While 2026 has been a challenging year for me with medical issues, in between surgeries Thom and I were able to sneak in 48 hours in NYC! Thom is a born and bred New Yorker and I’ve both worked and lived there so, while we have a familiarity with this amazing city, NYC never fails to deliver new experiences for us.
On this trip, we built our itinerary around a trip to Broadway to see the classic musical Cats reimagined as The Jellicle Ball. This wonderful production showcased a diverse cast with members of the LGBTQ+ community dancing, singing, and acting their asses off in a joyful ballroom culture. Everywhere you looked, something wonderful was going on! An actor would pop up right next to you while the dance-off competition was happening on the main stage, and the DJ was spinning tunes on a side balcony. No “stars” in this musical, though Old Deuteronomy did a fine job presiding over the festivities. The stars were the ensemble cast and the audience, who were able to engage by snapping their “Come One, Come All” fans that they purchased prior to the show. Those fans went crazy celebrating the talents being showcased. This show was in a small theater so there really were no “bad” seats and you could even purchase seats on the stage facing out to the audience that were very interactive with the cast. So. Much. Fun.
After a night at the theater, nothing hits harder than the thick and creamy NY style cheesecake several inches thick, topped with strawberries and found at Junior’s, conveniently located in the Marriott Marquis walkway on the route back to our hotel. I’m a Marriott loyalist so I have tried most of this brand’s hotels in NYC. I may have found a new favorite on this trip. While nothing fancy and the rooms are typical NYC small, the location, price, cleanliness, and customer service made the Springhill Suites on 46th Street between 7th and 8th stand out. We could walk easily to any Broadway theater, Times Square (where I worked once upon a time on a Microsoft assignment) and my favorite Chinese restaurant, Dim Sum Palace. We take the train up from Baltimore to NYC, and this hotel is only about 10 blocks from Moynihan Train Station, though it was Knicks/World Cup weekend. The traffic was insane even more than usual and the cab to the hotel took about 45 minutes to go one mile and cost $35. Could we have walked? Sure, if I was healthier and it wasn’t 90 degrees, absolutely.
Prior to the theater, we arrived in time to check our bags at the hotel and grab a bus to go uptown to the Frick Museum on E. 70th Street across from Central Park. In all the time we’ve been in NYC, we have never had time to visit this museum so it was a “must see” for me and I was not disappointed! Set in an impressive mansion donated by the estate of Henry Clay Frick, a wealthy steel baron who collected art, his collection consists of 14th to 19th century European paintings. So I got to gaze at art from Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Rembrandt, etc. In addition to the art collection, part of the mansion has period appropriate furnished rooms to admire with bedrooms, living rooms and such. Very Gilded Age! Oh, how the wealthy lived now and still! There are audio tours and free live tours you can take part in. I always find these helpful to really understand the art you’re viewing.
After a day at the museum and before the theater, we had time for a quick respite at the famous Sardi’s, which happened to be right across the street from the Jellicle Ball’s Broadhurst Theater. With two floors to choose from, we grabbed a window seat upstairs so we could monitor the theater line and know when to go queue up. We did not have a reservation but easily got a seat at a little after 5 (show starts at 7). However, by 5:30, it was packed. With the celebrity caricatures lining the walls, white tablecloths and elegant wait staff, the atmosphere is very Broadway and the perfect spot to enjoy a drink and nibble. We had an excellent cheese platter with all kinds of cheese, bread, figs and grapes. Paired with a light Chardonnay, it was delicious.
We are really not foodies, so our idea of fine dining is a slice of cheese pizza from a counter or a bagel from a street cart-true NYC food. Luckily, there was a great pizza joint on the same block as the hotel. While I still remember when you could get a big slice for $1, it was $3.50 here because it is the tourist area. You can still get a slice for $1.50 in a more residential area of Manhattan. Nothing better than a hot cheesy slice, eaten folded up if you are a true New Yorker like my husband. Eschew those pricey restaurants and get yourself a slice!
Of course, no trip to NYC would be complete without a stroll through Central Park and a stop at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Met is one of my favorite spots and when we lived in NYC, we were members who went almost every week. Entry is free to NYC residents but costs for others. That is unless you are Thom George, who chatted up the museum employee at the front desk. The very kind employee ended up entering our old NYC zip code as a courtesy to a former New Yorker and let us in for free, though Thom did make a donation. We went straight to a special exhibit of Raphael art, which was crowded with art enthusiasts. The impressionists’ rooms were nearby so I enjoyed Monet among others. Having been to the Monet museum in Paris and Monet’s home in Giverny, his art is special to me. Then it was off to the Temple of Dendur, which we could admire from afar but not climb within the ancient structure like we used to be able to. I’m sure visitors behaved badly and thus the barriers keeping people at a distance from the temple went up in the last few years.
On the way home after negotiating through heavy traffic due to the Knicks and World Cup games going on, we checked out the Amtrak lounge at Moynihan train station and then it was back to Baltimore. I love living on the East Coast and being able to take the train to so many great cities. If you haven’t been to NYC lately, the city is on a high right now with the Knicks winning and Mamdani leading change for the people. There’s no place like it and I can’t wait to go back!
Enjoy the journey!
Travels with Melinda 