Title: Your NYC Staycation Ideas

Alison Stewart: This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. They say the best way to experience what your own city has to offer is to be a tourist in it. That's especially true if you're planning a staycation in these final weeks of summer. That's the plan. And soon-to-be staycationer, who had the idea for this segment in the first place, AOI senior producer Kate Hines. Hi, Kate.

Kate Hines: Hey, Alison.

Alison: And we invited Lonely Planet's Laura Mata to offer some guidance on how to make your hometown into a vacation. Hi, Laura.

Laura Mata: Hi there. Thanks for having me.

Alison: Listeners, we want to hear from you. If you are taking a staycation, give us a call. (212) 433-9692, (212) 433-WNYC. Send in your staycation requests. And what else? Recommendations. That's what we should do. Kate, let's start with you. Where did this come from? Where did the idea for this come from?

Kate: Well, I decided I was going to take a week off, next week off, and I thought I'll plan something. I'll buy plane tickets. I like to go to Arizona in the summer. It's a great time to go birding, and plane tickets are cheap. And then a whole series of things conspired and it's just better for me to stay home right now. But I'm kind of plan-free. And when I take time off and I stay in the city, I tend to do the same things over and over, and I want to break out of that rut.

Alison: What are some initial questions or guidance that you wanted about staycationing?

Kate: I want to be surprised. I've lived in New York City probably for 35 years, and I was a reporter for many of them. So I know a lot about New York City, but I haven't done a lot of the touristy things, like, I've never been to the top of the Empire State Building. I don't have a burning desire to go to the top of the Empire State Building, but I want people to tell me what has been a meaningful experience for them in this city.

Alison: You want to give the call out?

Kate: Yes. People, listeners, if you have done something on your staycation that has really moved you, please let us know. Let me know. Tell me what it was, where it was, what kind of things you did. If you went out to eat at a really great restaurant, if something surprised you about the city, give us a call. (212) 433-9692. That's (212) 433-WNYC. And we also take text messages at that number.

Alison: Laura, let's bring you into the conversation about us on the website Lonely Planet. It says, "At Lonely Planet, we believe travel opens the doors to the greatest, most unforgettable experiences life can offer." Why do you recommend a staycation?

Laura: I think that a staycation, first of all, it's really easy. It's something that doesn't need to be really expensive. It's right out your front door. You don't have to travel far. I think the other thing about staycations that people get really excited about is that it lets you see new things in your own town. I think that we all have this experience where either we grew up somewhere or we live in a city and we say, "You know what, I've never done that."

And I think that that's just something that a staycation gives you some time and space to do. We were talking about New York a little bit. You know, one thing that I think we always think about when we think about the western part of the United States is that we think about national parks, for example. I mean, New York City has eight national parks in and around lower Manhattan. Now, they're not expansive in the way that you think of Yellowstone or something like that, but they are fascinating and they are so cool.

And I think that not a lot of people have visited them. Whenever I visited them, I'm usually one of like two people there. So kind of love that and that's something that I've been really excited about exploring lately. But I think that New York City and the areas in and around it are full of things like that.

Alison: What is one of the first things you should do when you're thinking about staycation? Staying in your apartment? Should you go to a hotel? What do you think?

Laura: I mean, I think it depends on what you're really looking for. I think that if you are making your staycation about having an experience, then sure, you can just stay at your house. You can day trip to places, you can use public transport. But I think if you really want to be pampered and not necessarily make your bed every morning and [inaudible 00:04:12] and maybe go to a spa and really take it slow, I think a hotel is the way for you to go. It depends sort of on what level of relaxation you're looking for.

Kate: Laura, can I jump in and ask you a question? At the start, you talked about national parks in New York. Can you list a few?

Laura: Yes. So some of the ones that I think are super interesting. Castle Clinton, which is down in Battery Park, a historic site that dates from the War of 1812. I think most people see it as the ticket booth for buying tickets to the Statue of Liberty. But it is a historic site in and of itself that's managed by the national park. There are park rangers there who give tours. It is super fascinating. Another one that I think is really fascinating is the African burial ground.

