundle of nerves.

Less than an hour from the moment I hurled obscenities at myself, my bag and my passport, I had my documents in hand and was ready to check in. The driver was in touch with me before reaching my apartment (to make sure someone would be there), when he left (to let me know he was en route) and at the departures area (to tell me he had arrived).

The situation unfolded perfectly, but it isn’t universally applicable. I wouldn’t try this with a taxi, for example. I wouldn’t even have someone hail a cab and drop my stuff in the backseat to be delivered to me. The taxi option is just too fluid. To make it work, it helps to have just taken a town car to the airport, though I suspect you could have a car service deliver your passport even if you drove, took public transportation or hailed a cab.

Stupidity may be problematic, but it doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. If you forget something important for your trip – so important that you’re willing to shell out some serious cash to fix the situation – you now have a solution at your fingertips. Of course the smarter move is to get it right the first time …

New York City street vendors to accept credit cards

by Mike Barish on

Starting in June, if you’ve got a hankering for some street meat in New York City, you’ll be able to use a credit card to purchase your kebab. As part of a trial program in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, select street vendors will begin accepting credit card payments for food.

If the initial response to the experiment is positive, it could be rolled out to all New York City street vendors in three or four months. Meaning that stale pretzels and soggy hot dogs may soon be no more than a credit card swipe away.

Beyond those snacks, there are some fantastic food carts in New York City that offer full meals ranging from Jamaican to Lebanese to Korean (and everything in between). So, while you may never have the need to charge $2.00 for a hot dog, being able to pay for a quick and delicious meal-to-go with a credit card may be just the thing to make you consider those food carts that you often just walk past.

Street vendors are wildly popular outside of the States. Here at Gadling we’re always promoting the joys of street food. These carts are only now beginning to catch on with wider audiences domestically as high-end food trucks and more elaborate carts have hit the streets. Here in New York, however, we’ve always been hip to street meat. And now we can charge it.

[Via Gawker via NYP]

Sex and the City 2: A NYC Movie Location

by Amy Chen on

The long-awaited Sex and the City 2 hits theaters on May 27. For those hoping to visit some of the actual film locations, it’ll be a little tougher with the sequel (parts of the movie were filmed in Morocco, which is meant to stand in for Abu Dhabi).

A brief scene, however, was filmed a little closer to home at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Remember the first movie when Mr. Big built Carrie a drool-worthy walk-in closet? Well apparently for the sequel, crews resorted to filming an apartment scene on one of the hotel’s balconies (Suite 1501 to be precise).

I recently toured some of the hotel’s renovated suites, and it’s not hard to see why Hollywood came calling: many of the suites have views of Central Park, and some of the rooms can be joined together to create a palatial multi-bedroom suite.

Standing in the footsteps of Carrie’s Jimmy Choos obviously doesn’t come cheap: booking Suite 1501 (a deluxe suite with a balcony) starts at $2,200 per night.

For a more affordable Sex and the City experience, fans of the TV show may recognize the on-site Bar Seine as where part of the second-to-last episode was filmed. Bartenders here mix up a signature cocktail: the Crystal Cosmopolitan.

If you can’t make it to New York City in time for the film premiere, here’s the Crystal Cosmopolitan recipe for post-movie cocktails no matter where you are.The Crystal Cosmopolitan at Bar Seine

Ingredients
2 oz. Absolut Citron
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. white cranberry juice
1 lime wedge

Instructions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. In the shaker, combine the vodka, Cointreau, and juice. Cover and shake thoroughly. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Speaking of martinis, famous hotel guests apparently have included none other than 007 himself (Pierce Brosnan).

Details: Hotel Plaza Athenee is located at 37 E. 64th Street at Madison Avenue.

Hotel Review: The Distrikt Hotel, New York

by Melanie Nayer on

New York’s Distrikt Hotel opened its doors on Feb. 1, welcoming travelers to a new type of hotel concept: a convergence of culture in one space. The Distrikt pays homage to the various neighborhoods of Manhattan by featuring montages of each neighborhood’s unique personality on various floors throughout the hotel.