Has a really, really wonderful interpretive center in lower Manhattan. The African burial ground, it is one of the most important archaeological finds of our generation. It is the burial spot of African slaves in New York. Really incredible site. And I think that, like I said the last time I was there, I think I was one of about two people there. Also, the Tenement Museum. Stonewall is New York's newest national park. So the interpretive center just opened, actually just a couple of weeks ago.

So there's a lot there. Federal Hall, and also to the classics, like Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty, the ones that people know about. But Governor's Island is also a national park, so lots to look at there. And like I said, the great thing about them being affiliated with the national park system is they have rangers, they have guided tours, they have a place for you to kind of go deeper and really learn about the history of these sites rather than just kind of walking around.

Alison: And you suggest staying at the Beekman Hotel, which, oh, my gosh, the bar there alone.

Laura: Fabulous. So the Beekman is originally a Gilded Age skyscraper. So gorgeous. That bar is kind of the iconic space that everyone knows at that property. You sort of stand in the middle and you can see all the balconies all the way to the top of the building. But the rooms are beautiful. And also, it's just a place where you really feel like you are sort of straddling this past and present of New York. You get to stay in what is effectively this beautiful, historic building that a lot of its original features have been preserved.

But also you get this sort of-- it also feels very hip. It feels like it is very of the now in New York City. So that's one of my favorite places to stay in New York. They also have some very fabulous things. They have these tower suites at the top that are very, very spendy, but very special. They're in the top of the towers at the hotel.

Alison: Let's take some calls. Let's talk to Barry. Hi, Barry. Thanks for calling.

Barry: Hi. Thank you for having me. This is exciting.

Alison: Tell us about staycation.

Barry: So I lived in the city for many years, and I had some friends in town, and we did the double-decker bus, which I always kind of looked down my nose at that, and it actually was incredibly informative, very interesting, and a really fun and different way to see the city.

Kate: Barry, can I ask what surprised you about the double-decker tour? Like, do you remember a specific moment?

Barry: Little bits of information that I didn't know? I can't tell you something off the top of my-- And I used to teach in the city, so I knew a lot of new Amsterdam stuff and all of the history, but there were little nuggets here and there about architecture or some of the bridges and stories behind that, and there were just some little pieces here and there that I really didn't know about. And it gives you a chance to see the city kind of in one fell swoop. And you can get off and get back on. I loved it so much that when I go to other cities, I now do it.

Alison: Love it. Thank you so much. Let's talk to Rebecca, calling in from Jersey City. Hi, Rebecca.

Rebecca: Hi, Alison. How you doing?

Alison: Doing great.

Rebecca: So I started about 15 years ago. I was unemployed and had a chunk of time between August and late September and started on the Friday of Labor Day weekend a international culinary vacation tradition.

Kate: Love it.

Rebecca: So we go out to a different neighborhood, usually like an ethnic enclave, on that Friday evening, and just eat our way through it. We never make reservations. Whoever comes, comes, and we just sort of bop around to a couple of different spots within the neighborhood.

Alison: Love that idea. Thank you so much for calling in. We're talking staycationing in New York City with Lonely Planet's Laura Mata and AOI senior producer Kate Hines. Listeners, call in with your staycation ideas. (212) 433-9692. (212) 433-WNYC. Are you a get-up-and-go kind of person on vacation, or do you sleep in, Kate?

Kate: Oh, I sleep in.

Alison: Okay.

Kate: I won't do. I mean, if I have a solid week off, I will get up early a couple of mornings, but because I have to get up early for work, I really-- If I have to get up before 8:00, I get cranky.

Alison: Maybe there's a night at a hotel for you. Let's ask Laura. But, Laura, you actually recommend staying in Times Square. That's gonna sound really strange to New Yorkers.

Kate: Yes. Laura, I'm just gonna jump in and say you're gonna have to sell me really hard on this one.

[laughter]

Laura: Well, I think that the impression that people have of Times Square is that it's busy and it's crowded and it is chaotic and full of tourists, and you'd never want to go there. But my counter to that is if you want to experience one of the best things that New York City has to offer, which is its theater scene, you're gonna have to go to Times Square. And I think that staying there and staying close to it, first of all, it puts you like a two-second walk from the theater, which is really nice.

The other thing is that I love the EDITION Hotel. It does not feel like a generic, crowded, busy. It has really beautiful design. It's a little bit if it is possible to be hidden away in Times Square, it feels like it is a little bit lower key. But lower key than some of the properties like when you think of the Marriott Marquis, how it's right there in Times Square, the big Sheraton or the big Hilton or things like that. This is a little bit-- The volume is a little bit lower on this property.

And I think it's really fun to do something where-- You know try and take a second look at Times Square. Like I said, if you want to go to the theater, you have to go there anyway. Another place that I love in Times Square is a bar called the Rum House, where they do really great classic cocktails, they have live jazz. It is something that does not feel like it is really a part of Times Square, but it is right in Times Square.

Alison: Let's take some more calls. Sally. Hi. Thanks for calling All Of It.

Sally: My suggestion is to take the Staten Island ferry, which is free, just before sunset. So you'd have to check the weather forecast or check your cell phone for what time sunset is. And the ferry goes every 30 minutes. You get the most gorgeous views of the Statue of Liberty, of the skyline of lower Manhattan, and it's free. And if you hang around the terminal, once you get to Staten Island, because you have to get off the ferry, you can't just stay on it, if you hang around for a little while or explore something over there, you can come back and you might see the moonrise.

Kate: I love that. And what I especially love about it is you reminded me that the Staten Island FerryHawks Stadium is very close to the terminal. So I can do that at sunset and then go catch a minor league baseball game.

Alison: There you go. Let's talk to Stephanie. Hi, Stephanie. Thanks for calling All Of It.

Stephanie Hello. Thank you for having me. So, right here locally, I would recommend for an exhilarating experience in New York City Climb where you are literally walking up the side of a skyscraper. I did that on my birthday about one year ago, and it was exhilarating and beautiful. If you're willing to cross the Hudson River to historic Piermont and Nyack, New York, you have unique shops, restaurants. You have seasonal festivals where there's music.

And then just five minutes north of that is the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. That walk should not be missed. It's three and a half miles each way, and you have spectacular views. And if you can point that time towards sunset, it is absolutely gorgeous view of the city and sunset.

Kate: Can I ask you a question, Stephanie?

Stephanie Sure.

Kate: When you get, do you go both ways across the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge? Like, if you cross, you just turn around and come back?

Stephanie You do. But there's also an opportunity to rent bicycles if you're on the New York City side, so to say. There's also a few places to get some beverages. And then you also do have historic Tarrytown there. And that is another very interesting place. You have, again, restaurants, you have theater. And there's also history there linked to the Revolutionary War if anyone's interested.

Alison: Thank you so much for calling in. We're talking staycation ideas. Give us a call. (212) 433-9692. (212) 433-WNYC. After the break, we'll head to Williamsburg. [music] This is All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. My guests are Laura Mata from Lonely Planet and Kate Hines, senior producer of this show. We are talking staycations. Kate is taking a staycation next week. Laura's giving us some recommendations if you want to take a staycation.

We've got a couple of texts from people. If you can take a day trip to Robbinsville, New Jersey, to visit the spectacular Hindu temple, the largest Hindu temple outside of India. There's no charge, and you can walk the exquisite grounds, see the masterful workmanship that went into building this amazing structure, and then go inside the temple itself and feel the awesome spirit.

Kate: I love that. I've heard so much about this temple.

Alison: This is another one. Migrated from Jamaica in 1988. Never gone to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. In 2022, did a staycation and visited those sites. The history was eye-opening. One of the things that made it more meaningful. I did it alone. The day was calm, and I was able to take in the information in a slow, deliberate pace. I ended the day with ice cream.

Kate: Oh, say no more.

Alison: Laura. We're going to talk to you about heading over to Williamsburg. Why Williamsburg and where should I stay?

Laura: So I think Williamsburg is great for a staycation, first of all, because there are some really amazing hotels there. It is kind of this cluster of what I think are some of the most interesting and really beautiful hotels in the city. Also because Williamsburg is really self-contained, you can do it in a weekend. And also because there are some amazing. Just restaurants, shopping. Great neighborhood wandering. It's really easy to cover most of it in just a day or two. A hotel that I love there, one of them that I think is really great is the Arlo.