New York-based design firm OTTE Architecture designed the hotel alongside local artist Chris Rubino. Each floor of The Distrikt is said to feature a scene that describes one of New York’s iconic neighborhoods including Chelsea, Greenwhich Village, Midtown West, Midtown East, Central Park, Soho, the Lower East Side, Tribeca, Harlem and the Financial District. Located at 342 West 40th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues, the hotel is set in the center of it all: Times Square.

On his recent trip to New York, I sent Gadling Editor Grant Martin into the hotel to explore and check out the new digs. Here is what he found:

“The building is narrow, very narrow,” said Grant. However, due to the size of the narrow building the hotel has only five rooms on every floor, which means a lot less foot traffic and less noise than a bigger hotel.

First stop: The Lobby.

The focus of the lobby is the 11-foot green “living wall”, meant to represent Central Park.

In the lobby, there are three Apple computers connected to the Web, which are free of charge to guests. The green wall was filled with live green plants, adding a nice ‘fresh’ aspect to the hotel lobby.

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The subway themed elevator bank is what makes this hotel so unique. “Special city detailing on the walls and city streets carved into the woodwork behind the desk and around parts of the lobby was probably the most unique and my favorite thing about the hotel. This custom woodwork is also in both elevators.”The Rooms

Each floor in The Distrikt Hotel is designated to a specific “district” of Manhattan. Neighborhoods are divided up roughly 3-5 floors per district, and the only thing that really separates them from the other floors is the collage on the walls. The hotel claims they took 10,000 photos to make these collages, and while we didn’t count, the collages are pretty cool.


As far as the rooms go, they are pretty standard. There is no distinctive difference in ‘districts’ once you enter your room, but Grant gives credit where credit is due: “The beds are big, warm and very comfortable. The iPod/phone enabled clock radio was nice, which I appreciate, as was the giant LCD TV that did not default to the hotel channel every time I turned it on.”

Bathrooms

While the bathrooms are small by American hotel standards, they are pretty average for New York standards. The typical amenities were included in the bathrooms, and the bonus was free toothpaste and a toothbrush (if you walked down to the front desk to get it). The bathroom also came complete with a robe and slippers – a nice touch if you decide to lounge around for a while.

Restaurant

The Distrikt Hotel is home to Collage restaurant, which debuts a menu of New York-inspired food and local beers. As the building is narrow, so is the restaurant, which means seating for approximately 50 or so people.

Additional amenities:

Should you choose to stay at The Distrikt Hotel, you can expect free wifi in the rooms, a business desk with ergonomic chair, and Ecru New York soaps and amenities.

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Memorable in Manhattan: Package for first-timers

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You’ll never forget your first time. It may have been thrilling or awkward, but it was memorable. Many are still waiting for their first … their first trip to New York City. If you’re only exposure to this city is what you’ve seen on television or the big screen, this is your chance to experience it for yourself. The Crowne Plaza Times Square‘s First Time in New York Package will make it easy to give up your city virginity.

I don’t remember my first time in the city (let’s just say I was young), but I do remember my first stay at the Crowne Plaza Times Square. It was only a few weeks after Y2K – and the world didn’t end, in case you were wondering. I remember the feeling that came with stepping onto the sidewalk: the rush of energy was incredible. And then, I got sick – probably a combination of weekly travel, 80-hour work weeks and a diet that looked strangely like a menu at a baseball stadium. So, I really saw little more than the inside of my room, from which I stumbled when I was finally able to handle travel again, and grabbed the 1/9 train down to Penn Station for the ride back to Boston.Hopefully, your first time will be more pleasant! Doubtless, it will be. While the Crowne Plaza can’t immunize you from the nagging diseases that could screw up your trip, it can be all the protection you need when it comes to boredom. As part of the First Time in New York package, you’ll receive two 48-hour passes for the Classic New York Double Decker Bus Tour; tickets to the Empire State Building’s Observation Deck, ferry to the Statue of Liberty and the Natural history Museum; a detailed New York City sightseeing map; a New York City’s Official Visitor Guide; and a commemorative picture frame. At $598 for two nights, this is an absolute steal.

Your first time should be a memory to cherish and a story to tell. Treat yourself to two nights in Manhattan, and you won’t be stuck wondering what it feels like when you watch it on TV.