And one of my favorite things about it, it has a rooftop pool, which is really great. And if you're a guest of the hotel, obviously you have first dibs for reservations. It also has a bar called the Water Tower, which is gorgeous. It is kind of in the shape of a classic Brooklyn rooftop water tower, but it's a cocktail bar, and it is just beautiful. Has views over the city, over the pool. And it's a great place to check out of New York City a little bit, I think, while still being kind of part of that urban landscape. It's really beautiful.

Alison: Let's talk to Chris from Armand, who agrees with you. Hi, Chris.

Chris: Hi, Alison. Yes. My wife and I spent our 25th wedding anniversary at the William Vale in Williamsburg. So this is when the hotel just opened, more or less. And if you can imagine, 25th wedding anniversary, Williamsburg. Who would have thought anyone would have done that 25 years ago? And that's where we were, overlooking Manhattan.

You know, glass shower, glass walls, a lot of fun. And at the same time, WNYC was hosting Radio Love Fest at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. So we're able to enjoy Radio Love Fest, go to the local breweries, restaurants, and have a really nice time and overlook Manhattan. It was a great 25th wedding anniversary.

Alison: Congratulations on getting to 25, beyond as well. Thanks, Chris. Let's talk to Beth from The Bronx. Hi, Beth.

Beth: Hi. How are you?

Laura: Doing great.

Beth: It's the tap-and-see for us folks up here.

Kate: [laughs]I agree.

Beth: I would highly recommend a day trip to Van Cortlandt Park to see the Van Cortlandt Manor. It's at the foot of the property, and it was originally the Van Cortlandt Manor when it was Dutch New York. All of that acreage and the manor itself is perfectly preserved, early 18th-century Dutch manor. And it's absolutely fantastic. You can get a tour. I believe they still have Wednesdays free for admission, but it's amazing.

They have maps of old New York and the treaties that they made with the local Indian tribes. The Sint Sinks mostly. And it's just an enjoyable, wonderful, wonderful day. And then you can go do the hike around the park grounds, which is also an incredible day event. So that's my recommendation for a great staycation.

Alison: We like it. Thank you so much. Now, Kate, if I'm getting too personal, we'll move on. During your staycation, are you taking a vacation from you? If that gives you-- Do you know what I mean?

Kate: Right. Well, what I've done in the past is when I have some time off and I'm hanging out in my apartment, I look at the closet that needs to be reorganized and the paperwork piling up on my desk and the kitchen floor that needs to be cleaned. And I'm trying to not do that. Like this week, I'm spending some time trying to get ahead of that so that next week I don't feel the lure of chores. I am trying to get away from my daily responsibilities.

Alison: All right, Laura, what kind of things should people do to get away from their daily responsibilities? Because it pulls on you when you stay home.

Laura: It sure does. Especially if you're staying in your own home. You have access to all of your devices. You have access to all of the-- If you're working from home for any part of the time, the temptation to sort of check-in and to make sure that you're staying on top of things is really strong. I would say one of the most important things is to make a really conscious effort to slow down.

I think that when you sort of sit with yourself and you sort of think about your devices, when you think about your work life, put your phone in a drawer, put it on silent, uninstall the app that keep you connected to work, and do it for the period of time that you're taking your staycation. Really treat it like you would a regular vacation. If you're out of town and in a different time zone, say, "You know what? I'm actually not going to be checking in because I am not in that time zone. It's going to be difficult." Think like you're on actual vacation and take it slow.

Alison: I think you should also, I used to do this a lot, go to the restaurant that you normally be like, "Oh, it's a little too expensive." Go, you're on vacation, you go to the fancy restaurant.

Kate: Alison, what would that restaurant be for you?

Alison: Oh, I think I would probably-- The ladies of the west village who-- What's it called? They're Italian. They own like six restaurants. Come on, you help me out. Bar pizzotto. You know? Okay, one of our listeners will know who I'm talking about.

Kate: Text us.

Alison: And also, this is something I would do. I spend money on something that's a little too expensive, a really expensive pair of shoes, something you could bring back from your staycation.

Kate: Oh, shoes. You're speaking my love language.

Alison: Let's talk to Lori. Thanks, Lori, for calling.

Lori: Hi. Thanks. I have three, two real quick, and then one a little bit longer. First one is the circle line. I'm sure that most locals haven't ever been on it, but it actually is a lot of fun if and only if you take a picnic and a bottle of wine and you sit on the top in the very, very back as far away as possible from the loudspeakers, and then you're out on the water and it's fun, and it's cheap. The second one is just go to Brooklyn Bridge Park, hang out.

You got 88 acres to choose from. It's all waterfront. There's even a little beach. You can pretend you've gone somewhere exotic. But the really big one that I 100% do and I think is spectacular is whenever I'm traveling, if time allows, I build in a portion of my travel to see the city completely by bicycle. So I just did 275 miles bicycling all of Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver. And last year, a group of us did bicycling the Erie Canal.

You can, in fact, go from Buffalo all the way into the city via Albany, and it's all bypassed, and it's pretty spectacular. And you can organize every 40 or 50 miles, there's an inn or a hotel you can stay in that's bike friendly, so you don't have to kill yourself and try to do 100 miles a day. Inside the city, there are so many things that you see from the bike that you can't experience any other way.

You have to go out to the new wildlife preserve in Jamaica Bay, or go through the abandoned tunnels that crisscross through Queens. Or somebody mentioned Van Cortlandt Park. There is a ton of the Bronx that is spectacularly beautiful, and there's only one way to see it, and that's from your bicycle or walking for a long time.

Alison: Appreciate that. We want to-- Via Corota. Via Corota. That's my restaurant. [laughs]

Kate: Okay. I'm writing it down.

Alison: Let's say you want to get a little further, Laura, outside of the city. You recommend Long Island. Where do you suggest people go? What should they do there?

Laura: Yeah, I think that the North Fork wineries make a really, really fabulous trip, even if it's just for a day from the city. It's a bit of a long drive, but I think it's worth it. If you want to stay out there, there is a really wonderful hotel out there called the Silver Sands Motel. And this is really capitalizing on this really fabulous trend of people taking kind of old rundown motels and completely renovating them and turning them into these sort of beautiful, slightly hip, really taking advantage of all that kind of cool mid-century architecture and turning them into these really beautiful modern hotels and motels.

Silver sands is one that I really enjoy. They have a great restaurant, too. And it also puts you really close to the winery. So if you want to go out there, Sparkling Point is great one, they do all sparkling. Rose Hill is another winery that I really love. But it's beautiful scenery, and you really do feel like you are well away from the city when you're doing that.

Alison: Let's go to Richard's real quick. Richard, give us your recommendation.

Richard: Yeah. So I just wanted to advocate for Marjorie Elliot's Parlor Jazz in Sugar Hill, Harlem. Every Sunday, she gives or has been giving a concert free of charge for 31 years to remember her sons. And it's one of the most beautiful experiences and perhaps one of the most generous that I've ever experienced from someone just opening up their apartment to the public every Sunday, rain or shine, no vacations, for the past 31 years to give the gift of music. And it's [inaudible 00:25:15] I've had every time I've gone.

Alison: Love it. Thank you so much for calling in. Laura, any last bit of advice you want to give to Kate or to anyone else listening talking about staycations?

Laura: Yeah, I think the. The most important thing is that whether you're staying at home, in your own apartment or house, or you're actually staying in a hotel, I think the most important thing there is that you actually take time to relax, take a breath, enjoy the city. You want to get the same results out of a staycation that you do for a vacation. So it's all about kind of slowing down.

Alison: Did you hear anything mentioned that you thought sounded really interesting to you?

Kate: I heard so many things. I took great notes. Marjorie Ellet's Parlor Jazz sounds amazing. The Hindu temple in Robbinsville sounds amazing. I really want to go to the Rum House bar. And someone I texted in about the metro north to Poughkeepsie, the walkway over the Hudson bridge. I really want to do that.

Alison: And you're going to put your phone away?

Kate: Well, it's also fall migration, so I have to keep an eye out for birds, so I need my Merlin and Ebird apps.

Alison: Okay, but you'll ignore all the calls that come from this number?

Kate: Yes, I will.

Alison: All right. Listeners, thanks so much for helping Kate plan her staycation, and thanks to Laura Mata from Lonely Planet. Thanks a lot, Laura.

Laura: Thank you.

[END OF AUDIO]

 

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